WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2022

Been away for a few days and any work outside just not feasible in the arctic chill. Luckily got round to watering the seedlings inside, which even after a few days quickly dried out in the low (still feels like) winter sun.

What certainly benefited from that recent warm spell were the Imperialis, coming through much earlier this year, though they like the rest of us are probably perplexed by the wild climate swings, and wish they’d just waited a bit longer. Just hoping this cold snap doesn’t affect the fruit blossom too bad.

 

Serviced the lawn mower and wonderously it started afterwards; despite the cold weather and last years petrol.
Downside is I'll have to cut the grass now.

 

I am still using 2020 petrol. The only garden-related item was I purchased a Magnolia "Susan" along with my groceries in Morrisons. At £5 I could not resist it.

 

@Lincslass...... well it snowed, and the wind turned it into a blizzard...then snow-blizzard-sun-repeat all day! @Balc I do hope you are right about snug-as-a-bug, but I won’t know until tomorrow, have been working late the last two days so not been out to check. Forecast saying actual -1 & -2 over the weekend so they will be staying wrapped up for another few days yet.

 

Today’s snow has finally stopped, the blizzard wind has disappeared and the sun has come out, so I ventured out to do the rounds.

5 degrees in both greenhouses and the brick built workshop. Opened up the tomato grow house in the greenhouse , all the seedling seem unaware of the last 48 hours weather, have left the propagator lids on for now but at least they have a bit of ventilation with the grow house door rolled up.

In the workshop I turned off the heat on the three propagators in there but left the lids on.

As I’m off today I can nip out regularly to check on them but won’t be hanging around out there, sun or not, with all the snow on the ground it is feeling decidedly cold out there.

 

Went out and cleared the snow from the roof of the greenhouses, made a big difference to the light levels, also the weight on the auto opener windows. Had gone up to 9 degrees, but short lived, now hailstones and snow and the sun is still trying it’s best to get through, hope it wins

 

All my seedlings are now inside the house as the frames and greenhouse are not heating up enough at the moment. As we have blue skies and sunshine they are all sunning themselves on the window sills.

I'm not even going into the greenhouse today in the hope of conserving heat for tonight when our temps drop to -4C.

 

Checked on the plants in the greenhouse and they're fine and all the other plants and gave them a bit of water. Opened it up a bit to harden off the calendula plants.
In the conservatory started to get aphids, think that it was the old chilli plants that I had in there so they went into the compost bin, I don't need them now anyway. I sprayed the seedlings with a week washing up liquid solution, it seems to be working.

 

No too worried about the plants in the greenhouse as they are all last year's established ones , just need to keep them frost free and above freezing. Not hardening anything off yet as it's too early here to even think about planting out yet.
I do have seeds sown in containers ,following the Winter Sowing technique which have always been left outside to face the elements and they will harden off naturally.

 

Took a trip to the compost bin, checked in the g'house and decided to keep the extra covers in place over my newly emerging seedlings, the Fuschia plugs that arrived yesterday were immediately potted on and are standing up well, now I'm watching the intermittent snow showers and hailstones that have been falling for three days now , thankfully not staying on the ground as the sun is shining brightly in between, hoping the warm days soon return....Can't really do much as I've had an accident, smashed my hand into the patio door a couple of nights back, naturally " Sods Law "decreed it was my right hand, so as one would say I'm "Cack Handed" at the moment, everything is done lefthanded and takes twice as long with breaks in between to sit and admire the flowers ....

 

Cut back the Allamanda, Westringer, a Tecomaria in The Courtyard and some Mandevillea. Pulled up weeds in pots, lots of Oxalis Wood Sorrell and Galium aparine Stickeyweed. Took a low growing shoot off the Brugmansia. Soaking some Tropaeoleum nanum 'Whirleybird' Double Mixed seeds to sow tomorrow. Have lots more to do but working back into gardening slowly and with caution. Besides it was too hot in the sun!

 

This afternoon we moved a Physocarpus opulifolius Diabolo, planted a Magnolia x soulangeana “Susan” in its place then planted three Peonie rhizomes.

 

Sowed some more Bunyard's Exhibition broad beans
Pricked out some flowers, gaillardia and salvia salvatore
Potted on some perennial kale
Repotted some chives which were growing in a cracked terracotta pot

 

Not much to say about the balcony today other than rolling up & rolling down the door of the gh.

I bought & planted up some corms of Triteleia laxa 'Triplet Lily'.

 

Grass cut or more accurately some of the grass cut, at the front steered round the primroses. Under trees left as still full of spring flowers, first bluebells opening.
Today back to weeding.
If anybody has any rain spare could they send it this way as it is decidedly dry down here.