What are we doing in the garden 2024

Pricked out 2 varieties of tomato seeds and some calendula. The vast majority are supposed to be for a charity plant sale at the beginning of May, but if they're not ready then they'll go to a local charity shop.
So much of the other stuff only seems to be starting to show now, but they were only sown around 11 days ago .
In some ways I feel way behind, but looking at my diaries I'm pretty much where I usually am.
It must be the lack of Spring like weather making me think that way.

 

Its been a busy weekend / week my poor back needs a rest I've had a spade in hand 50% of the time and the other 50% is carrying stone or a shrub / grass I've wrestled out of the ground.

Done a bit in the bog garden ( guerrilla gardening ) on the garage site next to my property , dug out the brambles / weeds a conteaster which snapped my mattock handle and a large red currant which I planted else where , brought in a miscanthus strictus which was surprising difficult to get out the little swine didn't help with the mahonia poking me in the back and the apple tree aiming for the head. I had a Garryra james roof which needed a home so that got put in there as well on the slope /drier bit. I did buy a Gunnera for this area but that plan been kicked into touch I ma worried someone will steal it and I'll not get another and they are supposed to be banned but don't know from when , I'll try a rheum instead .

Also I've made a start on the paved area at the bottom of the steps built earlier this month , unfortunately with digging down to fit the steps and to level the area somewhat I'd hit 100% clay , water couldn't pass through it so I'd had unintentionally made a natural pond liner in effect. Managed to scrounge some York stone of my brother and bought one piece and the rest come out of the garden, some are dangerously heavy .

The two York stone are on the left they look similar to the local stone , it is noticeable with the local stone how much heavier it is I thought the big one in the middle were going to see me off and its much harder than York stone as hard as granite.

I'll go and lie down my back aching looking at that picture

 

@simone_in_wiltshire that's a fantastic bird bath bowl!

It's too wet to do anything here still - I did hoe some weeds yesterday, but big clumps of mud kept sticking to the hoe so I gave up - this border is full of clay for some reason, and also choc full of weed seeds.

 

@Perki cotoneasters are tough little buggers aren't they? I cut one down 5 years ago and it still does its best to come back - I let it grow about 8 inches, and it actually looks quite nice as a little backdrop to the Welsh poppies.

 

@AuntyRach and @Februarysgirl I'll join with you at being a bit slow in getting my seed sowing on the way. Today might just be the day!

 

Goodness me @Perki. Respect to you for all the work you have done - no wonder your back is having a protest. I am very envious of your dry stone walling.

 

@AnniD @Mrs. B. Especially, I checked the internet yesterday to learn more about the history of these Indian dough-kneading bowls and saw that someone on Ebay is trying to sell a bowl like my one for £138
I can call my £45 investment a bargain

 

I’m in the late starter club this year as well. I haven’t sown any seeds yet and won’t get chance today, hopefully tomorrow

 

I’m also really behind with seed sowing-I haven’t done any yet-not like me at all-I’m usually way ahead of the game.

it’s rained all night but forecast to be dry all day now. Just looking at the garden and deciding where to start

 

If I wanted to do anything in the garden today, I would have to put a wet suit on, and I would probably need a snorkel as well.

 

My family think I am joking when I talk about my underwater pond but here it is:

I have no clue how to deal with this so would love any advice. In case you wondered, to the right of the picture is my path which leads to the bottom end of my garden and the compost bins are behind the shed you can see, which is coming down this year.

 

We had quite heavy and persistent rain all day yesterday so I potted things on/up in the dry. Got through about 50 tomatoes, the same number of peppers and a couple of dozen leeks, broccoli, cabbages and kale which I'm growing on due to the large population of pesky molluscs this year.

I thought I'd had a productive and enjoyable day until I went past my espalier apples and noticed the sparrow flock has stripped all the flower buds from them. They stripped all the buds from my acer earlier before I had to net it, the buds from my flowering quinces are also gone. As much as it's great having a chirpy flock of them throughout the year they really are annoying, almost vindictive, so and so's at times. So today's job is to try and make a few dangly, shiny, things to try and stop them going for the other fruit tree buds.

 

Oh my, @Ladybird4, that is quite a lake. Not sure you can do much except hope for some dry sunny weather so no more gets added while it soaks away.

The pigeons have been at my cherry blossom buds, @Thevictorian! Pesky things. You have my sympathy re the sparrow damage.

 

@simone_in_wiltshire whaaat? You did get a bargain then!

Who's late with seeds? I've only just put some tom seeds in water!