WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY 2023

Kill off the Cosmos, Snap Dragons and Marigolds and Zinnias and the few remaining Cleome. It should also stop/ slow down all the other bloomers so that they can be cut back / tidied up enough to make space for the new plants and bulbs waiting to go in.

That's the plan in my head anyway.

 

Looking at it, with some degree of dejection. Same with the allotment. I have too much else on the go. Bother.

 

With the first cold day of autumn 2023 I'm stuck indoors with only a dismal sky to look at - the balcony is almost the same as well! We've had a couple of light showers but as the balcony floor has got wet a couple of times & the cooler weather making the rain take longer to dry up I feel a little fed up! We've been spoilt with the warm temps & sunshine into thinking we were still in summer!

 

Complimented The Child who trimmed the top of the Privet Hedge standing on stepladder. The hedge is long and tall so it's a proper job and a half to do by hand.

 

I hozed the patio down after the pebble-dashing men left it full of grit.

 

Deadheaded the cosmos and roses.

 

Summer holiday is over for some house plants stood on the decking, as temperatures drop this weekend. Move some more dahlias into the greenhouse to dry off, remove more finished tomato plants. In fact quite a number of things need bringing into the greenhouse to keep the rain off them.
Plant some more bulbs and then probably more weeding and deadheading.

 

Hi,

Yesterday waited all morning for BT to install their ISP 8am/1pm just after 2pm a very friendly young guy arrived and did the job in an hour so goodbye Virgin Media welcome BT; it was a lovely sunny but breezy day; on Wednesday it rained all day today it's already pouring down; I've just visited the surgery; Morrison's & post office back home by 7:20; I'd plant rice but living here on the steep valley side water heads to the valley bottom at speed. Oh hum just another Yorkshire day.

Another hospital appointment this morning then this afternoon I might force myself into the studio for a violin practice; I'm unsure if winter has arrived because it's like this most of the year living here; much better than suffering wild fires though or the conflict all around the world; the UK is a wonderful place to be born and live in; no complaints from me.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Started clearing another border along the driveway. Pulled up a lot of weeds and trimmed the edge of the grass, it's surprising how the grass grows if i don't trim the edges, have to get out the spade to do it.

 

Sowed some seeds to be left outside for a cold stratify and took quite a few more cutting of salvias - monarda - penstemon and a Hydrangea Annabelle

 

This morning I had to empty a couple of old soup plates I use to put under the pots on the balcony floor. The overnight rain filled the plates to overflowing. A few weeks ago I removed all the dinner & soup plates from under the pots & stacked them all up at one end of the balcony but couldn't put them away because of the plants that are still blocking the way.

At the end of October, more or less, I shall clear the plants away & put up the big round table then put up the mini-greenhouse on it. Then I shall put some plants I want to keep in it to safeguard over the winter. I've been doing this for most of the 22 years we have lived in this flat.

 

Me nosey....never , but what have you sown please Perki.

 

Not much of interest to be honest but for Clematis Flammula . Some hawthorne - primula mix - silphium mohrii ( look like sunflowers ) and Aloe spiral they are just random packs of seed I got the other day .

 

Got my apples picked a good few buckets full . I did call it a day after that but stop raining for a bit.

I went and tackled the Iris pseudacorus in the bog garden bit to wet for doing that but looks much better now I've removed about 75% of it filled two bins up with it, moved a Osmunda regalis while I were at it. Built a mound of soil for the Gunnera to sit on, they like wet soil but can't sit in standing water over winter it will rot the crown . Spread a bit of wood chip around after to spruce it up a bit and makes it easier to walk on

 

Well done with your wet weather. What do you do with the apples?