What are we doing in the garden 2025

Thank you @katecat58, that's very helpful. Does your larger pond avoid algae?

 

Not so far @Plantminded, but it's only very recently been planted up and filled - it needs the water lily to get going and provide some more cover for the water surface, and also I need to buy more floating plants, preferably frogbit, but they are not ready yet at the retailers. I've also ordered another dwarf water lily so fingers crossed.

 

Thanks for the encouragement @Plantminded and @ViewAhead and thank you @katecat58 for the information

I have never had a pond before but I am keen to experiment with an inexpensive one, or at least start with an inexpensive one, as it's meant to be good for nature as well.

Good to hear that slugs & mosquitos aren't a major issue. I would imagine that if water isn't spilling over, it wouldn't impact slugs more than any other container. In my area, I've never had issues with mosquitos.

The algae issue will require some research. I believe you get less of it in a shaded position (like this one is) but also having a carefully chosen mix of plants is said to help. I can see that there are also some cleaning products for algae but I wouldn't want to use that since birds might be drinking the water.

 

Go for it, @CostasK. Nothing ventured.

My little windowsill plants have been outside for the first time. There’s a chilly breeze, so they are covered, but much better for them to have light from all directions instead of straining towards the pane. And I took advantage of the situation by getting the windows cleaned.

 

I spent an hour outside in the veg garden this afternoon until it started raining. At least I planted my potatoes, only one row as we don't eat a lot. I dug in a bag of compost, then dug a trench which I filled with rotten hay, leftover from when the previous owner's donkey was here, and I planted the potatoes in that and replaced the earth. The soil is clay, anything to lighten it.

 

Planted up fuchsia plugs and pricked out thunbergia. Easier one handed than anticipated.
Thankfully, the chillies can wait, as can most of the tomatoes. Petunia are miniscule.
Everything else has been potted on, pricked out or not sown yet.

 

Watering and watering.

 

I spent the afternoon digging out the new shoots of Japanese anemones - shoots from pieces of roots that were left in the ground after we tried to eradicate them. We will be doing this for years, I'm sure!!

 

Thank you @katecat58, it sounds like it’s going to be an attractive feature .

 

In the greenhouse this afternoon potting up recently received bulbs, some dahlias are shooting so repotted Dahlia imperialis and D excelsa unfortunately the D excelsa pot had an ants nest in it and so I spent the rest of the afternoon battling ants. I did also picked some freesias for the house and harvested the last two leeks.

 

Mixed day today. Started off applying reflective paint to the large flat roof of our extension (after jet washing the dirt & algae off it earlier in the week). Then we lifted one of those 3 x 2 flagstones to level it up and provide a base for Mrs. LS's new raised bed on legs Then I relocated several Toadflax plants that had magically appeared where they were not wanted. (I introduced one plant several years ago and now it's popping up everywhere.) Finally I took pity on the rootball of the Spirea 'snowmound' I dug out yesterday and planted it (sort of) in an out-of-the-way corner at the bottom of the garden. Ended with a watering session.

 

I’ve given the garden a good watering this evening as everywhere is bone dry. @NigelJ , wish my dahlias would make an appearance, I reckon they may be dead. I’ll give them a few more weeks( as normally here, they would have started to grow) and then see what they are doing. I do like dahlias but in this garden I can’t seem to grow them well at all. In our old house I had no problem with them.
OH managed to repair our sun canopy yesterday which is sited over the patio doors. We can now have some shade first thing in a morning and some respite from the heat through the door windows.

 

Been trimming the hedges today. That's it!!

 

Lots!
Yesterday I dug out a very old, overgrown and woody old Hebe, that didn't work hard enough in a small garden.
Left a large space in which today I've planted Pittosporum Tom thumb, David Austin Queen of Sweden and two Geum Tempo rose. Feeling quite pleased with the area now, and looking forwards to seeing it flower. There's still a bit of room around the edges so I may sow some Night scented stock there too.

Mowed the lawn down to its spring height. I've done it a few times already this year as it's been so dry but always on a high cut up to now.

Glared at my bare root Rudbeckia cherry brandy, which is showing no signs of life as yet

Lots of watering, lots of weeding, a bit of feeding!