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?

I needed another veg patch so I put down some of the cardboard I’ve been collecting, dumped barrows of my compost on top and planted straight into it. Not sure if it’ll work, last time I left it a bit before planting so the cardboard could start to break down but suspect it’ll be ok. Got my courgettes into the ground, because of the slug situation I planted out about twice as many as I normally would in the hope some survive…if they all do I’ll be feeding courgettes to the village for a month!

I’m rather pleased with my garden this year, it’s been a few years since it’s looked good.
Now that the new fences are up and the patio and summerhouse are done I think I’m ready to enjoy it and just keep it tidy in future.

I have a few established perennials to plant out in one of the beds and 9 Helianthus sun fill purple to put in another to fill the gaps now the tulips and alliums have gone over. I'm not sure if they'll need proper staking (I suspect so) or whether I can get away with those half circle plant supports.

We are planning a new garden in a part of the paddock that was previously used as a dumping ground/bonfire site so are busy researching ideas. A nice thing as it involves lots of trips to other people's beautiful gardens as well as pouring over some lovely books! It's all very exciting and a little daunting.

I've also got lots of weeding to do in the front garden beds and will try to get the weeds from between the cracks in the pavement on the patio. It's been a cracking few days weather wise. Even the roses have stopped sulking and are starting to flower 😃

It's been a cracking few days weather wise. Even the roses have stopped sulking and are starting to flower Lucky you! We had one nice day yesterday, and we’re back to cloud

That looks lovely, DaffydownDuck! You’ve reminded me that I should put out some bunting.

@DaffydownClock What a cheery garden - must feel great to have it tidied up, enjoy!

Looks lovely @DaffydownClock 🥰.
@MereDintofPandiculation I can't quite believe it myself! We are in Northumberland and have had so much rain and miserable weather! I think we are forecast rain tomorrow but the rest of the week is quite nice with sun and cloud.

Our foster pup has been 'helping' in the garden. She ran past me today with a huge branch of phlomis which she had bitten off and was zooming around the lawn with it in her mouth. She leaves next week ☹️. She might be a garden menace but she is adorable and we will really miss her.

That is so lovely @DaffydownClock . Really cheerful and colourful. It looks like a good garden to have tea and cake in! I quite fancy some bunting now 😁

Busy day here. Pulled/cut all the weeds around the compost heap and around one side of the lawn edging. Cut back where the periwinkle was encroaching on the path, and some brambles that were tenacious enough to have grown up through the periwinkle - normally nothing gets through it! Planted out 6 lavender plants and another fairy rose. Moved another barrow of gravel from the border. Cleared a small patch in the scrubby bit of “lawn” that I want to be wild flowers - currently mostly moss and daisies. Chucked some compost down and planted out some plugs of wild carrot and mallow - they hadn’t really rooted well so no idea if they’ll survive.

My list of “big jobs” still feels huge, but I’m chipping away at it.

My big flower bed is full of periwinkle. Its great ground cover. I dont bother weeding this bit of the garden as the same beauties come up each year like clockwork..

Isn't it amazing what a difference lawn edging can make to the look of a garden.

The roses have romped ahead in the past week, especially over the weekend. Hopefully they'll be in flower next week.

i honestly don't have a clue where the white digitalis came from. They weren't there last year 😂

Had to have the chimney pots taken off my roof so popped a pot in the top and planted hanging basket type plants. Today I replaced one of the plants as it had died. In doing so I dislodged the pot and it fell about halfway down the chimney and jammed solid. 2 man job with a broom handle and a giant screwdriver to retrieve it. Honestly it was like a carry on film! Eventually retrieved the flower pot and then had to hunt for a slightly bigger one that won't fall in. The plants all look a bit chewed now but I'm hoping they will recover. Then of course there was a fair bit of sweeping up. That's an hour I won't be getting back

Fixed the back gate. Had to cut off hap to free padochk, wasn’t strong enough to cut actual padlock, so turf botcutters to hasp. Hasp now replaced. New padlock on.

some of common path cleared.

some of cherry tree pruned.

some brambles cleared from greenhouse,

some errant cranesbill hauled up,

Pruned the Ceanothus , bit early maybe but at least I can eat in the greenhouse now.. it was beautiful this year.

it’s so cold with a bitter wind everything’s is sulking. The cosmos I planted out last week look exactly the same, no growth at all.

