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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Original poster

What have you done in the garden today?

969 replies

ThreeRingCircus · 21/03/2023 17:38

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?

OP posts:
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ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 17/05/2023 18:18

Evtheria - I have the same problem with the liner in a wire hanging basket. I think I’m going to buy the next size up and somehow squidge it into place.

My only actual gardening today has been potting on some seedlings.

SarahAndQuack · 17/05/2023 18:43

I did a bit of pottering and got seduced by a passion flower at the nursery (mine died in the winter). I've planted up some herbs and cut back the hellebores that have finally finished flowering.

With the hanging baskets - would you ever do them with moss rather than with a liner? I know it's not for everyone, but IME you get a better result, and the whole thing can be composted at the end.

VenusClapTrap · 17/05/2023 20:10

I planted the replacement Ilex crenata, sprayed all the box again again after seeing more caterpillars, and did loads of mulching. The Russian sage has got the flop. I don’t know why it does that. Happily sprouting away and then suddenly the ends flop and will inevitably die back. Sigh. Been here before with Russian sage.

Imicola · 17/05/2023 20:53

I've set up my drip irrigation for the greenhouse as we're heading off on holiday soon. I got a tap timer thing to try. But of course, every blasted connection is leaking so we'll need to try and sort that out!

LostAtTheCrossRoad · 17/05/2023 21:35

I'm on a bit of a renovation mission in our garden, we haven't looked after it properly in years but I got the bug again last year with some containers, and have made much progress in the last twelve months. So far we've removed one whole dead cypressus hedge, cleared two beds of years of established weeds and turned one into a herb bed, planted a number of container shrubs that will eventually go in to other beds, renovated three huge old laurels, a climbing rose, a fuchsia, yew, and viburnum. I've also realised that weeding is a never freaking ending task...

Yesterday I trimmed our remaining hedge on both our side and our neighbour's (she's very elderly so we've always helped out), and pulled up a bunch of sycamore seedlings from her lawn and beds. In our garden I stripped of a tonne of ivy from the boundary fence panels and weeded the small bed beneath it.

There's still so so much to do but I'm trying for something every single day, no matter how small. Even if it's just pulling up a single weed from somewhere and checking my containers for watering.

NorthernChinchilla · 17/05/2023 23:11

This is it, if you can squeeze even 15 mins each (working) day in, it helps keep on top of it all. Wfh is marvellous in that respect, can finish and get straight out for a bit, rather than commuting so being too knackered and not having the time.

BarrelOfOtters · 18/05/2023 07:15

I planted out some cosmos last night after work and did 10 minutes weeding. I’m trying to embrace the weeds….

also popped in a climbing rose for a bare wall….will have to put supports in but wanted to get its feet in the ground.

Zebracat · 18/05/2023 10:05

I did my pergola pots last night and they look great. I’ve got about 10 more pots to do, in various locations, but they need weeding and top dressing rather than everything.
Loving the renovation @LostAtTheCrossRoad . Suddenly it will all look great. Edging and mulching beds so they have crisp outlines makes a massive difference, in my view, more than actually dealing with the beds! Also just removing stuff, broken weedy pots , dead barbecues etc. But I expect you know that.
The rain has really made the weeds and the slugs/snails multiply. I can’t kill them , I wish I could, but I just can’t. I chuck them into the end of my neighbours garden which is 10 feet high weeds brambles and self seeded trees,so I’m doing him a favour really, he doesn’t mind, Ive promised to help when he gets round to clearing it.
Been up all night with a very poorly beagle. Vet thinks it’s garbage gastritis, they will eat anything. Need to hose the garden down now.

longtompot · 18/05/2023 13:24

I have @ComeIntoTheGardenMaud It started out as some washing up liquid in water in a spray bottle for a blackfly deterrent but I chucked in some whole garlic cloves and it seemed to keep the slugs and snails off my dahlias last year.

Yesterday I decided I need a cloche to keep the cats off, and protect any plants should they deem to grow. After googling how to make one out of non clochy items, I thought I'd reuse my old mini greenhouse poles, the plastic cover is long gone, and some old nets from the house, I have made a rather respectable looking cloche. Should have been a scout ;)

I had a bit of a fail in the greenhouse as it got too hot and fried some of my seedlings. Not that I had many as I've not had a great success with sowing this year.

