What are we doing in the garden 2024

Did manage a whole day in the garden yesterday despite the wind.
Have weeded out so much Rose Bay Willow Herb I was beginning to ask myself if it would make a nice plant and should be left in situ!!
Still plenty of weeding and tidying to do but finally feel I’ve made a start

 

I've not been out in the garden much this year, between work and the weather so it was nice to spend most of the day out there yesterday.

However, I did spend much of my time in my anxiety place, staring at all the weed covered soil and worrying about what a disaster my garden is. Once I got over that I managed a fair bit of weeding, planted a new shrub (all the time questioning whether I'm putting it in the right place), planted some foxgloves and then dug up the raspberry suckers and strawberries and potted them up.

 

I had the same anxiety yesterday @latimer. I stood looking at the garden panicking as to where to start. I’ve decided to apply tunnel vision to my garden. I home in on one flowerbed and don’t look left or right of it while I’m weeding.

 

I have a real analysis paralysis problem @Brenda and feel like I need to know the right thing to do before starting or planting anything. I'm trying to be a bit more free this year, shove stuff in and see if it works and deal with it if it doesn't!

 

Yes @latimer i’ve been doing the hit and miss approach all my gardening life. I seem to get away with it mostly!!

 

Last week I decided to plant out some of the plants that have been waiting a while. I thought about it for about 2 hours, but still managed to plant a cerise pink bergenia next to purple aubretia! But at least the leaves contrast nicely.

 

Not sure that I'll get anything done outside today - it's windy and somehow gustier than yesterday, and some of the forecasts (but not all) have rain this afternoon.

 

I've been trying to get the planting right in an east facing border which gets only morning sun for a couple of years. Last year the lupins got infested with black fly and never recovered, the Aquilegia surrendered very quickly and the Heleniums grew well but, annoyingly, kept leaning forward to reach the limited sun. No, this is not allowed and I don't like staking plants.

Over the last couple of weeks the border has been replanted in stages with plants that I know are reasonably safe from pests and disease, don't mind shade and are non-leaning. After some repositioning yesterday (never right first time!) it's now complete with Nepeta, Sesleria autumnalis and Hakonechloa aureola, all repeated three times with two Euonymus Green Spire and a Geum Totally Tangerine, now being battered by high wind after heavy rain . Not worthy of a photo yet but it may be in a few weeks' time, weather permitting!

 

Good luck with that eucalyptus @noisette47. I have just one small one - rubida, grown from RHS seed, and still in a pot so a long way yet from being pollarded byweather or me.

Went to the plant fair at Angles this morning (@Papi Jo). Normally buzzing with locals selling old garden tools and bric-a-brac but none today. Not so many locals selling their spare seedlings and divisions either and fewer professional stalls. Put off by the wetaher I expect.

One chap I know from a local nursery at St Cyr-en-Talmondais was selling baby mini petunias for 2€50 and much bigger osteospermums for 3€ so guess whch I bought. Those, plus 2 ornamental grasses - muhlenbergia capillaris - have been potted on and stashed in the polytunnel along with the 9 tomato babies which include 3 kinds of ananas.

It's raining steadily now and has gone very dark and cold too so heating on and sewing for me this pm.

 

Topping up the pond.

Small pond, solar powered fountain and sunny but very windy weather keep my abs trim. The pond feels very big after carrying the umpteenth watercanful from the kitchen.





Otherwise it's just too windy to go out. Things should settle down tonight, hopefully we can keep some leftovers of this lovely sunshine.

 

Well I was going to snip the bamboo, but after having to nail my washing to the line I think it can wait!
One of the bird feeders blew out the tree last night, luckily I've got a squirrel bowl over it, and most of the seed landed in there. 'Little victories' an' all that.

 

First mow of the season done.

 

You mean you haven't had enough rain to fill it @Selleri ???

 

I was just out cutting a section of lawn at the front of mine and came to same conclusion, lots of moss! However I also seem to be slowly succeeding in getting some wildflowers in there!