What are we doing in the garden 2024

Nothing. Other than watch the rain soak into the dry ground.

 

I realised yesterday that nearly all the shrubs are evergreen.

Here you go @fairygirl and everyone - the first pic of my new garden - this is the drive area. I don't think I'll have too many problems with wind.

Thank you. The cakes would have been welcome too.

 

Very tidy looking front drive @Sheal, I like the shrubs against the wall as well.

After the rain stopped late morning , I took the opportunity of skimming off a small patch of turf in the front lawn. I had planted a small witchhazel there originally but it was an annoyance when mowing so moved it into a nearby flower bed a few years ago. The patch has since sunk and became a bit of a trip hazard when mowing. I had some left over topsoil from another project so used this, mixed with some slow release fertiliser pellets, tamped it down, watered it well then relaid the turves on top slightly proud of the surrounding grass in case is sinks again.
Watered it again and crossed my fingers!

 

Nice wall @Sheal .

 

Now I like tat ... and you have so much space for planters for bulbs and annuals ... and z nice rose or two ... and climbers ... Vxx

 

Thank you. The wall is on three sides of the garden, with a fence at the back - backing onto the neighbours. The plot was originally very long and was divided halfway so that the bungalow could be built.

Thank you too Victoria. Unfortunately the drive/parking area is L shaped and planters would prevent us being able to turn/back the car into it's lot at the front, owing to a large bed just inside the front wall.

I'll see what bulbs if any come up next year, and roses are on the cards. I currently have two in pots that I brought with me and will plant those out when they're dormant. The walls are definitely calling for climbers.

I need to take a couple more shots of the back garden and then I'll start a thread for you all to see.

 

I’m watching my grape hyacinths popping up….they must be very confused.

 

Looking forward to your garden thread @Sheal. It all looks very nicely established, but I can see why you want a bit more colour. It can certainly be tricky if the shrubs aren't flowering ones, or are short term flowering, and if they're all spring or similar. Some autumn colour, some with summer flowers, and a few bits and pieces of perennials/bulbs to intermingle is always good, but I also think it depends on how much you're seeing on a daily basis, and the views you get from the house in the colder/wetter days/months etc. Those walls are very nice, and some climbers will be lovely on them. I like to have something pleasant I can see from the main windows, for the bulk of the year. It's got to suit you - that's all that matters, and we're at that time of year when a lot of planning can happen
Nothing much will be happening here outside today, as the rain's to come back on soon and that's it until tonight. Windy again as well. I'm currently listening to The Sundays' #Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, and the song #Here's Where the Story Ends is quite appropriate.
'and the Devil in me said, go down to the shed, I know where I belong'.....
I got some stuff finished in there yesterday, but not much done outside, due to the heavy showers, so it was in and out doing a few small things, and mainly shed interior. Picked a few toms, but many are very small. Plenty of bigger fruits happening though, so fingers crossed I might eventually get a decent crop!

 

Unusually ,as i have scrapped my greenhouse, i planted some beef tomato plants in the ground , with little optimism. However both plants have done well , the two tomatoes weigh in at 420 and 330 grams each and there are 14 like that on one plant which despite a stake and stout canes , the plant is struggling with the weight of the crop.
I have also tried an Italian beetroot this year , chioggia . Hoping to roast those for tonights supper.

 

Looks good @Sheal .

I cut down some of the tomatoes, they didn't do well this year.

 

Thank you @Logan.

 

Sowed some seeds today winter pansies - bellis and wallflowers bit to late really just another thing I haven't got round to this year , i doubt they'll germinate old seeds . Pricked out some other seedling as well teucrium - echinacea and achillea parkers . Its been raining so ideal day in the GH .

Yesterday I went to a couple of GC ( and today but that one £££ didn't buy anything ) raided the sale section and picked up some plants / compost for neighbours and topsoil - sand - pallets for me . I got 8 geranium rozannes £3 each and a rather nice cheap Viburnum plicatum watanabe for £5 ( should be £30 ) I filled the van up chock a block

 

I took advantage of the soft ground today to do a lot of weeding and plant out some of my recent purchases.

 

@Robert Bowen Sometimes, I have the impression that tomato plants don't mind clay soil as long they can put their roots into it. Tomatoes have normally very long, deep roots and growing them in restricted pots has never worked out for me.

I took out the tomato plant in a big pot the day before yesterday, and gave it to the long-term compost heap. Once the coming warmer period is over, the second tomato plant from the raised bed will be taken out, which will be around mid September.
This year was the last time I tried tomatoes. Both raised beds will be converted to a fully wildflower meadow.

 

I did nothing yesterday - had a rest! Hopefully get something done outside today as it's to clear up and be dry...fingers crossed.
Might even get the grass cut, because tomorrow's to be very wet again, and then I'd have to wait until Friday, because it's looking to be a bit too hit and miss before that as well. Wednesday might be ok- ish.
The biggest buddleia on the boundary could do with some deadheading as I can't reach the bits on the outside, so I'll need the ladder and get out on the pavement for that. I've a couple of other plants in pots that can be planted along the front boundary to mix in with the existing hedging, so I could do that. They won't need watered in either, which is always a bonus.
I got the back wall of the shed finished a couple of days ago, so I could paint that, and I also have some timber that I can use to do the floor, so that's another 'inside' job if it's damp outdoors.
I've bought some seed of various things, so I could even sow some of that and see if it takes. I'd rather do it in spring, but I might do a bit of both, just for the experiment. I rarely do autumn sowings of anything.
I mostly grew my toms in pots @simone_in_wiltshire, until I moved the gr'house onto an exisiting bed. Never had a problem. Clay is fine for them, but it always needs enough amendment to make it suitable. I'd never plant one into unamended clay