What are we doing in the garden 2025

I dug a good quantity of completed compost out of the bottom of my bin and bagged it up. Then I gave the remaining contents a good mix up and encouraged them to fill the emptied out areas.
I'm expecting a couple of bare root roses to arrive tomorrow, so I dug a test hole in one of the places I want to plant. You can never guarantee with my garden that you won't hit a giant boulder or tree root.

 

Sunny and 7 C here today, so I spent all afternoon on a couple of jobs. Replaced the leaky plastic sheets in our mini greenhouse with some acrylic panels I'd ordered, repotted a very old standard rose, which involved rinsing off all the soil because of the weevil-like grubs I found in there (!), and finally got round to planting the first seeds of the year - some sweet pea 'King's High Scent', which promise to have exceptional fragrance - we shall see!

 

Hung new bird feeders and refilled the best of the old ones.
Surveyed what needs to be done to take back control.
Went back inside for a cuppa.

 

OH told me it was warmer outside this morning so I got all togged up to prune my roses.
He was wrong, it wasn't freezing but still jolly cold and dampish. Didn't enjoy it at all and I've been dying to get out there and stuck in after a week indoors. It didn't help that my fingers/hands/wrists really hurt despite applying Voltarol Gel earlier so I had to give up after doing three roses. I think I also need new secateurs, my old Felco's aren't cutting cleanly as I've most probably mistreated them in the past. I'm contemplating either buying new blades for them or a new pair. Anybody know if new blades are easy to fit?

 

Seed sowing season is officially on!

Assorted Chillies, Pennisetum Purple which I hope will look good behind the pond, Festuca Glauca which I like a lot but refuse to pay the price of the potted stuff, Chives and Welsh Onion I thought was a new acquaitance for me until I remembered the onion that was "always there" in my Grandmother's garden.

Since I had a compost filled SM tomato container left over, I chucked the leftover lettuce, rocket etc. seeds in to grow on kitchen windowsill.

Miraculously, I have some windowsill space left for the phase when I realise that germinated seedlings need re-potting and a lot more space than their neat germination containers.

Anyways I already know it will again be stacks of books to support makeshift shelves to house layers of pots... well, there must be a reason why Games of Throne books were written. (They are thick and sturdy and widely available in charity shops ).


Ah the elegance of my home office... it might be a good idea to blur the background in work Teams calls



My Hyacinths var. cheap to start with and then reduced to clear (my favourite) are starting to open, they are queueing in a professional British manner to be taken in from the cold porch as the predecessor fades. I'll keep the best colours to plant out next summer.

Narcissi Minnow are also looking promising in their indoor- forcing pots. They should, I bought 75 bulbs (you might have guessed, reduced to clear ).



Hello spring

 

Last year I found a little set of wooden shelves on Amazon that fit neatly on the windowsill and give me 3 tiers of growing space. I've still got space on that windowsill for another set.

 

thanks Loofah.

 

You can also send off felco secateurs to be serviced. They will replace any parts as needed. Costs £25 and they come back like new.

 

The sun is out and no frost today so may venture out into the garden. I want to clear some of the fallen leaves and old foliage so we can better see the emerging snowdrops.

Also want to measure up my new fruit &veg garden so I can work out how much edging and paving I need vs what I have. I’m hoping the existing slabs and gravel (from an old smaller herb garden) plus our dwindling pile of dug-up bricks, tiles, broken slabs will be enough. I may need to get creative

 

Many thanks to all the folks with Felco info.
Big dilemma now, do I get them professionally serviced for £30 (but turn round time could be 28 days) or buy a new pair for £35?
Mine are the economy version for small hands. (6 s)

 

Hi shiny, who manufactures your peat compost. None around here.

 

Ground still frozen but optimistic about getting on the grass tomorrow. If the forecast is right the grass would benefit from a cut on a high setting , maybe at the weekend. It will be good to get outside again. Hopefully get some reasonably priced seed potatoes at the garden centre too. Wilkinsons was a great source but sadly no more.

 

I'd go for a new pair @lizzie27. I've bought items from this supplier. Free delivery on all orders:

Felco Essential Secateurs Small 160S