WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY 2023

Blimey @Retired that’s a lot of work! Do you bury any stumps to rot for stag beetles? We do and have several coming out as beetles each year which is great.

 

BONSAI.
Tending the benches

 

Still dead heading. back needs a break.

 

It was raining this morning so we potted on everything currently growing on the windowsills. I had wondered why the Padron peppers and Jalapenos had stopped growing. Pulling them out from the pots sort of explained it, "pot bound" is an understatement

Interestingly, the Padron and Jalapeno plants look exactly the same but the roots behave very differently. Padrons apparently grow their roots outwards to the sides but Jalapenos had grown their roots straight down to crowd the bottom of the pot. I seized the opportunity to matronisingly explain to The Child that this gives a hint that Padrons prefer a wider pot whereas Jalas would enjoy a narrow, deep one.

Seen that we only had one type of suitable pots at hand this remained a theory.

In the afternoon the rain stopped so I potted up and on loads of stuff outdoors. Various mini Roses (of the impulse purchase in an attractive cover pot from M&S- kind) all went in together plus a seed grown one, with some room for later seed grown ones currently germinating. Hopefully they will make a nice "patio display" as they say in the posh magazines.

The Rosemary is quite wonderful just now



I have always snubbed buying plug plants of anything that can easily been grown from seed. Now I take my words back, the 33 Bacopa maxi plugs from J Parkers are remarkably sturdy and perky with just one dud. At under £13, hopefully a good buy. The tiny plantlets are also very cute and received plenty of soft voiced oohs and aahs from The Child.

J Parkers also tricked me into a £2 Philadelphus, tiny but strong.





Oh, and wonderful news! This has finally sprouted after looking like a total goner all winter.



Sadly, I haven't got a clue what it might actually be. Well, I'll find out sooner or later- oh the joys of older age labelless gardening

 

@Retired you have been busy this last year, it will look good when all finished.

 

This afternoon spent, in greenhouse, pricked out sweet peppers some more tomatoes, Ipomoea and other half hardy climbers. Sowed French beans, runner beans and sweetcorn.

 

Haven't had time today.

 

Hi,

Thanks; yes indeed it doesn't get much harder; thanks for asking; I'm only taking out eight of the stumps so there's still lots I'll leave in to rot down; I hope the beetles give me a tune eventually.

Thanks for your confidence Logan; I'm slowly winning and hope this will be the last of 36 years of nothing but hard work living here.


The garden hut looked a right mess after my last soaking wet session working in pouring rain; I just dumped everything on the hut floor unable to do anything regarding drying it out.

I spent quite a while today tidying the hut as seen; all tools cleaned and sprayed with WD40; winches etc cleaned and oiled; I treat my tools with great respect and it saddened me to just dump them soaking wet but in pouring rain little option.
Also today weeded the front garden which is pretty as a picture.
Another picture of the front garden; it's all bursting into life.

This afternoon I polished the car which seems to get bigger each time I polish it but as with everything I have I look after it. I've just enjoyed an hour in the studio practicing playing my violins; another busy day as usual.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

I've been in the garden for most of our beautifully sunny and warm afternoon after being out for most of the morning. I've worked non stop .

I've done a fair amount of direct sowing of poppies ...no doubt the birds will find them !!
Took a load more Wallflower cuttings.
Tidied more of the potted Hostas and placed them in their water filled trays ,this works so well in keeping them slug free.
Took all the seedlings out of the greenhouse for their day in the sun .
Potted on some more Cosmos.
Sowed some more Zinnias.
Dug up and potted up lots more self seeded Hellebores, gave a trayfull to my sister.

 

Today I finished off what I couldn't do yesterday as rain stopped play. I had begun to plant up my hanging baskets with the Begonia tubers I had - I hoped - started off in the mini-greenhouse on the balcony table. The great majority of them had not started growing at all - which was very disappointing!

I got 5 baskets done yesterday before the rain put an end to proceedings. Those 5 I've hung up at the front of the balcony, above the railings. After planting them I watered them but I could have saved myself the effort & the water as it poured all night & the baskets were absolutely saturated! The next few times we are forecast rain I shall have to move the baskets back inside the balcony to their overwintering positions!

When the rain started to enter the balcony I'd just finished emptying out one of the 2 black plastic ones that hang on the end walls of the balcony. I had to rush back inside as there was no way I could work any longer outside.:(

Today I finished what I started yesterday. I cut open a couple of used plastic 15lt compost bags & used them to line the interior of the 2 baskets then I planted the Begonias in them & put them back in their places on the side walls.

When I finished with the baskets I wanted to have a look at the Geranium & Pelargonium cuttings that I took about 6 weeks ago & put in the mini-greenhouse. I'd looked at a few of them a week or so ago but didn't find any that had rooted. So I got the seedtrays full of the cuttings, each in its own individual small pot, out & one by one knocked out the cutting to examine the compost for signs of roots - I found none! Well actually I did find 2 Geranium & 2 Pelargonium cuttings had rooted - out of 60+! I was disappointed for the 2nd time this afternoon; first the Begonias had not started growing & then the cutting hadn't started to root! The 4 that do have roots I will repot in bigger pots sometime next week.

 

You have certainly kept yourself busy,@Retired!

 

I have gently unearthed some of the Dahlias that stay in the ground and have found a few that needed the removal of some mushy sections....this is the first time ever I've had to do this. Potted ones are always moved to the greenhouse to overwinter.
I always nervously wait to see their green shoots reappear every Spring, but more so this year after our prolonged spells at -7C this Winter.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for yours too @Loofah .

 

Oh woe is me!!!

I found yet another mushy Dahlia tuber this morning, I haven't yet excavated around it to see if the remaining part looks viable or not . I will gentle do that in a minute after finishing my cuppa.

Potted up hanging baskets with Strawberries.

Harvested some Radishes + their leaves to add to our salad.