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?

Did a bit of weeding in the "chuck it in" bed, and found that a few more of my old seeds have actually germinated. Some beetroot and something oniony (might be onions, spring onions, leeks or chives. They all look the same at this stage and I can't remember what I planted.
Picked a few radishes to thin them out a bit.
I'm onto the second water butt now, it's almost 3 weeks without rain now, which is almost unprecedented in Manchester.

Dug out the last section of border, about 4 ft. It was mainly straggly bits of grass in shade under a tree so couple of hours did it. Popped a dicentra alba in next to one I planted months ago and has done well.

Am going to plant out a lilac that had self- seeded and grown to about 2-3 ft at the back of the garden. Had hoicked it out and it's sat happily in a pot, now going to pop it in the border proper- not least to provide shade for some of my plants!

Also will water heartily. Found some dry and barely moving worms in the soil, so refreshed them.

Just taking a rest and dinner before doing those last bits...

It was grey and cool first thing so I spent two hours planting out everything that I had grown from seed, rudbeckia, verbena bonariasis, aquilegia, salvias, zinnias, plus a number of plug plants I have grown on. Hurray!
I watered them well and will water again in a bit.
I sat in a friend’s wonderful garden this afternoon, it’s quite small but packed with plants. When I came back I moved two climbing roses that were struggling in a border overrun with blasted day lilies (I’ve given up trying to dig them out). Poor things are definitely struggling so I hope that having moved them and given them a good soaking they will survive.
Now it’s G&T time before re-watering everything 😊

This is on 953 posts. It won’t take any more after 1000, so someone needs to start a continuation post

OK @Zebracat Our house is on a slope with a looming hill behind it. It's an old house. Because of the dominance of the natural landscape it needs something very structured and formal to anchor it to the site, so that it's not diminished and overwhelmed. For years I had a sort of girly box edged bed thing, but then the dreaded box blight struck.
Move on to second marriage to eminent landscape architect who agreed about the anchoring thing and tutted about the lack of grip shown by me re the front of the house. He designed a small garden based on the design of tartan cloth: twelve identical squares, edged with clipped lonicera, divided by narrow gravel paths with a brick square in each intersection. The ideas was to bed them out twice a year with blocks colour (tulips work best.)
Good idea, but when we put it into practice we found that the double slope had the squares tilting in all sorts of crazy directions. No prob said DH. I'll adjust the angles by cutting the mini-hedges at different heights to give the illusion of level site. Except that that's a lot more difficult than it sounds, and, anyway, I quite like the slightly bonkers undulating look. We decided to leave and enjoy it. Because we're open to the public each part of the garden has a small slate name board, and somehow this started to get called 'The Perverse Parterre', so that's what went on the board. I like it a lot. Not so keen on the biannual bedding task but but it's lovely when it works.

I think I envy your choice in husband as much as your garden!

@Bideshi . Thank you and what a beautifully clear explanation. I would definitely also enjoy the undulations. I think perfection is overrated.

New thread created here as we approach 1000 posts

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/gardening/4823202-what-have-you-done-in-the-garden-today-part-2

@Bideshi that sounds incredible, I’d love to see a picture if you were willing to post one.

I finally finished weeding/removing grass from my border today 🥳 Still a few small jobs to do in the garden but I’m so glad to have that crossed off the list.
My phones claiming no rain is predicted until the 16th, which I think will mean we’ve had a full month without rain, which is concerning after such a dry summer last year.

we've all gone over-to the new thread - see @ThreeRingCircus post.

Yes, the prospect of another dry summer is concerning. I half heard something on the radio about El Niño having started.

Picked a load of mulberries, and the only four cherries the birds haven't yet had! Smiled at the sweet William and wallflower seeds popping through the vermiculite from my first ever planting from seeds.

Next ...watering with cans as no hoses work for some reason

I have cut the big hawthorn hedge with shears just in case the blackbirds are still nesting.I was going to leave it longer but it was making it difficult to get down the path.I finally got to use my new Henchman ladder that I bought last year just before I tore a cartilage and then had to have a partial knee replacement. DH had to come and do some of the top as I still couldn't reach.Everything is bagged up and ready to go to the tip first thing tomorrow as I can't compost or shred hawthorn.IAnd I've just watered my tomatoes,aubergines and beans as despite a slight chance of rain it has now brightened up again.

I don't know when I last posted in here, I've been prepping, mulching, planting, pruning, and harvesting raspberries, strawberries, spinach, first chilli today, beets, potatoes, carrots...I've taken down the mange your as they went mental and there was too much to deal with so I mowed them all up and used as a mulch.

All the veg patch is planted with all the ready veg and my next batch of green beans is just coming up. My last pots of seed grown flowers and ready to go in.

And tomorrow starts the next batch of sowing for successional crops of lettuce, beets, spring onions, and a late batch of cukes and courgettes.

It never ends....

We had torrential rain here yesterday for 2 hours. My thirsty plants were already flopping and now they are mostly horizontal. So I belatedly ordered plant supports, bit stable door but they will work next year. Picked my first sweet peas and more berries. Went to Compton Verney and admired the genius of Capability Brown.

Of course it doesn’t matter but, as this thread is nearly full, all the most recent chat about what we’ve done in our gardens is in the Part 2 version.

Link to part 2:

What have you done in the garden today? Part 2 http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/4823202-what-have-you-done-in-the-garden-today-part-2

Not a lot in our own garden this week - although I should be harvesting peas for tomorrow's dinner and will need to respect for a second crop this week.

But in DMIL's yesterday, as she moaned about DBIL not having time to dig out 1 veg bed and sow her onions in the past 3 months, I spent just under an hour clearing the bed and sowing (too close but they're late so won't grow as much anyway) 50 onion sets.

Then I picked the raspberries that were already ripe (almost a kilo!) and netted the bed as the birds attack them. Which involved a trip to the local hardware shop and we'll over an hour getting the posts set and 2 nets joined. (Then I cleaned up the mud from my legs and dried off from the thundery showers before getting in the car to drive 3.5 hours home).

DMIL did give me a small tubs of rasps to bring home in thanks 😊

Wow, @BiddyPop Hope there was a medal in that small pot of raspberries 😵‍💫😇

@catwithflowers , @BiddyPop we’ve all gone over to the new thread, http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/4823202-what-have-you-done-in-the-garden-today-part-2