What have you done in the garden today? Part 3

[ThreeRingCircus]

The old thread was filling up so I've created a new one!

Link to old thread: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/gardening/4823202-what-have-you-done-in-the-garden-today-part-2?reply=128367673

I've not been to the bottom of our (small, city) garden for a few weeks and discovered yesterday that a bloody fox has practically excavated the entire contents of a new raised bed, killing various plants on the way. So cross. Earth everywhere.

Rescued what I could in my short lunch break and will have to do a fair bit of work this weekend.

Flipping hate foxes. :(

I feel your pain, WobblyLondoner.

I took a few thugs out of one bed and rearranged what remained in (I like to think) a pleasing manner. Came home from a few days away to find that something, presumably a fox, has tried to tunnel under the fence and in doing so trashed the newly-tweaked bed. The garden’s currently too wet to work in, but I’m hoping the plants have survived and can be replanted. They’re beautiful creatures but I wish they’d move to the park.

So sorry to hear that - that's exactly what's happened to me. It is a new raised bed that I'd planted up this spring - and one of the tunnels has gone through the roots of my new climbing rose and a star jasmine. So frustrating.

It's been bad before but we are now clearly part of a foxes nightly routine and it's driving me a little crazy. I can't really do anything more about access and I've tried all the other standard suggestions (though not the motion activated water spray) - the only one that has really worked is chilli powder but I don't really want a garden entirely covered in orange!

Are you my neighbour?! I feel your pain.

Years ago, the fox tried to tunnel under a different part of the fence, but burying wire netting there stopped that. They’re often in the garden, but this is the first bit of digging in a long while. I’m hoping the plants will have survived the uprooting. I’ve been thinking about chilli powder as a deterrent, too.

My Hedychiums are fruiting !! They’ve never done that before (1). Orange seed pods which have split to reveal bright red translucent berries which are glowing in the sunshine. They’re looking as good now as when they were flowering.

(1) we are in Yorkshire, in a frost pocket.

Chilli powder seems to work though it takes time for them to put two and two together.

Could be rats tunneling - we had that in the allotment

First dry weekend for a while so I planted the golden jasmine and Clematis that I bought last week. I'm slowly replacing stuff from my old garden. Just need a maroon Buddleia, fuchsia shrub and red dogwood and then onto some new plants.

Went from a new build with a tiny 10m garden to a 100 year old bungalow with a 30m garden so I have plenty of room for new plants. (I have a very long list). Really looking forward to seeing what's already in there.

I tend to plant perennials, bulbs and shrubs. Got lots of seeds and cuttings to propogate too.

Cottage gardens are my thing. Everything left to grow wild and haphazard. I try to grow tall stuff at the back of the border and climbers on the fence. I will be taking progress pics lol

I have been blanking out the idea that it might be rats! Denial is a river in Egypt, as they say.

Mine isn't rats - I've seen the foxes and the tunnels are massive.

Cut the hedge yesterday. Next year I’ll get a man in. But what I really want is a proper gardener to sort my apple trees, not a man with a passion for power tools.

Do you mean, you need someone to prune them? Or something more advanced?

You might ask at local nurseries whether any staff take on gardening jobs. I work at a nursery and this is the sort of thing I would very happily do. I wouldn't do any kind of specialised tree surgery.

(Incidentally, and I know this is totally sexist, but I think women are slightly less likely to be in the 'passion for power' club.)

I've been almost entirely absent from the garden this autumn, but this afternoon I will get out there and clear some dead stuff out. I have at least planted pretty much all of my bulbs now.

They're slowly getting neglected with my advancing age and lack of stamina, and they bear the marks of my bouts of ill health over the last 30 years
Asking at the local nurseries isn't a bad idea, hadn't thought of that.

The gardener of my imagination is indeed a woman

I think women are slightly less likely to be in the 'passion for power' club

Absolutely, I loathe power tools and avoid them entirely, though I'm glad that OH will use them if necessary. I can't stand the noise and smell and I like my lovely Japanese tools.

I think we're not a million miles away from each other, @MereDintofPandiculation - if I weren't working full time I'd come and do them for you. But I worked a bit under 50 hours last week and I'm shattered! But if the nursery I'm at is typical, they'll have some people who work part-time and garden on their off days, and they'll certainly know some reliable gardeners. At this time of year most people are asking their gardeners to drop their hours, so I'm sure someone would be glad of the job.

Hello all. I’m determined to get into the garden-swamp for at least an hour today to plant bulbs. And you’ve reminded me that I must contact my gardener friend whose greatest passion is pruning apple trees, because he hasn’t pruned mine for several years and it’s all too evident.

'Garden swamp' is about right! I've managed a whole half hour in mine before the rain drove me back in, and it is so soggy out there.

I managed about an hour in the end and had just enough time to redo a couple of window boxes before it got too dark and drizzly. When I see it in daylight tomorrow I may not be so proud of my handiwork!

That's a kind offer, thanks! But 1.5 hours drive each way is a bit much to ask. I'm probably OK doing them this year, I'm thinking long term here. On the other hand last winter was a bit of a difficult time emotionally, and I have a lot of jobs piling up, and it won't stop raining.

My updates for the month of Nov are as dull as watching Cuprinol dry.

leaf blowing
leaf collecting
more leaf blowing
more leaf collecting and piling and spreading on the borders.

every year I think gawd I won't be able to face it again next year, but I always do. It's a ritual and when it's done there are the rewards for the following year, but it's going out there when it's mizzly, grey and damp.

@MereDintofPandiculation 🍁 🍂 🍁 🍂 🍁

A couple of years ago the council cut down all the huge deciduous trees on the street and planted new small trees, which has made a huge difference to the amount of time I spend clearing autumn leaves (and has made the gardens brighter and the pavements more accessible).

Not in Sheffield, are you?

I mow the leaves up. I enjoy raking them when it is a sunny day but otherwise they get mown up and either piled high on beds to mulch or used to make leaf mould.

My next job, after I’ve finished planting bulbs, is to rake up the leaves and place them where I want them as mulch - they’re so soggy I’m trusting they’ll stay put.