What are we doing in the garden 2024

Checked on recently sown seeds so far got germination of 3 out of 4 pepper varieties, Achillea millefolium, Clematis tangutica and two cyclamen varieties.
Received 3 varieties of snowdrop, ordered last week, potted these up this afternoon.

 

With respect @Retired you're not the only one that has had a lot of rain. It's been almost non-stop here for nearly a year - windy too. I've hardly seen the sun for two years, as the previous year was almost continuous cloud cover, even though it was dry during the summer. Perhaps you should have left some of the trees standing to give your plants some protection.

The fact that you've removed most of them, combined with your hillside garden, puts your land at risk of sliding with all the rain. The roots of trees and shrubs would have helped to hold it in place.

 

Hi,

Many thanks @Sheal I appreciate most areas in the UK have and are experiencing lots of rainfall unfortunately it doesn't make me feel better because it's preventing me doing so much I want to do.

I've explained in great detail over quite a number of posts my reasons for removing the many trees; there is still grass and shrubs in the garden to hopefully prevent too much soil erosion.

Absolutely no offense meant @Sheal. In spite of our dire Yorkshire climate there's nowhere else in the world I'd rather live and perhaps is also the reason the world is wanting to join us. My wife and I love living here.

Yesterday during a rare lull in the rain I managed to strim the grass pathway edges much to my delight; I can at last relax a bit but I'm shortly going to be fighting weeds again looking at the weed seedlings popping up with Cleavers showing them the way; I've got to keep on top of the Cleavers every year otherwise they'll quickly overrun the gardens again; I've still more small hollies to remove, there seems no end of these.


Two years ago this looked like a forest.

The wildflowers should soon be putting in appearance lasting until Autumn; the meadow areas are now fully seeded.

Thanks @Logan for your kind suggestion; with the large number of daffodils we have it would be a biggish job propping them all up. When they finish flowering this springtime I think I'll dig them all up and replace them with more suitable plants for our site; they get flattened every year then look untidy whilst the leaves die back. Primroses grow well here and aren't troubled by the prevailing winds coming up the valley.

Whilst it bucketed down yesterday I kept busy and baked my first mince pies;


I'm not going to roll over and be idle because of our dire climate. One dozen mince pies.

I used a brush and Soya milk to seal the joint and all twelve turned out perfectly; Note the non stick silicone bun cases these are brilliant. I'm enjoying learning how to bake which isn't difficult.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

It is? Stop the world...I want to get off

 

Today I repotted the last of my Amaryllis bulbs. I did the others in two stages to get them to flower a few weeks apart. When Wilcos had a closing down sale I bought 10 grey/blue plastic pots to put all my Amaryllis in. As they were still growing at the time I bought them I didn't want to repot them at that time so I let them die back & repotted them in the new pots this month.
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The bulb in the first picture is one my son gave me for Christmas last year. When it finished flowering I got a new pot for it & repotted it. But for some reason, known only to the bulb, it grew big leaves but no bud. But since I took that photo it has produced a bud which is rushing upwards - trying to make up for lost time I suppose.

Except for the bulbs repotted on 19th/21st all the rest now have buds! So I'm looking forward to a great display about Easter time!

The pot with half a dozen bulbs in it are off shoots that I will grow on this year & next year replant in their own individual pots.

If anybody would like some off shoot I have lots that I will throw away, even though it saddens me to throw away perfectly good bulbs, as I just can't go back to building up a collection of more than 100 bulbs I used to have up unto about 3 years ago. Just drop me a PM & I'll send some to you. Bear in mind though that they will need at least 2 years growing on before they flower & I can't guarantee what colour they might be, as I don't know!
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They look good enough to eat @Retired.

 

@Retired those mince pies look yummy and i agree with the daffodils that there's too many to prop up, you could buy some tete-a-tete they will be a lot shorter.

 

Nothing today it's raining and very heavy.

 

Hi,

Rain, rain, rain and more rain.

Thanks @Sheal & @Logan I've just scoffed another mince pie; they aren't going to last long.

