WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2022

It will save you a job later on if you leave them until the old stems have flowered. Then you can cut out the old stems at the same time as tying in the new stems that you want to keep to flower next year

 

Busy day. Started off by getting the hose out and giving everything a good soaking. Then the rain came on! Just a passing shower though. We then mixed up a liquid feed and the boss watered that into all the roses.
My second Fremontodendron "Californian Glory" arrived so I planted it beside the first one which I am convinced is dead. The new one, from Norfolk Quality Plants, is a cracker. Healthy plant, great roots and even two blooms on it. I put it in with a stake (not that it needs it at the moment) but without manure or compost. I just riddled the soil I took out the hole and backfilled it with that, adding Rootgrow into the mix.
Our Ornamental Plum has produced fruits as has the two Quince we planted earlier this year. We must be doing something right.

 

Didn't finish off the border that i was doing so hopefully do it tomorrow.

 

Dodging the rain showers I planted out a very young Philadelphus 'Minnesota Snowflake' that wasn't happy in a pot. I built a cage around it so it doesn't get trampled and hope the deer will leave it alone. The remainder of the soil I dug from the hole in the lawn was used to fill a couple of small dips, with some grass seed.

I also dug out one of the two three year old Hollies that deer demolished last year. The second one, which is larger has also been chewed so that will have to come out as well.

I don't know which is more challenging in this garden, the sandy loam soil or the deer. I planted a young Pyracantha (supposedly deer resistant) about a month ago behind the domestic oil tank to screen it from the road. The intention was to espalier it, but a deer has chewed the ends off every branch.

 

I was out hand weeding the border in front of the house. My face is skelped rotten by the Peony leaves blowing in the gale. I then planted some Nicotania and a couple of Penstemon then gave up. I was sick fed up dodging back and forward to the potting shed every time the rain came on.

 

@Sheal How are the deer getting in ... hopping over fences?

 

Today I repotted two Geranium seedlings my son & I bought at a garden nursery a couple of weeks ago. Neither of us can remember what they are called as there was no label. But I think they were "Lavender ..." something" . Never having seen a lavender Geranium before we were both intrigued & so we bought a tray of 6 seedlings. They are very healthy looking plants. When one flowers I will add a photo of it!

 

Finished the border with the Snapdragons and started pulling up the wallflowers. Sowed some wild flower seeds in some large pots, they like depleted soil so that's what is in the pots. Planted 2 lupins into larger pots and put on the driveway under the window.

 

The rain stopped and with it, the wind dropped. I popped out after tea and did a bit more planting in the front flowerbed.

 

@Victoria, the only proper fencing I have is across the back garden boundary to keep livestock in the field behind. The rest are just posts with three or four strip wires running through them, apart from the wooden fencing and gates at the top of the drive. Deer will either jump them or squeeze between the wire. To keep them out I would need a proper 8ft fence all round the garden and that would be expensive and ugly. I don't really want to shut wildlife out anyway and will continue trial and error with various shrubs/plants. I'm growing herbaceous perennials from seed at the moment to plant out in a new border bed, as an experiment to see what the deer will or won't devour.

 

I read that Marigolds keep deer away. They think they will need to wash the dishes!
Seemingly the smell of Marigold leaves is a huge turn off for deer.

 

I'd need a lot of marigolds for that to work in my garden Jocko.

 

I hadn't done anything in the garden but after watching Chelsea FS I got an itch to go out and play .

Moved a Miscanthus Memory to front garden it was struggled to adapt to much competition it best not die on me its getting difficult to get hold of now, planted another Miscanthus I had laying around in its place Cabaret which is more vigorous possible to vigorous . Juggled a Morina and Salvia Verticilata around , I need another Morina or 2 now, had to move a good size clump of nerines they've never flowered but look healthy enough . Some monarda were struggling slugs I suspect so potted a few bits up and planted my insurance policy Monarda , they can be fickle plants. Also the slugs have been having their way with a salvia serenade , they terrorized my Salvia Nemorosa this year they neever touched them in the past.

Pitch black nearly only got an hour give or take, but the kettle calls me back in for a mug of tea .