Happy New year everybody. I thought I would join you all for some accountability.
I have a big garden which goes down to a river. Nearest the house we start with a flower bed with a few bulbs, hardy geraniums and a clematis. Then there is a pretty big wildflower meadow. Running down one side I have a huge rambling flowered alongside a big paved area then the bottom part to the river is pretty wild with fruit trees and gradually turning to woodland on to the river bank.
I always leave my tidying and cutting back to later so that it provides a nice habitat for wildlife over the winter but I have so many jobs that need doing!
The meadow got overtaken by red campion last year so I dug a fair bit up and dead headed before it reseeded so I will need to scarify like mad and seed with anything other than campion to get some balance back!
The big flower bed needs major tidying.
Then the wild area around the fruit trees is approximately 99% creeping buttercup so I need to spend early spring digging up as much as I can and possibly giving in and accepting that I might need chemicals and painting it on to leaves so as not to kill anything else.
My woodland area at the bottom though is a delight. I concentrated on that the past couple of years and it has really paid off with snowdrops and crocuses giving way to bluebells and native tulips followed by fritillaries and wood anemones. I adore it.
Then I have an allotment, just to make sure I don't get bored.......
The allotment is a constant battle. Slowly filling it with permanent planting apart from a few beds for peas and beans. I've been up doing some tidying and I planted a load of bare root strawberries today. I have 3 walk in fruit cages to keep things safe from deer l, bunnies and birds. One is my pea and bean cage and that is all tidy and ready for spring. Today I finished off the cage with red and black currents and the strawberries.
Last time I went up I lifted all my asparagus crowns and took out masses of couch grass and replanted them. Blasted stuff.
I'm preparing a third fruit cage that will have half summer and half autumn raspberries but the couch grass has invaded very badly. Been digging it out and probably accepting that I'm not planting it this year but instead waiting for spring for it to start growing again and digging it out again every time it shows it's face over the year then planning next year.
However, if i can stick to it then doing that plus starting on top of my paths will mean my allotment is actually pretty much sorted! Hence the need for accountability!
Hopefully seeing what you are all doing will help me get off my bum on my day off every week and go spend a couple of hours outdoors digging and tidying.
Job for the next few days I think whilst the weather is supposed to be bad will be to get my tools out and clean and sharpen them. My poor hori hori knife is very neglected and my niwaki sickle realty needs a sharpen. My sickle is my favourite tool, so good for maintaining my meadow and woodland area. Plus it's a good time to go through the seeds and put in an order ready for spring. Budget Seeds here I come!