What are we doing in the garden 2025

I decided to cut the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis pots down so as I had two very large pots empty. i put three into one twice so six small pots into two large ones so it will be all mixed colours. I also fed them and the four Brugmansias in pots and the H syriacus and H mutabilis.

 

I fall into the “plant collector” category, but if something really multiples so I end up with dozens when I only chose to buy one, action does sometimes have to be taken. I’m pretty relaxed about self-seedlings as long as they are small plants. Thirty love-in-the-mist is one thing, 30 fatsias quite another!

I love all the different shapes of your pots, @Victoria.

 

I’ve planted out my foxgloves and done some general clearing jobs. Bin full. Bag full. Tub full.

 

I've swept and treated the 2 Patios.

 

I spent a few hours digging in and rat proofing the two newly acquired compost bins, ‘Compost Corner’ done, now have a four year rota on bins, each one having a three year decomposing period.

 

Got to the Allotments, put forcing pots over the Rhubarb. I picked the last of our sprouts , so I have taken down the netted cage ready to move it. I picked some Mizuna from the greenhouse.

 

No gardening today, apart from sitting in the sun for half an hour. No wind, no dogs, no neighbours, just birdsong (mildly spoilt by a magpie impersonating a machine gun ).

 

I inspected the seed propagators before we went to open up the caravan for the new season.
Basil has germinated, flat leaf parsley and carnation chabaud just about to, everything else is biding its time. It's only been a week since seeds were sown.
Min temp in the greenhouse 1.2.

 

Up the big tripod ladders today reducing a 14' Laurel 'tree' down to 12'. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea but really good for our privacy and we're thankful to the previous owners for planting it. The whole arsenal was used - loppers, extending loppers and Stihl long-reach electric trimmer. Then lots of shredding. If there's one thing that really makes the compost ignite it's shredded Laurel!

 

Crows have moved in here. I had to put on my noise reduction headphones to be out there. Ghastly din.

 

Plenty of lovely activity today, with the added novelty value of being a first time greenhouse owner

OK, the GH is very well ventilated (= broken), but the overwintered plug and bare root perennials have survived well so got potted on.

Seen that my new garden is rather small, perhaps 10 Bergenias were a bit of an overkill. Well, they'll look grand around the pond once the pond is actually there And they were under a fiver the lot last autumn.

October sown Ammi Majus got pricked out and potted on. The other October seeds haven't done anything but I left them in, just in case a miracle happens to be passing by.

Cuttings and rip-outs from the previous house are also doing well, I'm very happy with the four Hydrangea cuttings- two of the old fashioned mopheads without showy, uniform colour but just Hydrange-ish hues, and two lovely Lacecaps.

Sadly, I don't know which's which but I'll hopefully find out at some point. Labelling? Moi?

It was my turn in the birdfeeder game, now I tied the feeders with a string and a series of complicated knots around the pole to keep them on the feeder. Crows' turn next, looking forward to seeing if they decide to undo the knots or just hack through them to whack the feeders back on the ground.

Fixed one corner of the raised bed but got tired (screwing in odd positions is best left to younger people) () so retired indoors after casting benevolent smiles to the bareroot Hellebores now flowering on the patio.

 

OH removed a temporary handrail by the new steps up to the wall sleeper bed, screwed brackets on the two posts, then screwed a slightly larger handrail to those. He also screwed postcaps to the posts to finish them off - all under supervision from me whilst trying not to. After lunch I cut down a penstemon and other plants and had a tidy up. Quite warm in the sunshine.

 

Hedge trimming again.

 

I have a problem with woodlice hidden in an old wooden trough on a raised table which I use for strawberry plants. They eat the strawberries of course so I'm looking for an easy solution, hopefully something I could water on would be ideal. I really, really don't want to have to empty out the trough as it's around 3 ft x 2ft x 2ft - I don't have the energy for that.
I've had a look at nematodes but there doesn't seem to be any for woodlice, presumably because they are regarded mainly as good guys.
If I remove the strawberry plants first, I'm wondering whether a weak solution of bleach or boiling water would do the trick?
Any ideas please folks.

 

@lizzie27
That's the trouble with wooden containers, I'd switch to something else.