WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2022

I spent nearly 90 minutes untangling and tidying four troughs and two pots of Geraniums/Pelargoniums. The one big trough had been unattended to for several years except for a bit of deadheading and was about a meter long so was in desperate need of a makeover ... I could have done more than I did but didn't want to be too drastic first time.

T'other Half chopped down the main trunk of a Tecomaria for me as it had died but has new growth from the base.

 

Gathering strength to arrange stones around my new pond. Several hours spent crouching in the Rosemary bush hacking my way into the rock hard ground has shaved off the topmost piff of my physical endurance.

To balance things out, we went for a long walk yesterday, armed with a flimsy shopping bag (the backpack was upstairs when we were about to leave and who has the energy to climb the stairs? I just ask. ) to steal stones from the nearby field. The criteria was to only get pretty ones or anything larger than two fists.

It all started well but towards the end of the walk carrying the bag of stones started to feel like carrying a bag of stones. Who would have thought of that? Being a rather (ok, self-proclaimed ) clever-ish kind of a lady , I successfully argued with The Superchild that because I had carried the bag there, it's only fair if she carries it back. The fact that most of the journey there the bag was empty was not discussed. I didn't read my Tolkien for nothing.

She did, walking very slowly and muttering bad jokes around "went for a walk with Mum and lost a stone". Ha-ha, she'll have to try harder than that.

(OK, before anyone calls the Childline, we did have a proper reward ceremony and pampering afterwards. My Superchild is a superchild and I am blessed to have her in my life. )

Now all that is left is to haul the loot from just behind the back gate into aesthetically perfect positions in and out the water feature area in our grounds. Oh yes, and the grass needs some attention too. And the hedge. Child...?

 

Deadheaded some cosmos and picked the first loganberries and raspberries.

 

Are the logan berries for you Logan? We love raspberries, yum.

 

First off my other half had to plant out a couple of Pelargoniums. Yesterday she had put them in a container until I realised they were Antik Pink and Antik Orange, both of which grow to a height of about a metre, so she stuck them against a fence. I then took the hose out and spent about two hours hosing everything in sight (I normally hose the car too but I forgot today). The CEO went round at the back of me treating her prize specimens with a Tomorite solution, which she swears by for flowers.

 

Such a lovely evening so I went out and attached the Passion flower netting back to the wall. It is supported by steel rods driven into the ground but with the weight of the plant it had started to lean forward over the path. I attached eyes to the wall and tied it loosely back with strong, green cable ties

 

Thanks @Logan. At the moment I make muffins with either blueberries or bananas but I fancy experimenting a bit. I'll let you know how they turn out.

 

Your welcome and I'll look forward to your verdict.

 

A really busy day. Started off by mowing "The Meadow" and then edging it. I emptied a bucket full from my small pond, filled it up with water from my water butt, added 1 ml of pond fertilizer and then added a little black dye. I then potted up 40 perennials to grow on before planting out. I took delivery of a lawn sprinkler (the longitudinal type) so I got the hose out and checked that out. The CEO then turned up with another mirror so I had to attach that to a fence. Unfortunately, the fence had a repair that stuck out like a sore thumb so I mixed up dilute black fence paint and a couple of washes with that toned the repair to nearer the colour of the old wood of the rest of the fence. Then I had a cold beer!

 

Started weeding a border but will finish it tomorrow hopefully.

 

Emptied the two troughs on the front fence and bagged the bulbs up and potted on the grasses that come out of it . Planted a couple of dahlias yesterday still thinking on the others .

Could do with some specimen plants for some pots dahlias tend to get damaged so been looking at some cannas again and salvias , I've seen some I want just don't want to part with the cash to buy them. I am going up to RHS Harlow carr on Sunday they is a little flower show / plant stalls on so maybe I'll get something from there .

 

Tranferred Campsis radicans to new permanent home. It is already about 30cm tall with a long root.


Tranplanted Lablab purpurea into new permanent home where the Campsis was. Only 4 of the 5 beans survived, same as down in the trough by the shed.


Also transpanted a Pelargonium and pulled up lots of the annoying Oxalis stricta (Yellow Wood Sorrel) which magically appears overnight from the Abutilon and other pots.