What are we doing in the garden 2024

Agree, @Plantminded . I've done virtually nothing outside today, because (as so often) the forecast was WRONG. Not wall-to-wall sunshine, just the odd sunny interval between blustery showers.

 

Does gifting my SinL 4 tomato, 2 cucumber, dill and mint plants constitute gardening?

Bit miffed as I've been waiting weeks for beans to pop up, only when they did their heads were eaten, I'm just left with bean stalks. Luckily I've decided to grow them in pots now and transplant when bigger. I'm now fearful for the young carrot shoots.

 

Yes; spreading the bug definitely counts as gardening.
All my beans are started off in the greenhouse in root trainers and planted out at 6 to 12 in tall for the reason @Jenny_Aster mentioned.
Today I moved the last of the cacti and succulents out of the house to the greenhouse and brought in the Achimenes to replace them on the window sill.

 

Started off runner and french beans in root trainers today - scarlet emperor, white lady, ecosse violette and blue lake. Courgettes also went in - defender and soleil d’or. Always do them mid April and then they’re just right to go out 5 -6 weeks time. The raised bed area is coming along nicely, just need to get the dividers in and soil and compost mix. The area was originally decking, we’re reusing the outer frame, which is nice and solid, and splitting it into two beds with a pathway between. Fortunately just soil beneath and the two concreted-in supports in the middle lifted out with a pick axe quite neatly. Lots of nail removing though. I did the easy ones and OH got the grunt ones, filled half a bucket….

 

Didn't do anything at all in the garden due to bonkers weather. I'm thankful for all the rain though as I need to put the bark chippings on the raised beds and now I don't need to water them first as nature's done it for me

Getting a bit worried about my seedlings. Although I was excited to start with, some of them are looking a little ropey. I might have to do another sowing to get what I need.

 

Collected produce...


Okay the basil was indoors, but the thyme, oregano and sage were outdoors. Second use of superb herbs, and tasted lovely.

 

Bit too windy yesterday to do anything much outside. Today should be better, so might get some seed sown, and a bit more rubbish taken out from under the pond.
The back pain has been there since I was an older teenager @Snorky85 and @Liriodendron . Too much heavy work that I really shouldn't have been doing, but I also have one leg shorter than the other [no jokes now!] which probably contributes. It's how it is, and doesn't stop me doing things I want to do [usually] which is the main thing.
Hope you're better today too @Butterfly6 . This gardening lark is dangerous isn't it!

I like those pedestals @Victoria . That's a very smart idea for displaying plants.

 

Yes, I am thanks @fairygirl and it’s not too swollen thank goodness. OH has suggested a cricket helmet and face guard for by birthday list

Hoping to get back out into the garden this morning. I have a Miscanthus to move and need to put up a couple of wires to help encourage my climbing hydrangea to cling to the wall. It has a lovely long branch which was thrashing around in the wind yesterday, am hoping it’s not been damaged.

 

No gardening yesterday. too busy with other things. ie. Walk dog, go to aquarium shop to buy new wood for the tank, get hair cut, shopping, then collapse in chair.
I have had to get up and get cracking this morning as an electrician is coming shortly to sort out my oven which decided to die. The kitchen looks as if a bomb has gone off needing things to be moved, put away, hidden.
I doubt if I will get out to do any gardening today but live in hope.

 

Today looks promising. Much less windy, mostly sunny, though still a bit chilly - however, still ok for gardening. Lots of lawn grass invaded the borders last year when I was incapacitated by one thing or another; it's like a junior version of couch, with running roots, but its roots are thin, soil-coloured and annoyingly breakable. I'm going to win, though...

 

Is that because your last frost date is early in sunny Devon ? I would like to leave my Christmas cactus to it’s own devices out in the polytunnel now, but felt I had to cover it with a double layer of fleece last night as temperatures were predicted to get down to 7°C, and it’s often 2-3 degrees less than predicted here . How cold would you be happy for your cacti/succulents to get down to?

 

Just finished removing a very large raised bed due to small fury pests getting under it and having to repair the fences. So dug it all out and now getting ready to repair the wall and fence behind it, before taking the shed down too and rebuilding the space with new shed/greenhouse and raised beds.

it only took me 3 days and 48 half bags of compost later lol…..

 

@Emerion I have a Christmas cactus that my son gave me years ago. I moved house in January 2021 and it was -7C. The removal men put it in their van overnight then left it in the front garden while I was at the Notaire (solicitor). Quite a lot of it died but it has grown back pretty well, got quite big again. It was very big before.

 

@Emerion In part due to the early last frost date, most of my cacti and succulents are pretty hardy and some live out there all the time, the big ones and the ones with bad mealy bug.
Before I got it my Leuchtenbergia principis got frozen and the root split, I've had it over 30 years now.
I find that the Epiphyllums and the Christmas cacti are happier in a shadier spot on the decking over summer.