What are we doing in the garden 2025

First mow of the year, also used patio cleaner on the driveway and one of the patio areas. Took the leeks down to the allotment greenhouse. Surface is dry by there's loads of moisture underneath so no watering needed outside at least.

 

The delights of a new garden. With the intention of giving the lawn its second mowing I decided I'd remove three 1 x 1ft slabs (almost covered by moss) laid randomly first, ready for filling and grass seeding. A fourth, 2 x 2ft has a washing line post in it. On investigation of one of the smaller ones there were two slabs on top of each other. Those removed I found a small, oval metal cover, obviously one of the services - I didn't investigate further at this time but replaced the slabs. The second and third were the same. The larger slab wouldn't budge and I think its been cemented to a block of concrete, probably the same size square as the slab. Why do people do this just for a rotary washing line post? I had the same thing in a previous garden and it's hellish trying to break up and remove it. A kind neighbour has the right tools and will help me at the weekend.

I mowed the lawn and spent over an hour this evening watering shrubs that are suffering from lack of rain - in fact two have already died. It got too cold to finish so a second watering session tomorrow.

 

Not done much today in the garden. I have now planted my new French Lavender and also went and bought another one . I might add the same size pot in local garden centre is £8.50 for English Lavender, so I now have 2 pots for £6.58 . I watered a couple of other pots and made up more compost/ soil/ gravel mix ready for the 2nd Lavender.

First pic is when I bought the Ist Lavender and it had revived itself a bit. Second pic was taken about an hour after I'd planted it. Look how it's changed , it's like it's heaved a huge sigh of relief and relaxed .
It's made itself at home!

 

Watered the gladioli in pots, yesterday potted on the cosmos and put them in my grow house.

 

Watered pots this morning and just set out new solar lights. I’ve collected all the other solar lights in to check which are still working. I’ve bought that many over the years!

Dandlions seem to be having their moment so I’ll be digging out what I can. I dont’t really mind them but don’t want any more in lawn and defo not on driveway.

I let the Celendine come and go though - green manure?

 

Watered in the tunnel. The pea beans are germinating really well but the leeks are slow. Pak choi, radish and spring onions doing well. The transplanted tomatoes had a good drink and are staying upright!

 

Sowed melon, cucumber, squashes, courgette and basil seeds. Top dressed and added slow release fertiliser to perennials and shrubs living permanently in pots.

 

Seeds I sowed last week are starting to appear! Always a highlight in the year to have trays of seedlings.

 

Planted out my Zebrune onion seedlings, give the foxes something to dig up tonight.

 

My new dahliais in pots are all growing well except one stubborn one but the plant in the ground are still being shy. Must get in and weed all the nettles in their bed before OH tackles it and weeds the new dahlia shoots too.

A week ago I potted up loads of bulbs i'd forgotten about after putting them aside earlier whilst waiting for some dry days to plant them out in beds. Nearly all showing shoots now and some streaking away so all pots now outide and being watered regularly in this warm dry spell.

I have sown more seeds today - chillies, sechuan pepper, Ceylon gooseberry and curry leaf tree - and potted on some rose cuttings I took in autumn. Loads failed completely but I have 3 teasing Georgia, 2 Malvern Hills and 6 Geoff Hamilton. Assuming they all grow on well I shall have spares for swaps in the garden club or at Patch club.

Other roses from last year's cuttings, swaps and purchases are now desperate to move out of pots along with other shrubs and perennials so negotiations have begun with OH as he drives the motor cultivator.

My Farmer Gracy purchase of assorted perennials arrived yesterday and was potted up. Doing well today but staying in the polytunnel as I have no more table space outside and they can't sit on teh ground as we have chooks who like to inspect and consume my treasures.

OH came home from golf in time to help me lift a pot into the wheelbarrow so it can live up by the house's south facing wall. Can't remember the name - given with no label - but it has fiery red flowers and is in the pea family.

Last sunny day tomorrow before a week of wet and cloudy weather so we'll be cracking on again after we've done the weekly shop.

 

Could it be hedysarum coronarium? (Now called Sulla)

 

No @CarolineL but nice try. i'll just have to wait for it to flower and then take a photo.

 

Not Erythrina crista-gallii?

 

Moved Impatiens balsanae from next to I tinctoria where it was being swamped. Both have started into growth already. The roots are very different to each other; where the I balsanae has quite fleshy roots, the I tinctoria has tubers like a dahlia, but the size of a sweet potato.

 

I know there will be some disapproval, but I've just taken delivery of a couple of litres of glyphosate in preparation for a blitz on weeds which have completely taken over areas of the garden which I want to have back as borders. I haven't been able to do much over the past couple of years due to hip, knee and back problems so digging them out isn't an option, and I certainly can't afford to get anybody in to do the work.