What have you done in the garden today? Part 7

[Jimmyneutronsforehead]

Continuation thread from MereDint's previous threads.

I keep getting targeted ads for a geum mai tai and I think if they keep popping up I might slip and fall onto the purchase button, accidentally.

I seem to have a knack for watering my containers about two minutes before a massive downpour . Oh well, they won't dry up anyway. And I've done my best to choose plants which won't attract 🐌, so hopefully they'll last a bit longer than usual. Although I sigh wistfully when I pass dahlias in garden centres. I realized (belatedly) that two of my plants don't like the midday sun. And I've planted them in a very sunny spot. Given that I live in Ireland, that may not be such a problem. I managed to deadhead one of my geums before the massive downpour started.

We picked our first raspberries today too - similar portion size and colour mix.

My dahlias are still tiny, I wonder why ? Nowhere near flowering.
I did some weeding and picked some roses, the roses are lovely this year and I have lots of small green plums growing on the plum tree, it’s had hardly any fruit for ages. Lots of blueberries too.

Your plum tree and my apple tree must be in cahoots because it only ever gets 1 or 2 apples, and this year I can see loads.

Went to my favourite nursery today. They had absolutely masses of shrubs, hydrangeas, honeysuckle and flowering perennials on clearance. Spent £56 on 28 plants. Now waiting for the rain to stop so we can plant them 🤣

It's absolutely tipped down here and is still raining hard, lightening, thunder, we've had it all.

I Chelsea chopped the geums earlier and the bit of garden where they are has flooded so hopefully the excess water will mean I won't have to water them for a few days at least.

Today me and dh did some serious editing. I'm investing in a shed extension so I can have an outdoor place to sit without being outdoors iykwim. Debated on a veranda but a shed extension gives me storage during the winter so that idea won.

To make room, we needed to edit out a junior hornbeam (very sad about that) and several bigger shrubs. Tip run with a very full trailer. We missed the rain.

Shed base starts on monday, shed comes end of June.

Also we are getting our patio redone due to drainage issues. All in all, my garden looks dishevelled and will do for a while but 🤞🏻 soon it'll be tidy again, I can but hope.

I bought this dahlia in flower for DH's birthday - the ones I'm growing from tubers are still small. We do a combination of new and old each year.
I thought I'd lost my courgette seedling when my growframe blew over but DH rescued what he could and it's now thriving.
I've been fantasy shopping tulip bulbs for next year following Arit's cut flower garden visit on last week's GW.

I always think that plants have a growth spurt after a thunderstorm. I don't know if that really happens or if it's just because it's warm, and it's wet and plants like to be warm and wet but either way my melons better start earning their keep or they'll be being replaced.

My courgette plant is looking a bit sickly to be honest. I think some snails have got at it. It’s early days though. Perhaps it will get going soon.

Some watering, as the promised rains never came. Deadheading summer bedding planters. Wondering why the sweet peas I planted haven’t come through yet (I was a bit late planting them). Excited by how well the Californian Poppies I planted really recently have germinated, as I just love them (again, was late). Also trying to revive the patch on the lawn where DH had a fire, but my approach is probably a bit too DIY. I’m a bit of a slapdash gardener, but my goodness I just live pottering out there.

I've just noticed that the free pack of wildflower seeds I got at a NT place a week or so back, have started showing signs. Small seedlings have appeared so I hope I get something from them.

Today I will dead head after yesterday's torrential rain and may mow the lawn, it's looking a bit raggedy. The weather looks set to be a lot nicer from now so fingers crossed the wind dies down and my poor roses will recover from the battering they've received recently.

My top tip for lawn regeneration: sow grass seeds directly in a seed tray. When they are about 2" tall, give them a haircut. Use a bread knife to cut out a patch of damaged/crappy lawn the same size as your seed tray and prep the soil. "Plant" your small patch of lawn in its new location and water well. For larger patches, check Gumtree for lawn roll offcuts or end-of-project spares and do the same.

