What are we doing in the garden 2024

Dug over two parts of the veg plot, one that has been basically bare soil for the past few months was very heavy and claggy the other which has had a rye and vetch green manure on it since October was less claggy and generally closer to planting state than the other.

 

I mowed both lawns and trimmed the edges (compulsory, but not actually needed today!), removed three clumps of Miscanthus which had been invaded with bluebells, did some more bluebell destruction, divided some Heleniums to fill the cleared space, lightly turned the soil over in a couple of other borders to stop moss getting a bright idea, then came in with no intention of doing anything tomorrow!

 

Like @Bozzie I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, it all counts as far as I’m concerned. We’ve had such a wet winter that I don’t seem to have got any of my planned winter jobs done. It always seems to be dry when I’m busy elsewhere.

I did manage to clear the leaves so we could see our crocus and snowdrops flowering and I’ve been in and out of the greenhouse pollinating the peach tree but that’s about it.

I don’t usually start clearing and tidying old growth until about now anyway but OH has managed to cut the grass which always makes the garden look more loved. I don’t have any space inside to set seeds off early (small cottage windows) so sowing season starts in our cold GH usually starts around end March.

We've decided to have a complete redesign of the garden so am now busy planning and daydreaming. This is the first garden I’ve ever created (almost) completely from scratch and although we like it, it’s time for a change. At the moment it’s very cottage/English romantic and having always loved that style, I’ve now realised that the garden I want to live with is a calmer, greener space. We have space to create different areas, OH has requested a tropical feel to one and I have a list of ideas big enough for another three gardens

The sun is shining at the moment so am hoping to finally get into the garden today - hurrah. My excuse for not being out right now is that our visiting herons are currently having breakfast in our pond

 

@Butterfly6 were you on GW? With a different name?

I like cottage romantic, but with lawn in between. I like the green.

I hope my bad back will let me plant some roses today, it's getting a bit late. If so, I'll be back later.

 

I have Salvias in pots that need to be transferred into the borders. I've managed one but I have a very painful knee so not sure when the others will get done!

 

No gardening for me today, but a trip to the GC to get some 9cm pot lupins to replace those I seem to have lost. Normally manage to keep them going for 3 or 4 seasons and then they all die. I used to grow replacements from seed, but it was so unpredictable guessing when I need more that I now cheat !!

 

The sun was shining this morning, so went and bought a blueberry (Northland) to go with the Darrow I already have, now potted up and happy. Also got another catmint (Purrsian Blue) to replace a perennial wallflower that wasn't, now planted in the rose bed with an old hanging basket over it.
Now contemplating whether the soil is warm enough to start mulching.....or maybe I'll just finish feeding the roses and loosening the top of the soil in the front borders......or maybe I'll just listen to an audio book and fall asleep....

 

Hello @Busy-Lizzie , yes another GW arrival here. My name was slightly different, I was 66 not 6 over there. I still like the cottage romantic look just maybe not all over, I need to rework my balance between green/colour and calm/busy.

Hope your backs feeling better

 

Never let anyone say I don't do as I'm told....

Roses now all fed and mulched, all borders now diggled

Think I've earned that nap now.....

 

Set myself the job of planting out the sweet peas today. This year I've gone a bit mad, normally I buy a packet of mixed sweet pea seeds, but this year I bought 6 packets of named seeds, such as:

Just Jenny (it would have been rude not to) - dark navy
Fire & Ice - delicate blue, pink and white
Planted together in a large 60cm pot amongst a wigwam of canes.

Henry Eckford - bright orange
Planted on a West/North fence, hopefully they'll cope with the coldest side of the garden and cheer the area up.

Matuca - magenta and purple
Planted to grow up one side of an arch.

Mrs St Bernard Jones - rose pink on white
Growing up the other side of the arch above

Nimbus - dark purple on grey background
Growing near a young wisteria.

The sweet peas were also chosen for their perfume.

I have to confess I'm a 1 in 200, a female that's colourblind, so I tend to go for riots of colour and not so much for variegated and more subtle colours. My garden would probably give the average person a headache .

Seeds were all sown in a root trainer, which was placed in a clear plastic storage box that had drainage holes and holes in the lid to let in the rain, and placed outside. No heat was used. They're pretty tough and hard.

 

I have planted a couple of things today and pulled out some Muscari which seem to be everywhere. I think they are impossible to get rid of completely! Very pretty but they just take over.

Also ordered some pots from Argos for collection from Sainsbobs tomorrow.

 

Spent 10 minutes outside looking at all the jobs I should be doing.....then I came in, sat down and told you lot about it

 

I can so relate to your post

 

I planted 2 rambling roses today, took 1h30 but I had to dig holes in the lawn, it's heavy clay and the soil needed compost dug in and I hurt my back a couple of weeks ago to have to be careful. The roses were bare root, had been heeled in in the vegetable garden.