What Jobs Are We Doing In The Garden Today 2020

What sort of chicks, @andrews ? It's been years since I've had space for more than a small group of bantams, and even longer since I hatched anything; I vaguely remember being able to sex welsummers as very young birds, but not how we did it!

 

These are cream legbars. They are easy to sex as the hens have Cleopatra eyes and defined markings. The males are mottled and meet their maker quickly. Not sure about welsummers and sexing them (its my wifes hobby more than mine). We hatched croad langshans at one time (stunning looking birds) and they were really difficult to sex. Some were 3 months old before we could be sure of their sex.

Trev - our black croad cockerel from when we had three different pens with cockerels - Trev, Nev and Kev (down to one now). He stood almost 2 feet tall.

 

Yesterday pricked out some tomato seedlings sweet million and 60 of the calendula seedlings.

 

Just got myself 16 big buckets of well rotted manure from my neighbours huge muck pile. Turns out to be a huge perk of living next door to a farm with a lovely farmer as a neighbour and friend. Going to dig it in the front border now (after scrambled egg on toast and a cup of tea)

 

Only watered my cellar dwellers but am planning to pot up into hanging pots, the ring of fire peppers and hang them in the heated greenhouse. I did sort out my plants in the cellar. One side is all the small seedlings so the lights can be kept just above them and the other is the taller plants. Found one cannabis plant had started to show signs of being a male so ripped him out by the roots and threw him in the green bin.

It's going to be a sunny 50f day so I plan on getting inside chores done this morning and then being able to putter out there all afternoon.

Did a little meander yesterday and discovered that some catnip in a cold frame had come back. Isn't that supposed to be an annual?

 

Hi @CanadianLori

I'm glad I'm not near you if you keep throwing males away

 

I think she just does that with the uninvited males, KFF.
Just to check, you do just do that with the uninvited ones, don't you Lori?

Nick

 

@KFF Said the spider...

Just call me Shelob

And there are lots of ways to distance at 6 feet...

 

I've been cleaning up some of the dead stuff in my little gardens. I believe the clematis has forgiven me for chopping it last year. Big boo boo on my part. I was after a sapling that was not welcome and it was right up against the clematis.

I am so excited. There are three allium leaves poking up. The peony and phlox that I moved last fall are coming back. The asparagus is starting to show as well as the tiger lillies, hostas and rhubarb. This is just so nice to see.

I do have a problem though, I think I don't like where I planted the allium bulbs. So I'll have to figure out where I do want them and when to do something about it.

 

Been a real busy bee. Dug in the egg, toast, tea and manure in the front bed. Took ages to break it all up but looks so much better.

Then I went up to my lotty (on our site so no travelling) and brought back my divisions for planting.

I’ve planted portuguese laurels, dicentra, achillea cassis, acanthus, a philadelphus, the evergreen winter flowering clematis, a climbing white rose and replanted the bushy pinky celebration rose. Then gave everything a good watering and remembered I had online pilates class at 5:15-so managed to clean myself up in time ready for the class. Now I am absolutely exhausted!!! Again!

 

Emptied one of the compost bins and pricked out 60 more calendula.

The black birds like to rummage in the big pots and did a bit of weeding for me at the same time.