WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2021

Not much today, apart from watering the onions and the strawberries, topping up the water barrel feature, and filling 4 sacks of compost from the ready-to-use compost bay.

Now sitting here and contemplating topping up the pond, in case next week's rain is as “generous” as yesterday’s - barely wetting the tarmac! I could mow in the paths through the grass, whilst it fills up, I suppose....

 

Finally gave up on my Viburnum carlcephalum. I've been waiting for signs of life for 2 months, but it's a goner. So, dug it out, along with the struggling Osmanthus heterophyllus next to it. Then dug over the area and added a trailerload of fresh topsoil. Will probably try a Choisya 'Aztec Pearl' and a lilac as replacements, with violets as ground cover. Then spent a merry few hours forking out chardons in another border. Horrible, bristly, thistle-like things! Have to catch them before they think about seeding.
Mowed in the orchard, which is the only decent bit of grass I've got this year, as rain forecast for the weekend.

 

Outside at 6.30am today. Beautiful morning, too good to waste inside. Potted up pond plants into larger pots and inserted into water feature/ mini pond. Potted up 2 young Fleabane to give to a friend. Started adding fresh compost to a large pot, then stopped as haven't decided what to put in it yet, so I may end up removing most of the spend compost. Scrubbed out a bird bath. Planted the Penstemon I bought into patio bed after adding another bag of soil. Yanked out loads of blanket seed from the pond. Not actually sure it is blanket weed. Filled up bird feeders. One of the older Rats had been picked on by the others. So, I've been feeding her on her own so she doesn't have to compete for food. She comes right up to me.

Just as we were going out earlier I found a female Chaffinch sat on the drive. She had something stuck in her beak, piece fat ball or something similar. I picked her up and managed to remove most of it, she spat a bit out as well. I put her up on a branch of the Willow tree. She wasn't there when we got back, so hopefully she's okay now.

 

Just brought seedlings. Up from the cellar. And now going to shift the plays out of the heated greenhouse to make room for the seedlings tonight.

 

Not so much again, as the ground is just too dry. Watered the onion sets, and the soft cloches ready for beans and peas to be planted next week. Topped up the pond, as we haven’t got the 5cm of rain needed coming. Deadheaded more daffodils, and planted the seed heads from some snowdrops.

Apart from that, just the normal ferrying of plant trays out, and then back in again, as we harden off plants. Hope that we will be able to start planting out next week...

 

Not just today, a culmination of using up the decking i took up, not much more left.

 

Didn't do much yesterday, just not in the mood, only washed the greenhouse roof, outside checked seedlings, watered as necessary, pricked out a few things.
Today I have pea and lettuce plants to put in and then weed and dead head, may sow some cauliflower seed if I can find it.

 

Last night was very productive as nearly all seedlings needed to be potted on. After discovering first signs of the kind of biodiversity that is not endorsed in this household , everything also got a good wash in soapy water.

My method is somewhat brutal, holding the pot upside down trying to keep the soil in, dunking the plant into a bucket of washing up water, giving a vigorous swirl and some pumping up and down, letting the soap drain and then a quick rinse to get rid of the excess soap.

Miraculously, Chillies held tight to their first fruitlets and even flowers.

Hungarian Black:


Basket of fire:


Cosmos joined the plants to go for daily walkies. I'm growing two varieties this year, Collarette and Antiquita. Fearing of being told off by @Upsydaisy I carefully labelled the boxes used to ferry them in and out. Because I had to temporarily use the boxes to transport the chillies and whatnots, I very, very nearly got the wrong ones in before realising the mistake. Labelling is stressful!

Now they are safely almost- labelled apart from two stray pots which could be either.


Next week is promising frosty nights so it's daytripping only, apart from the very hardy Echinops and Artichokes that I forgot out on a -5 night and who didn't mind at all. The week after should see a bit warmer nights so Cosmos can hopefully stay out. Then it's next round on the degrees of hardiness. Getting there!

Uncharacteristically, after spreading compost, debris and soapy water all around the house, I cleared up afterwards and was mopping the floors at midnight. It's surprising what a humble bottle of Merlot can do to one's tidiness!

 

Very stressful....I have been relatively good up to now but.... since having to prick out and pot on well my good intentions have gone literally to....pot!!!!!
I have loads of seedlings that so far are unidentified.
Gone and done it again!!! I'm good at labelling seed trays....but all those potting up pots!!!


Well done @Selleri .....award yourself another bottle of Merlot.

 

Comparing!!!


2nd May 2020




2nd May 2021

This weather has a lot to answer for!!

Late Spring and Summer, just hope we don't get an early Autumn and Winter!!!

 

Culture shock today! Yes we have a large garden at our London home but we're at my Lincolnshire house this weekend.

The London home has NO lawns, the Lincolnshire house has 1/3 acre made up of 3 lawns and some borders. We are both knackered now after mowing the lawns and trying to dig some ground for planting, the soil is like concrete as not much rain lately.

Back to my greenhouse tomorrow!

 

My Chinese friends at Amazon have been busy so I got the solar power pump a month earlier than expected. I have just installed it and the little pond looks great. I'm possibly risking losing some body parts to hypothermia, it's seriously cold out there and having arms in icy water does not help.

Anyways, the small spiff spiff of water is nice and I'm looking forward to welcoming creatures such as frogs, bees, penguins and arctic seals

 

With a lot of assistance we got the last and largest of the stumps out:




I wish I'd taken a better picture of the hole it left behind We've filled that with spoils from levelling out the ground in front of the shed.

I've also sown pumpkin and butternut squash and risked moving a couple of the pelargoniums outside; getting very bored of this long cold spring now!

 

well done @2nd_bassoon Digging out stumps and roots is an utter nightmare.