What are we doing in the garden 2025

Planted a bare root Ferdinand Pichard rose and two phloxes.

 

Went down to check things mid morning, found the fox had dug a big new hole under the fence (which belongs to my neighbour) and my new Cephalaria which I'd planted in front of that fence was nowhere to be seen. I looked all over for it thinking the fox had dug it up and chucked it aside, then I dug through the dirt it had thrown up with my bare hands and finally found it, still firmly planted but with leaves flattened under the weight. Hopefully I got to it in time and it will recover - it only has a short stem at the moment and that wasn't damaged. I have stuck a load of sticks around it in the hope of protecting it a bit, or at least being able to find it again if the worst happens.

I shall leave the hole alone in the hope that the fox will come and go without creating more damage. Of course the fence owners might take another view and block it off.

I spotted the fox in the garden at lunchtime; first time I've seen one in daylight since the autumn. I guess they are most likely to need to come out in the daylight when they are raising cubs and have to find the extra fuel. Or just get away from the kids for a bit.

 

Hubby cut the back grass which didn't take long. I had to water the polyanthus around the path, haven't had any rain for a few weeks.

 

We did go to GC, I was commenting on the wakey wakey thread how much all the prices have gone up.
Anyway got 4 bags of mulch plus a few other bits. Bought some dark blue Lobelia in tiny plugs.
After late lunch got the hose out and watered all the pots, plus the bed to be mulched and spread 3 bags. I decided to leave bag 4 to fill any gaps later as my back had had enough by then. Finally watered/fed the grass as it's not growing and getting patchy. Not helped by the squirrels that keep digging holes in it.
Finally in the greenhouse put the Lobelia into bigger cells, before it got dark. The wind was making it very cold by then so glad to come in.

 

It went up to 40f 4c and with the sun and only a light breeze, was wonderful for puttering around outside. Turns out I lied earlier. I can stick my soil thermometer down to almost two inches!

I got some of the old dead stems and leaves out of the gardens, filling two large brown bags. We don't get the first pick up for garden waste until April 11th so I'll stow them in one of the unheated little greenhouses until then.

I've still got loads of plants/seedlings inside but the heated greenhouse is now well populated. Those plants are probably confused by all the bright lights.

 

I have been using the greenhouse for storage during the winter, so I am rehabilitating it for the growing season. Today, I began by replacing all the roof panels. The greenhouse has been on this site since 2006, so the panels were brittle and discolored and had already been replaced twice. I plan on growing Telegraph improved cucumbers in the greenhouse this season.
Also, my wife wanted a raised bed, so I assembled the bed and placed the soil in it, now I am really ready for a nap.

 

I started out with good intentions on clearing out the over-wintered plants in the greenhouse and then trying out an idea of covering the slatted shelves with nylon mesh to stop small pots from tipping over/falling through. The slats are tubular aluminium and to my mind too far apart. Found I had buds on both the fuchsias and pelargoniums. By the time I got all the plants out, inspected, tidied them up and in most cases watered them, it was lunchtime and the wind was cold so I gave up. Late afternoon, it seemed to be warmer and the easterly wind had died down so I just put everything back into the greenhouse as we're forecast another cold night.

 

I prepared the beds for potatoes and broad beans this afternoon. It was quite heavy going as the clay was rather wet. I dug in a load of compost, yet again. I saw Monty on GW rubbing his soil in his fingers and talking about clay soil - he hasn't seen mine. His looks a delight. No way can I get a fine tilth.

 

Nice to see you @hydrogardener ! Are you still doing interesting hydroponics?

Yesterday I was mostly watering! Yes. Outside. In south Wales.
Also putting together my Lidl cold frame. Unfortunately they've changed the design from my other one, so I got it wrong and had to redo it ...

 

I need to work out how to plant the iris and astilbes I ordered last week from FG. Hub can't get down to do them and neither can I with a broken arm. Maybe next week when I've had it pinned?
In the meantime, he's starting his gardening apprenticeship under my guidance with pricking out and potting on! Good job we bought compost last week. At least we can sit down to do that.

 

@Penny_Forthem, could they go in pots for the moment?

 

They certainly could! Thank you.

 

@hydrogardener do I remember correctly that you have the system whereby the plants are automatically watered through the autopot system? If so, I am thinking about tinkering with using a gutter layout as my capillary reservoir and using the aquavalve type of control and a wheelie bin/rain barrel as the feeder reservoir. Your thoughts please?

 

Finished my new “Japanese “ area with covering the soil with landscape bark, which I bought at a depressing local Dobbies centre this morning.

 

Hi @CarolineL Yes I am, I will be growing the cucumbers hydroponically in the greenhouse this summer.