WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY 2023

The zinnias and marigolds in pots on the patio are looking like they're struggling from lack of sunshine and in hindsight, this year's lush vine cover over the pergola (a Vanessa) won't have helped, as it provides a lot of shade. That's very welcome in a sunny year, but not with the cloudy summer weather. I'll be doing tomato feed today to give things a boost.

 

No it's more a case of out of sight out of mind, happens to me all the time often with bulbs, but also with other plants as well.

 

Saturday cleared out around back of compost bin and pulled out/cut down bindweed and nettles. Also found a volunteer potato plant with a good crop on it. Finally got into the scrub beyond my fence and set about uncovering the damsons and sloes hiding there from the camouflage of "Old Mans Beard", bindweed, brambles and nettles. More overgrown than ever thanks to the damp weather; the badger paths are overgrown so I presume they have either moved out altogether or changed their foraging area.
Sunday picked damsons and sloes for sloe gin, these are now in the freezer; quicker, easier and safer than stabbing with darning needle, knitting needle or knife. Bottled rhubarb gin, discovered that dark muscavado sugar has too strong a flavour for use in fruit gins and also leaves an insoluble sludge at the bottom; not undrinkable just molassey flavour.
Then emptied one compost bin and tipped the full bin into the now empty one, mixing and wetting as I went.
Harvested elephant garlic as flower had finished, redirected pumpkin, dug up a large self seeded fennel and cleared the rest of that bed of weeds and a large disappointing salvia, it had flowered but I hadn't noticed it so out it came. A couple of unusual Muscari have pushed up leaves already.
Today; firstly collect weeds from late afternoons weeding including a number (>10) self seeded echiums. Then weeding and planting followed by grass cutting, maybe pull some rhubarb for gin (white sugar this time).

 

I'll be taking cuttings of penstemons and tarragon.
I also am having trouble with the peat free composts and have got a bag of sharp sand which I am mixing in with Miracle Grow peat free which is the best I can find for now. If anyone can recommend a peat free compost I'd be interested especially for seeds and seedlings.

 

So an easy day, then? When are you going to gee-up a bit?

 

Westland multi purpose compost with added John innes, I've always liked the added John innes in it.

 

Ive just cut the grass front and back,not a great deal of it really these days and it wasn't very long, but it's surprising how just that really tidings up the whole appearance of the garden.
I swept up a few bucket fulls of leaves from behind the shed, one of my storage areas for pots, it has an over hanging strawberry tree that had dumped all it's leaves around there .

I'll have a wander further up in a minute and pick a few tomatoes and thinking of harvesting most of the sweet corn before it all goes hard.

That will have to go in the freezer.

 

Time to harvest some more red chillies and turn them into Nigella's Sweet Chilli Jelly. The ones that ripen from now on will go in the dehydrator to make chilli powder.
I'm so tempted to plant up one or two areas earmarked for autumn planting, as we've a relatively wet week forecast, but I'd live to regret it through September which is often the driest month of the year

 

Planted up another tray of Strawberry runners, the older ones will be composted.
Tidied up the borders ,cutting right back plants that have finished and their seed heads are definitely not wanted. More seed harvesting and deadheading. Collected up all the windfalls( apples and pears). Gave some of the Lavenders a light tidy trim.

 

Another easy day, half filled the empty bin, picked veg as ready, squished caterpillars, cut some of the grass, weeded a bit, watered the tomatoes and cucumber, repotted a dahlia as it was struggling in the pot it was in.
Potted up some "Mind your own business" and some "Forget me Nots" for a colleague; they have been warned.

 

I cut the Grass top & bottom of the garden, and thought, that's funny the mower is not picking up the grass. It then dawned on me that the grass box wasn't on. Nurse more medication

 

Nothing today it's raining again.

 

Not to much today. I have has tennis elbow in both arms for the last 16 months. I gave up on the injections and have just tried to get use to the pain overtime. But, the Dr's called today to offer a slot and I took it. So after 6 months of pain lets hope they work this time.

So I am resting the arms... bored as hell :D

 

Started cutting back the spent flowers off the lavender that's over the path. A lady up the road will have them to make lavender bags.After i can pull up the marigolds so that i can plant the wallflowers.