What are we doing in the garden 2025

That made me laugh @Penny_Forthem, reminded me of when OH cut the privet hedge - and the very long wisteria shoot I'd lovingly looked after for a whole year or two intending it to turn sideways and run along the outside of our boundary fence. I got there in the end.

I've spent most of the day cutting back a rampant Trachelospermum jasminoides - crikey they can climb! Some of it has intwined behind and inbetween the trellis on the wall and was about to force the trellis off. I really should have known better.
After a rest I tackled an equally rampant ivy which is about to strangle a lovely Acer Orange Dream. It's just coming into leaf so I thought I'd better get the ivy down while I can still access it. Tomorrow I think I will have to go and ask the NDN's permission (or her carer) to tackle it from their side as their garden is slightly higher than ours at that point. Part of the trouble is that I installed bird spikes on top of the fence many years ago to prevent the pigeons from pooing on my blackberries underneath. Not sure if I'll be able to cut the ivy away from the spikes but I'll give it a go.

 

This afternoon I bagged up yesterday's prunings and took the loppers to the philadephus Fragrant Falls. Really wanted to get the tree saw out so I could cut it down as low as possible, however that's in the storage chest of the arbour and a local cat who's claimed our back garden as her territory, was having a snooze on it. Planted some monarda bare roots, campanula Wedding Bells, relocated some snapdragons and potted up dahlia Sweet Suzanne that I bought from Farmer Gracy. Also ordered hibiscus Flower Tower White to plant in the spot the sorbaria occupied and some snapdragon Double Shot Peach young plants. I had some sown some seeds for the latter but they aren't germinating very well and we're about to head into April. I need the space for sowing other seeds!

 

Moved a pile of homemade compost and then prepared a bed for the new rhubarb plants larger and deeper than the old one.

 

One of the dahlia tubers I potted up last Wednesday already has a shoot appearing. I had my doubts as it was the smallest of the three. Fancy Pants is showing its determination .

 

@Bluejayway Interesting about you dead heading. Our narcissi have been the best ever this year. However the tete a tete in another area have had some blind clumps. We have never dead headed them so is this why they haven't done so well this year?

 

Not done a lot of gardening over past few days, mainly due to noise levels in the garden. Weather has been lovely so neighbours been outside. At least at the weekend there was no screaming kids from nearby school, just screaming kid from next door. I did finish the outside painting and potted up my Cabbage Tree plants. They are supposed to go into the ground, but I don't have enough ground, so they'll have to make do with pots and a nice rich growing mix. Both look like they have flowers starting to develop.

 

Are they the walking stick cabbages? people always used to come back from Jersey with a packet of seeds.

 

I understand that the defendant ( Spike , the hedgehog) is seeking a good lawyer to contest the allegation but the evidence is overwhelming . Spike’s only way out is a case of mistaken identity .

 

I’m not sure facial recognition systems work reliably where hedgehogs are concerned, so he may well have a good defence there.

 

I know the experts reckon that deadheading stops seeds forming and instead directs all the power back to the bulb for next year's flowers so maybe it's the best way to go

 

I don't know, they were gifted to me and she said Asturian Tree Cabbage plants.

 

Sounds like it could be the same thing if it is they can make about 10ft in the ground.

 

Yesterday Hubby's been doing some weeding, planted some potted hyacinths and trying to clear the brambles that have got behind the currant bushes.

Today i potted up 50 gladioli corms, that's 98 altogether, just got to think of where to put them.

 

98 gladioli!

 

Spike is a protected species that doesn’t have to fear anything.

I only removed the catmint. Our cat died in 2023 and since my garden was the doping station for all other cats, it’s incredible clean now. No cat poo anywhere.