WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY 2023

Cleared another border today.

Tidied up the Hellebores, removing some large tatty leaves.

Cleared a load of leaves that always seem to find their way under our front hedging..we end up with the whole lane's worth!!!!

Replanted 4 pots of bulbs that are sprouting well.

Moved a couple of big trays of compost into the greenhouse to warm up a bit ,I will sift it all tomorrow.

All in all a good day.

It has been mostly cloudy today and without the sunshine it remained on the nippy side.

 

Removed lots of Monarda Raspberry Wine which is trying to take over the world (though it is lovely). Also removed rose Remembrance - horribly thorny and nothing special. Whoever named it probably had some dark memories!

 

First job today will be compost sifting in preparation for seed sowing. Won't be long now!!

 

I've been doing the same Upsydaisy, nice in the Sunshine.

 

Bit of tidying up down the allotment, pulled out a hop plant that I had in a large pot with the bottom knocked out, the main root was as thick as my arm. I'd been cutting it back all last season and I finally managed to kill it off. Did a fair bit of weeding too. Used peanut butter as bait on my mouse traps as the little blighters keep eating the bait but not setting off the traps. Noticed that a few bulbs are poking through the ground, my parsnips are starting to put out new leaves as is the comfrey just waking up

 

A nice heap of sifted compost is ready and waiting to spring into action now.

 

I just potted some chilies. They had filled their soil blocks and were ready for their 4" pots which will be their home until the spring.

 

I'll open up all the frames today and give all the overwintering plants an airing. Check over the pots that have been left outside in a sheltered spot ...most are showing signs of life how.
The greenhouse needs yet another tidy up...don't know who makes such a mess !

That will take care of this afternoon, but it's inside chores this morning first.

 

Still sifting!! Then transferring the compost into flower pots that only just fit the yoghurt containers. This means that the flower pots are suspended in the top half of the yoghurt pot so ensuring plenty of drainage . The lids fit to make really handy propagators for seedlings with a bonus of easily fitting in small spaces too.

 

That's a good idea you had there @Upsydaisy

I decided to cover my cacti and succulents in the greenhouse with plastic bags (the ones we get from the council for recycling).
I did that so that I could wipe the thick condensation off the roof - I put one of those microfibre cloths on a brush and wiped it a bit at a time, wringing the cloth out after every 'wipe'
I think I must have wrung it out about 50 times, and also got rained upon with the condensation falling all over the place when it was disturbed. It's a good job I'd covered the plants, they would have hated being showered upon in the winter.

I've put a dehumidifier in there for a few hours and already the walls are beginning to dry out. Hopefully if condensation forms again it won't be as bad.

I've put some things outside now because it is mild - Loropetalum, Bilbergia, Begonia semperflorens, Trachelospermum Indian Sunset, maybe one or two others as well. I'll put them back in after a few days because I don't want them to get too soggy in the rain, in case it freezes again in February.

I've hung the plastic bags on the clothes line to dry

 

More digging over in the strip where the Lawson's Cypress where.
Also had a general look round and I'll have to get stuck into the weeding soon.
After a few mild winters this more normal winter has pushed a lot of plants back to their more normal flowering times. For example snowdrops will be in full bloom in a couple of weeks as will the hellebores, over the last couple of years these have been in full bloom by now.

 

Fingers crossed the dehumidifier does the trick Michael.

Yes I came up with the idea of recycling the yoghurt pots last sowing season. I found them much easier to place on the window sills in the old part of the house ( over 100 years old and with narrow sills) if need be than trays .