I've suddenly got a phlegmy and snotty cold and all my joints are aching so I'll just be observing the garden go to the slugs for now.

My lavender phenomenal variety that came in the post last week are all starting to open their blooms. They're in decent sized pots of their own for the size of the plant so I'm going to wait for them to finish blooming and give them a prune and pot them on later in the year.

Came back from Filey Sunday and checked the garden.

Beans have all turned yellow and wilted but my tomatoes that I thought wouldn't pull through seem to be doing OK after I pulled off the leaves that looked a bit blighted.

Cucumbers and melons haven't had any growth and I think they're missing the sun.

Foxgloves have stalled too but they are still here which is good.

I made a few trays of mind your own business that are filling out, buy I haven't got a designated spot for it and it needs to be somewhere I can easily chop it back to stop it spreading too fast.

Originally wanted it for ground cover between some large misshapen flag stones but I haven't actually seen any flag stones I like the look of yet.

I've er, been too liberal with the lettuce seed. Oops. So we shall be eating baby lettuce this time.

Would have been better without the compost. Grasses are better adapted than carrot and mallow for making use of high nutrient levels.

Jimmyneutronsforehead
I've suddenly got a phlegmy and snotty cold and all my joints are aching so I'll just be observing the garden go to the slugs for now.

That was me for two weeks, but it was full blown flu. Today is the first day that I feel slightly normal although the muscle pain from too much coughing will take time to heal.

And of course the garden has suffered. Pigeons have cheerfully chowed down on my pak choi, never mind the slugs. I ended up planting many things late, after they had become very tired of their pots, and some things are still not out.

I made myself go into the garden every day though, and do something.

But still I missed my first rose opening, the first cosmos blooming. Summer viruses are the worst.

@ILikeDungs I fear this might actually be flu and not a cold.

All of my joints are so sore, and I can't get comfortable. I want to get a warm bath but I don't think I've got the energy to haul myself out if it and do the school run later.

I have had some lemon and honey for my throat and now I'm enjoying a milky mint tea because I managed to muster some energy up to just lop my mint plant to pieces but now I'm scuppered.

I've got to chaperone DS on a school trip to cleethorpes next week as he's disabled and runs so fast he could beat mo farrah so I'm really hoping whatever this is is mild on me.

My Snapchat memories popped up that this time last year I had ranunculus in bloom, the silver cardoon buds were just starting to open, the peonies had blossomed even though the wind did come along quite quickly after that to blow them away, and none of that has happened this year.

I'm hoping next year will be much better.

I did soil blocking last year though whereas this year I just sort of scattered seed in trays. My soil blocker is warped out of shape, and I don't think I got the consistency right for the mix last year but I'm determined to give it a go again next year.

Raining here and we’re having work done on the shed so only popped out to dead head the roses.
Checked the peony that I’ve been debating about pulling up since it’s solitary bloom last year - not a single bud yet this year.

Sorry for flu sufferers. There’s a lot about. DD has Covid atm.

Strained my nettle plant feed and will do all the pots later. Planted out Cosmos seedlings for the slugs to eat.

😥

One snail ate all my Manchester carrots yesterday. I'm so gutted.

I haven't been in the garden since

Is it planted too deep? I had one that had one bud in 8 years, I dug it up and divided it last year and the four I divided it into, all had multiple buds. ( I dis budded them this year though 😂)

I think it was just a bit too deep.

Could be. @umberelladay. It’s been there 10 years and never had more than three flowers. I might move it then and not plant it so deep. It came from a cutting DN took from her garden so I’d be sad to lose it.

When would you do that? I have the same problem with the peonies.