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 need to take inspiration from you both. I have a long neglected rockery of sorts in the back corner of my garden which has couch grass, ferns and London pride. Plus a beautiful Acer in the middle which i would like to preserve. I'll probably tackle it next year, but not due what to do with it!

I think you probably win.

Unearthed a rat's nest 🤦‍♀️

Also hung some spinney things from D's little secret garden and planted a rose

Oh dear! What did you do?

Picked them up to save them from suffocating, posted on Mumsnet to ask if they were nice or rats, put them back, had an ongoing moral dilemma 🤣

Since my last update, I've removed a long strip of harts tonue fern from the rain channel at the front of the house, and relocated it along the base of a stone wall in a shady bit at the far end of the garden, and re-directed the weeding to the bed under the hamamelis, where I've found 3 established Heaucheras looking splendid, some Pulmonaria and Brunnera and some native bluebells, and one only out of the two Heuchera that I planted this year.

I'm beginning to think I', no longer in control of this garden, and wondering how one goes about finding a gardener, as opposed to a young man who enjoys using power tools.

I haven't been in contol of my garden for years. These days, I just let nature get on with it, and hope for the best. Anything too rampant gets a good chop (eventually), anything I don't like is hoiked out and everything else is left to do what it wants. Far fewer casualties that way, as they tend to put themselves where they find the conditions to their liking. I can see that over the next week I'm going to be busy winkling marjoram seedlings out of 200 bonsai pots though.😂

Weeded around the potato patch.
Put some larger sunflower plants in.

I've watered pots, that's about it. I have though made a list of further pots I want to buy from B&M tmrw, I've got a couple of self seeded lavenders I've been nurturing since last summer that now need potting on before planting out next summer, and I fancy a clashing colour theme!

I’ve watched the Chelsea coverage on the telly.

I finally weeded the patio after putting it off for weeks and my good result inspired DH to weed the other patio right at the back of the garden cos you know, anything I can do he can do better😁I don't mind if it means he does gardening! Also potted up some peppers and tried putting unravelled scourers around some pots to protect them from slugs. One day something I try against slugs will work...

I keep finding more pots in states of disarray. I don’t even like pots. I’ve cleared the greenhouse borders ready to enrich. Swapped some seedlings around. I sowed orlaya weeks ago and there is 1 little hint of green in the tray. Probly a weed. The pergola is almost ok to eat in, but only because I took all the stuff in it up to the vegetable patch, which is a mess. Added that to my already very long list of things to do. I really need a gardener. No mow May has begun to depress me a bit. Think I might have to just cut some edges.

I love pots@Zebracat. I've got a lot of garden but I still do loads of pots. I think it's because, although I'm in Scotland, I yearn for a Mediterranean vibe. Planted loads up today, mostly posh pelargoniums from Fibrex nurseries - 'Scarlet Unique' 'Deerwood Lavender Lassie', 'Clorinda', 'Voodoo' and a few more like 'Ardens' and 'Sidoides' that had come through the winter in a polytunnel. I'll do gingers tomorrow and then bed out Cosmos 'Purity' in my white border and Cosmos 'Dazzler' in the cottage garden. I planted pot marigolds and red tagetes there today, and moved some hollyhocks. Yellow Book opening next Sunday so hoping for decent weather. Cakes to make this week. Car parking to organise.

Got my stumpery weeded and tidied, but that was about it. The peonies have started flowering, and the first of the roses.

I thought "I must water the plants" 1000 times and then was relieved when it rained and I didn't have to!

Yesterday I mowed the tiny lawn with the mini strimmer as we can't fit a lawnmower in. I bought my 3 year old a little rake from Lidl in the hopes that he might help me rake up(he didn't but I live in hope)

Built a 10ft trampoline by myself 😫 I hate the bloody things but I'm trying to entice the children into the garden.

My own children that is, not random ones!

@Bideshi I do like pots really. , just don’t like how much work they are. And I love pelargonium, but mine all died in the frosts..

I have a large Pieris in a very large and beautiful salt glazed pot, but I think the Pieris is dead, no leaves on an evergreen is a clue!I have an Acer in the matching pot so may find another, as my birthday present in July.

@SawdustAndShit . Good work.

Planted out 3 climbing tomatoes and 3 B-road bean plants, watered everything, swept the patio.

Meant to sow some French beans and plant out flowering bulbs but never got around to it.

Arf at ‘B-road bean plants’! 😁

I feel as if I'm so behind this year! I've just put up a big frame for the squash. I am thinking I might try melons this year, just for fun, since last year was so hot. I have dug in loads of manure for the squash, and I've also prepped a bed for the courgettes, and started prepping an overspill bed for whatever other cucurbitae take my fancy. This year I promised myself I'd be lazy about sowing seeds as I need some time off, so I have only sown Sibley squash. I've bought in Kuri and Crown Prince and Honey Bear, and a couple of varieties of cucumber and courgette. But I am already feeling a bit lacking, so maybe I'll buy more.

I planted some beetroot and some fennel, and potted up lots of lovely herbs.

Oops 😬 I wonder if I can get some A-road beans which might grow faster?' 🤣

Dug up a camellia i foolishly put into the garden not realising it needs ericascious soil, so back in the pot it goes.
Planted out 2 foxgloves & a pulmonaria.
We're away next week & it's looking like it's going to be hot so a little worried things won't survive.

Wow, great work!🥂👏