What Jobs Are We Doing In The Garden Today 2019

Nice to see you back @BigC I were wondering what you've been upto a while back

 

Hi,

Many thanks luciusmaximus for your kind comment; your flowers are pretty and perhaps there will be many more just waiting to burst into bloom; each time I look at our meadow it changes; yesterday I noticed lots more cornflowers in full bloom; in total contrast to the new meadow at the top of the mountain I broadcast seeds from the same packet to our side garden and these are struggling to put a show on; yours look marvelous compared to these but I live in hope.

Kind regards, Colin.



These meadow flowers are struggling; meadow flowers are supposed to like poor soil but this is poor and they aren't doing well whereas the new meadow at the top of the mountain using seeds from the same batch have gone ballistic in very fertile soil; things are always backwards here.



You are right luciusmaximus about cameras not doing justice; our meadow flowers look stunning just being a blaze of colour.

 

My wildflower area is so disappointing compared to yours @luciusmaximus and @Retired !

Still, it does the job of giving cover for the damselflies, and is normally busy with insects.

I cut the grass from the herb bed down the garden, and around the “wild” areas, and cut one “wild” strip that was mainly sheep’s-ear hawkweed, which has mostly gone over now...



Part of the lower area, which is kept on a “high” cut at this time of the year, with paths cut two settings below the top setting...


One of the wild areas at the top of the garden where the soil is much poorer, and near the pond

 

Bit greedy Perki......only polite to share such tasty looking strawberries

Re wildflower meadows, I had to take a picture of this. It has been flowering for weeks. Don’t think the picture does it credit because the meadow goes on and on and on. Glorious

Not long back but I will be staking a few more dahlias later. Now that Logan has reminded me I need to cover my blueberries too. Love the birds here but they are a tad greedy

 

Hopefully @Logan, I like quirky things in the garden, they provide a lot of interest as well as the flowers.

Thanks, @Perki, be a bit of a layoff and a lot of family matters to attend to which meant the garden was on the back burner for a time, hopefully, we can get this BBQ sizzling again, but its gonna take some grafting lol

It's not looking too bad..really...I made a bird box today more for decoration than practicality hopefully something will use it maybe next season. I have left it bare pallet wood as I want it to age naturally and take on that grey/silver hue after it's been kept outside for a while. I commandeered an old 2x2 inch wooden stake and set it up on that for the present. Although I want to place a large terracotta dish below it eventually to grow outdoor succulents around it in amongst some twig work. Should look neat when complete. I have plenty of Lupin seed pods this year so I may throw some around the base of the stake and maybe it will come into its own in 2020. Pics to follow.

Visiting Althrop House and then up to Harlow Carr in a couple of weeks.

Regards
C

 

Took out the spent Foxgloves today ..I was sorry to see them go they've been marvellous,planted out Cerinthe and cosmos to fill the gaps ,dug up some spuds,'charlottes' ,picked sweetpeas and got me a nice punnet of Strawberries for tea...I tell you what this gardening lark is flipping magic.

 

That’s the life Linz Used to have a 15’ pool in the garden here ....great fun
The beach is nearby here so I share your enjoyment of the water

Just an afterthought and a measure of context......the pool was not for me, of course!!

 

Been picking red and black currant, gooseberries and raspberries. Hubby started trimming the pyracantha.

 

Another wildflower meadow at East Ruston Old Vicarage Gardens.
This is how I would like mine to look
​

 

Lovely Alana.
Wild flower meadows are increasingly commonplace down here now.
In my own (non wild flower right now but planning for a wildflower section) garden I have noticed more bees, butterflies and the like this year than for a few years. Councils, farmers, builders and the like are noticeably behaving more responsibly towards the natural environment.

 

I've been pulling up the nigella in the cutting patch. I've save some of the seedheads for flower arranging so they're in the shed drying along with bunches of lavender. I'll be making lavender bags when they've dried to keep the moths off my woolies.
I've got some more annuals to go in the empty space left but I need to weed first. It's surprising what takes a hold under the flowers
Deadheading is ongoing.
Agapanthus count - 20 buds on the white one, 18 on the blue and 4 on the new one which is evergreen and larger and bluer. None are named varieties - all given. I'll post pictures when they're in flower and perhaps one of you guys can name them for me.
They're in tubs and brought up near the house so I can appreciate them from my sitting room window.

 

Pulled 10 lb of rhubarb to cook down for the freezer.

 

One of the joys of our garden is the limited amount of maintenance required. So sometimes I end up looking for things to do. I mowed the lawn three days ago, but gave it another go today and got about half a grass box full off it. Did a bit of wisteria pruning, then went round with the garden vac. About 20 mins work.



I've moved the two troughs of hebes which are usually situated either side of the tea house steps and temporarily put them on the bottom step of the far side of the patio. They'll get more sun here. Also my wife can see them from the lounge. i've also put the bird bath in the middle of this patio, it was starting to get hidden by the azaleas when it was at the extreme left-hand side of the top patio step. The birds will feel more secure using it now.



I'm pleased with the growth of the plants in the old pool waterfall, this now just looks like the continuation of the rockery. As they are all sitting on solid rock or concrete. I drilled a 1" hole near the former lip of the waterfall through a big paving slab and then through the pool's concrete collar below it, so any waterering or rain, drains into the sub soil and not onto the new flagged area.




The ground cover is recovering well around the base of the new fountain. All the gaps should be filled within a couple of weeks.

 

@Doghouse Riley your place looks so manicured that I hope you are able to sit and enjoy it too! I don't see any seating in the garden though other than I believe you had a few chairs on the veranda of the tea place?

 

I found the first 2 nice looking, ripe strawberries in my wee patch last night whilst removing dead leaves, weeding and putting runners into pots. Excitedly went for them at lunch today and the birds had beaten me to it .

Not sure if the magpies or pigeons got them, the pigeons were perhaps fed up with all the grass seed they have consumed!

Off to put up some netting...