What have you done in the garden today? Part 6

[MereDintofPandiculation]

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

Planted the dozens of lavender plugs I ordered months ago and forgot about until they arrived last week! Took spent bulbs out of pots and stored them in greenhouse until autumn. Picked sage,plantain and rosemary for medicinal purposes. The rosemary will be a tincture.Trimmed the long grass round the herb pots and startled a young frog. Don't know who got more of a fright!

Planted the last of my bulbs. And moved some hostas around and dead headed the climbing roses that have gone crazy with the sun ☀️. Happy times

So happy to find this thread!
Today I’ve planted French beans, a mini cucumber in the greenhouse and a hosta . This will probably get eaten by all of the slugs and snails but I couldn’t resist it. It was the last one all alone and forlorn in Lidl.. I also pricked out some curly kale. Love gardening!

Youngest DSS has given me some borage plugs he grew! We are both keen on getting to know medieval herbs.

He is a young adult with severe additional needs, and gardening has been an absolute joy to have encouraged him in. He is also (with DP’s help in his workshop) made some timber planters and frames, and is going to try more pickling this year.

And no community allotment politics in sight!

Yesterday I went with friends to a local plant sale & got some bargains & some unusual plants.
Today I planted two roses - DA Dame Judi Dench & DA Port Sunlight; a Cool Cream salvia; a Centaurea Montana; moved a Verbena Bonariensis & weeded.

Planted 2 beautiful bamboo Polenomiums and some dahlias.

It's my birthday this week so I'm trying to fill all the gaps I can now to see what space I've got left for a birthday garden centre run.

Have decided to give the hollyhocks a fighting chance, and I've removed the worst affected leaves.

Just spent a lot of today admiring the peonies and foxgloves though and watching the bees dancing on my raspberries.

I made wigwams for French beans and sugar snap peas, which I planted direct. Hope it works, feels so dismal to see a naked wigwam in Summer. I weeded and watered and thought about where to put my Chabord carnation babies.

I've been having great success germinating seeds using kitchen roll soaked in warm water and folded in half, and half again, putting them in a plastic bag and popped in the airing cupboard. Once they've germinated, they are much easier to pot on, and helped by the current settled warm weather.

it gives a better yield and you can pick through the germinated seeds and pick the best ones that look strong and healthy,

I've now got a greenhouse full of seed trays with very healthy looking seedlings which will hopefully be ready to plant out in a few weeks.

i notice we are not far off the 1000 post limit and I'm mindful that we haven't seen @MereDintofPandiculation in these parts for quite a few months - anyone else noticed that? I do hope she's OK and not poorly....

@daisychain01 I believe she has stopped coming on here due to the recent changes with cookies etc I could be wrong

Today I planted on what felt a billion seedlings & have pretty much run out of pots and greenhouse space. Hopefully everything will survive & the slugs and snails won't munch all of it

Planted out my beans and planted some garlic chives and dianthus. Deadheaded the daffs and bluebells. Tied in the climbing roses and clematis. Started some sunflower seeds in pots and sprinkled a few mexican fleabane and aubrieta seeds in some cracks in the paving and walls. Persuaded DH that the old loveseat that we aquired when we bought the house is finally beyond saving (we're repainted and replaced rotten wood twice) and it's time to retire it. Woo hoo. So been looking at garden benches/sofas. Now to convince the teenagers it's time to get rid of the trampoline.

Had lunch outside and admired the amount of tiny plums on the plum tree and number of flowers on the strawberry plants.

Tied back my climbing rose so I cna get top to bottom roses.

Saw a video about making a wisteria tree, basically with a centralised pole and then some batons fanning out at the top that you wind your wisteria around.

Can any seasoned wisteria owners advise if this is truly an acceptable way to trellis wisteria, because it looked beautiful however my understanding is that wisteria if potted needs a very large pot, and that due to needing pruning twice a year, needs to be able to let light pass through the gaps, and shouldn't be forcefully condensed into a space.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNdMxMUdX/

Just posting the link as I don't think I've explained myself very well.

But just wondering if this is realistically an OK way to trellis it, because if not I'll stick to my original plan

I’ve never done it, but I’ve seen them in various places, jimmy.

Thank you for the warm welcome to this thread. Today, so far, I have filled 2 chimney planters with compost and planted some trailing plants in there. I am also planning to mow later. Tuesday is brown bin day, so I will fill up the bin and carry on with the weeding. This weather is amazing.

I’ve watered my green house. Planted out some carnations into the unused corners of my big veg bed. Despaired about my leeks. Got to get back out now , I have a few tomato plants that have to be planted today or they will die. The planted ones need support. I must also sow some cucumbers outside, and another row of beetroots. My long sunny border hasn’t been weeded this year, but now looks so full and green I may just leave it. What is a weed after all ? The birds love thistles.

I found a variety of leek that appears to be rust resistant; the bad news is they were seeds from Wilkinson's which has gone out of business. So I'm
hoping I can save some seeds from my remaining plants.

If you mean Wilko, they are still online.

Hopefully your leek variety may still be stocked among these:

https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/search/?text=leek+seeds

We had a sea fret here this morning (NE coast of England) which has just cleared. I need to mow and also get some of my Verbena Bonariensis into the ground and also some Allium Powder Puff that I bought in the allotment plant sale at the weekend. I planted like a mad thing last night as we are going away soon and it will be easier for my Dad to water if stuff is in the ground. I appear to have gone a little bit Salvia and Dahlia mad this year!

Planted leeks, transplanted alstroemeria, weeded, and mowed the allotment yesterday.

So far today, plantied out some cosmos (apricotta) and about to plant zinnia (salmon rose) and snapdragons.

Then filling an unused bed in the allotment with three types of sunflower and with nasturtiums.

Awaiting a delivery of gravel and wood chips to finish a project. As Calvin and Hobbes would say, the days are just packed!

Just been out and weeded - it is too hot!

Will be planting out after a short water break.

DH (who is an idiot) has put the hosepipe away because it rained. Once. Briefly. With no further rain forecast for weeks.

I miss @MereDintofPandiculation . She is so knowledgeable.
I have sat out in the sun to have my lunch,and quickly put some white geraniums out into a very green shady area. They look good there. Too hot to do much else but will pick oregano and hang it to dry. Got masses of it

I miss @MereDintofPandiculation too. Not just for her gardening knowledge thread but for her wisdom with aging relatives on another long running thread she used to start.

Today I have spent 3 hours volunteering in a garden project then came home and painted half an arbour. Mowed the lawns. Moved plants about inside the mini greenhouse. I need to water later though I’m hoping for rain, it’s so hot and dry.
Off to Aberglasney tomorrow. First visit this year so looking forward to it as they have a new head gardener, someone who has a long association with the trust so it will be interesting to see what’s changed.