WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2022

You should have done the moustache at the same time.

 

This morning I spent some time reorganising the top shelf of the mini-greenhouse on the table in the corner of the balcony. I took out the variegated Geraniums & took off dead leaves & a few flowers that had finished. I pruned back a few branches on a couple of the Geraniums as well. Before putting them back I put other Geraniums further back after removing dead leaves & flowers. I made up 2 more rows of Geraniums & then I put back the row of variegated Geraniums again.

I also removed a few pots of Geraniums from the balcony railings & removed dead leaves & flowers before setting them on the table where the mini-greenhouse sits. I watered a few pots but the majority didn't need any water.

I also had to sweep the balcony of the pigeon dropping.

 

Cleared one of the raised beds - ready to install a small statue. Haven't decided what to go for yet.

Pruned back the Cosmos - it's still going strong - just look into this picture - it's beautiful:



This is from a packet of seeds that my Great Nephew purchased me for my birthday. We are going over to see him on Sunday .

 

@clanless That's a really nice Cosmos flower!

 

I've not done anything on the balcony today, haven't even set a foot outside the balcony door! But I did water most of the plants in the house though! What? You think there are perhaps 2 or 3 or so??? Well I can tell you that in the kitchen alone there are dozens of plants! Then there's a few in the living room as well as plants in the 2 bedrooms! In fact there are almost as many, if not more now, plants inside the house as outside on the balcony!!!

 

We've decided to go for this statue .

 

Chucked in a load of pansies and prims to replace petunias and impatiens. Sowed the rest of the phoenix dactylifera and a couple of musa species seeds that were in soak.
Finally bit the bullet and propped my ensete maurellii which was heartbreaking. Lifted some pelargonium and dahlia to dry off for storage, don't normally do this but they're too nice to risk another mild winter. The cannas are next. Looked at the tubs of cycads....decided they'll keep for another week as they looked heavy

 

Spent yesterday up a ladder tidying up the climbers on the garage wall, mainly removing old/dead honeysuckle growth.
Interesting honeysuckle and most clematis struggle on this wall, north facing and prone to cold winds. Clematis redheriana does well on this wall as does Solanum laxum which has been flowering continuously since early 2020, a couple of rubus species also do well here.

 

Organised houseplants, ferrying heavy pots up and down the stairs for a shower and re-arranging. As usual, things move in sequence from living room into the spare room aka home office aka the messy one, en route to the bin via the tatty corner.

Ahhh... so light and airy, just needs a wipe down and a lick of paint.



Not quite so light and airy, needs some serious cleaning and clearing out. I don't actually like Dracaenas, and should know better than planting avocado seeds.



I was quite happy with the living room clear out until I ventured into bathroom this morning and discovered that I had forgotten something



Quite possibly it will fit near the sofa on a stand, so what if it takes some yogaing to actually reach the sofa? I mean, one must optimise the distances from window and radiator to guarantee the best position for the Clusia. In fact, do we need a sofa?

Outdoors it's just harvesting leaves from the ponds, dodging flying cats and young children (it's rather windy) and admiring autumn. I also admire the Chinese, this little solar powered pump has been working non stop for two years with minimal maintenance. Less than £20 well spent. The sparrows love hopping through the spray

 

Trying to crowbar this morning's purchases into the borders...literally and figuratively! I pottered 100kms to a rare plant fair in the next département down.
The soil's still like concrete and although some of the plants were planned and so have a spot all ready, quite a few others were impulse buys At this rate, another swathe of 'lawn' will be disappearing....