What Jobs Are We Doing In The Garden Today 2020

And there was I thinking you knew how to give a good haircut ... that's "let it grow 70's" followed by No.1 ...

I don't think that is anything to do with you. I think (but I'm not sure) that the flower bud was formed last year, so whatever it did this year is down to last year before you got them. Immature bulb as @KFF says maybe, or some other cultivation problem ...

I have a similar problem with very very early flowering Daffs. Look fine the first year, but not after that ... the theory being that they are already well into growth by the time they are harvested, being as they are so early (but all harvested at the same time), so severely put back being "transplanted" and then take a year or two to recover.

 

Saw similar when I was hoeing the front garden - around the new Rudbeckia Goldsturm - first time I've seen them - must have something to do with the Council compost I put down earlier this year.

In the back garden - just planted a load of Night Scented Stock - not much to look at - but by George they fill the evening air with a gorgeous scent .

 

Not much today just watering everything in conservatory and small greenhouse. Even though we had some rain yesterday I will still water the polyanthus later.

 

Hack-hack-hacked manure into the front side border, it's finally starting to look like a place where something may grow, instead of Heathrow or a clay harvesting mine. Planted in some more Erigeron cuttings and on the shadier part some hardy Geraniums. When in doubt, plant hardy Geraniums

The herb garden is starting to come to life, my little standard-to-be blackcurrant has a flower bud, the Rosemary is lovely and Marjoram and Thyme are starting to grow after spring haircut. The Chives are nearly flowering. I wish I knew how to focus on the Teenager's Ipad camera.


The Chia ("Should have googled first") seedlings are taking their daily outing to man up. They are incredibly vigorous plants, and don't mind little mishaps such as broken stems. They just grow on. Reminds me of Monty Python's Black Night "It's merely a stem!". Germination rate is around 500%.


After lunch I just sat on the bench with a mighty goblet of Pinot Grigio and enjoyed life. I still have some potting on to do, great!

 

Brought Brug #2 out of the tunnel, hoping that we don't get a cold spell. Planted a couple of Lobelia tupa in the ground, planted some Canna brasiliensis in the extended tropical border. Planted Fuchsia thalia in a raised bed and then broke for a bite to eat

Then set about weeding the last part of the top border. The wet warm winter and warm weather now (unintentional alliteration there) have meant that the weeds have grown really well. I took out the equivalent of three wheelbarrows of weeds from a 3m stretch of border. Finished off by weeding around the bases of the fruit trees.

 

Hubby did a lot of weeding, i never seem to get around to it. Watered the polyanthus and dead headed some of the hyacinths. Got a few wallflowers that didn't grow very much in the pots so going to keep them to grow on.

 

Mowed the lawn in between decorating and gave chucks a good pile of cuttings to munch on, which kept them occupied for a while. Did some weeding and potted up some self seeded polyanthus. Gave GH a good watering.

Rusty

 

Just googled it and the seeds are edible, it's a plant of the mint family.

 

We have them on lots of things you can eat then straight from the jar/ bag but we normally keep a container of soaked ones in the fridge as they are a lot easier to digest that way.

 

Had another busy but enjoyable whole day in the garden, we also had our dinner out there too

I always grow Wallflowers because they bring a splash of early colour to the garden, but I'm really not that keen on them as they tend to look tatty as each flower fades up the stem. Today I went around the garden and painstakingly dead headed all of them removing their long seed pods too, must say they looked a lot tidied afterwards!!

Potted up another 20 Zinnias and 30 Gypsophilia for the pots.

The Mizuna that I sowed the other day in a Ziploc have begun to germinate, so a few were pricked out into pots.

All the over wintering plants and all young plants/ seedlings were brought out to enjoy the elements today and given a good watering.

 

How are you doing that? Just some damp kitchen paper in Ziploc? ... or something else? thanks

 

Yes @Kristen ...I'm totally converted to that way now!!! Had great germination % on everything this year and a great space saver indoors too. No more trays!! Having very little compost left has had its benefits.

 

Thanks. I read a blog where he kept all his Ziplocks vertically, like a filing cabinet draw. Not only so that they were organised according to "order of likely germination", for checking, but also (he said) because it makes the roots grow vertically so less hassle getting them out of the kitchen paper (than if the Ziploks are laid flat). I've not tried it though ...

When I did try it I had a lot of trouble getting the moisture level right. I might get on better with some damp vermiculite rather than kitchen paper as I reckon it would be more forgiving

 

Yep I store a lot that way but too be honest if you distribute the seeds carefully and check very regularly once germination begins and use tweezers it's a fairly easy.

For Petunias I literally tear the tissue into pieces and transfer the whole lot onto compost.

If they say..surface sow I cover with only 1 layer of damp tissue, if a bit deeper then a couple and if they say obmit all light then the Ziploc is put in an envelope.

 

Didn't do anything in the garden yesterday but was quite busy at my allotment, hoed around the honeyberries and dug out three self-seeded Linaria purpurea out of the weeds and put them in a cleared part of it. Was reading about that plant and Gardeners' World seem to think that it's good for butterflies as well as bees, but I can't remember ever seeing any butterflies on them. Also dug out some teasels which seem to be particularly bad this year, I absolutely hate them and there must be at least 50 of the blasted things on my plot! My asparagus patch is covered in weeds and needs clearing today, if I carry on at this rate I might even be able to see all the spears at some point!

Linaria purpurea

Nick