Non-Gardener builds an Observatory, Garden Railway and even Dabbles with Plants!

You have been busy! It's looking very good though and I like your forward planning.

 

It's coming along well and a nice selection of shrubs around the wood.

 

8th March 2025

We've had a busy weekend in the garden on the hottest weekend of the year so far. Last year, the first half of the year was too wet to scarify the lawn. Our neighbour and us took the opportunity to scarify this weekend. We started our lawn on Saturday morning. The first pass was lengthwise along the lawn.

I did the top first, while Lynne raked up all the mess. I then moved to the lower half of the lawn, giving Lynne more time raking. Once I finished the lower lawn, I returned to the top and made a second pass at an angle, which brought more out. The railway lawn also had one pass. The woodland trailcam was triggering all day as I passed the wood!

Once the whole lawn had its second pass with the scarifier, we mowed the lawn to pick up the remaining moss, as this was easier than raking, despite having to empty the mower bag after two passes. It's about a mile and a half walk to mow the lawn, so I clocked up quite a few miles of pushing the scarifier and mower.



In the woodland, a number of the mini daffodils are now flowering and the daisy pompoms seem to be enjoying woodland life. Several of the snowdrops are now starting to droop. At the front edge of the wood, nearest the house, the Hydrangea is covered in new shoots and our wedding anniversary rose is waking from its Winter sleep. This rose is a cutting, from a cutting, taken from the original anniversary rose in our Washington garden.

 

There's no major changes at the railway at present, though all the plants are showing new growth and some with flowers. It's almost a year since we planted the railway embankment.



I didn't notice when I was planting in the wood the other day, but below the dogwood is covered is shoots from bulbs. No idea what they are and I don't remember anything flowering here last year! Time will tell. That was Saturday over, finished with coffee on the patio for the first time this year.

 

9th March 2025

It was a very misty and damp start to Sunday, despite what the BBC weather and met office website said! We didn't go out until after lunch, but after the busy previous day, we probably needed a rest. By early afternoon, the sun had burnt off the mist and we were working once more. This Hebe was moved from the circled location to nearer the path. It was too close to a Showy Stonecrop on the edge of the lawn and flowered in a similar colour.



Lynne dug out a load of daffodils, strangling this Hebe in the side border and also several clumps from elsewhere along the side of the house. The Hebe now has some light and breathing room.

 

In another spot, liberated from Daffodils, we planted another of the anniversary roses that have been living in pots on the back corridor window sill. This was one of the four original cuttings taken from Washington before we moved out.



Further along the side border, near the front gate, a number of the Daffodils were replanted. They don't look too great at present, as they were in deep and put up a fight during removal. They may not flower now, but should spring back next year in what was a rather bare area.

 

The last bit of gardening action was more Daffodils from the side of the house, moved to the kitchen border, to give a bit of early colour in this area.



The last job was another anniversary rose, planted at the bottom end of the woodland, between the recently planted Ilex Aquifoleum and a darker Holly bush. This leaves us two unplanted anniversary roses, one of which is going to a friend, while the other may go to the inlaws.

It was a very busy, but satisfying weekend in the garden, made more pleasant by the nice weather. In fact, on Saturday, when my scarifying triggered the trailcam, it recorded the temperature at 19 degrees C.

 

It's good to see plants coming to life after the winter and it'll be interesting to identify the bulbs under the Dogwood. It's too early for Bluebells but they could be Tulips.