What are we doing in the garden 2025

I look forward to seeing them, especially the heucheras. I am impatiently waiting for Plantagogo to have more varieties marked as available. They also have a listing for Corydalis Elata Blue Summit, so I’ve asked to be informed when it is back in stock.

 

I got a few Heucheras from Plantagogo last year @ViewAhead, all good plants, well packed and arrived quickly. They don't start sending out mail orders until March so availability may be better then .

 

Although it hasn't rained today, still too wet to do anything.
I looked at getting 6 plants from the secret gardening club, 9cm pots all down to £2.99, but they wanted over £9 postage so I didn't go ahead.

 

I have been trying to sort out my new bird feeding station. Old wooden one blew over 3 times at the weekend and was pretty rickety to start with, although when I say old I think it's probably only 18 months old.
So I have bought a new metal one with a weighted metal base (the garden is mainly paved) which seems a lot better, except that it is about 7 ft high and I can only just reach to hang things on it. So I'm waiting for the lodger to come home to ask if he will cut the pole for me. I have a B and D Scorpion electric hand saw but it terrifies me!

 

Just fitted a new security light over the patio. Waited for days to get a dry day suitable for wiring. I fitted the old one when we first moved in 28 years ago and wired it so that it served as both a security light and a manual light switchable from inside.

After that I did yet more mulching with home compost.

 

I've finally finished pruning and tying in the Albertine rose and cutting back 2 honeysuckles and an overgrown ivy.

Why did someone plant an Albertine rambling rose 3 ins from A vigorous honeysuckle Halliana? The ivy from next door had come over the top of the fence and was trying to smother a Philadelphus.

The garden bin and 3 big round green sacks are now fell. Bin will be emptied on Friday and OH has made an appointment at the tip.

I've also tidied the laurel bed, cut down the 2 x group 3 Clematis and mulched it.

 

Hubby's been clearing a corner in the back garden. He's been cutting off the old leaves on the hellebores, cutting off the old canes on the blackberries and pruning a apple tree.

 

Today I completed a task that I should have done 11 years ago when I moved here, removing some ancient Bergenias in the raised bed in my front garden which also contains two ancient conifers. They had got very woody, sprawling and always had dead leaves appearing as soon as I removed others, plus artwork on the green leaves created by resident slugs and snails . They were awkward to get to but yielded quite quickly. In the process I revealed an attractive shelf of sandstone, so it was worth the effort. I then removed a bed of Erigeron above a low sandstone wall and will replant the bed tomorrow with a row of Calamagrostis Karl Foerster from my back garden. They make a perfect self regulating hedge at just the right height .

 

It was quite a nice day here for a change - no wind! so I continued with the rose pruning. The back garden ones are all done so I think there's only another 3 or 4 to do.
I guess from Busy-Lizzie's comments above that it will soon be time to prune the clematis!

 

Cleared the "lake" in front of the gate. Where does all that soil come from? When it rains it can't drain away but should do now. Tied up some of the honeysuckle that started to grow up the magnolia, mock orange and fir trees instead of up and over the trellis it should be on!
Then hard pruned one of the quinces. Needed to be done as it was shadowing the polytunnel. Still have a mature one in the orchard so hopefully will still get some fruit this year.
Amazing......the sun is out and not too windy.

 

I have been out to pot up some recently acquired plants. I have never thought that I liked ornamental grasses but I saw an offer of half price and decided to try some. I think I have my answer - when I let my house cat out for a run he headed straight for the grasses and started to chomp on them - oh well, we'll see how they go.

 

After a frosty start, it turned into a lovely day. Got to Allotments by 10 so had a good 3hrs there. Did some digging, only one edge to keep the grass from the path at bay. Still a bit wet TBH, but needs must. Cut down Raspberries, and took out the dead loganberry and blackberry runners. Made a start burning what I had cut , so I could get the old brassica stumps on. I know people say you should compost everything but as we can't shred things, anything hard or woody takes years to break down.

 

It could be worse. My moggies use the low-growing ones as nice, comfy loos

 

Did a hatchet job on a large Mahonia that gets big far too quickly.
All shredded now looking a lot neater.

 

Spent a couple of hours hacking back a big overgrown rose - supposed to be one of the Flower Carpet series but mine was 7-8 ft high and waving at me. Reduced to 3-4 ft now and debris filled my two green bins. Sink or swim time!
Really enjoyed being out in the sunshine for a change but feeling the ache now.