What are we doing in the garden 2024

Yesterday I got to the plots, all I managed was to clear under 3 of the Apple trees and dig out most of the finished compost to mulch. The remaining Apple and pear will have to wait their turn . When that bin is empty I will be able to turn the first one into it. Another time though.

 

After a lovely morning walk foraging more pine cones and trying to outstare cows (the cows won), I potted up the 5+5 bareroot Hellys and Hollys (Hellebores and Hollyhocks).

The cold, plastic-and-ducktape patched greenhouse is now full of shrubs, trees, perennials and hardy annual seedlings hopefully growing nice roots until the ground is ready for them in spring. Can't wait

Since the plants are tiny cuttings, plugs, bareroots and cheapy twigs it might take a while (a decade or so) for the currently empty brown square to "fill up", but at least I have a sort of framework in the pipeline.

I have a little problem with gardening gloves. I always start with gloves on, but at some point need more delicate touch so take them off, and end up both the gloves and the fingers hopelessly grubby.

Here's the cow who won the staring competition.

 

@Selleri you're SO right about the gloves! Why do I always need to do something like pull out a weed JUST after I've put gloves away?

 

I hate wearing gloves, but I'm trying to get better at doing it. I only use them for really mucky jobs, or for anything in colder weather, but like you @Selleri , they usually end up being taken off and I end up wet and manky.
I always have a chat with the coos in the field along the road when they're near the fence. One day I thought, if anyone sees me, they'll be phoning social services. Not long ago, when I was coming back on the other side of the road, I saw another woman doing exactly the same thing so I didn't feel so bad!
Did nothing outside yesterday, and today isn't looking great for anything anyway, until the afternoon, so I may not bother.

 

Today appears to be sunny, with little wind. Hooray! I shall prune some things...

 

Cut back some mushy Lobellia stalks yesterday and tidied up some leaves which had fallen from the hardy fuschia. Nothing today as it’s pouring down. Must remember to register with local council this week for a new brown bin ( scheme ) which is starting next year…..and pay a cost for it too. OH has built a wooden bin bay down the side of the house for the new bin as we don’t have room in back garden for another huge wheelie bin.

 

I've been waiting for an opportunity to give my lawn its last cut for the year but it's still too wet, even for just walking on. The borders are also saturated which is unusual, the dry soil normally looks like moon dust!

 

There's nothing wrong with that @fairygirl .

 

Thanks @Plantminded made my day. I had not much to laugh until the end of work.

I quickly potted my saved salvia into a slightly bigger pot, and wrapped the tree fern in case we get frost.

 

Pruned a low-hanging branch on the birch tree so the shady bed below gets a bit more light. Then pruned out several branches on the beech trees which were annoying OH, attacking him when he did the mowing. On the other side. the beech trees overhang the garden wall, and the cows next door do the pruning for us.

Then I went on to the old apple trees. I'm gradually removing the crossing branches, and dead bits, which abound because the trees had been neglected for years. Finally I tidied up some soggy geraniums. A good day!

 

Seems as if lots of us were pruning yesterday, mine were a couple of conifers and an Acer. The conifersare in pots so not that big but needed a lot of careful thinning. Lots more to do.

 

Meant to say yesterday, thinking of @fairygirl . Re next door's cows here - it would be rude not to talk to them, when they stick their heads over the wall to find out what I'm doing in the garden...

 

Pruned a grape vine in the greenhouse. This also has a pomegranate that our elder son gave to us some years ago. So much conflicting info about where and what you can do with this plant in the UK. So we planted it in the greenhouse and we did have some flowers but no pollination. Interesting as the grapes in the same place are pollinated and we get good bunches of grapes. So today we dug it up (far too big to stay in the gh and always having to prune it back) and planted it outside. Difficult decision as to where but have found an area and hopefully it will do OK.

 

@On the Levels I had a pomegranate outside in rural (cold) Nottinghamshire. It flowered every year, and the last year before I left it fruited. Unfortunately it was the miniature variety, so although cute, they weren't exactly edible!

 

Thank you @CarolineL. we didn't want to move it as it is a gift from our son but being in the greenhouse it was having a great time! But getting too big and we were having to prune back the growth so often. So that it the reason for moving it. We are in the SW and we have replanted it in a sheltered area and all fingers crossed it will grow back and maybe one day you never know we will get fruit.
Saying that our Chinese Gooseberry (Kiwis) produced the most fruit this year after years and years of nothing.