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?

Cut down an oversized bay to a single trunk that I'm hoping will standardize. If it doesn't and just dies or coppices again I'm in a whole world of trouble 😵‍💫

My dahlia merckii, thalictrum delavayi and echinacea purpura 'green twister' have all sprouted.

I might cut some rhubarb later.

I've been tackling a very woody lavender bush inherited from the previous owners! I don't they have pruned it since they planted it, I've never seen anything like it! It was taking over the lawn in the front garden!

Just fed the roses, we have 15 of them. My favourite one is a potted desdemona - its scent is incredible.

Planted seeds. Cosmos Bipinnatus, larkspur, helianthus 'ruby eclipse ' tithonia, Chinese forget-me-not.

We've had continual rain until yesterday , cold and windy until about 7pm when it rained .
Dry and sunny today .(At last)

Had a wander about , lawn is like a swamp but it'll suck up all the water .
My potted garden plants are doing ok (except the PassionFlower which is looking really ropey , but one green stem so I'm hoping it'll spring back)

I've got some nastursium and sweetpeas seedlings in the mini greenhouse waiting to go out in pots .

Bought some compost , moved a jasmine in a tub ( well ok , got DH to move it , tub is huge )
Next weekend I can add some more compost to the tubs and mither about where to put the garden furniture .
I reckon it'll be time to get out the shredder and cut things back

No actual gardening but I did tidy my shed so I’m ready to go. Found some seeds with sow by 2023 so will put them in trays tomorrow.

Yesterday I managed a 10 minute stint. Thinned radishes.

Watered pots and containers.

Planted out 1 broad bean plant from each pit to my container bed (dwarf BBs that I'd sown 5 to a large pot and 2 had come up - so I'm happy to leave 1 in pot and 1 in bed from each).

Pulled weeds from stoned area in back garden.

''Twas a nice respite in sunshine! (Before back to computer for work stuff).

Yogurt pots cut into strips work well but you need to write on them with indelible markers, which means you can't re-use them next year in the way you can with pencil on plastic labels.

If you have nail varnish remover, it’ll remove Sharpie and similar ink - this is what enables me to reuse plastic labels many times.

Weeded the front garden, leaving the lovely self seeded violas in the gravel.
tidied and fed the planters in the courtyard, mowed the lawn and sowed some more seeds.
Ate a chunky KitKat as my reward.

I know they are important pollinators and predators of garden pests but I killed 5 queen wasps today - and 2 got away. (Goes to hide in shed).

I think lots more will have survived over the mild Winter we've had, I just prefer they didn't eat my bench/fence panels or disrupt my summer dining.

To help other insects, I've potted on some zinnia and am considering the best place for my Californian poppy seedlings.

Planted a few perennials, did some weeding. Moved a few planters with bulbs to the front garden where they will get some morning sun. Tomorrow I want to clean and sharpen my tools. I don’t usually do this but they need doing.

Today was a great day, I spotted flowers on my pieris for the first time ever! I've been here 13 years, I didn't even know they flowered. I'm so chuffed.

Slunk down to the garden centre again. Bought and planted some oleanders, and a couple of lemon cypress trees. Noticed that a bed has hundreds of seedlings coming up. Think they are probably marigolds

Weather has been beautiful this afternoon so after work i ceased the opportunity to mow the front and back lawns and do a little bit of weeding. Rain is forecast for tomorrow so I'm feeling super smug that I got in at just the right time. So nice looking out at the freshly cut lawns with the sun setting in the background. Spring is coming ❤️

Yesterday I bought 2 gorgeous willow dragonflies from a local open garden plant and extras sale (amazing place which gave me definite garden envy!) so I have been faffing with them. Also bought some bunny tail grasses which I've been placing in a few different spots but haven't made my mind up yet where they will end up. Still picking a bucket of sycamore seeds a day as well!

Planted seeds. Butternut and sweet dumpling squash, cape gooseberries, shallots, leeks, sunflowers, cucumber, padron and bhut jolokia chillies. I've also planted blood orange and pomegranate pips.

I’m on leave this week and DH and DSs are all of school. New garden and we are currently removing all plants down one side alley so we can pave it for a cricket net. The slabs are coming from the big walkway in the middle of the garden and the plants are going in all round. DH did most of that although the boys were helpful(! They’re 7 and 10 so it’s not a given). I have planted a second round of sweet peas and dwarf beans inside and peas and beans outside in the amazing raised bed by the back door. Previous owners clearly spent a small fortune on the garden about five years ago but then neglected it for a couple of years before selling so all kinds of random excitement as plants flower etc.

I am hoping this year is my start on working in my greenhouse and garden after being so utterly rundown and tired with anaemia.
My dd bought me three agapanthus plants, a blue, a white and a blue and white - any hints or tips for them? I believe they prefer restricted roots so plan to plant them in pots.
I plan to mow the grass tomorrow, hoping it will have dried a bit more with the sun today. Greenhouse needs clearing out of many dead plants. I have some clematis cuttings I planted last autumn so I will see if they are survived. Then maybe see what I can sow, I take it it's too late for sweetpeas?

I weeded, de-mossed, potted up and organised obelisk for a lovely Clemetis Rosemoor, sowed poached-egg plant seeds and marigolds, top dressed rhododendrons with Ericaceous compost, started digging an expansion to my side borders to fit more flowers in, and finally sat on my newly made log bench with DH for a cuppa as sun was setting.

Sowed courgette, cosmos and zinnia seeds in the greenhouse and potted on two tomato plants I bought in B&Q this morning (along with a dozen other plants, including primula, ranunculus, anemone) Thank goodness for some lovely sun today although the wind was cold and we had a frosty start.
New patio being laid sometime this week, really excited about it then once the new fencing is done the garden will finally be sorted!
i will go through my seed tin tomorrow and see what else I fancy growing this year, then I need to do some weeding now it’s drying up a bit.

Jet washed the patio. Started at ten and finished at 3.30. Such a massive job. It looks Ok but not great

Painted my furniture cream 👍👍 mower and edged. Knackered now 😂😂

Second sowing of sweet peas inside,with first lot just planted out. Tidied up the herb bed and labelled everything. Removed yet more frogspawn from the pond so that we are'nt completely overrun with froglets this year.
Sowed flax and skullcap.

I don't suppose there's any chance one of those old Cornish varieties was a Borlase Pippin? I would love to get hold of one, but fear its probably extinct.