I spent a good four or five hours in the front garden yesterday evening. I mowed the lawn out front and pulled out some weeds, which were sprouting from between the paving stones. I also re-cycled two containers - I planted one with a purple lily and the other with an Iberis. With lobelias and mimulus at the edges of the pots. A huge improvement, if I do say so myself. The garden looks very colourful and inviting now. I'd sit out with a glass of wine later and reap the benefits, but I don't think we'll see much sun today.

I slept like a log last night . I'm a little stiff today, but not as bad as I was expecting.

I was just reflecting that the best plants I ever bought were two plants I picked up at a church plant sale for a couple of €. They didn't do very much for the first few years, but have taken off like a rocket in recent years. They're very self-sufficient. One of them flowers in late spring/early summer, when not much else is blooming, which is a real bonus. Next year I'll take a photo when it's in bloom and you experts can tell me what it is.

I watered everything this morning. I was due to see my Dad today (I take him out for lunch every second Sunday), but one of my sisters is bringing him out today. So I'm going to have a relaxing day at home instead. DCat1 thinks that's an excellent idea and is curled up on my lap napping contentedly.

The sun is finally shining here. Had a wet morning. Really wanted to get out into the garden today.

Just been to a childrens party and as we were leaving another household member told me they'd been asked if the birthday party could come to our house to open presents as we have more space and they said yes. Very frustrating as both DS and I are autistic and find parties really hard to cope with and thought by leaving the soft play area we'd be able to get back to our routines and expectations but instead we are hosting.

Hoping the sun stays out for tomorrow so I can get some things planted and pull out the things that have not made it. More raspberries are ripening and I'm looking forward to scoffing the lot and need to get the cherries off the cherry tree, hoping to make some cherry infused gin as they're quite tart. I'll pick them off and put them in the freezer until I'm ready to infuse the gin.

Did have a gander at my melon plants and they're all turning yellow. I think theyre done for. My muscade de provence pumpkins are looking good though and all 8 plants are thriving. It's my first time growing this variety and they're being grown vertically so really looking forward to some whimsical trellis arches this summer.

Water feature installed under the apple tree. We ran out of cable so we’ll need to pick up some tomorrow. I need to tidy up around it and think of a way of disguising the ugly patio slab it’s resting on. I’ve got some lovely old rocks which I want to make use of and a couple of small white hydrangeas that I might leave in pots for either side.

Should gave mowed the lawn but it got too cold.

I weeded the veg garden this morning, it is looking fabulous, probably the best we've had since moving in 15 years ago.

Weeded and deadheaded the front garden this afternoon, two fertiliser bags of weeds ready to be dropped off at the tip.

I've got compost heap to empty this week as my other is nearly full, I've got some space in the veg garden that needs it as the first radishes, beetroot, and salad leaves finish.

I also need to get horticultural sand to top up the asparagus bed.

Dead headed all the climbing roses, hoping I get a second bloom as they’ve finished quite early!

Cut back the geums and snow in summer that spills onto my path.

Potted a bargain virburnum kilamanjaro in a new pot.

Love to read these posts and hear all your gardening efforts shine through ❤️

Picked herbs to dry: sage,oregano,thyme,lemon balm,mints

I made comfrey tea. Got my ds to weed the bed for my squashes, and plant them. Thought about tomorrow, need to plant out the rest of my cosmos and carnations. Wouldn’t mind a trip to a nursery. I picked some flowers for the house.

Pricked out annual flower seedlings, planted courgettes ❤️

I spent a strangely therapeutic hour pulling regular grass out of my patch of chamomile lawn. DD is not allowed to "help" with 'feed and seed' lawn fertilizer again!

Not done much in the garden today, just snipped off tendrils on the sweetpeas and picked some more stems, but I did pot up two pots of basil bought from the supermarket for 49p each. There were about 40 seedling all together!

Cut back the nepeta - was debating the timing, but so glad I did as has given much more space for other things. Think I will cut back salvia next weekend - still feeding lots of bees today, but think it will be past its best soon.

planted out a few new rows of salad - something I should have done weeks ago. My early spring planting is starting to bolt.

sweet peas look like they are about to flower, but not very tall? They have seemed a bit reluctant this year, though I was a bit late getting them started. Direct planted dahlias look like they will flower this week, and have had a couple cosmos.