WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2021

Planting my seedlings which I started from seed. I still have about 30 more to plants to put out but keep changing my mind about where they will go so tomorrow is scrubbing pots...

 

Managed to get out in the garden this morning and have thoroughly enjoyed it. A great stress buster. Id got my new compost and started potting on and planting out various plants to clear space in the greenhouse - pellies are all out now, salvias and penstemons have been potted on. I've been clearing out old pots from tulips and planting in bits and bobs that I've been growing. Very satisfying.

Now, for the first time in 3 years I am going for a full body massage - I CANNOT WAIT!

 

Wowsers - that's a lot of plants you've been planting out Lori - I dont envy you washing those pots.

 

Hung out some Strawberries in hanging baskets so they can enjoy the warm sunshine.

Emptied out the two remaining big planters. They are now ,along with the other two, ready to be replanted. Might make a start on them this afternoon.

Weeded the central border and cut back a few things, plants in this border tend to grow bigger than I anticipate ( should be aware of this by now...but I am always surprised!!). This is also the border that is home to most of the Dahlias.... definitely can't overcrowd them...they are stars for their winter survival.!!

 

Potted on 12 tomato plants into their final pots and outside, tied them up and watered them. I was going to do the 2 hanging baskets but it's going to be very windy for a few days and i didn't want the plants to get broken. Should be able to do them next week maybe on Monday.

 

Snap so have we @Logan, have you got weather warnings issued too. We could have winds up to 50mph ,minimum looks to be 40.

Now that I have managed to plant out quite a few plants today it's enabled me to move more out of the greenhouse again and into the cold frames that now remain fully open.

Finished potting up one of the big planters this afternoon but had to wait at one point because the rain became too heavy and we also had some thunder. Thankfully is passed over pretty quickly and since then we've enjoyed beautiful sunshine.

Just going back out to cover the Dahlias , will put the weighted covers over then tonight as we have winds on the way. Will also remove the Strawberries in their hanging baskets too, just to be on the safe side.

As it's such a lovely evening I will sort out some more plants for the other planters too.

 

@Upsydaisy looking at my weather app it doesn't give any warnings so it might be alright for us, but I'm not doing the baskets just in case.

 

I got those pots cleaned. Sam helped so it went quickly. I wash and rinsed, she added wicks if missing and a piece of paper towel to the inside bottoms. All ready for this fall's soil baking and reloading.

Folded up and hung the potting table on the side fence. Then planted out the ladt of the buzy Lizzies. Still have a few Cosmos, Livingstone daisy, aster pinky, and dahlberg daisies to plant out but only 17 pots left so that is why I put the table away. Too small a number to need the table. Added grommets to the privacy screening o the metal fence at the front "hillbilly" side to add "valves" for any strong winds. Then placed an order for a utility line check so when the new section of fence goes in, I won't hit any gas, electric or other utility lines. The hillbillies scalped part of my front lawn and the boulevard last weekend, hence the new section of fence. They set their mower so low, the grass is almost at the soil level. So, the water from pot washing was used to give the bald areas a drink. I don't use soap, just water, scrub and dry in the sun so the water is quite safe to reuse.

Tested the new watering lines I put in the other day for the small front bed. A couple of small adjustments will be needed but for now, it will suffice.

And mended a couple of the fans in one greenhouse that run directly from the solar panels when the sun shines. Still got another one acting up so that is on my to do list.

An absolutely fantastic day. Could not have been a nicer way to spend a 85f sunny day

 

Called Haynes, just outside Wantage. Reasonable prices, but looks like Steptoes Yard.

 

Today planted up a tub for outside the back door, pelargoniums, a lovely apricot dahlia and a white surfinia in it.Then planted some pinks in the rockery area.
Weeding came next ( groan) but due to all the rain the little beggars came out easily enough.
Great to have the rain....but please! Not every day.

 

Today we are forecast no rain... so I’ll be busy!!

after a couple of months of drought, the rain over the past week has made the garden so lush and green. I need to get the weeding done, whilst they come out easily, and continue hardening off some seedlings.

I am coming over to the UK to see Mum on Saturday, so I need to get ahead of myself if possible, to make it easier for hubby to look after things whilst I’m away. So today I’ll plant out the sunflowers and other bedding plants in the cloche on the trough, so I can plant out the tumbling Tom tomatoes in the corners. I hope to get the climbing yellow pear toms in the patio planters, along with the cherry toms mix seedlings. The patty pan squash is ready to go out as well... I’m aiming to reduce the number of trays of coming-on plants by one, so that the overflow tray in a spare bedroom can be done away with.

I also need to cut the grass paths again, if it dries. The main areas will be left long - they’ll be a fun task when I come back in June!

Wish me luck!!

 

First time I've grown Tumbling Toms.....are yours tumbling yet @Sian in Belgium ??

Have a fabulous time with your Mum, safe journey.

 

Sounds like fun with the "hillbillies" Lori. Do you have to get permission to put a fence up at the front? Got such weird rules about doing stuff at the front of the house in the uk.

Thanks @Oakapple I might have to check Haynes out...I love a good snout about at a scrap yard I used to like going with my dad as a teenager to get spare bits for my car.

Good luck Sian and hope all is ok in the UK with your mum. It's always a bit unsettling having to leave our plants in the hands of someone else. Dave tries his best bless him but I have to make it simple.

Going to get outside soon and start shovelling the compost I ordered. I have now remembered that they're not standard builder size sacks...I got extra large so about 1.2 tonnes...so will do that today hopefully before anymore rain....probably undoing all the goodness from my massage yesterday

 

Did a bit of weeding and planted 8 verbena bonerenses before it started raining.