WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2022

Filled in soil that I had scooped from the over full garden and dropped it around the pavers that I moved yesterday. Then worked in grass seed. The guessers say we might get a bit of water so I hope my timing is right for the seed to get going.

And I re-piped the irrigation to the two greenhouses as the water lines feeding into the greenhouses were too short on one side and then too long on the other, or the reverse and I couldn't just flip it. Had to cut new and use a lot more elbows because I decided to reconfigure the part at the faucet end. So all of that is now done.

Deadheaded some of the flowers. And assessed what needed the attention of a chainsaw. That work will wait until next week as it is guessed to be hot and humid for the rest of this one.

 

Moved a Lilac that for two years has done nothing and a Weigela that was hidden under a rather roguish Fuchsia bush. When I dug a hole for the Lilac, at the difficult end of the shrubbery, I discovered that what is usually damp clay was dry sand. I dug in plenty of organic material before planting it. I also put a thick top dressing of bark around the trees set in the "Meadow".

 

Deadheaded the roses, cosmos and pot marigolds and watered the hanging baskets.

 

Absolutely diddly squat, will have a wander around after the cricket, water here and there and think about what to do tomorrow.

 

We were out preparing the pots and planters for next year's spring bulbs and not a moment too soon. We were admiring our work and just about to go in for an early lunch when the courier arrived with two boxes of bulbs. By the time we finished planting them up, we had a late lunch!

 

I spent a couple of hours strimming.

 

Having done the above, cleared the pine needles etc, from where I'd been storing the bits for shredding, to a compost pile. Cleared the long grass from some of the shrubs under the trees.
Discovered that the badgers had been digging around in the pile of homemade compost for mulching so that will get spread this afternoon; after that they moved on to have a ferret around in the insectiverous plants. So restored, somewhat, the insectiverous plants and will have to net them later today.

 

For the last few weeks its been mostly watering, picking figs, picking tomatoes and a few peaches more recently.
I dont find it a busy time in the garden at this time of the year, apart from watering, I just let it get on with doing its thing.

Not had the mower out for a couple of months, cant say I'm bothered.

 

I moved two cold frames and put them on top of some concrete blocks, to save me bending.

 

Went to my friend Marion's house and sowed some Californian poppy, musk mallow and pot marigold seeds and showed her how to do it.

 

A few weeks ago I scarified my back and side lawns which were totally brown after, with lack of rain. They've started to grow back although still patchy and I mowed them today to tidy them up. What a difference! It took me half the time it did before scarifying and only used one tank of petrol on the mower instead of almost two.

This evening I watered all the young plants in the garden. While out there I saw something surprising. A bee stripping all the petals off a poppy to get to the inside. I've not seen that before.

 

Started with dead heading, removing dandelions still green so easily spotted, the advantage of a tap root.
Then diverted into clearing up the rubbish a neighbouring bungalow had tipped over the fence, grass clippings, bath plug and bits of carpet; when asked it was a case of "not us mate" despite grass clippings down their fence. I don't mind too much as that area is a bank mainly of ivy and heavily shaded by Leylandii and bone dry; it's more the principle.

 

Sowed 120 cells of winter salads for the greenhouse. I dont have enough space for all of them but will give some away. Lot of lettuce, a few endives, fennel, spinach etc.

 

We cleared an area for Croci. We composted flowering Petunias (!) and lifted a couple of inches of soil. The plan is to place out the bulbs and then cover them with the topsoil. Easier than making 200 holes.
I cut the front and back garden. The back was so thick and lush and almost a foot tall but once cut the patches the boss burnt with Growmore are just mud.

 

The last few days I haven't been able to do anything as we had a couple of our gkids round for a sleepover on Friday night. While they are here it's practically impossible to go out onto the balcony. Perhaps I'll get something done next week!

I do have planned the repotting of 3 Dragon tree cutting I took earlier this year - one has pushed itself out of the small pot & 2 others have roots coming out of the drainage holes. The other 3 have none of the above!