WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2021

Nothing planned for here as heavy rain may be coming our way so hope the newly planted seeds don't wash away. I have enough bad luck with seed without help from above! May plant a few seeds indoors however.

Ben the Gardener is coming next Saturday to do the bending work. He will use his magic machine to kill weeds, ie Oxalis pes-caprae (safe for cats after one hour) and cut a sticky-outy branch on the Viburnum and cut back the Tecomaria more than he did in the Autumn.

I want him to unpot the Strelitzia nicholai that friend John is taking and dig up the Bougainvillea 'Torchglow' and put it in the big BoP pot. Currently the Bougie is hiding under the Viburnum and Tecomaria.

 

Echoing everyone else at this time of the year, yesterday was Chilli seedling pricking and next wave seed sowing day, indoors.

I did something very uncharacteristic. With only a bit shaky hands I chucked out extra seedlings and only kept what I need plus some spares! Now that's something unheard of in Selleri household. Resolutely I only kept 4 Artichokes, as I only have room for one. And, possibly under @Upsydaisy influence, I re- labelled the new pots and even removed the old tags!

Usually, if I do label anything, I get all confused further down in spring when I find a plant that proudly identifies itself as a Chil H, Bixa and Tree B, judging by the fading labels on the pot.

This year I have invested in two sets of growlights- and they are, literally, brilliant! The seedlings are very sturdy and I hope that around April when the natural light is enough on the brighter windowsills, I can expand the collection of pots on the North facing windowsills with a little help from the lights.

The weather is a bit more merciful today so some outdoors activities are called for.

 

Well done @Selleri .....impressive!! Especially the labels!!!

 

Nothing today wet and windy tomorrow supposed to be better .

@ARMANDII Its more common than you think that trying to find a gardener who knows the plants and pruning etc . Good job you vetted him untold damage can be with someone wielding a hedge trimmer or loppers etc . At least you've got someone to do the awkward job

 

Weather was never 17 degrees more like 12 degrees..cold wind with gusts, no way could we put the pvc windows in the greenhouse. The base is level so that took a few hours of no fun, horrid job. Digging is ok but the levelling.... it has to be correct or the whole greenhouse will just not fit together.... Weeding this morning, had Henryetta our Chicken digging my new plants out so sent her back in her Pen for while...

 

Today I took hubby up to admire my woven fence panel, trundled a couple of wheelbarrow loads of chippings to form a woody layer in the adding-to compost bay, and bagged up a few bags of chippings, to keep next to the compost bay for the next layer. In doing so, I found one buried primula under the chippings - I hope that I didn’t plant more in that corner!

 

First proper day out in the garden

Cleared out the dead and tattered remains of perennials, I always leave them in over the winter. Firstly, because my Nana told me so. Secondly, because clear patches of soil look so depressing and dead in winter. And thirdly, because perhaps the leaves and whatnot give some shelter and food for the little creepycrawlies.

Anyways, the bare patches of soil are not bare patches in spring, they are promises of new growth just about to pop out.

I'm not a sentimental person but today I found myself smiling at new buds, tentative young shoots and even weeds that emerged when the debris was cleared. I pulled a planter and disturbed a busy looking family of woodlice and stayed there for a while just to look at them scuttering about. It's very reassuring. These little ones don't give a hoot if there is a pandemic or two around, they are just preparing for the new spring.

Tomorrow it's time to start the same in the front garden. Hopefully it will not be as drizzly and windy as today, I just walked past a mirror and realised that my lockdown haircut combined with the weather effect is something that must seriously be sorted out before I slip into my professional alter ego next week.

 

I just love this observation @Selleri

 

Looking good @DianneW

 

It does not look difficult to do @Logan but it was, Men will be Boys when the going gets tough and Women are Warriers ...haha...