What Jobs Are We Doing in the Garden Today... MK3.. 2013

Been out not long since and wrapped up all i can....in for a frosty one tonight.....

 

Bought a Mower on eBay a while ago, had it out for the first time today

Last year experimented with my 24" cylinder cutting 3 stripes together - to make broad "Regency" stripes - decided that I was happy with the look (which can look a bit out of place on smaller areas - some here didn't like the effect, so its not for everyone).

68" wide cut whistled round the lawns happy.i.am

 

The expected frost didn't materialise thankfully so once I've walked the mutts and been to B&Q for another ten bags of compost (and possibly an angle grinder) I will be shifting my DA roses into different containers.

 

Earthing up my potatoes ,pricking out and potting on

 

Planted 4 perennials.Washed out the pots they came in + loads of 3 1/2" pots from yesterday when I potted up all my baby fuchsias grown over winter+ some new ones I purchased.Made more elevated staging in corner of greenhouse as I have run out of room.Not sure where I am going to put all the dozens & dozens of flower plants in seed trays when I have to transplant them into 3 1/2 pots.
Potted 5 lilies , a rest now then out again to cut the back lawn.

 

I assumed it was to chop up the lumps in B&Q's Multi Purpose Compost ...

 

Pricked out radishes, and ate them is salad LOL

Mr Peorthine has build a greenhouse, hopefully our tomatoes can go there soon, as I dont have more space for them on my windowsills anymore!

I also have a new bed, which I think I will use up for salad leaves and quick stuff like this and then celeriac, which by the way is growing amazingly well so far.

And you know what, in all my excitement I forgot to plant potatoes! I just found them, they are well chitted now, do you think it's too late for them now? They're Charlotte variety, and I only have 4 of them, so would go into just one container...

 

They'll be fine, I haven't planted my outdoor ones yet, so time enough for those grown in a container. If the chits are more than 1/2" - 1" long then be careful when you plant them not to break them off

You need a BIG container for 4 seed potatoes. The normal sized "bags" that are provided for growing spuds won't manage more than 3 seed potatoes.

I suggest two containers, 2 spuds each, rather than one potentially overcrowded container. Plus you can tip out the containers for two separate meals, rather than having to have mates round to eat them all in one sitting

 

Did loads today, first of all I moved a Fathedera lizei to a more suitable place, thereafter I planted some tuberous Begonias. Then I gave the garden a feed and water as it was very dry! In the afternoon, I got a passionflower for the new border, then planted some Eucomis bulbs and that was that.

 

Feed all overwintered plants / cuttings in the greenhouse (Miracle-gro)

Potted on from 1" modules to 9cm : Cyperus papyrus x 23, Solanum laciniatum x 15, Amaranthus Dreadlocks x 4, Amaranthus Foxtail x 20, Galtonia candicans x 1 (bit dissappointing only one germinated :( ), G. viridiflora x 6, Iochroma australis x 10, Salvia Deep Blue x 10, Blue Angel x 10, Lobellia Fountain White x 12

Pricked out to 1" modules : Delphinium Galahad x 7, D. King Arthus x 7, D. Pacific Hybrids x 10 (from GC seed parcel )

Pricked out to 9cm pot : Courgette Green Bush x 13, Squash Cobnut x 5, Autumn Crown x 6, Waltham Butternut x 6

Disappointing germination on Ricinus (sown 02-Mar):

R. New Zealand Purple 3 of 5 (Jungle Seeds)
R. zanzibarensis 5 of 10 (Moles - last year's seed though)
R. Blue Giant 0 of 5 (Jungle Seeds)

Those were not pre-soaked, so I soaked, for 24 hours, the remainder of the packets of all three last weekend and sowed them. Not sprouted yet, but will report back when they do.

Also: Angelica gigas. Sowed a 1/4 sized seed tray one end with seed from Jungle Seeds, the other half with seed from the GC Seed parcel. I got one seedling from the Jungle Seeds end, and a mini forest from the GC Seed! Given that they were both in the same seed tray there isn't much excuse for the Jungle Seeds not to have performed the same??

I also potted on 2 x Tomato Floridity from 1L to 2L, but then decided my time was better spent getting the Cucurbits pricked out before their roots mashed together!, so the rest will have to wait for an evening this week.

 

Today the weather here is bitterly cold with a biting wind. Being a softy, I stayed indoors mostly. Since we are thinking of re-designing our lower garden, I spent the time drawing the ground layout, fixed features and unmovable shrubs into the computer. With this 'artistic' graph I can draw up some garden development blue prints.

 

Bless you Armandii - your post did bring a big smile to my face,

Jenny