WHAT JOBS ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY 2018

I had thought about autumn flowering crocuses. I haven't seen any in any shops. The spot that I had earmarked is currently being used for something else now anyway. Maybe next year I 'll look into it again.

G.

 

The children sowed some sweet William, late I admit, but it's been a busy summer my biennials and some perennials are getting sown this weekend, as someone once said ( mrs @shiney I think ) the plants don't read the text books
Apologies to Mrs shiney if I'm wrong

 

Today I cut my lobelia in half. I put one half back where it was and potted the other half for safe keeping.


For now I have stood it behind my water feature which is roughly in the area I would like it.

Afterwards I had a thought. My neighbours have there's in there water feature (an area considerably bigger than mine). I wouldn't plant anything in my barrel as it would likely clog up my pump. Inside my barrel is a plastic tub, the kind of thing you would use for laundry. It might be possible move that tub forward sufficiently to pack some dirt behind it. That would then give the impression of being in the water feature without actually being in it. Or I could just plant it behind close to where it is now.

Question - should I cut the spent flower spike off.

G.

 

Yep, always remove spent flower heads Gary. Allowing flower heads to develop tell the plant to "close down" and foliage qualify suffers
Again, this lobelia will happily grow in water except over winter. It is slightly tender and will rot over the coldest months. Best to protect over winter.... you could keep it in the soil with a dry mulch and fleece

 

@Verdun I will get out there and chop those spikes off in the next day or two. This year I had 4 flower spikes. Am I likely to get more spikes as the plant matures? What I'm really asking is - is the plant "beefy" enough on its own or will it look lost? How well do you think that deep red will go with the orange kniphofia and geum? I still have the heuchera purple palace in its pot. That will be 2 plants with dark foliage that will hopefully compliment each other.

G.

 

Gary
Yes the plant will be "beefy" enough as it matures. I divide and pot up for the winter and if you then plant out 3 plants as a group in spring it will produce the impact you covet. I find it a very floriferous plant esp if kept moist
Its not a subtle colour combination ....orange and red.....but harmonious I think. The heuchera and lobelia echo each other perfectly. Geum Totally Tangerine and Knip Mango do same thing. I would add a silver or grey foliage plant to provide a contrast to the otherwise complementary planting scheme....???

 

Replanting my Dahlia bed over the next few days . The cactus type dahlias have been very poor this year for whatever reason . So bed is being cleared and replanted with some shrubs and perennials . Sad day as we really like the big tall dahlias ............

 

Again, not doing much in the garden today apart from deadheading and picking salad crops later.

Shame about your dahlias Harry.......what perennials are you thinking about to replace the dahlias? Dahlias here, some over 6' tall, have done well over the summer but they are always mulched and fed.

 

Just moving a couple of shrubs from "congested " areas , Verdun . A Mexican Orange and a Californian Lilac . Moving some dwarf bamboo there as well , which should be fun splitting next week ! Not decided on any perennials yet , need to have a ponder on that .

 

cut boundary hedge this afternoon. Stretching and reaching with a hedgetrimmer on the top rung of a ladder is not advisable folks but job done

A beautiful summer's day for the end of August. So prob the sunniest summer in recent times?

 

I've been tidying a flower bed I made on the driveway into the old garage which I have now changed into a shed.







Cotoneaster and Hypericum :-



A little road goes past the garden and it's nice to have a chat with passers by





I've been going to paint that little wall all summer lol

 

Very nice Michael......prob best coleus Ive seen all summer

 

Thanks, I sowed too many. I have two tubs like that and a trough full of them !