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'm feeling a bit poorly so just had a walk round today. First of the tulips are open so that was cheering. Also noticed loads of California poppies coming up in a bed they haven't been before. They are a total law to themselves.

I weeded the border a bit today and that's about it! It's been lovely weather here though so I did sit out in the garden for a bit and also dried some washing on the line for the first time this year!

Yes, I’m currently obsessed with getting the laundry out onto the line. I’ve just down two packets of freebie seeds so am hoping for the best.

I weeded and edged a circular bed that’s not very circular now! It’s very awkward to get at because there is an ancient, gnarled dwarf apple tree in the middle with droopy branches and I didn’t want to knock off any buds. Did most of it lying on my tummy. I also planted a rambling rose, which I’m hoping to trail along some railings, and generally marvelled that everything had survived the winter. I also topped up the bird feeders - I think we have sparrows and blue tits nesting in the wooden eaves again. Sparrows on the left wall and blue tits on the right wall. I sewed some globe thistles, but they won’t flower until next year.

Not today but yesterday. Finally finished cutting back my hydrangeas. Been doing them around the weather. Its been so wet here.

Got my dahlias into pots and into the potting shed.

Have loads of sycamore seedlings pushing through the lawn, borders, top patio and path. Picking out the obvious ones, really need to mow but its so wet still.

Admired my daffs in the front garden. Glared at the dog for trampling the ones in the back. I won't out more in the back garden, utterly pointless.

I've planted California poppy seeds this year after admiring them in the garden of a holiday cottage we stayed at last year (and from where I also collected some lupin seeds!).
I went to the garden centre at the weekend. Bought some lobelia mini plugs and some drumstick primula in the reduced section so happy with that!
We had a frost overnight (-2 at 8am) so despite the recent sunshine I'm being wary and keeping everything snug in my grow frame.

Let them be, to help the bees, who have little else this time of year.

I dig out dandelions. I have lots of pulmonaria and other things in flower so I don’t believe the bees will go hungry.

@ZeldaWillTellYourFortune I've done that previously but the lawn is a mess, it needs sorting.

Went out at the weekend for the first time to do some cutting back. So much rain here in SW, it's been too wet to do much at all until now... the cyclamen that I put into pots in autumn were drowned and disappeared.

Generally tidied up a bit, and have planted some white snapdragons indoors. The tulips are coming into bud, so I'll remember what colours were planted last year!

I've just had two new pots and a load of compost delivered by the local garden centre. I'm planning on planting some buddleia in the pots. I want to encourage more wildlife into the garden but am too nervous about putting buddleia in the ground as the one at our last house (it was there when we moved in) was an absolute thug and grew under the fence into the neighbours garden! I've ordered a few different coloured buddleia as I like those tricolour ones that are from three different plants grown together but it was cheaper to order some individual plants separately and try to do it myself than to buy the tricolour ones from somewhere online. I'm not sure how well they'll do in pots if I put more than one plant in there (although the pots are large) but we shall see.

@ThreeRingCircus anything is worth trying in the garden! I have a berries and cream two-tone buddleja that’s very nice, and love my globe one. They all take from cuttings so well, I generally plant up most of my pruning to then give as presents to people later in year.
I’ve finally got back in to the garden after damaging my eye…I bought new pots from the garden centre yesterday and have some echinacea, lavender and geum I want to try in them so planted them up. I also did some weeding, but have plenty more to do.

We had a dry morning so I could split and repot some Miscanthus and Siberian Iris.
I also managed to sow some Cosmos and Larkspur. Need more compost tomorrow.

Apart from staring at my seeds, willing them to grow (which clearly is working as more have sprouted) I’ve been disposing of the fuchsias and pelargoniums which have not survived the winter. A couple more have had a temporary reprieve …

I was admiring the berries and cream buddleia online.

Today I bought some sprouting tulips as I wasn't organised enough to plant bulbs in the autumn. I haven't planted them yet so they're sat out in their pots in the garden. I'll try and plant them tomorrow as I'm absolutely shattered today after work.

Planted seeds of Good King Henry, Sorrel, Swiss Chard, Lettuce, Runner beans and some weird seeds that came from China in lockdown. But in seed trays, not in the garden.

I put mine in some pots to give them a better chance, my garden is a bit of a wilderness. I'll plant them out when I think they have some good roots going. I have put a few in before and I really like them. Seem to grow well in shade.

I've gone and picked up a load of plant pots today.

Pricked out quite a few tomatoes.

Sorted my tomatoes into some order.

I got some Kokopelli seeds at the weekend, so sowed them this evening.

Just realized all my lollipop seed labels have gone mouldy by soaking up the water from the trays. There's going to be some surprises this year.😣

@Daftasabroom I had that issue last year too. Gave up and bought some plastic ones as I realised the DC were also happily using them to make mud ponds in the garden

We had some lovely sunshine today and I had high hopes of airing the garden sofa cover, repotting some plants and moving some compost around... then it rained again. Aaarrggghhhh!

@RebeccaSharp I've pulled them all out and laid the across a corner of each tray, a bit too late for some.

I now use bamboo picnic knives, bought quite cheaply in discount shops, they last longer and have more room on the blade to write.

I use lollipop sticks too for seed labels as I don't want to use plastic but bamboo knives sounds like a great idea!

I'm absolutely knackered as was out in the garden for most of the morning planting up pots and daffodils and tulips in the border plus moving a load of compost I had delivered. I'm on heavy clay and the garden was sodden from all the rain so it was hard work digging in the border. The cup of tea afterwards when I was all finished was heavenly!

I’ve fallen out of love with wooden labels because they all go black - even the smart ones from Waitrose which I wrongly assumed had been treated - so I’ve now reverted to scrubbing and reusing plastic ones.

My garden is sodden too and the lawn is looking very sorry for itself as it’s been walked on too much.

Ive planted some shrubs and evergreen ferns. Our garden is very flower based, so it looks rather barren in the winter months. Hoping these new additions will give a bit of structure and greenery all year round.
I’ve popped inside for a late lunch and then the afternoons plan is to plant a raspberry (all gold) bush in the veg patch and put together a new bird feeding station.