What jobs are we doing in the garden today 2016

Don't start me on the washing!! We were next to the north Finistere coast - experience has shown that all clothes become damp after more than a week, even if they are never worn. I think we did 5 loads of washing on the Sunday, after checking that rain would not arrive until 6pm. When it started at 3pm....

 

What I can't understand @Sian in Belgium is that we spent two weeks in shorts and T shirts and Mr Kandy only put a waterproof top on once (I refused as I didn't want to encourage the rain) but it has taken me quiet a few hours of ironing the stuff yesterday and I have just about finished today.I expect it is the fact that I had a clean T shirt on every day plus changed my shorts every few days and changed my socks and undergarments every day,whereas Mr Kandy got away with a clean shirt every two days and refused to change his shorts for a clean pair When you have humid weather it makes your clothes wet just with walking about I have given up with watching the weather forecast as they always get it wrong

As we now use quilts in the van I have had the covers to wash plus pillowslips and fitted sheets and come the weekend all the bedding at home and the towels will all need washing

I shall have to Google Finistere coast as I am not quiet sure where that is and I like to educate myself from time to time

No gardening today as everywhere is wet now after the early morning rain although the sun is shining and we have a bit of windy weather

 

Yesterday was a momentous day....

In the morning, we wandered around the garden, sampling the apples from the fruit trees!!

* Hereford Russet (a relatively new russet) - a lovely typical russet flavour, without the slightly tough skin
* Lord Lambourne - still to be sampled, the 2 windfalls were indoors, the remaining 2 not quite ready for picking
Gloster 69 - not a huge amount of flavour, but crisp and juicy. Unfortunately had been damaged by hail storm in May...
Braeburn - a little more flavour than the Gloster 69, but quite similar ( I know, early for the apple, but it was a damaged fruit, so had ripened a little prematurely)
* Laxton's Superb - sweet, tasty, yumsk
* Schone van Boskoop (Belle de Boskoop) - tart, without being sour, loads of flavour, a brilliant dual purpose flavour, won't need too much sugar when cooking

* year old maiden trees, planted this last winter!!


We are very happy people!!

 

Got a few jobs done yesterday. Pulled out the runner beans and stored the canes away for another year, chopped up the last of the sweet corn plants and added them to the compost heap.

Had a bit of a sort out in the greenhouse, removed most of the spent tomato plants, emptied out some large pots in which I'd grown cucumbers and basil, refilled them and sowed the first of the winter salad leaves.

 

Yesterday I concentrated on clearing a bed of Antirrhinums which were past their best.
Then putting a layer of last years compost over the surface and planting up with Dwarf Wallflowers (Persian Carpet) with Mixed Darwin Tulips in between. A friend mentioned that I may be a little early in planting the Tulips, but I feel it should be ok.
Time will tell . .

Today I intend to prepare the planting positions and plant two new Rhododendron plants in pots (the names currently elude me, may add them later) . .
My planting areas are neutral (from a soil test: 6ph) so I intend to try and improve the planting areas by adding lots of leaf mould . . .

 

Trying to salvage a shrub that has just decided it isn't happy where it is (after two years).
Dead heading, weeding, planting out wallflowers and Sweet Williams for next year, planting a couple of allium bulbs and picking some of the apples and pears. Ashmead Kernel and Pitmaston Pineapple have done well this year.

 

Was getting on great till me fork snapped

 

Lovely sunny day here with a cooling breeze, so I got a few more jobs done.

Planted out a couple of dozen 'Marathon' autumn calabrese. It's a bit late in the season, I only sowed the seeds at the end of August, but they're a fairly fast growing hybrid variety, so with a mild autumn and a bit of care I should still get some heads before the end of the year.

Also mowed the lawn and fed all the pots and containers.

 

Sis now says she don't want a concrete pour and that she just wants it gravelled

Sowed Lambs lettuce and lollo rosso in the cold frame and now drinkin a lot

 

@shiney

I am trying a Miracle-gro slow release product (granules)which is applied once a year and suitable for both new and existing ericaceous plants!
Will comment in the future as to how it performs . . .