What are we doing in the garden 2024

@shiney Shame yer not humming the famous Wurzels tune “ Oi am a zoider drinker , oi drinks it all of the day “!

 

This morning, I've been chopping 100 feet of Hawthorn hedge. That long arm petrol trimmer gets really heavy after the first three feet! Below, halfway along the top.



Looking back from the garage end, with all the top chopped. The garden side followed, then sweeping up. Having a garden centre coffee shop trip this afternoon to recover!

 

I've been out for my mandatory half hour walk, as instructed by the doctor. Wife texted me after 90 minutes to check that I was okay.
Firstly, I'd underestimated the time it would take for me to complete my walk. Then, I'd seen a sign saying "plants for sale", and gone in to have a look. Two ladies working, who proceeded to show me around their "plot", and were happy to chat. (The £1.20 in my pocket wasn't going to go very far).
Now I know where the place is, I will wander up there another time, with more money in my pocket, and a couple of bags. They are cheaper than the GC, and I'd be happy to support them. Plus, I'll let my wife know I'll be out over the 30 minutes.

Anyhow, what I meant to say was, that I've not had much time to actually BE in the garden this morning. I did joke to my wife, once home, that I was going "for a short stroll around the estate". Of course, it's only a garden, but we have our little joke!! An hour later she found me at the far end, with a pair of secateurs, merrily cutting up large sections of conifer, for the garden waste bin. Plus I'd been removing bindweed from where it shouldn't be.
I'd enjoyed watching the blackbirds too.

 

@RowlandsCastle
I just knew this post would contain “ conifer” .Sounds like a very pleasant morning .

 

It's been an ideal afternoon for dead-heading flowers - and collecting leaves for the compost heaps. Gentle tidying up, ready for visitors tomorrow. Visitors means I have to be on my best behaviour!!
(A post for you, @Robert Bowen )

 

I moved an Erigeron from a pot into the ground as it looked constantly thirsty. I think the pot was too shallow so I’ve put a Sempervivum in it. I then sanded my wooden garden furniture in preparation for painting over the dry weekend . I also finished painting the rail and downpipes at the back of the house using a mini roller on an extendable handle which didn’t splatter everywhere as I was expecting!

 

I am amazed by these tomatoes , grown outdoors , beefsteak variety. This tomato was over 18 ounces ( 500+ grams if you prefer) and about a dozen more to come of the same size.

 

Got the grass cut before I headed to daughter's for more painting @Robert Bowen . It was very soggy, but it's fine, and I'm not like those people who get very worked up about how their grass looks, so it's all good as far as I'm concerned. With the warmth we're to get today, and more rain by Monday, it'll be grand
I got one clump of fennel dug out, which was a bit of a struggle, and just a few bits and pieces, of the usual type, done too.
I'd intended getting a hill today as the forecast is great, but my leg problems are still present, so I'll try and have a nice gentle day outside instead. Whether that happens or not, is anyones's guess!
I might try and replant the aquilegia I removed from the bed the fennel was in, and I have a few things to go in there instead, so that would be a nice little job today. The pond could do with a 'swizzle' to remove some algae/blanketweed, and that's also quite a relaxing job, and there could be quite a lot of tea drunk as well to accompany those things. I also did some sealant in the shed yesterday, so I can always look at painting some of the bits in there, and also doing the final bit of wood trim above the gutter on the other side. There's some comfrey to plant round there too, so that's a good job if it gets too hot for me, as it's nice and shady there. Finishing a little corner of concrete can get done as well.

 

Had a good look around the garden today and now have a good idea of what has come through the 2022 drought followed by the recent wet autumn, winter and spring and the fatalities have been a couple of buddleja, a Syringa microphylla, Viburnum "Dawn", a Salvia "Purple Emperor" and a Dahlia "Excelsa". Struggled to get going this year Amicia zygomeris, a number of polygonatum, Dahlia imperalis, Salvia stolonifera and S guaranatica.

 

To the untrained eye, the hidden area at the far end of the garden is a tangled mess of brambles, pheasant berry, geraniums, bindweed, and other stuff. We, of course, know this is actually a wildlife haven, a pollinators paradise and a city for all creatures great and small. Long story short… it’s gone wild and I’ve ripped my legs to ribbons trying to trim it back. Boo.

 

Obviously not a people paradise then @AuntyRach! Can it be left or is it trying to invade the garden?

 

@RowlandsCastle . Thank you and in deference to your interest here is my ‘Xmas’ Picea which in the coming weeks will move to its winter location by the front door. NB No pruning required .

 

The idea was to leave plants to self seed and go a bit wild, to attract pollinators and give the birds a spread, but the brambles are a bit too much. I don’t want it neat - just be able to walk through it. I’ve cut half down anyway.

 

Another busy day in the garden. Did three garden centres ( with a coffee stop ), then came home and planted a Hebe mix, a Choisya ternata sundance and five Erodiums down by the railway. Chopped some overhanging conifer branches, chopped some other overhanging branches from another tree on the other side of the garden and pulled out some creeping brambles. Watered in the plants and some recently spread grass seed, then stacked around seventy cleaned up bricks behind the garage, salvaged from my front wall ( that was demolished by a BMW at Christmas ).