WHAT JOBS ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2017

Looking v sexy

 

Been very busy lately mostly in the poly tunnel as the veg plot needs digging, also car had trouble but at least I can change a turbo now as it's been in limp mode since November.

Planted in no particular order in the polytunnel
Peas, sweat peas, beetroot, Cabbage ( these will be planted out when bigger ), Sprouts. ( yuk ), Radish, Carrots, Lettuce a few varieties, Tomatoes a few varieties, strawberries, 6 hanging baskets.

Potatoes and onions red and white are sprouting nicely, grape vine has spread, and a few anonymous shrubs we found struggling around the garden are in bits of spare space. Growing space is approx 16m x 1.3m in total in tunnel.

Outside is still in the throws of recovery from the building works we did last year, a new lawn is after we decide where to layout the patios.

We took the fence down around our wild area so we can see the birds better, the Harris hawk has been around again today harassed by crows again.

Dog has not been as much problem this year mainly due to the dry wealthier.

One mistake I have made is I bought a reduced price water butt pump which works well, all was going wonderfully good until I forgot to unplug it. So barrel now empty Fortunately it has a float in so turned its self off.
On the plus I acquired 3 more barrels from freecycle, but not yet plumbed in and would of been useful just now.

 

Over the past few months I have planted several climbers......Yes, Armandii (Armandii), Trachelospermum, a few honeysuckles and clematis Sieboldii Florida, H. F. Young (superb large pale blue flowere right now) and Wedding Day. Although I already had a few clematis I have been bitten by the clematis bug.......bitten by the salvia bug, the hellebore bug, the agastache bug, the............:rasp:

Potted on cuttings taken last autumn of heliotrope Chatsworth.......they are superb plants to place near doorways, open windows, pathways and seating areas. The cherry pie fragrance from June to autumn fills the air....nothing quite like it.
Have a range of agastaches now growing fast.

 

Mmmm cherry pie

 

I saw a crow flying at a buzzard/kite the other day...had never seen it before....the crow was much smaller in comparison.

 

Today I planted peppers in the autopots on the other side of the greenhouse. Also, I had to mix soil and find every spare pot I could so I could up pot the tomato plants destined for the garden. I am still several weeks from being able to plant outdoors and the plants had really outgrown the starter pots. Frost is in the forecast for tonight, so I am setting the heater in the greenhouse to turn on from 8 pm to 8 am.
Oh, if case anyone is wondering what is behind the black shade cloth it is a cymbidium orchid that I am determined will bloom this year.

 

I put underfloor heating in the conservatory when I had it built, maybe a good thing for a polytunnel heat the ground like a radiator.
As the system works at a lower temp might be cheaper to heat than electric, as apart from paraffin heaters there not much else unless you have a forest to burn.

 

Did a couple of tip runs of junk from the garden, mostly stuff I had kept to do things with, but realistically I am not going to and it is now clutter. Went to garden centre on way for some compost as I had ran out.

Came home had some lunch. Then spent the first part of the afternoon rearranging my part of the garden (veg plot). After this was done I took everything out of greenhouse as I had put the staging directly onto the soil borders, and they had started to sink. I have built some platforms for them to sit on. This has actually raised the staging by a foot or so, and has also made it easier on my back when pricking out. After this was done, I pricked out over 200 different flower seedlings (Lupin, Rubekia, Marigold, Dahlias). Potted up cabbages and sowed some runner beans.

Rusty

 

Busy afternoon rustyroots....200 seedlings!
Another row of lettuce planted, supports for tomatoes put in and....hey! My plant parcel of heleniums arrived :rasp: (if that's the right emoticon) so potted them on. Look excellent too and they should flower well this summer Adds to my growing list of helenium varieties.....wouldn't be summer without them.
Couple more salvias planted out and divided Canna Tropicanna Gold.
The forecast rain did not arrive........suits me

 

I didn't do much yesterday, but I did weed out 1.5 40l trugs of dandelion plants from a patch of grass... my aim is to slowly, slowly, remove the worst of the dandelions from the grass near the patio and doors of the house. Such slow, backaching work, though!

I've just done another 0.5 trug, but it's still cold out there, so my fingers were going numb - time to stop!

 

Me neither @Sian in Belgium , just checked out the greenhouse and cold frame and did a spot of much needed watering. It's getting quite desperate now, we visited an NT property yesterday and their gardens were looking considerably droopy too. Where is this rain!

Today the plan is to finish preparing the last of the small borders in readiness for planting out later in the month

 

No @shiney everyone knows ghosts are made from white shade cloths