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

The trough looks fabulous! Every time I see one in a magazine, I want to make an alpine garden where the plants are planted between upended slates, but I really don’t have the space.

My love for auriculas is the triumph of optimism over experience. I’m not good at getting them through the summer, so many have perished over the years.

I looked at the slates type too. I do love them, but I could imagine it going horribly wrong. I think my plants are a bit too big, I thought about pulling them apart, but it seems mean in cold weather.

I've disentangled the climbing rose and Ivy. Brown bin nearly full of rose clippings, boot full of Ivy taken to the recycling centre. I'd meant to do more but the dump trip took a lot longer than usual thanks to lots of roads being closed off - gas main works I think - which I'd forgotten about.

Yes, you could perhaps divide them in spring if they’re running amok.

I snoozed through what might have been today’s garden time, so have just picked all the dead leaves off the geraniums overwintering on MrJekyll’s desk.

Your trough looks beautiful @Zebracat I hope you get well again soon. I've been suffering from a horrid scratchy throat and chestiness for several days now, as DH has been full of cold all through Christmas, but I think we're on the mend. It takes a good few weeks to really feel human again.

I collected up a final bag of leaves and twigs after the storm the other day and filled up a few gaps in the border where the torrential rain had flooded the edge of the border and disturbed all my carefully layered leaf covering. Hopefully they'll keep the dahlia warm and dry.

i also found a handful of sprouting assorted bulbs, in the corner of the garage. I've bunged them in a large planter, but I fear it's going to be a rather motley crew, probably a few tête à tête, grape hyacinth and crocus. Oh well hopefully something will pop up!

Cleared and weeded the greenhouse. Finally got the better of a vile,spindly and very vicious quince which was here when we moved in. It is now a stump which I cant get out,but at least I have made a space. The big bed is a sorry tangled mess of creepers and ground cover which has got out of hand over the years. The periwinkle on one side will soon meet the spreading thing which has flowers like St John's Wort,but isnt. I dont know what it is but it puts out green,whip like runners which are incredibly tough. Cant move too much dead stuff and leaf litter for fear of disturbing hibernating hedgehogs, and cant clear the tiny pond in case I wake the sleeping frogs. Patience patience.

I started on one of this year’s major pruning jobs, which is to take down a mock orange and its associated clematis to 5ft, in the hope of never again having to tackle the job of removing a mass of tangled clematis stems 15ft above ground before they remove the roof tiles next door. It’s going to be a bigger job than anticipated.

Feel guilty that I use this thread wrong. Today I would like to tidy up my bed of roses, and possibly sweep the pergola.

@MereDintofPandiculation How did the big prune go? Or are you still out there…

There's no right or wrong way to use the thread. I enjoy the chat and even if I don't have time to chat, just reading the updates 😁.

Yesterday I popped to the garden centre and rescued a very sorry looking euonymous that I've planted in the small bed at the front of the house. It's designated for low maintenance plants so is mainly evergreens and bulbs.

There was also a dwarf apple tree that is apparently a self fertile variety and does well in pots. I didn't buy it as I wasn't convinced about the upkeep of it in a pot and have nowhere to put it in the ground but have been thinking about it since. Decisions, decisions!

It's been adjourned until I next get the urge

Well I pruned a couple of roses, and some sedum, but it was a bit cold.

I’ve been tempted to prune the roses, but wimped out because of the cold.

Up until now my roses still had bloom rather than all hips

That should finally change then I’ll prune

I’ve been covering the French lavender but I might bring it in to the conservatory for the next week

Two more boot loads of Ivy taken off the fence and to the dump. Also pruned another rose (this one a standard) which was slightly enmeshed in it.

Planted winter pansies. Hacked out yet more of the creeping thing. Lit a fire and sat watching the flames in the frosty dark.

I’m still cowering in the relative warmth of the house, but might go out today to check how things are faring. The baby lavenders in a pot next to the house were looking very miserable.

Another load off, just having coffee before the dump trip.

Top tip... if you have Ivy on a fence which is an impenetrable mess you don't have time to sort out, if you leave it then it will become a thicker impenetrable mess.

I'm getting to the part nearer the house where because of the slope the fence is on a wall so the top becomes unreachable. I may have to cut the stems and wait for die back, and/or see if I can tackle it from the neighbours drive (which is higher than our garden especially at this end).

Does anyone have French lavender in pots?

What’s your approach in the cold weather?

I’ve lost a few and have become focussed ;

I have French lavender in the garden, by a west-facing wall and it seems very happy (SE England). I was given a cutting and TBH thought it would die so shoved it in, but no; it lives.

I’m going to go and move my dahlias into the greenhouse since it looks like getting properly cold. And water plants in the conservatory. But that’s it for today!

My lavender is Hidcote. I didn’t really want it, but my mama bought a zillion plug plants from one of the mail order places and gave me the surplus. The tiny plants I put in a pot took off quite well, but a couple now look very unhappy. The leftover plants in my plastic greenhouse (where they’re cold but dry) seem unscathed.

Wood stained my new potting table. Going to be bitterly cold tonight

Good thing I checked this thread, you've reminded me I'd opened the growhouse to let it ventilate a bit...

I'm a bit dispirited- spent nearly all of daylight hours hacking the bloody Ivy (and a bit of other tidying up) - now I'm knackered and the result is (for now) an ugly mess. And the job isn't finished yet.

Also, I thought I'd try sowing some sweet peas early in the growhouse a while ago - the packets said this was an option - but of the two packs I have one seedling. Not sure if any more are likely to germinate now or if they'll have rotted.
I bought some more seeds today but haven't had time to sow them (and come to think I don't have enough compost left)

Gosh it was cold today!

I also have French lavender in the ground, but on an east-facing wall. It's the gable end of the house and very windswept, but it seems to like it there and came through last winter's minus eight like a trooper!

I have given in to temptation about bought a(nother) witchhazel. 'Arnold Promise' this time. I have also cut back some hellebore leaves. That will do for now.