What have you done in the garden today?

[ThreeRingCircus]

I thought it would be a nice idea to share what we've been up to in our gardens.

Today I planted potatoes in buckets (with drainage holes drilled into them.) Six buckets in total, three second earlies and three main crops. I have fond memories of digging up potatoes with my dad when I was a child.... I still get excited rummaging around in the buckets when my potatoes are ready!

I also made up a herb planter from an old plant pot that had been hiding behind the shed. Mint, parsley and thyme planted in that so I'll see how that does.

I fed my pot plants with blood, fish and bone and gave them a water.

What have you been up to?

I have been using a half moon edging tool to mark out a better separation between our lawn and beds. I have lots still to dig, but hoping it will reduce the grass creep and weeding requirements going forwards.

I really need to get my potatoes in now though too. I have four varieties and numerous tubs and sacks for them to go in. It's probably my most satisfying produce to harvest; like you, I find it pretty exciting!

Watered my lavender! I live in an apartment and have a terrace

I planted winter aconite in the green. They’re on a slope under some trees but I hope they’ll get enough light and be happy there.

Went to a local garden centre to look for cyclamen (because of Monty!) but just came home with a £2 pot of tete-a-tete.

Planted cleome and cosmos seeds.

In the family sunflower seed competition, the cat has 100% germination of five seeds, the rest of the family have zero (so far). The cat can't remember what seed packet he used!

nothin! I ain’t done nothin in the garden today! Why what have you heard?

I love my edging tool! It does make such a difference.... I need to go out and do my lawn edges too.

I went to see how the asparagus is going in the raised bed. Five little pink spears poking up so far!

I love that the cat is winning!

Yes, I definitely need some cyclamen too..... watching Gardner's World is a dangerous business.

It's pouring with rain here so I don't think I'll be doing much gardening today, but at least the plants are getting a good water.

Potted up som bare root plants that arrived - want them to put on some growth before I plant them out

I sowed seeds in my raised cutting flower garden. I surrounded it with a wire guard fence and put twigs in it to stop animals getting in.
I also remove the Ivy from a long low growing wall.

I’ve reclaimed it from an old veg bed.

I potted on 15 free perennials from JParkers, only one looks deid the rest are quite happy so I’m pleased. Put up the first couple of a few large rolls of willow screening in the back garden, did the front in the autumn and was pleasantly impressed with how much it reduced the wind…which should lead to more happy plants in both gardens. I have paeonies and a wiegela to plant this evening but want to be certain of my positioning plan first.

I fed the lawn and then got glared at by the cat because I wouldn’t let her outside. Am hoping it rains soon (although three separate weather apps have three different forecasts) so her confinement won’t be too long!

Put down cardboard in the polytunnel for no dig beds. Lettuce getting bigger so will be going in there soonish. Watered the cucumber, cosmos, beans and sweet peas. Checked through the seeds to see what needs to go in next.

Checked on the rhubarb and angelica which is finally sprouting now I've netted it to keep the chickens off it.

I was digging to put seed potatoes in next week. I found lots of potatoes from last summer and some winter cabbage and ate them for dinner 😋
Tidied up and removed some weeds from my wildflower mini meadows. Was very happy to see the rhubarb and Angelica coming up well.

I’ve pruned the fig and the grape vine

I planted out a load of lavender and divided up and replanted some foxgloves.

I wandered up and down begging plants not to be dead 😞. I pulled up a few weeds and realise I need to spend some time out there as soon as the rain stops.

I cleared some of the duckweed that was already taking over the pond from the little bit of sun we've had and moved some Pulmonaria that had come up in the lawn over to a flower bed. Oh also cut back some Rosemary that had been affected by the cold.

I planted strawberries rhubarb crowns and potatoes at the allotment. I threw a couple of rows of carrots and parsnips in to see if they germinate. Then at home I repotted 3 blueberries. Sowed some leeks and onions looked at the rose bushes that need repotting and the dahlia tubers aswell and decided tomorrow is another day 🙃

I used to wander up and down begging things not to be dead then realised I've pulled them up thinking they were a weed!
Mine are just self sown annuals mainly so at this time of year, I leave alone. I even leave the dandelions so the bees can get some early pollen - but remove them before they set seed.

I built a hazel thing round a pear tree with protective netting to keep deer off as they kept eating leaves on my young tree last year.
amd checked on spinach planted a month ago and only two tiny plants exist. I wondered if anything eats my spinach seeds every time eg we have lots of pigeons

Basically took a kill or cure approach to my hedge. It’s all wood below the fence top and choked with bamboo but I cut it back hard and cleared the bamboo and it’ll either die or sprout from the bottom. Tbh it’s hopeless because I can’t really “get at it” to maintain it properly. If ( when?) it does I will move the fence and replant on the garden side of the fence rather than it being on the road side sunk behind a wall.

Cut the grass. Attempted to put next door fence back up- which resulted in it falling down again. Debating on next course of action. They are not the most considerate of neighbours.

Today I have cleared out a few dead things and emptied the pots, rearranged my bonsai trees and sorted out a better display for them, and discovered that some tree seeds I planted last autumn have germinated!
There's a lovely maple tree outside the office where I work, and I collected some seeds from it last year. A bit further up the road is a crab apple tree that has tiny yellow apples, and I collected some of those too. And today, I found two little apple trees poking up through the soil, and about 7 of the maples as well. Well chuffed.

Planted some dill and oregano seeds in the greenhouse with my two year old. It was all going so well until we had finished and he grabbed a pot to tip it all out so we could do it all again!