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?

We have a new resident who moved in with us a few weeks ago - it's a juvenile robin. Every time I go outside there she is, helping me dig the compost heap and keeping me company while I'm planting up my tubs. She even found me round by the greenhouse earlier.

I noticed yesterday she is starting to get her red feathers. I love her, she's so trusting and friendly. I just hope next door's cat doesn't spot her.

We also have a pair of wagtails, but they're impossible to take photos of, they're completely hyperactive!

I also have a juvenile robin here, but I haven’t been quick enough with the camera.

It’s been tipping down for hours, so the garden will be a swamp tomorrow.

I’ve just (yesterday) taken a last crop off mine, which I’ll put in the deepfreeze. And given it a feed, so hopefully it’ll bulk up next year. Growing rhubarb in the shade is a challenge.

Your rhubarb isn’t a mess! That’s quite an asset to a bed

That’s quite an asset to a bed. There is quite an architectural quality to the long stems and big crinkly leaves, esp the first crop a few weeks ago which were enormous. I think the crowns don't do that well in the first year of planting, but in year 2 and 3 they really romp ahead, especially with all the rain we've had.

I'll give them a feed now you mention it, thank you. The leaf mulching has really helped. Will check if the stem are a reasonably size and might do a final harvest at the weekend, especially as we're only 2 weeks into July, so what's a couple of weeks amongst friends.

it's pretty cold out there, more like April than July aka Ju-vember

DH and I are watching the little cottage opposite this morning. It’s been empty for a while and is now in the hands of the council - the garden is full of knotweed so they have brought in a company called Ecocon to sort it before auctioning it. Glad to see they seem a reputable company from their website - they’ve gone in with strimmers and sprays.

ecocontrol that should be.

it's pretty cold out there, more like April than July aka Ju-vember Don’t know about you, but we’re forecast 26 on Friday. That’s positively tropical for Yorkshire. Today it’s already shirtsleeves weather. Whole day of gardening and lunch on the terrace - yay!

Do they have to declare recent knotweed as well as existing knotweed? They should do - it’s often a 2-3 year job to get rid of it.

Today I popped to the garden centre and picked up a rather beautiful blossoming oxalis. Hoping to replace some of the dead plants.

Yesterday though somebody complemented my single surviving dahlia and that inflated my ego like I singlehandedly managed to fend off all of the slugs.

I did also buy some yarn from the garden centre wool shop because in the absence of flowers to dead head I appear to have become rather good at crochet.

I don’t know @MereDintofPandiculation. I would think they’d have to mention it surely.

Te cynic in me says they're treating it in order to avoid mentioning it.

It's flying ant day here, which has slightly spoiled my nice sitting outside day. I have had to evict a massive ant from my cleavage and fished a couple of them out of my tea today.
Seems a bit late for ant day, but it's a weird season.

@InMySpareTime i absolutely hate flying ant day and stay inside! Not quite here yet but I’ve been charged by 1000s of aggressive ants in various parts of the garden (esp when adding to the compost bin!) and noticed a few with wings… it’s late this year .

Agapantha finally looks like it might be flowering and we have had our first wild creature to visit the pond for a sip - a bird, so far it’s just been ddog! Pond is looking a bit murky/slimey - we have a pump and a few oxygen creating plants - not sure whether I need to do something?

Spent this morning assembling a garden seat. Apparently it’s been waiting a fortnight for me to collect it, but the computer wouldn’t give me the pick-up code. Finally, at their suggestion I cancelled the order and re-ordered, and picked it up an hour later.

This afternoon main job was to clear the area the seat was to go in, and uncover the slabs. Then I fashioned a bow, poured two glasses of fancy cordial, and handed DH a-pair of scissors and hauled him out for an opening ceremony. He gave a very nice speech.

Tomorrow’s job is to locate the trowel that got into the car following the weekend’s working party but doesnt seem to have got out at this end.

No. Hold your nerve and leave it alone. It will clear and balance eventually. Every time you change the water, you’ll start the process all over again

Yes I think tomorrow will be the pinnacle of the summer - but 24 C which we're due to get here, is far from a heatwave is it. After than it's back to 19, 20, 20, 19C pathetic.

its the Jet stream not pushing north to give UK a layer of protection so Atlantic weather is dominating.

we. .want. summer! We want the Sahara! We want the Azores.

I like the idea of the ceremonial opening of your seating!

other news: next door's pesky cat has been lurking around, walking along our stock fence, surveying their territory. I dang well hope Rusty the Robin is somewhere safe. Either a fox, magpie or the cat had taken out a bird overnight (lots of black and brown feathers so not Rusty, yet...). I haven't seen her for a couple of days 😢

We've got a Robin that frequents our garden.

Our neighbour has a photinia and the other morning I was watching it jump from a high branch to a low branch and spring about on it, and then go back to the hugh branch and jump again.

I could have watched it for hours. It looked so carefree.

Was much more pleasant than watching next doors pigeons getting it on, on my fence. It's a daily occurrence and I feel like I have to give them some privacy.

Honestly pigeons are shameless, their favourite spot here is the top of my arbour.

Haven’t been able to do anything really as had op last week. But I did manage to water little greenhouse with drinks bottle and crutches yesterday which I felt was a win and water my peace lily today .

Mostly deadheading roses and buddleia. Oh and pulling up loads of goosegrass and willow herb 🙈 It's been quite nice here today, cloudy but warm.

Good day in the garden today. Mowed lawn, cut hedge, repotted everything that needed it in the greenhouse, and planted all the late seeds. Doesn’t sound much, but it was a lot when you include all the tidying of hedge trimmings and moving loads of compost from heap to greenhouse. All to the accompaniment of a rather amusing test match.

And allegedly I locked the cat in the garage.

That is impressive! Hope you recover quickly.

Thank you @MereDintofPandiculation . I am being very diligent about my physio plus grateful previous owners were elderly so there is easy access into my beloved garden 😀

Hope your recovery is smooth and swift @Seaitoverthere good to get into the garden and greenhouse, it lifts the spirit.