WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY 2023

That's one squash I've not grown, but for all winter squash I cut the vine either side of the stalk, then let it cure in the warmest part of my house for a few weeks. Most winter squash should keep for a few months minimum, I've had some keep till May before.i just store them anywhere they look good in my house, on shelves or the middke of a table etc.I think they prefer lower humidity mainly a bit like onions and garlic. Most should get sweeter as they age


I picked all my corn today, squirrels had found them and ate three on the stalk, so they aren't getting any more. Also planted out some winter hardy spring onions into the greenhouse and a couple of pots outside that had tomatoes in them.

 

That sounds like a good idea for a new "This year - gardening lessons learned" thread. I for instance am thinking about what was good on my allotment, what wasn't so good (veg., equipment) and what to try next year.

 

Rain stopped for a moment so I de-tattied the tatty corner to fit the hedgehog house in. Then realised that the hedgehog might actually appreciate the wildness so quickly re-tattied with the Rosemary cuttings.

 

Might the smell put the hedgehog off?

 

Sweetcorn was terrible this year, Achimenes struggled, putting this last one I'm putting down to the peat free compost and I need to come up with a new mix next year as well as buy some more tubercles for varieties that haven't produced enough for me to store over.

 

Hi,

I was digging by 8:45 this morning and have just knocked off to be recharged wet with sweat but I'm winning.


The right hand side I rotavated the rest dug over by spade with the area top left still to do; it doesn't look steep due to camera angle but just reaching the top of the garden without dragging anything up gives a good workout; we've had lots of rain including more rain last night but an inch down it's so dry it's dusty.

March last year there were eight very tall trees on the section not only have the trees gone but also the trunks and roots; this section of garden has been hard won but it's now our middle meadow.


This is what I was up against last year not only the middle of the garden but in total I removed 15 huge trees working entirely on my own; quite a difference now and this August I removed an oak tree which towered over our bungalow roof. I'm a magnet for hard work.


An area to the left picture just taken.

Near bottom of garden showing oak tree stump and one of two identical garden huts I made a few years ago. The hardest part of work outside is standing upright.

Just passing a bit of time whilst I cool down enjoying a well earned mug of tea and lump of cake; life's good.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Watched the salvia section this morning and have now gone and ordered some more salvias, mainly to fill gaps where plants have disappeared over the past couple of years.

 

I believe it is somewhat used to the scent


But you are right, I'll replace the cuttings with something else. No shortage of tatty bits in my garden

 

Hi,

At last after hours of heavy digging spread over a number of days I've just finished digging the middle meadow; The top meadow is just above where it levels out a bit it being another big area but I'll rotavate it next springtime assuming I've fully restored the Howard petrol rotavator.


I expected the last part to be easiest; how wrong I was.

Here's what I hope is the last tree root which took some getting out on the steepest part of the meadow; I've yet to find an easy job living here but after 36 years of nothing but hard graft I'm still looking.

9:35am and wet with sweat; next heavy job please.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

It's looking great Colin.

 

Tidied up the Geraniums yesterday and a few of the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. Still need to do the Salvias and Nepetas and get Ben the Gardener in to weed/tidy the boundary wall planters as the Billbergia nutans are trying to crawl out and to cut back the trunk of the Melaleuca which leans across the Raised Patio out front. That should be all here till the Spring.

 

Nothing today it's raining.

 

I've done nothing but some watering of the pots this weekend. I did deadhead the Morning Glory climbers - occasionally! This morning I watered the tomatoes with fertilizer as well as the Carnation seedlings.

BTW, does anybody know what bird might bite (chew) the ends of the leaves of my Carnation seedlings? We have pigeons enter the balcony but usually in the spring - looking to make a nest! I think on occasions the sparrows enter in search of cobwebs for their nests & maybe snack on a spider or two. But I don't see these during the rest of the year nor any other birds. I haven't seen any kind of insects yet the tips of many of the seedlings' leaves are sort of joined together. The leaves don't look like they have been eaten, just sort of stuck together at the tips.

I haven't seen any caterpillars on them when I've unstuck the leaves nor do they look as if they have been eaten - that is until today! They are being eaten & stuck together by tiny green caterpillars! I couldn't get a picture of them but here's a picture of the damage they are inflicting on my seedlings:
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Its a kind of Tortrix moth Balc.
They web the leaves together and then hide in there eating the leaves.
If you break it open you will probably find a small green wriggly caterpillar falls out.
I usually just squash the leaves with my finger and thumb.

 

After the very heavy rain this morning we managed a couple of hours in the garden this afternoon.
We packed away one of our outside tables ( the biggest of the 3) ,I think we could've packed the smallest one away too really and manage with the medium one as BBQ opportunities are rapidly dwindling now. We only have a couple more visits in the pipeline from one of our brood that might ( just) allow for outside dinning.

3 of the Lavateras needed re-staking as the strong winds had battered them somewhat. They are so shallow rooted.!!

More deadheading and then I collected seeds as requested by a friend who visited this morning. I would have done it when she was here but it was bucketing down.

Harvested some more fruit for the week, Apples,Pears,Strawberries and Blackberries we still have a couple of bunches of grapes that are ripe for picking but I will leave them for another week I think. Picked the last few Chillies too.