WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2021

@Logan
Been raining here since for ever and this afternoons task, assist the log man..instructions concentrate and no shuffle ling about in the sawdust with yer feet .As if I would do it with anything else but my feet...Talk about bossy boots, Thinking it is a Leo trait my Sister is also a Leo and she always bossed me about as a child.

 

Same here ,short dry spells then it comes over really dark and then a deluge!!!!!
Been hobbling in and out all day!!.
Mainly a day of (apart from getting soaked) the on going tidying up of borders, cutting back of a few perennials, removing some self sown seedlings that have cropped up in the wrong places.up

Also sown a few more seeds this afternoon too.

 

Following on from the excitement of the tree-felling yesterday, I now have a large pile of shredded spruce-branches to shift. About 8-10 barrow-loads have gone around the stumps, in the area that has been exposed. It was a little untidy before, as its a 1m gap between the back of the shed and the fence with the neighbours. 5cm of chippings makes it look a lot tidier! I’ve put another 5 barrow-loads around an area I cleared a couple of years ago, underneath a large oak tree (in the other neighbour’s garden). Not much is growing there at the moment. A few tête-à-tête bursting through, and some semi-wild crocus.
Do you thing that freshly-shredded spruce is too raw to use as a mulch around established fruit trees? I’m afraid that it might be too “hot” - the pile is already starting to warm up - and burn vulnerable plants. Would trees and fruit bushes be ok?

 

Many years ago Sian in Belgium I lost a special cooking Apples Tree a Bramley by adding manure that I did not realise had not been kept for at least 6 months and 1 year to me is better..Fresh Spruce sounds a tad heavy to use around even established fruit trees....

 

It's been sunny/rainy on and off today but it's been great to get out for most of the day. Planted up a Persica Melred, Willow Kilmarnock, Elaeagnus x ebbingei Silverberry

Did the second lot of onion sets for the allotment.

Top dressed a Camellia, Azealea Rhododendron. Cut the remaining stragglers off the ferns and deadheaded the Hellebore. Swept up all the dead leaves.

The OH bought (yes bought) a Chaenomeles Speciosa a few weeks ago that's just a couple of random twigs sticking out of a pot in all kinds of directions. He said he felt sorry for it. I kept walking past it today thinking what the heck am I supposed to do with that

Don't you just love random buys

 

Didn't actually do much today, just walked around the garden and took stock, really. New border looks awful at this time of year because I've mostly planted herbaceous perennials in it, I need to add more evergreens. I'll be planting another two hebes initially as I like the foliage and I have found both pollinator-friendly cultivars I've been seeking at an online nursery! Just wish they weren't such slow-growing shrubs! Double rainbow formed while I was out there, cheered me up as I was feeling a little glum. Noticed that after 6 years I finally have 2 whole flowers on my Chimonanthus praecox, not sure I can bear all the excitement! Who knows, I could have 4,5 or even half a dozen on it next Winter! Interesting fragrance though, sort of like a cross between a jasmine and a daphne to my nose...

Started thinking about getting a couple more salvias this evening, why is that genus of plants so ridiculously addictive?

You're supposed to talk to it very encouragingly, of course! Do you know nothing of horticulture?

Nick

 

Can't make out the label but it looks like 'Rozanne', in which case it is deciduous and therefore probably absolutely fine Dianne, you might not see new growth until Spring.

Nick

 

Thanks Nick for that info. I just collected the Label and if says Rozanne so in for a chance still..good and will 'report' if and when...

 

If it takes ok you will get lots of the red flowers , Bees just love them..Here is one of ours, Flowers first then the leaves arrive...

 

Oooo @DianneW that's beautiful. If I end up with something even close to yours I'll be happy

Ahh @Nikolaos is that what I'm meant to be doing that's not a problem. Each time I pass it I'm going to tickle the end of those wonky random twigs and tell them how beautiful they are

This better work!

 

I can see the attraction here and a vast amount in this genus Nick....
10 Salvia Species To Consider

 

We had a lovely day yesterday so I was able to tidy some plants I've got in cold frames for the winter, and I brought some pots of bulbs out of the cold frames - I hope they haven't had too much of a shock !