What Jobs Are We Doing In The Garden Today 2020

I got the Hedge Trimmer, Reciprocating Saw, and Hand Saw out and starting cutting the Blue Buddleja, in the West corner of the Patio, down. Because I wasn't able to prune it last year, due to being ill, the Buddleja has turned into a monster and brute of a Shrub. I used the Hedge Trimmer to basically cut the majority of the branches down and I was amazed how it managed to get through some really thick stems where I would have, normally, resorted to a Saw. I had to use both the Reciprocating Saw and the Hand Saw, once the main outer growth had been cut out, to cut through some of the treelike trunks while leaving some shoots on the trunks.
I don't know if anyone else has the same problem with Buddlejas but the Pollen and dust from them cause me to choke when I breathe it in or get it in the mouth and it's not a nice experience. I did manage to get away with it for most of the time today but, towards the end, I did start to choke. I have done 90% of the cutting back and what is left are large thick stems that have protruded through the Chicken Wire frames on the top of my fences. So, tomorrow, I will get the Secateurs and Saw out again to free the stems from the frames........and I will be wearing a mask to stop myself choking.
Another thing that I will need to do is get rid of a lot of the Ivy that has crept along the fences. So I've ordered 5 litres of White Vinegar to make into a solution in a Pressure Sprayer and give the Ivy a good soaking to kill it off. You have to be careful to make sure that the Vinegar/Water solution doesn't get on other plants but it will get rid of the Ivy.
Anyway, covered in Buddleja pollen, dust and debris I headed for the Shower, something to eat and a Mug of Tea!!

 

Have you seen your Doctor about that, andrews??

 

I did some more digging and weeding. Quite difficult to do as a lot of it was getting out strawberry weed.



Then I came across this!!!! Grrr!

 

Carrots would be fine - a seventeen year old forsythia and eleven other perennials, for a starter - is not! You're welcome to keep coming and replacing our lovingly grown plants if you wish.

 

And, I think, my answer was the same.

Our rabbits have always been very welcome in the past but these are not just nibbling things.

They are continually digging holes at the base of the plants and chewing through the roots. The forsythia was 7ft high but had it's roots exposed and chewed through until the whole thing collapsed. Other plants are receiving a similar treatment except that they then also eat part of the plants as well uprooting them.

An occasional hole in the garden (I just fill them in again) and some nibbling of leaves has always been a happy compromise and we have also treated sick or injured rabbits as well as other wild life but total devastation of plants is unacceptable.



Being fed one of her concoctions by pipette




Yesterday this bird was unconscious on the lawn. With some care and some of her concoctions he recovered and flew away.