What are we doing in the garden 2024

That's going to be it for 2024. We are getting a tree surgeon in to tackle other trees, and only one of them needs to come down to ground level. The rest need reducing.

However, there are several other conifers, but I can decide what to do with them next year.

So watch this space for a new series of conifer conundrums in 2025.

 

Watered the greenhouse, well, the tomatoes and cucumbers in the greenhouse! Picked my first Telegraph Improved cucumber and my second mini munch.
Discovered my Queen of the Night succulent has a further 4 flower buds forming.
Picked my first sweetcorn cob. A miserable affair but the slugs had started on it so I had it as part of my lunch before they could demolish it completely.

 

Not much will get done today as I'm going to daughter's for some painting. The weather's to be iffy anyway, but I might get a couple of things planted if I have time.
I got the brown bin filled yesterday with more of the hedging I'm removing. Not much left to do fortunately. Got more of the home grown bits of new hedge put in and some general tidying in the front garden. Did the usual deadheading of bits and pieces and some planting of Ligularia and Buddleia grown from division/cuttings before that. Was hoping to get the grass done after doing the front hedging/tidying, but the rain came on quite heavily at that point, so it'll have to wait again. The hedge removal was more important though.

 

Not going to do anything here today. Meeting a friend in Rochester this morning (thanks to wife who will drop me off), and then on to a 100th birthday party this afternoon.

 

I finished trimming the lavenders yesterday and did a bit more weeding.

It's raining today in SW France, hurray!

 

Not much will get done today. I have to take Rob to the vet for a follow up blood test this afternoon and the cat to be checked for a possible thyroid imbalance. If I can find her at the time required. It is warm and sunny at present so she is curled up in one of her hidey hole nests in the long grass. Rob will think he is going for another walk so easy to catch!

 

I’ve done one of those ‘spent all afternoon in garden but nothing much to show for it’ days. I think I’m psychologically ready to retire my big leggy Lavender this year. I’ve just tidied round it and realised how much it’s sticking out onto the patio. I’ll let the bees enjoy it for another week though…

 

Bore da @AuntyRach . My lavender keeps giving me lots of little baby lavender seedlings which pop up in unexpected places and transplant easily. Have your gnarled and twisted old plants not been so generous?

 

Hard 4 weeks ahead. Mrs B is having the kitchen and utility totally ripped out starting Monday , builders skip arrives today and i can deposit the old greehouse i am dismantling plus other garden structures that i am taking apart and theres the small matter of boxing up all the kitchen / utility stuff. It feels like we are moving house as its absolute chaos. Tempted to move into the potting shed until October , my place of sanctuary .

 

Now that my shed is updated and rebuilt, I'm thinking I could just move in there too @Robert Bowen
Always tricky when you're getting serious work done in the house. As long as you have some dry weather -for part of it at least, it makes it easier though. I'll cross my fingers for you...
I got a couple of things planted yesterday, before I went away to do my painting chores, so there's nothing left to do in that regard. At last, the grass should get done, as it's to be dry today, so it'll hopefully dry off a bit, which will make it easier. Other than that, it was just the usual bits and pieces of deadheading after a walk.
Today, I'll also get some more stuff done in and around the shed, but I have paint to mix up for daughter's bedroom wall, as we didn't have enough for a second coat. That was annoying, and was my fault as I should have checked how much was in the tub. It felt quite heavy, so I thought there was plenty. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.

 

The vet has asked me to pick up a specimen pot to collect a sample from Rob! Oh boy, that is going to do some taking. She wants to check his kidney functions before referring him on to another vet to have a full liver biopsy done. Poor chap. He is still not 100%, still has a distended abdomen and just looks miserable. His red blood cells are slightly improved since the previous one but still not good . Poppy missed her appointment, she was nowhere to be found when I wanted her. 10 mins after we came home there she was, laughing at me, asking for her tea. As it happens it was not a bad thing, the vet was running half an hour late due to an emergency which had arrived earlier.

 

No I have never had any self-sown seedlings. This is the last one left out of a few that were already old/massive when we moved in 10 years ago. I’ve since done cuttings and replaced (and added more). I think they look best about year 3 as a decent size but not leggy.

 

@fairygirl . Good luck with that. Somehow i have to find time to mow my grass before the rain comes back on Monday - at least it will be short until the opportunity arises to cut it again.