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?

That wasn't what I had in mind when I saw the word tree!

If I had my ferns next to my acers, it'd be the latter which were languishing in the shade.

Pruned the huge rosemary bush. Does anyone else have one of these that grows larger and larger each year. How do you maintain the size without being too ruthless?

I just picked some rosemary beetles off my rosemary, they're usually much earlier in the season!
As for pruning, I tend to take the top down to the lowest green leaves, and a few of the wide branches back to a big stem each year, so it always has some leaves but keeps making new shoots without getting too thickety.

Wow I love you guys. Thanks for all the geranium tips. It’s pelting with rain here. I’ve been trying to do a rough plan for my borders, dashing out every now and again to check what was where. It’s neither pretty nor accurate. But I had fun, and it has really helped refine my plan.

I’ve spent the last few weeks doing a bit of voluntary weeding of some enormous rose beds filled with creeping buttercup. I reckon I could identify it in my sleep at 100 paces now.

I have ordered a few plants and waiting for them to arrive- hopefully tomorrow. In the meantime I have added some holes to the bottom of the two planters I intend to plant them in.

I have been scrolling some gardening sites and have seen some amazing deals for hydrangeas. Is it premature to buy and plant them now as we are close to winter? I'm wondering if that's why they are on sale.

Like this one which is half price currently

https://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/hydrangea-macrophylla-mop-head-pink-large-flowered-plants

I'm wondering if that's why they are on sale. It’s because they’re at the end of their flowering season and no longer an attractive impulse buy.

That makes sense. If I planted it now would it still be fine for next year or is it better to wait after the frost has gone? I wish websites as above would add when is the best time to plant in the description.

Something overnight has bitten through my squash stem, separating flowers and fruit from the bit in the growbag! Gutted. As a last-ditch attempt, I've trimmed off the dried end and stuck it in water (and cut off the top part so it focuses on fruit etc) and we'll see how it goes... so today's gardening is firmly filed under "oh for goodness' sakes". Full credit to my mum for the guidance on what to cut off to give it the best chance in recovering 😄

Yesterday we finished collecting all the fallen apples from around the trees, so the area is ready for an initial strim as soon as we have the time and dry weather. Maybe maybe this weekend. I'm hopeful. It's total chaos back there at the minute.

@Rosemaryandlavender1 about your potential hydrangea, I'd definitely plant soon after receiving although of course be mindful of the soil you're putting it into if the colour of the flowers is something that bothers you. It would be fine and continue growing and be happy etc.

Personally, I leave any dried up flowers on over winter and don't do any pruning until 2025 - wait for the new growth before cutting off old, if you see what I mean.

@FrogFrogFrogFrogFrog I haven't ordered it yet, I suppose was just musing whether it is better to now or wait till after winter for best results

@Rosemaryandlavender1 I'd plant a hydrangea now rather than spring, so it has a chance to build roots before trying to flower.
Mulch around the plant to keep the roots warm if you're worried about frost.

Finally sat down and ordered some bulbs. I was tempted by some climbing roses too. At £6.99 each, I wonder what they’ll be like but thought it was worth a shot as they were varieties I’ve been wanting (Zephirine Drouhin and Iceberg).

I have a zephirine Drouhin, and it’s such a joy on a north facing fence, even if it does send most of its flowers over to my neighbours side. My Dh has become much more willing to tackle big garden jobs since I got gardeners on board at £40.00 ph. So this morning he was taking the Ivy off the Plum tree. Now I’m very keen on the RHS, and for years I’ve repeated their mantra that Ivy is a valuable plant for wildlife and doesn’t cause damage.. you should see the state of my plum tree. Guess I should have done regular cutting back. It has barely any bark and a huge branch came down with the Ivy. That’s why I’m hiding away on MN. My garden is wrecked and it will be weeks before it’s sorted. I don’t know if the tree will survive, we cut the bough back to the trunk and I have bought some wound heal stuff. If not well just grow a clematis up it.

Oh dear, what a shame @Zebracat . I let the Ivy get out of hand on my silver birch, I've cut its stems and then not tried to remove it. I might see if I can get some of it off this winter when it should be well dead and hopefully no longer clinging to the bark.

Some hyperbole actually. We’ve tidied up now( slinks away…).

Dahlia Drama! I'm due to show my dahlia at the local Flower and Produce show tomorrow and the weather has been absolutely dreadful for the past 48 hours, stormy and very heavy rain.

I looked at the forecast at 630 pm and it's showing torrential rain overnight. Well that did it, I had to dash outside with a bucket and secateurs and cut all the dahlia that looked in any way show-worthy. I've done a lot of trimming and tidying and they're now safely in vases. They've already taken such a bashing, I couldn't risk them being completely wiped out!

I think I can salvage 6 specimens out of this lot. The rest we can keep indoors. Phew what a year, it's been so difficult!

Good luck tomorrow! We’ve got thunder, lightning, torrential rain, flash floods and intermittent power cuts here. I think you’ve made the right decision re cutting them tonight, they look beautiful.

I spent a couple of hours attacking raspberries. Cut back fruited canes, tied some of the new canes in. I’ve got mutant canes which are already at 3m. So I cut them back to 1m on the grounds that it doesn’t matter reducing the crop when they’re all out of reach anyway. Then set about removing stray canes and released my beautiful moss rose which is twice the size it was when I last saw it.

Good luck @daisychain01 they look beautiful

Thank you for your kind wishes @Rosemaryandlavender1 @BestIsWest I am glad I harvested my dahlia when I did! When I looked at them this morning they had regained their composure and were looking splendid.

I went out again first thing and managed to find a better pure white cactus variety that must have been lurking behind all the foliage, so I did a quick swap and went off to the Village Hall for the submission before judging at 11.00am (my entries are 2 x 3 dahlia cultivars in the Dahlia in a Container category and sweet pea in Garden Flowers in a Vase category).

when I got to the hall by 10am a lot of the entries were out. There were some stunning garden flower arrangements. The dahlia category was very popular, there were some lovely ones, those big floppy mop-head varieties in orange and cerise pink. Some of the Produce categories were fun - the longest runner bean, the wonkiest potato, the biggest onion, the biggest tomato. All good fun!

I'll be going back at 2.30 with DH for a cuppa and slice of homemade cake when the doors open for the masses!

big bonus of the day was that when I was out there first thing, I was joined by not one but two robins. Not sure if one of them was Rusty (the juvenile robin who found me earlier in the summer), but they were both flying around showing off and enjoyed the handful of mealyworms I put down for them!

I potted a little Tieralla sprung symphony today which I recieved yesterday from Gardeners dream. I wasn't too happy when I recieved it as it was tiny and very droopy. It has perked up a little but I don't think I'm going to order from there again.

*spring!

So pretty though @Rosemaryandlavender1.

Spent an hour in between the rain cutting back the brambles, ivy and Russian vine that were invading DM’s front gate and path over the wall from her neighbour. I’m sure it’s only three weeks since I last did it. Not sure what I can do about it permanently other than go round and offer to do the neighbours side as well.