What are we doing in the garden 2025

Sowed some pea and more broad beans in pots in the tunnel. Then weeded under the outdoor grapes. Planted out some of the broad bean seedlings from earlier sowing and then removed some of the ivy climbing up one of the Dicksonias. Before all that did some more washing to go outside, such a beautiful day.

 

I was doing a bit of weeding whilst wondering what to have for lunch. I wanted to make some sandwiches but had checked the fridge earlier and found all my salad greens were fit only for the compost. Then I realised the answer was right in front of me - bittercress! I pulled up a few clumps and gave them a good wash. It was delicious, tasting exactly like ordinary cress but with a better texture.

 

@Perki now you've got a van there's no holding you! Be careful re the weight when lifting those stones. Years ago we built a rock garden with huge stones. The best way to get them close to position we found was an old skate board, and then a long piece of wood with a strap on the end to hold the stone, using another stone as the fulcrum for the lever.

 

As we have had very little rain, I have started up the drip watering system to all my pots. It's only been in use for under a week, and only on for 5 minutes a day. The growth of the plants, mainly hostas, has been incredible.

 

I've got the sprinkler on my "nursery" of pots @KT53 as it's been so dry. I've also watered the rhubarb and topped up the manure round the plants.

Other than that, sowing some seeds - fatsia japonica, coriander, Thai basil, red chicory and cavolo nero - and potting on some pot bound achillea. All this done to the sound of our first cuckoo.

To my delight, this spring's weather means my 3 apples - Bramley, Braeburn and Cox's OP are all flowering together along with the crab apple so fingers crossed for some decent apples this year.

 

Watering - cosmos, garlic, chives, raspberries , gooseberries, tayberries, blueberries, wife's "something or other", zinnia, Swiss chard, and various plants that we put in last year, including hydrangeas and salvia.
Noted that we now have 21 garlic plants coming through. Compare that to a meagre 10 cosmos seedlings.
Filled the garden waste bin (some stuff will have to wait for another 2 weeks), and put that out.
Sat and ate chocolate.

 

Gardening at MIL’s today - re-potting and rejuvenating pots mostly. Ran out of compost.
Pleased that all the plants I have given her over the last few years are surviving well.

 

Yesterday was very productive, pricked out and potted on everything (it turns out that I have 9 healthy Tomato Maskotka plants, 9 healthy tall ones and 9 Gardeners delights I didn't want but was forced to sow as the seeds came free with a magazine- sadly, I have room for about five plants in total ) , cleared and watered stuff and in general enjoyed myself. The Child painted the fence.

I also became an associate (accessory?) to a crime.

The Child volunteers with various gardening and wildlife things and was again taken to a forest near Scottish border to pull out invasive non- native and garden escapee plants.

The first time she went there I was drooling with envy, apparently it's a proper forest with all the right forestry things I remember from my younger years such as red squirrels, ant hills, mature conifers and real Bilberries rather than the fake blueberries. I told The Child all about Bilberry hunting in Finland, it's a national sport and anything less than a bucketful is considered a wasted weekend.

Anyways, this time The Child returned and gave me the fruits of her crime- whilst pulling out an invasive plant she most accidentally pulled out a twig of Bilberry and pocketed it.

The twig has been in a jam jar for a week and yesterday I took a look. Fresh, finger long roots had grown from the rhizomes!

The evidence of the crime is now planted in a pot of Ericaceous compost.

Today was very much my like of gardening day, I slept late, spent the morning reading second hand gardening books I get for birthday presents ("illustrated with black and white and colour photographs" ), sat on my favourite chair in the sun and promptly fell asleep

 

Peach tree in blossom at the far end of the garden. We had about 10 peaches last year, so this amount of blossom is encouraging. It is due to be pruned into a better shape AFTER fruiting.

 

I can't speak for B &M whiskey barrel planter as don't have one. What I have found on Anglesey is that the large " bell " pots succumbed to the elements after a couple of years of sun, salt, wind, temperature changes and became faded, brittle and would split if I tried to move them around. The better quality plastic pots purchased from the local hardware store lasted many years . However ..... I've bought same B&M pots here in NI and shall be interested to see how they fare. They are not meant to be a permanent feature in the garden anyway, just temporary accommodation until I can sort out removal of concrete shed base or I move ! Just thought I'd mention it

 

We were away from last Thursday to yesterday eve so we spent this morning watering everything as it's been so dry. The seeds I sowed last week are all through so off to greenhouse to sow some flower seeds now.

 

Spent most of day in greenhouse pricking out an assortment of any colour but Red tomatoes.hopefully shall have a lovely selection of greenhouse toms in Yellow, Pink ,Purple,Black, Orange , White, Blue and even Green

Though not discouraging Green as these are wanted through months of October, November and December for home made christmas gifts Green tomato chutney

 

Wow, those are big. I have a Dodge Caravan with the stow away seats and love being able to pack loads in it. I throw down a tarp in the back to keep it tidy. My concrete for the front garden was 55lb slabs, 20kgs each and I picked up 30 of them at each visit to the builders. Then later on, 60 of the ones that only weigh 15kgs each for the back of the house. @CarolineL is right. I distributed them evenly about the van bed and drove gently home to avoid doing any damage. T

I can't lift more than about 25 kilos but it is a good thing as I never felt a twinge the days following. Lucky me! I could never attempt something the size of what you have. I probably couldn't even shift it let alone lift it!

Vans are great aren't they? I can stuff just about anything I want in there.

I packed her full of garden soil, black earth and mulch over the last two weeks in prep for when we get spring and have never regretted a moment of owning a "soccer mum" van.

 

Watered the polyanthus around the path and sowed some corn marigold, wild poppy and Californian poppy seeds in cell trays and put them outside.

 

Today I sat in the sun reading for a while in silence, apart from the birds, as all the neighbours were out. A big improvement on yesterday with one neighbour experimenting with a new jet washer and competing with loud voices elsewhere . I hate weekends .

I then watered all the recently planted perennials and small shrubs. I noticed that the grass seed I sowed 11 days ago is starting to emerge . I had my doubts!