What are we doing in the garden 2024

I shifted two trugs full and one bucket of clay - half a small bucket at a time, all I could lift. Have had to dump it on top of an existing bark path we don't use that often as I didn't have anywhere else to dump it. Grand plan is to stamp it all down, and put fresh bark mulch on top, a job for another day. Still got to shift two garden carts full and another trug of okayish top soil back onto the sleeper bed once I've stapled the plastic sheeting to the top sleepers. That's tomorrow's job!

 

Shifting clay sounds like hard work @lizzie27.

This afternoon I spent over 2 hours weeding the orchard fence bed, the one with the yellow roses. Wheelbarrow was piled high.

 

They're very cute @Liriodendron. I always say hello to the ones in Glen Fyne, or at the reservoir at the end of Glen Lyon, when I'm there for a hill.

I didn't do anything outside yesterday, and probably won't today either, as I'll have a double walk.
Nothing much to do anyway now.

 

I didn't get any gardening in yesterday but today I cut back the jasmine that's overwhelming everything else and the fence on the lower left of the garden. I could do more but it's trying to drizzle. TBH I mostly did it to fill up the green bin as this weekend is the last collection till February. It so annoys me that they claim you are paying for a year, when they stop for 6 weeks and because it's a Fortnightly collection it can work out even more. When the scheme started they only paused for 2 weeks over Christmas but it's gradually increasing.

 

Nothing today it's too cold.

 

Just generally pottering, fixing a hole in a fence that is not mine, needs a new panel really.

I cut back a fairly old golden prostrate yew on Monday that had got really big, it looks pretty awful now but should look better come spring.
So that all had to be shredded along with the Catalpa stems I cut off on the same day.

I can always find something to do if its dry.

 

I mowed both lawns today despite the fact that they were still quite wet but they needed a final trim. I also had to stop halfway through to unclog the mower and improve the sound and cut . I did some more leaf clearing and cut back some more tall grasses that are already shedding their dry flowers and stems, in anticipation of some more high winds that have been forecast. I pruned a Hydrangea and reduced the number of canes on one of my clumps of bamboo by a third to keep it under control. I noticed some bulb foliage appearing in an area where I don’t remember planting them, probably more Spanish bluebells .

 

Spanish bluebells are quite difficult to get rid of because of their root system. It’s not the bulb that splits but they spread via roots.

 

I weeded the gazebo rose bed today and tied in the climbing roses. It's their first year so not much pruning to do. The earth was very heavy and wet despite all the compost I'd dug into it. I must buy a load of cheap compost to mulch it with. I don't have enough home made.

 

Nothing today it's raining

 

They seed too @simone_in_wiltshire which is why I deadhead the flowers quite early. I managed to dig up quite a few bulbs a couple of years ago but I’m convinced they sink deeper every year to avoid detection .

 

@Plantminded My ones haven’t flowered since 2017 and there are still new ones. But I took most of the root system out. I have now just the odd one.

 

Cleaned up the gladioli corms a lot of them had tiny babies.

 

Volunteer day at Capel Manor yesterday. Acer pruning, under the watchful gaze of the senior gardener. I still find some of it a bit contrary even after all this time.
At home today I've removed a bit of self sown lornicera hedge. It had got quite big and some roots needed a bit of persuasion (pick axe). Green bin all full now last collection of the year tomorrow early. Put our and ndn's bin out so some of hedge went in their nearly empty bin.