What have you done in the garden today? Part 2

[ThreeRingCircus]

A continuation of the last thread.

Not wanting to stealth-boast or get into competitive snail-spotting but I've cleaned the greenhouse glass and as I pulled up the roller blinds to do the cleaning, there was a (live) snail nearly at the apex of the greenhouse roof. I had to admire its perseverance but equally baffled as to what it hoped to find when it got to the top. Probably nothing ... well, I suppose snails operate to a different logic to us humans...

Probably a safe place to sit out the day before coming down to feed at night

And maybe a little algae or moss growing on the glass.

I've done very little in the garden today. But I have spent a few hours this morning planning and thinking about the way I want a certain bed (my project bed) to look.

I planted three helianthus lemon queen last autumn as a friend was splitting hers as it was very overgrown. That should have been a clue really 😂. I didn't realise they grew quite so tall so I need to move one from the middle of the bed to the back and need to remove one completely and give it to some unsuspecting soul!

There are a few other things that need shifting around and some things that I have to think about. There are some perennials that have been lovingly planted and have probably been in for years and I have to decide whether I keep them or dig them out and replant with things I prefer. I always feel so guilty removing plants unless they are dying. I might procrastinate another year 😵‍💫

Bum. Just went outside to begin my list and it started to properly rain. Ah well. Love the breaking down of the list @MereDintofPandiculation . . I guess even in the rain I can blow a snail out of my watering can. So I will add it and tick it off. Oops no , now there is lightning.

My laburnum tree has finally shed all its yellow, so I tidied that up as it forms a crust on top of everything it hits. Weeded the front garden and pulled all the ivy from our hedge. Too hot for anything else

That is very true, @MereDintofPandiculation trouble is the poor little fellow didn't bank on me flinging it over the fence, happy landing into the farmer's field

I'd hazard a guess he had his sights on my juicy dahlia in pots all along the side of the greenhouse - so drastic action was needed.

@catwithflowers did you get your perennials in the end? What did you buy?

Just went outside to begin my list and it started to properly rain

lucky you, @Zebracat !

I think we may get a soaking on Tues or Wed looking at the forecast - fingers crossed, my 3 water butts have again become depleted. The smaller one deliberately by me - I think the water may have gone off/ gone a bit stagnant.

does anyone add anything to their waterbutt to freshen it up? Not sure if there's anything eco friendly, but my smaller one really hums!

I’ve been wondering about that, daisychain01.

I’ve found additives which supposedly keep ponds fresh but I’m dubious about using them in waterbutts. The waterbutt fed by rainwater is always fine, but the one collecting greywater from the bathroom gets whiffy very quickly. I’ve put in some barleystraw bundles but I’m not convinced they’re making any difference.

@catwithflowers That helianthus is a good candidate for the Chelsea chop - keeps it down to about 5 feet. Do you know doellingeria umbellatus? That's a nice big back of the border thing. It's not showy but it's got presence. I've got a bit of a crush on it.
I've got 2 bales of barley straw in my pond, Maud, and it is still the colour of Birds Eye peas. I'm sure it worked last year.
Snails have a homing mechanism don't they? I thought they always came back to their home turf.
It's wet here which is good although the roses are going rotten. The garden's beginning to look mid-season boring and bit hairy. I clipped a couple of my remaining box and did a lot of dead-heading. Didn't make a lot of difference. If I don't rein it in it'll be out of control soon and we've got another yellow book opening at the end of July. Came in because I was being bitten to buggery.

Yes, I’ve heard snails have a homing instinct and will travel hundreds of metres to come home but, as I’ve become revolted by the business of killing them, I chuck them into the street and hope they’ll decide to take a vacation next door!

My pond has never been as green as it is now. I’ve been looking to buy oxygenating plants online, but so far I’ve only found places selling them in bundles of 10, which is probably 9 too many in my tin bath pond. Adam on GW has made me hanker after a miniature waterlily. Does anyone have suggestions for suppliers of pond plants?

Ask your friends , Maud. They all tend to vigour. I made a note to to buy lemon Queen because I’m sick of stuff disappearing. And I love lemon.

What’s the world record for the snail hundred metres I wonder. Might start marking them with a sharpie date!

@daisychain01 I did! In the end I bought two agastache (can't remember the variety without going out to look at the tags) but they are both dark blue/purple and grow to about 60 cm, three tiarella Sugar and Spice which I am a bit obsessed with at the minute as lovely ground cover with pretty, delicate flowers and an interesting marbled leaf, and a gaillardia. I'm not a huge fan of the gaillardia but there are a couple in the bed already and I'm trying to get some repetition and balance with colour and form, and there was an obvious gap.

@Bideshi ooh thanks so much for the advice and the recommendation! I'll look that up now as I've never heard of it!

Ask them about what? Pond plants? Snail marathons?

@Zebracat there was a MNer ages ago who used to sharpie "fucker" onto snails to see if they came back.

Sorry, ask about pond plants, they always needs dividing. Graffitied snails, love it!

I don't add anything to mine. If it smells eggy/sulphuric then it's probably a build up of organic matter in the water butt e.g. leaves going down the gutter into it. You can buy little mesh covers or stretch some tights across to let rainwater down the pipe but not anything bigger.

I meant to say I don't worry if the water is a bit pongy and I use it anyway, but I don't water my edibles with it...... although I'm sure it would be fine.

Yes, that’s my line on the pongy water - I use it on established ornamentals but not on edibles or seedlings.

Snails have a homing mechanism don't they? I thought they always came back to their home turf. BBC did a citizen science project on it. Invited people to suggest research topics then helped them do it. One person marked snails to see how far she had to take them for them not to return. Answer = 150m if I remember correctly.

Yes, it was started, or at least reported, by John Peel in the days of his Saturday morning programme.

About half of snails return home.

We have filters on our drainpipe diverters, but that doesn't stop the snails drowning themselves in the waterbutts so there'salways some rotting organic matter for smell creation. I've got some https://www.envii.co.uk/shop/water-butt-klear/ to try but it's too soon to say if it's working.

The Klear is a brilliant idea, Hope it works. Rotten name though. I got rid of our water butts because they became such breeding grounds for mosquitoes. I’ve often regretted it since, but it was a relief at the time. Just been bitten by one at the park. Watching the bite swell.