What are we doing in the garden 2024

Hi,

Yesterday I decided our remaining big oak tree had to go; the gale force wind was bending it and as it's overhanging the bungalow it's posing a real danger also I'm fed up of removing lots of wet leaves from our pathway and patio. I took down a huge oak last August fed up of pigeons using its branches as toilet seats causing so much mess it was a daily unthankful chore; also it dropped masses of leaves and acorns.

The wind finally dropped but I couldn't make up my mind this morning if it was going to rain so enjoyed a violin practice; it didn't rain. This afternoon I did more work on the rotavator tines they now just need bending to shape; still no rain but now I've got to evening and it's dark it's raining. GRRR.


I made this belt grinder years ago from offcuts of metal I had; it's brilliant saving no end of work.

The tines now just need bending to shape; with a new 36 grit belt fitted the grinder has done an excellent job of profiling the tines. I can keep busy even whilst the weather is bad as it usually is.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Today I went out onto the balcony for a few minutes with the intention of putting the pots of Cyclamen I'd taken off the balcony railings back again. I took them down last Monday morning when we were told to expect very high winds from Storm Isha. I had intended to put them back once the high winds had passed but we were forecast another storm on Tuesday night into Wednesday. So to avoid having to take them down again only to have to put them back again I waited till Storm Jocelyn had passed as well.

When I went out onto the balcony I saw it had rained & with the pigeon dropping making the floor very slippery I didn't put them out after all. But as Friday is forecast to be a dry, sunny day I will put them back in their rings back on the top of the railings.
.

 

Repotted the last of the bletilla I grew from seed. I now have 17 plants in the greenhouse and I'm still waiting for them to flower! Also repotted 2 calanthe I got from Morrisons just before pandemic - they've never had them again. Both flowered last year, and plenty of new growths already starting this year.

 

Planted out my silverskin garlics. Another 110 garlic. Also transplanted some I had started off in small pots in the greenhouse, they had amazingly long roots. I'll be interested to see how they do over the ones that were outside all winter. Spread a little compost. Picked some monster parsnips and a few small ones

 

Hi,

Yesterday morning in the garden but in the garden hut I fitted the new tines to the rotavator. With the hut door secured wide open I don't think I've ever been as cold in my life before but I completed the job.


How to bend the tines in the right place. I set this up having used an original tine for height of the short pipe to bend around adding a block of wood under the pipe. A 2lb hammer made light work of the bending without having to heat the tine.

Here are the new tines together with a well worn original tine.

Time for a mistake to appear; both pairs of tines are "Handed" left and right. I slipped up by sharpening two on the wrong edge. It's so easy to get caught out and I should know better but I simply made two more; I'd bent them the correct way but if there's a right and wrong way to do a job I usually do it the wrong way first however much care I take.

It took hours before I felt warm again. After dinner I made my second apple pie; this was made using whole wheat flour and is free from dairy; today we'll have a go at making it disappear.



It's dark and cold again but no rain YET.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Just filled up the bird feeders and put some seeds on the bird table, having 2 squirrels coming in and eating the seeds in the feeders and table. The seed feeders are squirrel resistant, metal ports instead of plastic.
Potted up 10 geranium cuttings into their own pots.

 

Spent two hours tidying up the pots in The Courtyard and troughs by the path, cut back the Fuchsia boliviana, Allium tuberosum (garlic chive), Salvia coccinea, various Geraniums (Pelargoniums) and re-potted a Pentas lanceolata . Also planted the Schlumbergera truncata cuttings which I had rooted into a hanging basket. Also got J to plant the Beloperone lutea (Yellow Shrimp Plant) in the ground by the path. Still lots to do tomorrow.

 

Sowed some Cleome. Early maybe but I'm following what I did last year. The seeds are my own fresh ones that have been stored in the fridge for just over 4mths, and sown at the end of January.

Had to hunt around to find some Perlite and found just enough for a couple more trays . Ordered 100 litres more which should arrive Tues- Thurs.

 

I think your Cleome will do well Upsy I understand they really like fluctuating temperatures and the crazy weather we're having they soon burst into life...They're always a go do'er

 

Thanks @lolimac ...fingers crossed . I have grown them for years but suddenly a few years ago I began having seriously bad germination results.. for reasons unbeknownst to me. Then last year @CarolineL kindly sent me some of her freshly gathered seeds which I stored in the fridge ....bingo I had brilliant germination!! I was a bit heavy handed with the seeds ,(I had grown use to sowing whole pkts of seed and ending up with literally only one or two viable seedlings) but last year every single seed germinated....I had 100's of plants and ending up giving everyone I knew a trayful of young plants. I have sown more cautiously this year so...

I think some pkts of seed are old when sold....which can prove fine for some plants but Cleome I think needs to be fresh.

 

I've had problems germinating Cleome seeds more than a year old, always so fresh seeds .

I've been outside doing a bit of weeding surprised by how many weeds have grown since I last had a bliz round a few week ago. bulbs are poking through now seems to be lots more everyday .

Also I've been fretting about my little Acer Winter flame again, I did originally think it had Verticillium wilt but not anymore I believe it may have a bacterial problem ( pseudomonas Sygrina easily mistaken for V.Wilt) a common infection for a range of plants but difficult to deal with. I've got my hands on a copper fungicide I don't believe this is a banned spray like the others so I been doing that as well. I question if this dam acer worth the hassle half the time its nice though when I see past the problems.

 

It's been a nice spring-like day and I was able to brush the patio and tidy it a bit.
I also cut back some Clematises and Fuchsias, and tidied a Winter Jasmine.
I took the Sweet Peas and Dianthus etc I'd brought indoors during the icy spell, back to the perspex shelter.