WHAT JOBS ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY 2018

Been to the tip and unloaded a mass of green waste.

Going to carry on with some edging today although the weather looks a bit dark in Bristol.

 

Shed demolishing....with our reluctant 22 yr old we have taken down the second garden shed. The 1st came down a few weeks ago along with the greenhouse (hadn't used it for 3+ yrs!) and we also removed one of the compost bunkers. In it's place we will put a lovely new shed and extend the garden seating area

 

Well, a scorcher today High cloud at times but didnt make it any cooler. Thunderstorms in some places but not here

Cut lawns, netted blueberries, pruned a very large choisya (12' high) against a wall, moved persicaria amplexicalis alba and potted on some fast growing perennials. Figs swelling fast.....I will watch the blackbirds watching them!!

 

Did quite a bit on my border edging.
Still not finished though as due to the slope on the garden I'm left with a big gap at the end that I'm going to try to fix by cutting a suitable wedge to plug the gap.

 

Another spade deep digging into the rubbly clay.... here are the "before and after" pics:


Quite a transformation in a day! The manure should be delivered tomorrow so then it'll just be forking it in.

 

Hot hot hot today unbroken all day long. Birdies very busy with babies . Watched Crow chicks fledge this morning from the pine tree to another tree to the lilac and finally a rather undignified flap and stumble onto the ground. Also, caught on camera one of the drinking from the pond .

Cleaned out another two pots that had spring bulbs in. Back planted with white Cranesbill and a few of the bulbs. Added some organic blended manure to my planting area in front garden and admired my new Astrantia at the same time . Swept patio. Pulled out more nyger seedlings from a pot and an area of gravel where there was a feeder hanging above - I have removed the feeder, fed up of pulling out seedlings . Planted a yellow Geum in one of the baths and another one in a patio tub. Roger cut grass the catio and strimmed some pathways through the long grass in side garden.

Afterwards we sat in shade with cold drinks and snacks. Roger saw a blue Damselfly by the patio wall - I didn't see it . I've never seen one in the garden.

 

I had problems with the bird seed self seeding everywhere.
I swapped to Sunflower hearts and Mealworms.
The birds love mealworms.

 

@Pushkin I do have a sunflower seeder but the Goldfinches just love nyger seed. I put up two nyger seed feeders without realizing the seed would sprout ( assumed it be non sprouting like the other seeds I feed ). Goldies are not so keen on the sunflower but regretfully I don't want to put the nyger seed back on the menu unless I can find a place where it can't sprout.

 

I made this luci it will catch any dropped seed on the menu, i pigeon proofed it today today.

 

My birds wouldn't touch nyger seeds for some reason.

The other thing I have is hanging feeders I bought from Lidl.
They really help with seed falling on the ground.

Oakdale Hanging Feeder Tray1 - Lidl — Great Britain - Specials archive

 

Martin another good construction mate

 

Very rare they touch them here Pushkin, i don't have any on the menu at the moment i might give them another try i cant recall trying them through the breeding season,

Thanks Gail the bottom is sloped so any dropped seed goes straight into the container below, the container slides out for emptying,

But the mice have found away to get into it and hoover up the drooped bits, i don't mind them and let them get on with what there doing, apart from killing all my sunflowers there really no trouble.

 

200l manure went in. The soil is now starting to look good, tomorrow we'll put the lawn edging in and finally... plant! (The Wickes delivery guy was funny, he called as he couldn't find the house and asked if it's a flat in a block or a house. Now just what would a person living in a flat do with 200l of manure and 280l of compost, three buckets and a watering can? )

It has been over 20 years since I have done any serious digging and now the level of living in denial has crashed... boy this is hard work for an ageing office worm! But also very satisfying, physical work close to soil with all the smells and little surprises. And working together, chatting and laughing with The Teenager is probably the best parenting I can manage

 

Hi @Selleri , my mom lives in a flat and has a garden

 

Agree, I lived in a 2nd floor flat until I was 20 and had plenty of gardening going on both as houseplants and in the balcony. But there's no way I could have fitted in 500 litres of manure and compost

But you are right, some flats have a nice size gardens. I was mainly thinking of the high rises we have around here where the satnav seems to direct all delivery drivers. There's not much happening gardeningwise around them, but some balcony plantings are stunning!