What Jobs Are We Doing In The Garden Today 2019

Not done any gardening today. Been to Harrogate flower show for most of the day, picked up a few things seeds - dahlia art deco and a Cardiocrinum giganteum. Not sure how well the C.giganteum it may take some years for it to flower if it ever does , I didn't normally buy plants on a wim but when I come across something I've fancy growing for a while and I deem it quite special I'll have a go.

Got home and watch the rest of football and walked round the garden, everything seem to of shot up overnight with the last few days of rain, of course and the weeds have come out of nowhere so I'll get the hoe out tomorrow

 

Decided to do some planting this evening.......salvia Blue Boa, helictotrichon, aeonium swarkopf...all overwintered large plants....replacing specimen wallflowers that were going over. The bed already has Baptisia Lemon Meringue, pennisetum Fireworks, sisyrinchium macounii Alba, ophiopogon nigrescens, Tulbaghia, Elymus magellanicus, Guara Corries Gold and a whole lot more incl a camellia and abelia Confetti. I had removed a very large juniper 3 years ago leaving me with an area 20’ x 20’ to have fun with. Certainly more interesting now than that old conifer was

 

Well, got a lot of planting done after all
Planted out stipa tennuissima (large plants divided last autumn), salvia patens Cambridge, Gazanias, salvia leucanthemum, staked achillea Moonshine (about to flower) and more.
Some double white stocks nearby issued superb scent. Sizing up a few planting ideas too.
Not a lot of sunshine but spells of it and it is very warm, dry and pleasant

 

Yesterday planted out 4 lupins, got another 4 but haven't decided where to put them.

 

Did a little weeding. Well, 6 x 40l trugs, full of weeds. I can just about see where I’ve been!

 

Cut 2 lawns, potted up plants received in the post, planted out hordeum jubatum, sprayed for lily beetle, planted out another group of tithonia plus salvia uliginosa
A beautifully sunny afternoon and early evening.....very warm in the garden

 

Well, today was a public holiday....

So I’ve cut the dead honeysuckle back that’s growing over the door. A replacement honeysuckle was planted nearby. It was time to move the lemon tree outside for the summer. Lifting it out of the lounge, treating with neam oil spray, and moving into position. The orchids were treated at the same time, along with the Benjamin figs.

All houseplants moved safely back inside, a beer sipped next to the pond....

 

Been busy this evening in the greenhouse , potted on lots of bedding - Melons -delphiniums - brugmansia. Put a few bamboo canes in for clematis betty corner to clamber up and put another clematis back on its support, picked seed heads off daffs - tulips.

Anyone got any tips on how to kill mealy bugs ? they covered my lysimcha again for the second year running.

I've been squashing lily beetles, I am sure the crown imperial fritillaria attract them more, never had problems when I used to just grow lilys.

Need to go GC and get some more fleece and other bits, I am livid its forecast frost again need to wrap the wisteria up again its just about to flower.

 

Planted up the new strawberry bed on the allotment

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I know I should pick the flowers off to help them establish but I really want some strawberries !

 

Dab them with meths or isopropyl alcohol.​

 

Yesterday I was feeling grotty with head cold, so all I managed was to plant the snowdrop seed pods I’ve gathered from my parents’ garden. The bulbs have been in for 40 years, as they were bought with any “spare” dinner money, on my way home each day. It is good to know that they are following me, one way or another!

I also planted some cherry tomato seeds. I know, very late, but I’d not realised I had no Tumbling Tom seeds until last week, so I had to resort to Lidl’s Supersweet 100. Hoping that they will catch up!!

 

Yesterday gardening was such a comfort to me. I had awful news that one of my closest friends and mentors passed away. He'd been suffering from Oesophageal cancer for the last year. I'm heartbroken and I can't imagine how his family are feeling. When I got the news I moved into the back garden to do some weeding because I couldn't face any neighbours coming and talking to me. I managed to weed all the borders as they had gone mad whilst on holiday. Just planning other bits to do today....will be potting on tomato plants, courgettes (I have about 3 fruit growing on one plant and 4 on another already!). I'll be splitting out the pepper seedlings too.

 

So sorry for your loss, @Snorky85.

Sometimes, in grief, you feel so helpless. It can be good to do something constructive with your hands, and feel that even in the midst of such sadness, you can make a difference.

 

Thanks @Sian in Belgium It feels so nice to be outside and getting fresh air and distracting the mind from the sadness.