Also thanks @Logan I'd never heard of tete-a-tete so just had a quick web browse;

Tête à Tête Bulb Pot — Hoole Food Market Chester Food & Flowers Delivery Service

I like to learn something new every day. We've got a bunch of these in bloom in the front garden but I thought they were just daffodils; they are indeed shorter. At the link above there's also a primrose bulb pot; I like the look of these; they are so pretty and colourful whilst very low growing; they also easily self spread; I've recently put a lot of cerastium plug plants in (Snow in summer) these are cheap and put on a wonderful display.

I'm sure there are many like me in the UK yearning for the rain to let up; I bought waterproofs allowing me to work in the garden whilst it was raining but with little success. The tools were wet and slippery the soil like a bog leaving a dirty trail wherever I walked in the wellies; I just need to be more patient after all we only have nine months of winter and three months of bad weather every year. The difference between winter and summer is in summer the rain isn't as cold.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

@Retired your welcome and thanks for the link, had a look if bought the Tete - a - Tete like that make sure that the bulbs are covered with soil as well, you probably know that but I'd thought that I'd mention it.

It's raining again so nothing today in the garden.

 

Most of my lettuce has germinated so will need to move it to the greenhouse down the allotment now, they are growing too fast in my sunroom. The sunroom is hitting 30c when the sun comes out now, very pleasant just sunbathing inside in February.

 

Well the garden a no go area has been for a while its to wet , I fear it may of seen off a young prized plant more a less a stream running in that area. I have manged to get a bit done today cleaned the glass inside the greenhouse , I just use a soft long handle brush now its much easier . When the weather perks up over weekend I may get round to doing the outside .

Had my log burner installed the other day so been chopping / splitting logs .

Sadly one of my neighbours suddenly passed on Tuesday, shes was only 34 a year older than me her parents used to baby sit me we grow up together, its a cruel world

 

How sad to hear that Perki. I hope it was peaceful. My Mother died aged 35.

I hope the weather picks up for you soon ... sending you some warmth and sunshine. Vxx

 

Hi,

Many thanks @Logan for the useful reminder; the large daffodils bulbs received from Parker's as a free gift with my last order were planted nice and deep; they are now about to bloom at the top of the garden. Given our dire climate I often think things I plant should have an anchor attached.

What a sad thing to happen at such a young age for your neighbour @Perki and her being such a lifelong friend of yours. Life is indeed cruel.

My wife and I were at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary again this morning for a physio appointment for my wife. This is regarding osteo arthritis involving lots of knee and ankle pain. Unfortunately and very painfully she fell in the bedroom at 2:30 last Sunday morning going down with a loud crash banging her head against the wooden wall paneling bringing up a very large lump to the top of her head. We were at the HRI A&E at 4 o'clock. Having been checked by two doctors we were let out at 6:10am but told to immediately return if she suffered poor vision or headaches. As usual all the NHS staff were wonderful treating us like royalty; we always take along a box of chocks as a thank you to show our appreciation of the work the NHS staff do and this small gesture cheers everyone up.

This morning however the fall on Sunday had also not only caused lots of big bruises but her third toe had turned very black indeed; it wasn't as black this morning but the kind physio took us round to A&E making us a rapid appointment. Having been seen by a lady doctor we were advised to go to "Minor Injuries" so with my wife in a wheelchair off we went. 10 minutes in minor injuries we were then sent back to A&E but were told we wouldn't have to wait long we still had the same place in the queue. 15 minutes in A&E she was checked over by both a lady and male doctor; an X ray would be a waste of time even if it was an hairline fracture; had it been her big toe it would be a lot more serious. Back in the car by 10:10. We can't praise the staff highly enough; having attended the physio appointment and having a tour of lower ground level we were treated like royalty throughout. The media are very quick to condemn our fabulous NHS but during the last few years we've visited five hospitals and our local surgery many times every time they've been wonderful to us. Top marks from us NHS well done.

Not on topic but then the garden is awash again; the sun now has the cheek to show it's face but everything outside is soaking wet after more heavy rain so the gardens are out of bounds AGAIN.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

So sorry to hear that @Perki

@Retired good that you had your wife's toe looked at and your welcome about the Tete e Tete bulbs.
It doesn't take much to be polite to the NHS staff, they do a great job.