WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2021

Well done! Not sure I will try again. I was more than unhappy a while ago when i Saw the one Black Hibiscus Kiss of Death seed which germinated over the weekend had been devoured by a snail which I discovered in the covered pot. And the snail had the nerve to still be there grinning at me!

 

My thermometer in the greenhouse tunnel only dropped to 6.5c degrees early this morning, I wonder if the weather is on the up? Saying that the BBC report shows lows of 1c tonight... so perhaps not.

Everything is out yet again soaking up the sun. Copped a free trellis from someone on FreeCycle for the pumpkin patch. Aiming to get it built this Saturday. Got all the wood, just need to drill on the legs and dig them in (and hope I don't hit a chunk of concrete exactly where I want to pop the legs in, like with the first part of the bed!

For reference, this (attached) raised bed is the majority of my growing area in my tiny rented house. Impractical? Yes. But better than nothing. The pumpkin patch will be a half-width of the same but to the right and with no dividers. The trellis will be angled against the fence and screwed into the sides of the bed. It is all set up for soaker hose too (the excess hose for the side bed is currently double-wrapped in the top bed).

Also a picture of my garden at the height of last summer! The tunnel sits on the bark to the right.

 

Busy couple of weeks at home and at work here - I work twilight shifts (5pm to ~1-2am depending on how busy we are) on a 7 on/7 off basis now, which is great for having daytimes free for working outside but less great when builders are turning up at 8am, the sleep deprivation builds up over the week which isn't so fun

But the raised vegetable beds we build over Easter weekend are finished and filled, so I've been able to make the first sowings in them this morning - onion sets, parnsip and carrots, potatoes and peas so far. I've got sweetcorn, red cabbage, leeks and purple-sprouting broccoli still in the conservatory waiting to go out once they're big enough and the weather obliges. The greenhouse is due to arrive within the next month too, which will hopefully be pretty much perfect timing for the tomatoes and cucumbers to emerge from the house as well

 

I planted a tomato ( yes 1 ) sprouts runner beans and lettuce, all because the lady said so.
I got my raised beds in the poly tunnel ready last week so it was just a job of planting out, I connected up my misting system so everting gets done the timer will be on next week.
I have put a spray mist in the small lean to greenhouse, I plan to connect the two and misting systems on to the timer.
My biggest job is my shed which is part of the garage, as looking a bit like steptoes yard, and large furry animals had made nests in there. The person who built it did not do a good job the floor was OSB over cement, so I have had to take all that up which had got wet and was chewed apart in places
The walls and roof had been insulated with rock wool ( nice nesting material ) covered with plastic sheet and the whole lot covered in 1/8 ply, so they could tunnel and have a right old time day and night.

 

Not much today only a bit of weeding and watering.

 

Just a bit of rose-tidying, deadheading of bulbs, and weeding...

 

In my lunch hour today I managed to plant my peas (mange tout & purple podded) and I moved all the plants from my front porch to the green house to start the hardening off process and everything from indoors out to the front porch! It's a 4 stage process which just seems to work for me! Start by seeds in pots in front of the patio window, then move to front porch, then move to green house (colder than the porch) and then finally in the ground when large enough to survive cold/slugs/snails.... Lol

 

Oh dear me @CanadianLori how awful for you, I hope it hasn't hurt your plants. Is it usual for you to get snow this late in the year ?

 

I'll be continuing to harden off plants from the heated greenhouse. Planted up the ladybird poppies into outdoor pots yesterday and have been moving things out into the coldframe gradually.

I planted some pea shoots up on my lotty last week (kelvedon wonder) that had been in my lotty cold frame. Also planted out spring onions that had been growing since Jan/Feb.

Sown a load more seeds yesterday-more climbing nasturtiums, agastache, calendula, a type of cape gooseberry (from shiney's greenhouse but I've forgotten the name of it), wallflowers, broad beans (probably way too late but thought id still give them a go).

Been checking on the cuttings etc I've been nurturing because they are special-Becky's bush is doing well, as well as the coreopsis she gave me and the white echinacea she gave me has resprouted-which I'm so pleased about. They are even more special after Becky's departure last year.

And now the plants that Armandii gave me will join my family of special plants-a lovely Jerusalem sage that had really started to bulk out. As will my clematis armandii which will always remind me of him. It is just blooming (although the blooms are a bit bedraggled by that last heavy frost we had) but smells beautiful.

Rest in peace our dear friends.

 

Potted up the Zinnias yesterday and all the rest of the Sweet Peas. Divided some Hostas. . Beginning to harden off various plants that have reached the appropriate stage now..

 

Does anyone know if 4 month old bagged horse manure is ok to go on the garden? it had been bagged and just left in my neighbours stable yard. it doesn't smell.

 

I can't imagine how aged manure could hurt your garden @Snorky85 but others may know and chime in.

@Michael Hewett we don't get snow as late as this usually but April and early May are always a rollercoaster ride. It is 28f and there is only a little snow lying about after yesterday afternoon's sunshine.

As far as what I'll be doing in the garden, I can only do things like open the vents on the domes out there to let the plants breathe and if I get time after work, I'll rehang and wire up the overhead fans in the little unheated greenhouses. And maybe start getting the irrigation lines straightened out for the capillary watering. Still have to wait for these hard freezes to pass before hooking up any water pumps.