WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2022

Today I took delivery of a Eupatorium cannabinum so I planted it out. It is a bog loving plant so I planted it in a damp piece of garden. I actually planted it in the run-off from my water butt so watering will never be a problem.

 

Cut the hedges and grass in the front garden (hate them both). One of my neighbours asked me if I could do her some cuttings of the other neighbour's pink osteospermum so i nabbed a few and potted them up have to see if the take. Did another round of lily beetle spotting I've found 5 in the last few days probably more than the last five years.

 

My garden is moving in Slaters (Woodlice). I believe these are beneficial in the garden, but I have never seen so many in one place before.

 

Got a couple of things to prick out; also need to pot tomatoes into final buckets, so lots of stuff moving in and out of greenhouse.

 

Potted my Hebe 'Great Orme' yesterday, I think the pink flowers and glazed blue container will complement each other rather well. Fuchsia 'Mrs Popple', which is planted in the same sort of pot looks quite promising this year, it really struggled last Summer but seems to have perked up. The plants in my Butterfly Border are growing well due to all the recent rain but nothing is flowering yet except for the Cirsium rivulare 'Atropurpureum'.

That plant was a huge success with the butterflies for me last Summer Jocko, I got Green-veined Whites, Holly Blues, Peacocks, Common Blues and even a couple of Small Coppers (which are usually uncommon in gardens) on it, so I hope yours does as well for you!

Nick

 

@Nikolaos I remember you doing that border/bed and it has come along leaps and bounds. Looking good.

 

I've not grown castor oil plants for at least 6 yrs. But was surprised to find one growing in amongst my onions this morning.
It must have come from the compost I emptied out of the bin this year..

Amazing that they can stay dormant that long in wet compost.

 

@Fat Controller Well done Sir. Looking good. You are certainly more mobile than I am. Love the helpers.

 

I can empathise and appreciate that. T'other Half has to bring thing to me as I still sit doing things (haven' ventured onto my knees because of the difficulty getting back up ). I am sure you will enjoy cooking the fruits of your labour ... and deservedly so!

 

Planted up my 2 hanging baskets with trailing geraniums, trailing fuchsias and eurigeron.

 

Next to no gardening today. I planted up my last leftover Lobelia "Ultra Cascade". I stuck it in a small metal tub on a low wall.
I did take delivery of a Stevenson's Screen for the north-facing temperature sensor. I fitted that to the side of the garage. I found that in the evening the sun would shine onto the sensor, giving an erroneous reading so hopefully, it will help.

 

Before the long overdue cut (well, BBC told me not to), weeded the lawn



Buttercups and the very pretty blue flowers my Nana fondly called Veronica as even though it's a weed, it's a pretty one and deserves a beautiful name. In the same spirit, she refused to use the Finnish name of Anthriscus sylvestris "koiranputki" ("dog's tube") and insisted on "Angelica" as the flowers were so lovely.

The grass didn't get cut because the priority was to get the Giant sunflowers and the ornamental gourds in the ground. They are now done, and other things got potted into larger containers and smaller plants into the newly vacated medium ones.

To keep the rota going, I sowed the remains of the seed box leftovers. I had rather large cucumbers before we went off for a holiday during which the Cucs went paws up. I was quite relieved as I really don't want to grow them in my tiny space but hey ho, replacements were sown today

Watering, watering, watering. We now have a pact with The Teenager that whenever an empty watering can is seen, it is to be filled without a delay.

Tomorrow it's the lawns

 

Thanks Vicky, I fear I've gone OTT with architectural plants this year with not enough bushy ones to provide a sense of balance, but it's very hard to tell if everything's not established and in flower!

Yesterday I finally gave up with Salvia 'Blue Marvel' after 3 years of desperately trying to grow it well, something has been chewing it to bits every Spring and garlic spray made no difference! Replaced it with an Agastache 'Blackadder', a plant that requires virtually no maintenance. It's nice having so many drought-tolerant plants in the new border, fewer of them to worry about!

Nick