WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2022

Sowed tomato seeds, dahlia seed, some salvia seed, seed of a couple of fuchsia species and a clematis.

 

Ah - well - too late! I've tried some - will see.

Yes - absolutely. And I notice the plastic waste a lot more than I would have don't historically as well. Every bag - more for the bin and we incinerate our waste locally which is not ideal. If I could get a high quality bulk delivery that would be great. But sadly - just not available.

Yes - potting on - it's fine. I opened a bag of this Westmorland New Horizon stuff yesterday. It is massively variable in composition which scares me a bit: this was was very gritty which I thought was odd. I mean - when I want some grit, I can add it. But I don't always.

 

Yes - they do have a big GC up near the airport. It's pretty good actually: I go there fairly regularly. But compost supplies have been really iffy recently, unfortunately. And no big pot sales like they used to have either...

 

I'll call in next weekend and see what they've got. It's the consistency - and the level of decomposition which I'm finding painful. But I will check them out - they are pretty good in general.

 

Had a great day in the greenhouse with the missus, planting on a gazillion lupins: it seems I was a little liberal in my planting 6 weeks back; still - they are lovely plants, and they make great gifts so not an issue. I've got another tray coming on behind as well - not sure what I was thinking.

And then we planted onions, more chillies, more tomatoes, cosmos. We've now got to take it easy because the GH is full. I've moved some trays inside where they weren't germinating - and I've put a couple of small pots onto a radiator to see if I can get some delphiniums to germinate: I love them - but I really struggle to get them to germinate. Hoping some warmth will do the trick.

 

CEO informs me that our hedge is Privet and some Hawthorn. There are a few bits of Cotoneaster thanks to the birds.
Today I was erecting a screen to hide the wheelie bins but I wasn't doing it right so someone else can finish the job.

 

I think the posts are too short Woo.

 

I sowed some sweet peas. Last year I tried autumn sowing but my plants look so awful I decided to start over. I've sown America, Joyce Stanton and a mix of heirlooms.

Hopefully, I'll have better luck with these!

 

I sowed my Sundrops (Ozark promula) this morning. I was going to do it a few days ago but that is when the packet informed me that the seeds needed refrigeration for a few days

And I moved some of my pots to the greenhouse right outside my kitchen door. Within easy reach even on a snowy day.

 

Although it's been dry and sunny today the ground is too wet to work outside. I sowed the second packet of seeds for this season and they're currently in the garage chilling. Delphinium Semibarbatum. In November I sowed Asclepias Tuberosa in pots which have been stratifying on the front door step. I will move them soon to a warmer spot in the back garden to trigger germination.

 

Got out the little chipper and pushed a big stack of fig branches through it. I'll end up with a pretty full 1 tonne sack of chip by the end I think. Useful stuff if used carefully - but I was interested to learn that woodchip extracts nitrogen as it decomposes, and then gives it back again once done, so you have to be careful how and where you use. Still - to keep weeds down, it is pretty handy.

Oh - and I had ordered some clematis seeds: some disheartening sowing instructions. Takes 30 to 270 (!) days; they are sporadic germinators; even in ideal conditions - 18 to 22 degrees - they are often unsuccessful.

Oh great.

 

Helped hubby pruning one of the apple trees and I've put all of the cuttings in a pile at the back of the garden for bugs and things.