WHAT JOBS ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY 2018

Wish you good luck tomorrow FC

 

@Fat Controller I wish you the best tomorrow. I am passing my good luck on to you. I got use of it today. I was relieved to be advised that I don't have cancer as was originally suspected and I cross my fingers that you are given good news about yourself too. I'd love to stand you a drink

 

I didn't do much gardening. I did finally acknowledge that my King Protea seeds only enriched the soil and refused to germinate so I set those pots aside. I also shifted lots of other pots around and will probably move them back tomorrow as I'm already regretting that shuffle.

I also was pleased that we had so much rain that I used the rain from my barrels to water the greenhouse denizens twice and have enough to last until the next guessed rain date

 

Yesterday I took all our chilli plants - about 25, with 6-7 different varieties - up to the un-used veg bed (in the process of emptying the raised bed, before refilling with manure, garden compost and soil). We are about to go on holiday for 3 weeks, so I bunch the plants together in the veg bed, sunk up to the top of the pots in the soil. This just about limps the plants on until our return. The grouping creates a microclimate, sinking the pots stops them blowing over and protects against some drying winds, and sinking in the soil gives them a chance to soak up water. This last point is a bit mute when the sandy soil is spent, and like dust!

Also tied in the summer Jasmine and Passion flower, hoe-ed some of the weeds out of the pavement cracks outside, weeded the extended patio bed, edged the grass (which is starting to green up again in places!!) on the edge of the new soak-away, and moved some tiddler goldfish to the half-barrel water feature.

 

Sending positive vibes for today and tomorrow FC. So happy for you Lori, after such a worrying time it must feel like a whole new start

 

Fantastic news, @CanadianLori - I imagine the feelings of relief on hearing that news!

Thinking of you today and tomorrow, @Fat Controller as you see the specialists, and hoping that you are making a bottled purchase soon!

 

Thank you, @shiney !

Unfortunately we don't currently have an external tap. It is difficult enough to find neighbours who are willing to empty our letter-box whilst we are away. They positively recall in horror when we try to give them a house key! It's not the work, but the responsibility, I think....
Also, we have a watering ban in place at the moment: hosepipes and watering cans are banned.

I hope to have a friend who will come and pick the tomatoes and courgettes as they grow, so we don't return to rotten fruit and marrows...

The veg bed that I'm using has pretty much been dug out, so I'm sitting the pots in the soil at the bottom of the bed, well over a foot below the top of the side boards. Looking up the garden, level with the top of the boards, I can only see about 6" of growth. So they should be quite sheltered, and any moisture should not get stripped out by the winds. I will soak the plants and bed tonight, and again tomorrow night, before we leave on Saturday. (Hoping that the hosepipe-spotting helicopters are not in the area, so we don't get fined/imprisoned!!) Hopefully, the rain forecast for Sunday, any occasional showers, and our normal heavy dews will keep them going. I'll report back mid-September!