What jobs are we doing in the garden today 2016

Gave the wildflower/long grass area its summer cut today, as all the wildflowers should have seeded by now. All the rain this year has produced plenty of long grass, it was quite a task scything it all off and raking it up, but I like to get it done now, before the grass starts to lay down and make cutting more difficult.

Felt quite knackered after that, so sat in the summerhouse with a cuppa for a while, before starting again.

Lifted the rest of the Arran Pilot first early spuds, as I need the space for planting out the winter brassicas.

Mowed the lawn, did a little weeding and tidying up in one of the borders and finished off with a bit of watering this evening.

 

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Is that all

Gone part time have we ? Lol

 

Planted out the winter brassicas today. Haven't got much free space in the veg plot at the moment, but I managed to squeeze in some sprouting broccoli, winter cauliflowers and winter cabbages.

The pigeons were watching with interest, so I've assembled my usual protection consisting of an old football goal net, some iron stakes, a bit of sturdy string, a few bricks and a couple of clay pots. Not very aesthetically pleasing, but effective.



The cabbage whites have already homed in and started laying eggs on them, but I've sprayed them with Dipel, so that'll put a stop to them. Must remember to put down some organic slug pellets and crushed egg shells this evening, as that hedge is full of the little b****rs.

 

Oops Woo.. best get a big box!

 

Definetley, I think thats the two layer box you'll have to sneak me the caramel hearts first before handing it over though!

 

When it comes to fence colours, I never think about what I want to see in the summer as the plants are supposed to be the focal point of the yard. I think of what I'm going to see in the winter when everything is dead or dormant ...

I need to do some weeding in the garden today and not much watering as we've had a few splashes of rain lately.

 

Well, started the day with watering and topping up the pond, as the promised rain didn't arrive....

Then weeded the brick path to the centre of the eye bed, discovered a few lavender seedlings, and made a mental note of how many, ready to find them new homes in the autumn. Weeded around the ballerina rose, and extended the pink geranium bed upwards (so now goes to the top of the bank) and sideways, so it is slowly extending towards the top gates. The long term aim is that the worst of the sloping bank becomes flower bed. More space for bee-fodder and easier to cut the grass.

Cut the spend foxglove flower spikes to the ground, in the hope that the rosettes will heart up, and maybe flower again next year.

The bundles of hedge prunings are now out on the roadside ready for green collection tomorrow (no slow worm sleeping in the middle of the stack this week .

Time for a breather and a cuppa, then it's back out to find a big pot to contain my chocolate mint, and set it into the herb bed next to the Rosemary, to give it a little protection, in case it is a little tender... I also hope to get a long-term pot-grown lavender into the ground, and sort a few of the flower pots out...

 

I haven't done anything today because of the rain, but I am on half of something ...

I've got a cold frame that I want to move, but I don't want it to be too low because I get difficulty bending,
so I've been putting some bricks one on top of the other, in order to 'build' a little wall to put it on, in a corner down by the garage.
I hope I can finish it soon, but it's been raining today.

 

I have tried that but overnight a mental eraser comes along

 

Very productive day today. Builder came over as promised and cleared all the rubbish from the bottom lawn.
I potted on some dahlia cuttings which are still quite small.
Husband mowed the lawn so I got down and cleared out all the channels at the edges of weeds and grass clippings. Pulled a few other weeds and swept the path. Husband did a great job of clearing all the rest of the rubbish from the top lawn.
Only a week and 2 days since the garage build began and the garden is almost back to normal! Very happy Charlie.

 

This weekend the only "work" we've done in the garden is washing paint brushes, and lounging around on the sofas (which had been put out on the grass whilst we painted) drinking bubbly, at the end of each day's work....