What are we doing in the garden 2024

Seeds now sown. Hands warming up now, round a mug of tea...

 

Beautifully warm and sunny in the front garden this afternoon. Planted out two asters and some snakeshead fritillary bulbs. Then decided to cut the lawn, and get a good low cut in preparation for the yellow rattle. First achievement was finding the spacers for the Flymo. Then I unscrewed the blade, put the spacers on, and carefully tightened up the screw again - it has a very long thread so it's a tedious business. Having got it nicely tightened, I noticed the blade still lying on the grass beside the mower.

Then when I finally got going, I was lucky to notice the pool of very runny (and stinky) cat poo in the middle of the grass and not mow over it.

 

I was slightly alarmed by the BBC Weather page this morning, which stated heavy rain showers and wind speeds of 14,866mph from the North East, with temperatures of -6°C. That was going to make gardening a bit harder. Being hard as nails up North, I had to think carefully about whether to switch from a T-shirt to a shirt before going out.

In Edinburgh, it suggested wind speed would be 17,246mph, which is almost orbital velocity. Nottingham was forecast to have overnight temperatures of 404°C. They've had a data glitch on the website all day. Thankfully, only the rain showers were correct!

Once the rain stopped this morning, I planted 36 Daffodil bulbs in the wood, joining the 100 Snowdrops and 120 Bluebells, planted a few days ago. After that, a little weeding on the gravel driveway and that was it for today.

 

I direct sowed some rattle some years back, when I thought I'd remove a bit of grass and have a selection of other planting, but it didn't take at all. Glad it works for you @Liriodendron. I've re thought the space because the ox eye daisies got too vigorous and crowded out almost everything else. Soil is too hefty for many wildflowers to do well, but I have shrubs etc which will get slotted in there instead. We can't have it all
I got my new raised bed pretty much finished yesterday as it was a perfect day for outdoor work, as well as a bit of sitting in the sun. Just have to line the very top section and then join it to the bottom bit. The newest clematis [Aotearoa] will eventually go in there to keep it a bit drier. I need a bit of wood for the edging, so I might just go and get it today, as it's to be fairly damp/windy all day and outdoor jobs will be more limited, but I might get a few bits and pieces done if it stays dry for a bit.

 

I can't usually do much during the work week, plus the weather has been mostly terrible, but I have been thinking about changes to the garden. I am quite bad for it, basically whenever I need a pick-me-up, or I am just bored, I start changing things and moving plants around

I think I have decided on switching around the positions of a beautiful rambling rose (Lady of The Lake) and a clematis (Lambton Park) i.e. the rose going where the clematis is and the clematis where the rose is.

Both plants were planted less than a year ago and I think it will be better for them, especially the rose which is currently in a congested area. I am just debating whether the colours will work in the new positions.

I have plenty of time to overthink it and flip flop several times, as that is a job best left for winter anyway I believe. Both plants are in flower at the moment.

 

We've had the tail end of storm Kirk blasting thru with torrential rain and strong winds so everything is exceedingly soggy. However, it's sunny and dry today so I can go and check that everything is OK in my own "nursery" sheltering in th etopless barn and OH is going to help me clear all the tomato plants and crud out of the polytunnel.

We need a dry space for the chooks to dust bathe and shelter from future rains and they can clear weed seeds and pests while they're on so it's ready when we move in pots of tender stuff like citrus and fuchsias.

I like your new clematis @fairygirl, especially the reverse side of the petals.

I have a Lambton Park @CostasK doing very well on the south side of our chicken run - planted to give them shade if needed. I've even had successful cuttings from it to give to friends. It was stunning this year as it enjoyed all the extra rainfall we've had.

 

We had a proper frost last night, the first of the autumn - on the roof as well as the ground. Some of the dahlias are looking rather the worse for wear, though others are more sheltered, and look ok. Fortunately I picked the last ripe strawberry yesterday, when we shared 4 large ones for tea. They were as tasty as those from the summer harvest, and very welcome as the summer's last "hurrah"! As far as I'm aware, "Symphony" strawbs aren't known for producing two crops in a year - but this year has been very odd, weather-wise.

 

Clearing leaves today. We have mature Ash trees on the street so they make quite the carpet. I’ve put some in garden waste but the rest will go into sacks/bags for leaf mulch.

 

Today I planted a couple of pots up with narcissi and pansies, then cleared out the wall manger basket.
I had bought some coir liner off a roll to reline it with, but totally failed to be able to fit it, so instead I went to the GC for a new one and also bought thorn proof gloves, more pansies and a primula.
I will probably use up the off the roll basket liner to cover the potted dahlias, which I am hoping to store over winter under the garden bench, which will have a cover over it. I may also wrap them in bubble wrap. I was intending to lift them but I don't think I have space in the house to store them, and the shed is mainly full of the lodger's bikes, so I'm hoping this will work.

 

@Obelix-Vendée I like the Lambton Park clematis. It took a few months to get established and then it really shot up. I named it Tina Turner because of the shape of the seedheads

My partner is not a fan though (of the clematis, not the singer)

 

Good job it was a fine day - I was digging out an indigofera. Supposed to be no bigger than 3 foot, but even with hard pruning, was 6 foot! Not enough flower to excuse it. Despite the frost this morning, nothing has yet collapsed.

 

Lucky you! I'm having to wait for the very late harvest of the sunflowers on the adjacent field before I can have mine. So far, it's 50m long and 4m high and growing. If they don't harvest soon, I'm going to make a Guy and invest in some fireworks and have a party next month (The French, very sensibly, have their bonfire night in June ).

 

@Escarpment We have tried over many year with yellow rattle to no success. We have followed all the info but nothing. Hopefully you will have success.