WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2021

Outside? Not so much today, apart from telling the Lord Lambourne apple that he’s early - again! I’ve sown some coriander and salad-bowl type lettuce leaves in the cloche. A little early for the coriander, but you never know...
Oh, we broadcast sowed some wild “Flanders” poppies seeds - talk about “bringing it home”!!

Indoors I did my main mid-spring vegetable sowing: mangetout peas, french beans, various tomatoes, broccoli, kale, courgettes and mini squash. Hopefully we will get some good germination .

 

@luciusmaximus I have raised patio beds...been there for ...hmmm...can't really remember at least 28 yrs. I think I did empty them all about 6-7years ago but apart from that I just remove the top 'layer ' and replace with compost every couple of years.

Not sure if this is good or not ,but it works for us everything is continuing to grow well in them.

 

I have never been privvy to know but recipes just say wash then throw into boiling seasoned water. Oregano is a big thing here.

 

Good job it's tasty It would disguise the lack of molluscular intestinal lavage

 

Those snails sound horrible but I must say I enjoy cockles, which are basically the same thing. They collect them on the beaches near here.

I've been clearing my raised bed ready for sowing some vegetables. It's been there about 3 years but I didn't think I'd have to change the soil.
I picked some lovely carrots from it that had been there since last year. I also picked two tubs of potatoes that were starting to sprout again.

I also planted some Gloxinias that I sent for.

 

I dug in a cranberry bush today. I say bush, it's tiny at the moment will be good to see it a few years down the line! Hoping it does well. I'm thinking of scattering some poppy seeds in the ground next to it. That can be a job for in the week. Along with getting the potatoes in. I just haven't got round to it yet

 

Following on from my earlier post I managed to motivate myself into removing three quarters of the old compost from the container bed. After, which I ran out of garden sacks and enthusiasm . The idea of coffee, biscuits and a zero g chair was far more appealing to me . Don't think I will remove any more, just add more gravel and then top up with either soil or compost. Haven't decided what to plant in it yet. Something pollinator friendly and flowering from spring to autumn that doesn't mind Anglesey weather and will look after itself .

 

Good luck with your new cranberry bush @Emily Jones ...

That sounds like heavy work @luciusmaximus, you deserved your coffee and biscs

No rain forecast here either @shiney for a long time, which is unusual but I don't mind because when it starts again it won't stop
I hope the water will have softened the soil for you .

I sowed some peas and tied a clematis to a trellis, and did a lot of tidying and weeding.
I started to clear the patio of pots etc because I'm going to have the decking replaced with slabs and I think they're going to start it soon (I hope !)

 

Just have enough time after work to get the used coffee grounds sprinkled around. I read that they can be added to the garden safely and up to about 10 Percent of the soil content. I've also used them to lightly cover the surface of of the soil in my potted plants. The plants don't seem to be any different but it's better than dumping the grounds in the green bin. I am thrilled that the only side effect is they seem stop soil gnats somehow. Guess they don't like caffeine!

 

We had a slight frost here this morning -2. Then lovely sunshine most of the day. The plan for this year is to organize the borders. Smaller plants at the front larger to the back. This has come about with the amount I've learnt this year and also sowing new plants (to me) now I have the greenhouse
So I got started this morning.

I don't know how but there are still Snapdragons in there (alive) from last year.
Anyway all ready now for when the millions of seedlings, cuttings and Dahlia are ready to be potted out.

 

More digging out of spent compost from the patio container bed yesterday. I had planned to go to hardware store for compost/soil and a few other bits but had an emergency vet appointment with Dimitris, which took longer than expected. Will be going today.

 

Aww hope all is OK with Dimitris @luciusmaximus .

 

Thanks for the information @shiney . Luckily I am only using them on mature houseplants. The seedlings still get sand. Well, most of them do.

The guessers are saying it will be mild again today and not so much rain. I will be weeding the lawn whilst the soil is still thoroughly soaked from yesterday and last night's rain.