What are we doing in the garden 2024

Turned over two compost heaps, watered in the greenhouse.

 

@fairygirl many orchids thrive by being pot bound. If this was a recent buy I think that potting on is not needed. Phalaenopsis orchids love to have their roots outside the pots. Do not cut them off unless they are brown with no green tips at the ends of the roots. They do like to be in clear pots.
Orchid compost can be bought from GCs and many DIYs. It needs to be open.
Watering with rain water if possible but putting the orchid on a gravel tray and misting (again with rain water) will keep the humidity up which orchids do need.
The moth orchids are great for flowering for so long. Once the flowers do fall off leave the flowering stems on the plant until they go brown. If they stay green new flower spikes will come from them.
Happy orchid growing.

 

Yesterday we had a village garden club visit to one of the members garden. Lovely to catch up with folk. Talk showed that we weren't the only ones having veg germination problems and the lack of soft fruits and hard fruits.

 

This afternoon we tackled the ox eyes that are taking over the garden. Removed many that are surrounding the morning glory plants (so slow this year with no signs of flowers). Weeded a small flower bed that has narcissus for the spring so careful about digging too deep. The poppies and corncockle still doing ok there. Removed more hypericum encroaching on other plants and tackled more of the national collection of bindweed!

 

I found good looking Astrantia and Geraniums at Waitrose. Back home, I took out the foxtail lilies as well as some others, prepared the path temporarily and the bed with X6. Also prepared the spot where the new Eremurus will be planted in Autumn.
I will buy landscape bark and do it like plantminded and protect the soil.

 

I started using bark on my main grass border again this year @simone_in_wiltshire. It has definitely kept the weeds at bay and helped to retain moisture, plus it looks good! The only downside is that occasionally the blackbirds throw it around in search of worms but it’s easily replaced. (Sometimes I wonder whether they’re actually searching for worms or just enjoying messing up my lawn .)

 

@Plantminded, we went to Knoll Gardens, near Wimborne yesterday on the way home and as you probably know, they specialise in grasses. Lots of different kinds to demonstrate how to use them in different areas of the garden, some on their own and some mixed in with perennials - really interesting. Their paths were very well mulched with the shredded dry stems of old grasses, solving two problems at once! I put a couple of photos on the 'Gardens we have visited' thread but their website is worth a visit too.

I'm going to try some Hakonechloa underneath a cherry tree in the front garden.

 

This morning I decided to try propagating moth orchids. I'd seen several ways using garlic , root ginger , orange peel, or rice water.. ,its a very interesting process starting by preparing the stem of the orchid after flowering.
(I usually disregard them ....but no more !¡ )
It is started after preparing a solution of ie 3 cloves of garlic to 500 ml of tepid water this is the easy part . The tedious bit is pealing away the skin from the tiny nodes to reveal the microscopic green shoot. The next bit you need to be careful you don't knock the tiny green shoot .

The only other thing I did was plant up some more root ginger and then tiger nuts wich need to be soaked I think , I'd had them soaking for three days.
And as you've already guessed I enjoy experimenting a bit.

Both my Caladiums from Farmer Greacie have produced fantastic plants they are so unusual , l have already pencilled in my order for the next time free postage comes along

 

Thank you so much for your reply, and help @On the Levels . It's very much appreciated, so daughter is now fine with what she has, and we're going out on her next day off to have a look at a better outer container for it [it's in a small clear pot inside a china one] and she now knows to mist it etc, or maybe put it in the bathroom when she's having a shower? I was fairly sure there was a special mix you could buy for them, but I didn't know if a mix with plenty of drainage [which I have in the shed] would have done too. All new for her, so fingers crossed and thanks again.

It's a fantastic achievenment nowadays @shiney. I hope you get to that huge marker next year, and most importantly - can celebrate it appropriately. My mum and dad didn't quite get that far, but I still have all the pix from their 50th/Golden, and they kept all the little bits and pieces from the cake I made them, which I now have safely tucked away.

How many diamonds are you buying Mrs. Shiney?

 

That's a lot of Brownie points earned right there @shiney

 

Didn't do anything in the garden yesterday, watched the tennis and football. I am not doing anything today as it is pouring with rain. A couple of non days.

 

I agree with you shiny , that's how we look at celebrations . Each day is a celebration for us too !!!!!