What are we doing in the garden 2024

Never seen anything like it! Crazy!

will be getting a new patio done next year and will get a soakaway or redirect drainage. Also turned out the neighbours drain was blocked so their water was running into mine

 

Managed at last to cut the paths in the orchard. It has been so wet we couldn't get the mower out but thankfully we can now walk through the orchard.
Repotted an orchid that is on its last legs, tried to clear mealy bug from our stag horn fern (first time this has happened, the mealy bug I mean).
The I bottled up the last of the primrose wine (6 bottles) and started the fermentation for 2 demijohns of elderflower.
Not gardening but was able to do washing and hang it outside for the first time in a while.

 

Primrose Wine?
What tonnage of primrose flowers do you need to make a gallon.

 

@pete No idea but the wonderful thing about primroses is that when you take the flowers they just keep on producing more. So this year we made 5 demijohns of primrose starting in Feb and a very nice wine it has turned out to be.

 

Is it actually primrose wine though, as I've found lots of these wine recipes seem to get their flavour from other ingredients that you have to add as well.

I can always remember looking at potato wine and thinking it actually had lots of other stuff to give it any flavour rather than tasting of potato

 

Last year my neighbour at the back removed a huge unsightly conifer close to my fence, having made it look a lot worse two years before by decapitating it! Now that it’s gone, the Arbutus unedo in my garden has been getting more sun and outgrowing the space. The border is sloping and gets slippery when wet and I don’t fancy getting up a ladder to keep it under control .

Today I reduced it to about two feet in height. Hard pruning is not recommended but I thought I’d chance it! I’m quite pleased with the result as the surrounding shrubs and perennials are now getting some afternoon sun. If it doesn’t recover, there’s a couple of Griselinia nearby which will hide the fence soon. Here’s before and after photos:



I then tidied up the border, removing the dried leaves of bluebells, a few weeds and some Croscosmia that had made an unwelcome return. Elsewhere I removed some newly emerging bamboo canes to keep them under control, mowed the lawn, trimmed the edges, moved some pots around and watered them. That was enough!

 

Sounds a very busy gardening day, @Plantminded! Your garden looks beautiful.

In contrast, I have done ... absolutely nothing. It is really breezy out there and I am disheartened by all the formerly upright stems and flowers now lying down.

In my defence, I did get housework done, ready for a new boiler to be installed next week.

 

I just potted on a tomato seedling and two sweet peppers and sowed more Runner beans for OH while he screwed a wood support to the wonky Rose arch upright. We are promised sunshine and dry weather tomorrow so I'm hoping to use the Postcrete and finish the job off.

 

Pulled up all of the dying hyacinth leaves and put them in the compost bin. Haven't had time for anything else.

 

Thank you @ViewAhead, I usually set a time limit of 3 hours and kept to that today! Sounds like you had a productive day indoors. It’s a good time of year to get your new boiler too. Hope all goes well!

 

Me too! Current one is 25 yrs old. I like to get my money's worth.

 

Got out in the garden at 5pm for a couple of hours. Did a load of dead heading. That hail storm has damaged so many plants . They look all spotty-as if the hail stones has burnt all the leaves. Its even shredded my hostas-they were doing so well avoiding slugs!

Dug in two bags of compost into the area where i’d dug up turf as it was clay. Also filled up the last two raised beds with compost.

Feeling a bit down with how the hail has ruined so many plants. Really hope they recover

 

Today - well, I got wet, picked rocket for tea, and enjoyed the early flowers on the honeysuckle.

 

@pete I agree about all the other things that can be added.....but all I do is to collect the flowers/fruits then infuse them in boiling water for 3 days. After this they are cleared off the flowers/fruits and added to sugar and yeast. I do not add anything else.

 

I know exactly what you mean. For plants that only peak for a short period, you have to wait nearly a yr for them to shine again if the weather ruins them now. Disheartening!