WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2022

I was surprised when in the States in December that they would barbecue and then bring the food inside to eat. Here a barbecue means an al fresco meal so needs weather and some warmth.

 

Compost heap turned over, mixed and watered. Still picking ants out of the clothes. Cut down some nettles and added to compost heap.

 

Aha @Jocko that explains things. Over there, it is an event, over here, most of the time, it is just amethod for cooking food. Yes, in the summer we do invite people over for a barbecue but that means grilled food and a picnic or dinner party.

I moved some of my large pots around after discovering a squirrel deciding to dig up my alliums which were in a pot on the front porch. I pretty much just parked my alliums in some pots as it stopped the rabbits from eating the stems of the flowers before they even had a chance to flower. Now, it's the squirrels digging them up. I'm stumped.

And I figured out how to hang the heater in the greenhouse as I felt it was using up valuable winter real estate.

Everything got watered and I only glanced at what is left to be planted out. I've decided I don't want to make any more decisions today.

 

I must admit that's my take on BBQs as well. We 've had them in January but it was nice ( ish) enough to eat outside as well.

I wouldn't go as far as calling it an event..to us it's just normal fine weather eating. We try and eat all our meals outside ...if possible..but obviously not in winter!

To be honest I'm not that keen on the smokey BBQ flavour on certain foods, find it can over power the natural flavours.

 

Strange perhaps, but we never cook outside. 1) I am not into meat except chicken breast or wings and neither of us go for legs/dark meat. T'other Half likes steak but I can live without it because it is always undercooked for me ... or burnt! IPork Ribs are neither here nor there. Neither are fond of fish on the grill and the smell. 2) T'other Half believes you don't have to clean a grill! till the next time you use it! 3) Nearly every restaurant grills food here ... cheaply, so they can cook and clean the mess after the fact.

 

We've never had a barbecue, next door bought one with a dome lid on it, when they used it and put the lid on the smoke was awful and they never used it again.
But it's very popular around here.

 

Im in the middle of building a better outdoor kitchen, so i can cook more outside on gas or coals……one thing it will do is help to keep the elctric bill down, bloody crooks

 

Another busy day. I started off by planting out a load of perennials then I planted out some Dahlias I had started in pots. My first go with Dahlias (they came free with some plants I ordered) and I was surprised to see how well they had done in the pots. I hope they do as well in the garden!
After lunch, I potted up some Night Scented Stock and some Poppy 'Album' both of which I started from seed in trays outside. I also switched off the heat mat under my final tub of Sweet Peas so I can harden them off and finish my last hanging basket. I also want to put some in a Flower Pouch.

 

Sorting things out after a holiday.

Funnily enough, I seem to remember there was a Lawn around these parts...



Anyhoo, did some serious watering and checking. Everything else is fine but the cucumbers are quite dead, which is great as I don't really want to grow Cucs. "Have Seeds, Must Plant"

Chopped the unruly Devil's Ivy (about 20 cuttings are now rooting ready for a good home) and planted the illegal cuttings and seeds from holiday.

Did some Selleri style weeding, Bluebells with buttercup foliage fresh from the "lawn"

 

Mowed the lawn today and doing some watering in the GH. Did some weeding yesterday and planted out another couple of Echinacea pallida with the rest that I found in the plant stash . I've been digging out a phlox as well , I thought I removed it all last autumn but it sprouted like crazy from root cutting couple of had a truck full of ( seriously ) of new phlox plants but I only potted up about 15 plants .

I bought myself a Phormium evening glow yesterday which nearly vacated the rucksack Going to order some more plants now which I've been eye up for a while .

 

Hi @Selleri how was your holiday , I bet you had a fantastic time.
What seeds did you acquire....accidentally of course?

 

Nothing outside it's raining again but it gives me a chance to sow some more wallflowers in the toilet roll tubes.

 

It was so lovely, we met up with my sister and brother and most importantly, my niece whom I have never met "live". Loads of hiking, orange groves, great food and perfect weather. I'm a happy lass.

The seeds were collected by my niece based on the variety of the shape so I have planted "small, brown flat ones", "large green ones that almost look like small papayas if you look closely" and a "huge one that will surely become a tree with oranges and lemons".

This cute little Sedum-ish or Crassula-ish plant was growing in the crevices of the stone walls on the hills. Pretty pink flowers, I hope it will take.

Another one that pushed itself on me, and some magnificent jet black Aeonium that sadly disintegrated in my pocket. I planted the bits up hoping for the best. The seedling is Opuntia Santa Rita from shop bought seed that germinated after about 6 months. My baby.



Tillandsias were very popular (to the extent that I believe they have recently been "Star buy" plants in local Lidl), this one forms a ball and has pink flowers. Sparrows had a nest in one in the villa we rented.



Plant life was wonderful and it's great to see plants typically grown as houseplants here in the wild. Amaryllises were in full bloom in many gardens. We also visited a botanical garden that had a novel approach to weeds- instead of pulling a weed out they stuck a label to name it. Might consider that at home.

 

So glad you had a lovely time @Selleri . I bet it was an emotional reunion especially with your niece.

What an interesting seed collection that decided to adopt you!! How lucky are you! I'll be very interested to see how they progress, please give us update reports.

Yes I can imagine it must be a fabulous sight seeing our captured houseplants enjoying life growing freely. Amazing.

 

During the lightning of the rain, I went out to the potting shed to mist my plants. While there I decided to plant the last hanging basket with Sweet Pea "Sweetie". It was too wet to hang it in its permanent position (across thick grass) so I stuck it back under the LED lights.