WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2022

Before it got TOO hot (only 28c) in the shade of the Alpendre and the Iochroma I tidied up and "potted" a Westringia shrub I was going to dispose of and trimmed a white Salvia greggi for The Courtyard as they can take the heat there (full Southern sun with three walls). I say "potted" as I did not have a pot so have temporarily planted it in a bucket. I trimmed back a salmon pink Salvia greggi and planted the cuttings in the hopes they root. I also sowed some Salvia hispanica (chia seed) for the plant not the seeds.

 

I had two jobs planned for today.
(1) Plant the rest of the Runner Beans.
(2) a job in the shed, but ha I couldn't be bothered

Now who said leave some jobs for tomorrow, oh I did

 

I decided to make and install another gate to separate the tool area from the patio - the foliage around it consists of those artificial trellis panels from Home Bargains.

I copied the style of the gate that leads to the side of the bungalow - so that both match.

It's nearly finished - just need to add a latch and a piece of trim to tidy up the top. So far it has cost £70 in timber and fittings. Which I don't think is that bad.

Here it is:

 

Nothing today it's raining

 

The CEO was looking through a catalogue and decided she wanted a Plaisanterie, which we ordered.



She then decided she didn't want it climbing up the wall but on a trellis. So we selected a half arch and ordered that.



Unfortunately, it meant that the hole I prepared for "Chandos Beauty" would be in the way so I had to dig another hole elsewhere. I planted "Chandos Beauty" backfilling with the earth I had removed and a good sprinkling of Rootgrow.
I also had to remove a 15" square x 3ft tall tub of Sweetpeas which was in the road. To do this I had to lift two Wallflower and then lift half a hundredweight of ornamental slate pieces!
I then dug the hole in which to plant the Plaisanterie before replanting the two Wallflower.

*** STOP PRESS ***
As I was writing the final paragraph, the CEO came in with a change of plan. She has decided that, as the Plaisanterie has no smell we will stick it against the fence behind the shrubbery and she is waiting on the nursery getting us a "Julie Andrieu" climber which will go in the prepared hole.
And who said women cannot make up their minds.

 

Planted up the last few Dahlias into pots as I couldn't decide where to plant them in the borders. I am being cautious in the planting out of this new batch of Dahlias as I'm not good at judging the eventual size other plants grow to and they can end up with restricted growth.

I will use this year to take note of which, if any, spaces look like an ideal space for them and plant them out in the borders next year.

 

@Upsydaisy ditto the note taking and ditto the dahlias in pots however I did mine just to see what they would do as I've never grown the dwarf type before. Since yours are in pots, are you planning on trying to save the tubers to overwinter?

@Jocko your CEO sounds like the one I had at one corporation where sometimes we would wait 48 hours before enacting any changes because of the constant changes of mind.

There are some patches of blue peeping between the clouds so I will be back outside. Weeding. It's always so easy to pull them after a rain

 

Now she knows that the Plaisanterie actually has a smell things are up in the air again. Whatever one we have when the arch arrives is going in the hole!

 

@clanless You've done a really fine job on installing that new door & putting up the panels with greenery on them!

 

Not much to on the balcony today other than watering a few pots & hanging baskets. I moved another pot or two but it doesn't look like I can improve on the way things are now! (Oh for Dr Who's Tardis! )

In the evening I finally decided to put the pots of Geraniums back in the rings on the balcony railings after checking the Met Office app for wind strength for the next week. As it seems we aren't expecting winds of more than about 10m/h I put them back out again. (Hope the wind prediction is right!)

 

Lori I think I'll probably end up with 6-8 Dahlias in pots and will have about 15 or so in the borders. Yes I always keep my Dahlias. Pots just get moved to under the greenhouse staging after the first frost has blackened their leaves. The ones in the borders get a good heap of mulch which is then covered by a big upturned flowerpot. So far I haven't lost one.

 

Mowed the front lawns - twice.

 

Staying put at home today so hopefully a whole day in the garden. With the pollen count at VH at the present time it unfortunately spoils the experience though. Never suffered as bad as I have this year, my eyes feel like I have a mix of gritty sand and stinging salt in them all the time.
Woke up to them streaming...not a happy bunny.