What Jobs Are We Doing In The Garden Today 2020

I wish I could get some. I use it a lot in my artwork and for cleaning off gloves, etc. If I had known I would have stockpiled a supply before cv19. What is available to buy now is three times the price of what I was paying .

 

Painted more patio walls. Netted pond and discovered Newt is still in residence. I have bought some Kale, Tomato and Lettuce plants from hardware store so made a start on potting them up. Probably finish it later today.

 

What a shame . But hopefully you can rearrange. There are many things to do and see here. I am very lucky to live here. May is particularly pretty as the lanes are filled with wild flowers and bluebells fill the little copses and wooded areas. Also, the seasonal birds are arriving for the breeding season.

 

The tomatoes did not enjoy the transplant very much I think, probably the night was too cold for them. I'll start covering them at night every day.
But the local gardening center is resuming business on Monday, limited to deliveries, so they might drop a few hundred liters of compost at my doorstep

 

After a busy day at work (7th week home office ) went for a long walk with The Teenager who amazed me by suggesting spot-a-Clematis game after our recent spot-a-Camellia game. I didn't know she actually recognises Clematis. Brain washing in good progress Sniffed Rowan and Syringa flowers.

Back in, it was Watering with a capital W. All borders got a proper soak, the ailing front grass patch had it's share and the aphids had a good wash as well. Poor little aphids get so dusty with this drought.

The Cosmos are opening their first tiny baby flowers, about 1/5 of the size of the real flowers in the summer. Chias, tomatoes, chillies and Cucamelons have been repotted and are waiting for warmer nights to go out, as are the Dahlias currently preventing access to the pet supplies trunk.

@Aldo, I was lucky to spot that Morrisons groceries had Westland compost available when I was making a grocery order. They actually delivered 75L (3x 25L bags, £2 each) with my bananas and wine. If you get food deliveries, take a look what they might have in the household section.

 

Not much to do at the moment, waiting for the spring bedding to finish flowering, that will be a few weeks yet. Did some watering, the polyanthus, 25 blueberry pots,tithonia and a few pots with spring plants in.

 

Made a bird table with bath, and added to my fairy garden. Then repotted my cucumber and tomato plants, and mowed one of the lawns, going to do the other tomorrow

 

Been doing bits on the pergola, and re furloughed as of today so I'm hoping to get it built and painted pretty soon the starlings love it, they're already decorating it

 

@Selleri Thanks! I'll check out Morrisons in case there are problems with my order with the gardening center. But it should be fine, I know the owner and he is very reliable. I ended up ordering 5 bags, so 400 liters. That will probably see me through the season and a bit beyond.

I would be curious to find out how your cucamelons will fare outside. Last year I had very little luck with those outdoor, they simpy would not grow over a certain size and finally the slugs destroyed them, so I am trying to figure out how to manage some this year.

 

Potted up my third tomato plant and two of the lettuce plants. I have a spare recycling box, so tomorrow I'm going to drill holes in it and then use it as a planter for my kale plants. Dragged out the hose to the side garden to water cherry tree bed and front garden to top up pond. Took some pics of the garden and the pond. Sat on the patio watching the shadows creep across the garden as the setting sun slid over the beech hedging and the birds going about their bedtime routine.

 

I finished a mini bed extension to fit yet one more pot in full sun.
The rest of the beans in sil blocks are ready to go in the soil. Some came out in the wrong direction because I planted them when already sprouted, but it should not be a problem.




I finished this little triumph of over engineering.
It is the kind of thing people like me think up on slow work shifts in gray winter days, which then leads to ordering weird materials which take months to come from China.
Anyway, provided I can keep it sealed, it should protect my radish, carrots and so forth from slugs and other bugs.
The velcro allows to quickly remove the top during the day, so they can get full sun and fresh air. The sides can slide down to make it easier to sow and add compost. The back can be folded over, leaving a small section in the back for corn or other tall plants, once they manage to grow big enough to withstand pests.

 

@Aldo B&Q are open now. Some of them are click and collect only, but I was in our local one today and it's functioning on the same system as the supermarkets. A one way system inside and of course distancing as well.

 

Thanks Sheal! We do have a B&Q kind of close, but I have no car here in London, so for bulky things like that I tend and have them delivered. Well, in normal times I just head with my wheelbarrow to the gardening center around the corner and load it up :D

Actually, that's how I started gardening. I picked up by chance some strawberries there in 2017, and I came here in October to ask about growing more from runners.
Then in 2018, exactly two years ago, my wife brought our first tomato, from IKEA, and I came back here asking why it was all scortched after planting it in the garden without hardening it first :D
The same year I got more tomatoes, courgettes and some very short-lived peppers, poor things.
Then last year I started growing from seed, with very variable success admittedly, but I learned quite a bit in the process.

Sorry, I was just reflecting that for some reason it feels like I have been doing this for more than two years.
I used to dislike gardening very much since a child, and I would have never expected to enjoy it so much

I do not think I could have enjoyed it as much without all the helpful advice I got here on the forum though, it can be quite frustrating to figure things out all by yourself, I am glad I did not have to

 

I turned the compost heap this morning and watered the GH and veg beds. Finished off the strawberry planter, minus drainage holes as my drill went flat. Will have to drill and plant up tomorrow. Later his evening after family walk, I put the sprinkler on front garden for a couple of hours and gave it a really good soaking.

Rusty