What have you done in the garden today? Part 5

[MereDintofPandiculation]

What have you done in the garden today? What went well? What surprises have you had? What could have gone better?

Thanks for the new thread!

Yesterday evening a stroll round the garden to tie in a few climbers turned into a bit of a weeding session - some huge pieces of bindweed. Pulling out one monster brought out a chunk of astilbe so that at least has been transplanted to boggy corner. It's an ill wind!

Re gardening gloves - I got a 5 pack of Showa gloves from Amazon, they're excellent, the small size fit my hands well and they are properly washable. Apart from riggers for dealing with thorns I'm done with expensive leather or suede gloves which go stiff. For really muddy delving I find marigolds to be the best bet.

Took up tulip bulbs, put begonias outside after them being in the poly tunnel, painted a few pots.

Hello again! My best moment yesterday was replanting the windowboxes in the front and noting that the ranunculus I planted before reading the instruction to soak them first have sprouted just as well as those I soaked.

Zebracat · Yesterday 15:31
I’ve been dealing with a family crisis and so not gardened. I had a whole day for it today. But I couldn’t find the power pack for my strimmer, all my seedlings have been decimated and my gardening gloves got left out in the rain. I feel so discouraged.just came in again. But I think I’ll go out and plant the pack of strawberries and maybe that will get me back on it.

Sorry to hear this. Usually, the garden is the mender. Crisis? Get out in the garden. However that is easy to say, harder to do faced with the crisis and the rain.

Maggiethecat Four??? Oh dear, I am planning for 120. But it could be a bad summer for corn, and then I'll be sunk. The gardener's lot.

InMySpareTime I have had earwigs in the silk but not many, easily shaken out. A friend said she lost all of her cobs before harvest one year, just eaten on the plant. We worked out that it could have been rats. Nasty.

I have filled another bed with corn today, not as many as I had planned because a pheasant got into the greenhouse yesterday and I didn't see him until I was in there, freaking him out. Half a dozen corn plants badly damaged, some more that were saddened but plantable.

I’ve never thought of using marigolds! What a good idea.

I’ve got quite a collection of gardening gloves. At the moment, for light but mucky jobs I’m fond of some Showa lookalikes from Poundland. My smart leather gloves look lovely but are too bulky for some tasks.

Ordered five packets of seeds, hopefully not too late

I pricked out so ping pong scabious, nicotonia, white foxgloves and cosmos.

Planted up some hanging baskets with petunias ...

All with a cup of tea before work.

I've put three of my 6 pots of morning glories out into the growhouse. Still dithering as to whether I should take the buds off ... I hate doing that but the plants are still small.

I bought gloves at the garden centre. 2 for 1 as well. I bought 2 calla Lily corms(bulb?) as well. My daughter has them and they are so exotic but durable, long lived and like shade. Far too wet to go out in the garden though. Crisis may be beginning to resolve, but I’m exhausted. Families bleurgh. If reincarnation is a thing I hope I remember the heartache and stick with dogs and roses next time. I probly don’t mean that.

Got the big hedge trimmer out and cut back the hedge! I'm pleased with myself for managing that big job!

Potted on 6 tomatoes, weeded round the veg, carried on clearing the weeds from the bottom of the clematis, sowed my last lot of lettuces. Saw the mouse that’s been eating all my sunflowers and courgettes, unfortunately my old terrier wasn’t quite quick enough to get it.

I planted out some plants I bought at a plant sale at the weekend - artichoke, Geum, verbena bonariensis, hardy geranium, ox eye daisy, rudbeckia, nepeta, sea holly & mallow. Still got loads to plant out.
Also bought two patio fruit trees from Lidl - an apple Summerred & cherry sunburst, They also had pears, plums, other apples & cherries for £9.99 if anyone is after one.

I can finally join this thread but in a cheeky way!

My garden has been brambles for years. I'm not physically able to keep on top of it.

I found a gardener who cleared it all and now comes every other week to keep on top of it all. Now it's a blank canvas, the gardener is offering to come plant shopping with me. I've just got to save up now!

@OldTinHat talk to neighbours and ask what grows well in your locality. If you're lucky they'll offer you some of the plants they have spare and you can have some quick wins that definitely grow well for free.

My main gardening effort today was moving the flowering cacti into the porch where we’ll see them more often

Hi I'm new! Well, long time lurker. Had help from my partner as I can't lift. I only have a small terraced house "yarden". Moved in last year and it was just a patch of dog pee grass. Today: Tied in some climbers - jasmine and passion vine. Plus a rose that was here when I moved in. Black spot on the climbing rose seems to have gone after using rose clear - yay. Checked my firethorn and it's taking to the trellis on the dilapidated shed. Hopefully it will take over it and hide the holes. Repotted some ornamental grass and a ninebark. Potted up some small orange dream acers (because they were £5 each of 5 for £5 so now I'm overrun with them. Been leaving by the gate at the front and people have taken them 😄). Can't remember what I had planned for them as they were ordered last year. Probably to give away. Planted a spindle, elder black lace, and a diabolo ninebark - all near the fences for privacy. Moved containers around. Cleaned the bird table. Refilled my bee bath. Found rust all over my alliums which I've never dealt with before. Decided to leave them for now and just bin them after they flower. Composted all my tulips and relocated some straggly pansies to some empty spots behind the compost bin. Can't bring myself to kill them when they're trying so hard and have lots of buds on. Gave everything a good water because the rain isn't doing anything. I was having a stressful day but feel so content now 😌 I have 144 plug plants arriving this weekend for my plant pockets! Can't wait! Just have to find somewhere to hang them as the fences came down in a storm last year and my landlord keeps now showing up to fix them. New appointment is in August! Got wooden batons across my garden so no sitting outside this year. Luckily my living room doors open up into the garden so I can still enjoy it.

Well the summerhouse is up and now I can get on with sorting out the lower patio, the border and far too many pots.
I also have a ridiculous number of young plants in pots that need planting out, goodness knows where I can put them all 🤭
My six runner beans were growing well but, just like last year, they’ve suddenly started looking like they’re rotting off. It must be the peat-free compost again. I have successfully grown runner beans for 48 years and have never had this problem before, so frustrating. They were beautiful strong 18”” high plants; if I’m lucky I might be able to save one or two 🤬, it’s not slugs or snails so any ideas?
I have sown more in seed composts (different brand) 🤞🏻

Loads of rain today which is not unwelcome to keep the green growth

I’ve been stuck indoors today because of illness and rain, but at least my recent plantings are being watered in!

I cut off a few curled up leaves on my cherry tree to remove pests

Three uchiki kuri planted.

And planted Victor and Thelma together in the same bed. Very different squashes that might make a good looking combination when they produce fruit.

And weeded 😴

Watered my allotment after work.

Mowed the lawn. Blackbirds like it short and it's easier to pick up after the dogs.