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?

Funnily enough, all the roses on one side of the garden have terrible black spot and the roses on the opposite side seem to be ok.

Well I planted the rainbow chard and spring onions, but went out on a limb with seeds of snow peas.

We'll see if the mice scoff them.

I've just checked our Cavolo Nero seedlings as I was convinced it was pigeons eating them so put a cloche over them. Lots of them have been eaten so it's obviously not birds but slugs and snails. 😡 I have just made a slug trap using yeast, sugar, water and flour so hopefully will catch loads of the evil bloody things this evening.

I cleared out an overgrown sage in the front garden a few days ago; today I put in a DA Mary Delaney climbing rose; a shrub rose called Spicy Parfuma & a white salvia. Also had to replant a loaf of bulbs that came out when I was digging over the bed.
Also pulled out an overgrown rosemary that had snapped in the wind. Not sure I'll replace it with anything as the other plants in the bed will likely fill the gap quickly (creeping thyme, oregano). And pulled out a wallflower that had gone bonkers & smothered every other plant around it.
Also got a few reduced bargains at the local garden centre - a very healthy DA The Lady Gardener shrub rose; a lovely delicate white fuschia, an apple mint, an echinops & an evening scented phlox.
This afternoon I'm hoping to get a few plants into the ground & some weeding. Finally the suns out & want to take advantage!!

Tree surgeon has been and ground out 5 stumps. Feel v excited that have reclaimed almost all my garden, except for the snowberry section and I am attacking that next week.

Deadheaded the roses. While doing this discovered an 8 ft ash sapling hiding out in my Viburnum Dawn. Not clear how it escaped the pruning this year but will root kill it at the weekend.

Planted out the rest of my tropical border. Watered.

Got bored of watering within about 2 trips to the water butt. Googled irrigation systems and fainted at the cost.

Got bored of watering within about 2 trips to the water butt. Googled irrigation systems and fainted at the cost. Do you use the tap, or do you dip your watering can in the top?

I have mostly recovered from what was probably covid, but pulled some muscles from too much coughing and that is just getting worse since I insist on gardening now I am "better".

I am not doing much, promise! But it hurts something heejus. Yesterday I just did a bit of hoeing in the corn (up to my hips now!) and regretted for the rest of the day.

Today I HAD TO re-net the cabbage/ kale because they have outgrown the original netting, and I am not really regretting doing it, but my body is.

Sowed more pak choi, chervil, parsley and something else that will come to me at 3:00 a.m. Oh, french beans since my original sowing did not germinate and it took me a while to decide to try again.

And finally, there is sun!!

@MereDintofPandiculation

I use the tap. This is my first serious gardening year and it is dawning on me that all the plants I've planted will need watering not just leaving to their own devices.

I'm not sure how full the water butt is (it's massive) but taking the top off had not occurred to me, thanks for the tip.

It's lovely at the moment - after work each day I've been out from 5pm for an hour or so, which has given me back 5 hours' worth of small jobs so the weekends are left for the big things.

yesterday I planted up the last grow bag with tomato and chilli. I also potted on some tiny antirrhinum seedlings that hadn't grown, probably because I'd sown too many seeds and they were competing with each other. I've now got 3 separate pots of them, but I'm not sure if I have enough of the growing season left for them to flower. Never mind, it was only a cheapo packet of seeds from the supermarket.

must plant out a few trays of bedding plants (zenia, geranium, lobelia, begonia and fuschia) which will fill up a few pots for a splash of colour on the patio. We have a chap in pressure washing everything yesterday and today, then I can get all the pots in order. I'm determined to put down black spot prevention this year. I didn't last year and with all the rain we've had it's absolutely lethal walking on the paving in winter.

Another way is to put a large container (say a plastic builders trug) under the tap and let that fill up while you’re using a can of water, then you can dip the can for all the following fills.

newly planted plants may need watering all summer, a good watering (half a can or more) every few days rather than a dribble every day, to encourage the roots to go deep rather than spread along the surface where they’re vulnerable. Root in the soil with your finger to see how deep the watering has gone - shockingly little sometimes.

Pots need watering every day, keep the compost moist, because it’s difficult to re-wet once dry, and don’t overwater and let the nutrients leach out.

I’ve just had the most bizarre thing happen. Trug moved to water butts and brimming with water, all three butts empty. Given DH the third degree but he denies all.

I didn't last year and with all the rain we've had it's absolutely lethal walking on the paving in winter. Water, washing up liquid and a stiff brush works well.

I've been popping out in the morning for half an hour and the same when I finish work - it's nice to just have that bit of time to get the small things done and notice what else needs done.

Put up a new bit of trellis for climbing rose
Stake my leaning standard holly
Plant the overambitious for my garden Seven Son Flower Tree
Get some manure to improve the soil where I took out a palm tree.

It's back breaking work though isn't it!

ive just popped my head out and our chap helping out with his pressure washer is making short work of it - it does look a lot brighter. It's trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear unfortunately- the crazy paving is ahem rustic aka a bit knackered but we were quoted £20k to have it redone, so that will have to wait until our Premium Bond number comes up? Or even better tonight's Euromillions which is £164MM I'll be able to afford a replica of the Trevi Fountain and Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Wow £20k! How big was the area? We’ve got to replace some rotten decking - the cost is concerning.😕

It is quite a large area @Sashikocheck crazy paving made from local stone and a seating area in the middle. It's very much an "builders' job" - basic but it does the job for now.

Our dream is an orangery but the cost of that is even more eye-watering. We got a couple of those posh Orangery companies like David Salisbury to quote us (just for fun and curiosity) and the lowest estimate was £120K. I just love how an orangery can bring the outside in, especially in winter, having all that light and warmth and being able to see what's going on out there. Plus it would be the home of my orchids and cacti!

DM swears by good old fashioned washing powder. Scatters it all over the patio then leave it for the rain to wash off. I have no idea whether it does damage to plants but her garden thrives.

I have occasionally washed our slate patio with liquid non-bio detergent - I turn the hose on it and sweep it away with the broom. It works pretty well.

My other achievement today was replacing the connector on the hose. It had worn rather loose, which meant I often got a soaking when the spray attachment fell off, so this ought to be an improvement.

I've finally fully cleared the area where the new raised veg beds will go, repurposed an old bed into a compost bin and built 3 4x4 cedar beds. I have one more bed to build (ran out of wood) and need to situate/level the ones I’ve built. Then we’ll be in a race against time to get the bare ground covered before it’s so weedy I have to do this all over again!

Got the fruit cage up for the summer, now all the blueberries are about to ripen.
The pieces of fruit cage frame hinge together and double as raised bed covers for the winter, which is why they're clamped together for summer rather than screwed in place. Design also allows me to open any section to get to the fruit.

That's very ingenious.

I now have fruit cage envy 🤣.

Me too

My husband and I spent most of last week making a fruit cage for my awkward-shaped strawberry bed. Neither of us are particularly handy, so there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

This was the sight that greeted us this morning…

Extra bird deterrence!

I have fruit cage envy.

I have lots of berries. My next door neighbour has lots of pigeons.