WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2021

Well so much for good intentions!!!
Someone has been digging for my bulbs...grrrrr!!

 

Oh no Do you have any idea who the culprit might be? Perhaps it's just birds interested in fresh soil?

The rest of my Afterthought bulbs went in today. Dahlias came up and are now in the middle of the lawn as I was chatting with the family and it got dark.

Funnily enough, digging heavy clay soil is not as easy as it was 30 years ago. I'm shocked with the declining quality of spades!

 

This morning finished off the leaf sweeping and picking up, got 4 dumpy bags instead of the usual couple, probably due to the lack of wind this autumn as normally they are distributed over the neighbourhood.
This afternoon moved three bags of leaves down the garden and placed behind the fruit cage, then weeding.

 

Not sure @Selleri ,there's a big deep hole ( which can't be seen in the pic) in the centre of the pot. I think it was something with front feet by the way the soil has be chucked as it burrowed down. Little *** !!!
Agree spades or in fact come to think of it ALL garden implements have declined in quality!!! . That's my theory anyway!.

 

That's annoying @Upsydaisy after all your work

I've been bringing my cacti into an old conservatory for the winter. Here are some of the smaller ones ...



The big ones are in my half built kitchen extension and were full of dust from the builders cutting through some concrete blocks and an old window sill. I'm going to pour water from a watering can over them when I can get around to taking them outside.

 

Thank you Michael...very annoying. I've covered the 'dome' with a pair of old tights now, see it that works.

What a fabulous collection you have....and there's more!!!!
My middle son use to collect them too but his interest dwindled once he went to Uni sadly. Now years later it's the other two who show an interest in plants.

 

It's difficult to look after plants when you're away from home. I was the same but my dad looked after them for me (somehow !)
Maybe your middle son's interest in plants will reignite one day

I hope your bulbs will be all right now.

 

I hope so...he does have a garden now but they're busy renovating the house at the moment.

Thank you , all will be revealed in Spring!!

 

I didn't do anything out there as it is 37f and drizzling and the guessers have said the drizzle will turn into snow flurries shortly.

 

Could it be black birds? I have a lot of trouble from them.

 

No , as I said I'm my earlier post the soil disturbance looks like a burrowing critter was the culprit. A bird wouldn't have got though the caged top....well a Wren might maybe. The hole was dug in the centre of the pot. Birds will unearth bulbs in the borders, little devils.

 

Your Cacti are looking great @Michael Hewett , already for their winter rest. As you say, the dust on the bigger ones should come off ok with water, I had a similar problem with a couple of mine , I used a very fine mist on my sprayer, job done

 

It is thick cement dust @Lem, they all look white ! I'll have to pour a few canfulls of water over them tomorrow. I'd put them out in the rain but it's going to be dry for a while, and if I leave them with all that dust on them I think they'll suffocate ...
I'm glad the fine mist worked for you

 

Today has been bulb planting day , this is this year haul of bulbs . Some are saved bulbs mainly daffs - muscari and the odd tulip .

I've been out planting since 11am till it went to dark about 5 ish . Took ages planting in the front bed bought to many bulbs for one trying not to hint another one . I did have two rotten bulbs 1 fritillaria twin towers and 1 allium universe obviously it be the most expensive ones , don't know whether its worth complaining don't know if I could get another bulb in that bed if I tried , its probably to late for the allium I received them about 4 week ago but the fritillaria turned up yesterday . The eremurus were a joy to plant had more than there fill of horticultural sand, they come up and flower next summer.

Planted about 250+ bulbs and the box is still prity full . I did mange to plant the two large pots at the front and a barrel which used some of the bulbs up.

 

I hope you manage to remove it from the cacti @Michael Hewett , mine was just a light coating to be honest, let me know how it goes Michael