LostAtTheCrossRoad · 18/05/2023 14:18

Thanks for the encouragement @Zebracat @NorthernChinchilla, there's a long way to go but I'm ploughing on. Today I have uncovered about 75% of a rockery previously hidden by thigh high grass. Haven't seen the actual rocks in a decade! 😂 It's a fairly sunny well drained spot so I'm thinking trailing hardy alpines? I've two phloxes that are doing well in pots, that could be transferred.

InMySpareTime · 18/05/2023 14:33

@LostAtTheCrossRoad how about alpine strawberries? Then you get a bit of fruit and nice pink flowers.

SBAM · 18/05/2023 15:28

Considered doing some weeding, then gave up. I did go squash the aphids on my patio apple tree leaves.

Does anyone have any tips for protecting new plants? I’ve got some calla lilies just coming up, but somethings nibbled the tops. I looked at cloches on Amazon but they’re quite expensive, and I imagine I’ll only need something in place for 2-3 weeks?

Zebracat · 18/05/2023 15:57

I think alpines are about to become very fashionable, you can have fun with it. I would love a rockery.

Beebumble2 · 18/05/2023 17:44

LostAtTheCrossRoad · 18/05/2023 14:18

Thanks for the encouragement @Zebracat @NorthernChinchilla, there's a long way to go but I'm ploughing on. Today I have uncovered about 75% of a rockery previously hidden by thigh high grass. Haven't seen the actual rocks in a decade! 😂 It's a fairly sunny well drained spot so I'm thinking trailing hardy alpines? I've two phloxes that are doing well in pots, that could be transferred.

Alpine Campanulas and rock roses spread.I love rockeries.

LostAtTheCrossRoad · 18/05/2023 18:06

@Beebumble2 I have a campanula in a pot, it hasn't flowered yet this year, would now be a bad time to move it?

Beebumble2 · 18/05/2023 18:29

As long as you do it in a cool part of the day and water it in well, it’ll be fine. They often grow along paving and low walls.

MereDintofPandiculation · 18/05/2023 21:27

"Does anyone have any tips for protecting new plants? I’ve got some calla lilies just coming up, but somethings nibbled the tops. I looked at cloches on Amazon but they’re quite expensive" Home made mini-cloches made from large coke bottles or similar?

I've spend the day tidying the "plants not yet ready to be planted out" area, potting on beans, courgettes, lettuces and various other seedlings, then sowing new seeds to fill up propagator space. It's like a conveyor belt at this time of year.

Loq · 18/05/2023 21:48

I planted 3 hostas at the base of an apple tree and potted 2 japonicas

NorthernChinchilla · 19/05/2023 06:46

I am surprised to report that the two established peonies from my old garden, which were inexpertly hoicked out by me, had to sit in pots through the drought/snow/frost/deluges, then popped in this garden Feb time, are actually going to flower! Was expecting them to sulk for at least a year....

New garden furniture arrives today, so DH can spend his birthday constructing it Grin

Some serious weeding of the front borders needed too.

BestIsWest · 19/05/2023 07:31

Planted some bare root roses that DH had bought very cheaply. It’s probably a bit late for them but we’ll see. Mowed the front lawn. I was going to leave it for no mow May but did it on a high cut instead.

Stompythedinosaur · 19/05/2023 07:54

Endless weeding of bloody dock leaves!

lovemycottage · 19/05/2023 09:39

In my case it's more like what I haven't done as we are trying to turn our lawn in a meadow.
I cannot tell you how many times I had the temptation to cut the grass short and forget about the wildflower garden once for all.
But the wildlife is thriving there and it does give me a joy to look at the little dainty flowers.

BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · 19/05/2023 10:36

Stick with it, @lovemycottage. We're now in year 4 of doing the same and it gets noticeably better - more even, more flowers, more wildlife - each year.

lovemycottage · 19/05/2023 14:34

BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · 19/05/2023 10:36

Stick with it, @lovemycottage. We're now in year 4 of doing the same and it gets noticeably better - more even, more flowers, more wildlife - each year.

That's reassuring to hear.
It does look more like a jungle then meadow atm.😅

Daftasabroom · 19/05/2023 14:39

Used very profane language towards slugs.