WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2021

You mean you dont own a supermarket trolley.

 

Today I was removing leaves off and from around succulents like Carpobrotus rossii, Lampranthus aurantiacus and Opuntia compressa.

Also cutting spent flower heads from plants like Euphorbia mellifera and Brachyglottis.

Also planted up a cutting of Lantana 'miss huff'

 

Not much today, as I’m still poorly, and hubby is too…

…but I lifted the gladioli corms from their pots. Most of the corms had doubled in size, and all had little baby cormlets (bulblets?) around the corms. Lots will have fallen off into the compost, which will be reused for spring bulbs. I’m wondering how many babies will pop through the soil?

What is the best way to deal with the corms? Cut the greenery off, and store in cool dry place for the winter? Replant in the borders, deep enough to survive the winter?

 

The original one, now deceased, only made 2m x 1m before losing the will to live This one will have a much sunnier, drier position, with fluffed-up soil and oodles of room The only possible threat are incoming deer....

 

Ok - there’s something I don’t know here. Why and how are you netting bulb pots? So the bulbs get eaten otherwise???

 

Yes Squirrels and Foxes love hunting them out.

 

Doing a fundamental rework of the whole garden and started off on a no dig patch: laid down cardboard, added a thick layer of seaweed, and now emptying a raised bed of its old compost and manure mix over that. I’ll add a layer of garden compost too in due course before planting.

I’ve also had a tonne of soil improver delivered from the municipal green waste recycling plant. I had heard you need to go carefully with it because it can have a ver high pH but I checked and it’s neutral. Keen to hear thoughts on how to use it though… it’s destined to help where the raised beds are now which I’ll use for veggies next year. Not too sure though what to mix it with or how to apply so any thoughts would be very welcome.

 

Now most of the rest of the leaves have come down, I will be sweeping up leaves and putting them in a dumpy bag to turn into leaf mould over the next couple of years.

 

Planting the afterthought bulbs. I bought bulbs that I really really wanted in September and have been planting various containers over October. Since I wanted to wait with my Tulips, I made the mistake of browsing November bulb sales

I honestly do not have room for 100 Dutch Master daffs, 30 large Alliums nor the rest that forced themselves upon me

Anyhoo, half of this afterthought lot is now in, in ground and in lasagne pots, and the rest will be planted tomorrow.



I treat Tulips as single use flowers, but might try roasting and lifting Purple Prince that seems to be quite attractive, short stemmed one. Daffs are mostly in the ground, and the container ones may or may not stay there next year.

I wonder what to do with the 25 pink Irises... possibly I'll try to wedge them amongst my Echinops to give some early summer interest before the Echies get going.

My Astrophytum and Lapidaria have germinated well and look like a mini fairy balloons Cacti seedlings have very cutely coloured first leaves, in shades of pink and purple. Opuntia seeds look promising too but no sign of growth yet.

 

The bare-root fruit trees have arrived in the nurseries here. I got two beautiful cherry trees, Van and Géant de Hedelfingen. Van is planted, and if the rain holds off tomorrow, G de H will follow. Then I'll have to have a severe word with myself about not buying any more. I've already got a mini-orchard of peach and nectarine trees from a lapse a couple of years ago