WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2022

It looks just the job Michael...perfect in fact.

 

Planting spring bulbs and composting Flower pouches and hanging baskets.

 

Yesterday I potted up a Brugmansia I did from seed, a mystery one. I also potted up two Hibiscus mutabalis (Confederate Rose) rooted cuttings that arrived from Spain. I ordered one but received two. I have never had success trying it from seed. May tidy up the Pelargoniums today as they have got very untidy. Everything else is fine,.

 

I'd like to be able to move the station around but being open to the elements it wouldn't stay upright, even if I weighted it. I'd have liked another bird table as there was one here when we moved in. It had a 4 x 4 inch post set in the ground but rotted through. The metal station I'm replacing is not yet 3 years old and has almost rusted through.

Edit: I don't know what happened to this post, the layout is not how I typed it. Gremlins at work I think.

 

The Boss was planting Violas in her tin can planters and a hanging basket so I got the job of hanging them up.
Yesterday I found a Garden Vac/Blower in the back of the garage. I dug it out and cleaned it up. Then broke it. I spent an hour today repairing my carelessness.

 

The Great Plan was to sow hardy annuals today to ease up spring effort and to get earlier flowers to fill the gap between bulbs and June. However, my Corncockle seeds have mysteriously disappeared so the task is postponed until I find them.

Anyways, started my morning with the customary undertaker duties and threw the latest dead bird from the lawn into the shady corner. Stephen King would be delighted with my back lawn, it must have an ancient burial ground underneath as it draws creatures small and big to the centre to die. Last time it was a large wood pigeon that expired most symmetrically in the centre on the morning our landlord was due to inspect the property. I do appreciate the nature's cycles but do they have to happen bang in the middle of my lawn?

In the afternoon the Wonderkid gave the hedge autumn trim and I deadheaded and re-directed the climbing roses. Amazing how fresh thorn scratches feel on the nearly healed wounds from playing with chicken wire last week

Cyclamen have been doing just as they were told by surviving the summer in the tattiest part of the tatty corner, now showing strong new growth. They got a fresh new pot and looked so nice that I washed my hands, grabbed my phone and took a photo.


Then I realised that the corms shouldn't be that much exposed so dug them in deeper, getting very muddy and then in turn, covered my phone with wet compost. No "after" photo available.

The Degus had an used little woven cone going spare so I fixed it into the Rosemary bush, above cat height but hopefully low enough for the cute voles we have seen here and there.

 

Started to plant the wallflowers around the path in the front garden, but the ground is so dry even after the rain.

 

Looks fine to me ... but this has happened to me also. Nee-noo-nee-noo ...

 

Planted some more wallflowers and watered them in. Yesterday and today had some rain but the ground soon dries up.

 

After the heavy midnight rain I had to empty all the plant saucers this morning. They were all overflowing with rainwater so I didn't put them back under the pots. They will be left to drain today & I'll put them back tomorrow.

While I was emptying the saucers it occurred to that his might be a good moment to move some of the plants back indoors. So I took some of the Geraniums & Pelargoniums into the kitchen & put them on the windowsill (3m/10ft long) where they will stay for the next 8-9 months! I'm also planning on taking some cuttings from them so I have stronger plants for next summer.

 

We planted 40 Iris bulbs between bouts of rain.

 

Yesterday planted a few more wallflowers around the path and re potted 3 pots of daffodils and potted 3 larger pots of new daffodils. The older ones had already started to root.