What have you done in the garden today? Part 8

[Jimmyneutronsforehead]

A continuation thread.

Thank you to MereDintOfPandiculation for threads 1 through 6. We wouldn't have built this lovely gardening community without you.

No gardening job is too small or too big to tell us about.

Spring is springing into action, let's get mucky.

Eventually I want to just put some large tubs of bushes where the hedges were, probably fruiting bushes for the birds because we only use the back garden for our fruit and veg patch so whatever is out front is practically free reign.

I just wish I'd done it sooner but the neighbour over the road who has brought me his saw is a very lonely old chap, with no social skills or filter, and finds every opportunity to tell me all about his urinary catheter.

Whenever anybody on the street is doing work in their gardens he comes over to site manage, and over share his medical needs.

He is hard to get rid of as well, it doesn't matter how many times you say oh well, must dash, see you later, he follows.

I don't want to make out he is a nuisance though, his heart is entirely in the right place, and it's nice to have neighbours that would do anything to help, even if they are a bit wiley, but the thought of being collared in the garden is enough to put me off going out front without first having time to don my armor and prepare to be told about his penis.

The next door neighbout who was trimming the brambles is also so lovely and kind, but she is also an interesting character. I had to chase her dog down the street today because she didn't realise she'd left her door and gate open, she's got some cognitive decline going on, but keeps passing her assessments so receives no help. 2 years ago she had a parcel of mine delivered to hers. We had just pulled up as the postman pulled off, so I went straight round and knocked and heard her running away from the door. When I walked back home I saw her duck behind the windowsill, and later that night she came round and said I'm sorry I opened the package because I thought it was mine, no bother I said, but when I took it in she'd taken a bite out of 3 of my Easter chocolates and put them back in the box. Since then she's been seen walking round the side of our house and taking parcels left behind the bins and been really confused about where she is, she's also left things in our garden that should be in her garden and then been confused about where her things have gone. She also locked all her doors and went to bed a few years ago, and forgot she'd locked her non-verbal grandson outside, so her other next door neighbour had to get the police out. Her daughter is very aware though, and has been an excellent mediator so we are happy to keep an eye out for her. No idea how she keeps passing assessments but I really don't like seeing her with loppers in her hands.

So I went back out and there's just one shrub left that I've partially done, but the sun is beating down and my legs and back are shaking. It's so frustrating when you can see that there's only a little bit left but you can't push through. We've filled 4 green bins.

I've bought my plants, not as many as I thought I would though so I will definitely be buying more as we go into May. The plant man is down the market every Saturday usually and he has very nice plants for sale, I think he said they come from somewhere in the New Forest.

My plant spending has not been excessive so far but I do know that it will change once the weather gets much warmer, it really is an obsession but one I am happy not to break. I'd rather give up chocolate, cake and pastries although I would definitely draw the line at giving up butter. 😆

Im building one of those wooden veg trug things, had one last year and wanted a second one. Gardening without bending over, and no pests. Was a game changer for me last year. Its warm out!!

I went to a lovely nursery today, spent too much but the plants look very healthy. I bought lupins, astrantias, verbena, broccoli and chard, pansies strawberries and anemones.

A few weeks back I gave a friend 2 very large pots from an ebay purchase that ended up in me filling my car - I hadn't realised it was more of a house clearance and the guy was carrying old plant pots out until no more would fit! In return she has donated 4 "lucky dip" roses that she acquired from a very similar situation. None of them are labelled but apparently all are different so I am keeping 2 and giving 2 to a friend and we are eagerly awaiting buds to find out which colours they are! Trouble is that without knowing if they are climbers or shrubs it is hard to decide where to plant them. Will they be OK in bigger pots until the end of summer or should they really go in the ground?

I have loads of roses in pots @Wipeywipey, they will be fine. Long term they are better off in the ground but I don’t have the space.

Thank you - I don't want to plant them and dig them up again! I only have 1 climber in the garden at the moment so I haven't really looked after any other roses!

We've got 2 roses, can't tell you the names as they predate me. They're in the ground but they're very hardy. They get pruned once a year and it's never at the same time every year, and definitely not when they should be pruned but they always grow back even if they're pruned right back to about 1 foot off the ground.

This is where the rest of our thorny brambles are though, so when I get round to pulling those up I'm going to look like I've been through the shredder when I'm done.

I do have some thornless blackberries round the back which have become a manageable nuisance, but they've never given me fruit so if I can ever get them to disappear for good then I will be so happy.

Roses are generally incredibly hardy. I cut mine back in February, give them a good feed in April and dead head throughout the summer. Lots of water. If I’ve lost any, it’s been the ones I’ve planted in the ground in a place that’s too dry or crowded.

My neighbour always gives his roses a hard prune 5 days before they're about to flower 🙄 They're against the joint fence (with trellis from shoulder height), and he doesn't even go into the garden, so it feels like he's deliberately chopping away the joy I might get from them. Thankfully he doesn't reach over to cut my plants, and I'm growing a few things to block the view of his 'lawn' of 90% green alkanet. The black lace elderflower I planted last autumn is about to get to the right height.

At least he doesn't talk to me so no horrible oversharing! Maybe your partner should do everything in the front garden @Jimmyneutronsforehead, or does the twat subject men to the same nonsense?

I don't live with DP, and he's got mobility issues from when he severed his patellar tendon, but the neighbour will tell ANYONE. I live with my uncle, who just rushes inside when he sees him for fear of being told the same story about his penis over and over. He says was diagnosed with a diagnosis that's quite offensive now (The R word) back when he was a young lad, and he has lived in this bungalow all his life with his mum, who died some 25 years ago now.

We live on a main school route, he hasn't directly talked to any kids about it but he sits on a chair out in his front garden and gets parents, dog walkers, neighbours etc by striking up a chat looking like a lonely old bloke and then it gets onto his health conditions, like his diabetes and his swelling and then onto how he needs a catheter and then about how it's uncomfortable when the nurses touch his penis. It always starts how you'd expect someone with multiple health conditions and not much else to talk about will go, and then it moves on. He's late 70s I think, and I don't know if he's always lacked this filter, or if it's a new development, but I do know he's never had friends, never taken a wife, never lived anywhere else and never had a job despite him proclaiming he's an expert at anything it happens to be that you're doing in your own garden. He has no internet or phone line so always asks us or our next door but one neighbours when he needs things ordering or collecting from a shop, and he does have central heating but he doesn't use it, he just wears his fleece and hat and sits by a large Yankee type candle in his window for an hour on a morning and anybody passing by will just feel sorry for him and stay to chat for a bit, unbeknownst to them the horrors they're about to have unleashed upon them.

Sounds very like a man who used to do childminding from our Primary school. I always felt weird around him; he did similar talks to mothers in the playground (he had gout and various other ailments). I found out when we left he lives in the house with the St George and Reform flags flapping proudly and suped up neon cars in the driveway, which didn't surprise me one bit. As far as I know he has no excuse (in the official R-word respect).

Some lonely people are lonely because they're twats.

Jimmyneutronsforehead I wonder if he overshares his health issues and pounces on anyone walking by to talk to because having no friends/family just his mother who has been long gone now, he probably has no filter because he's never had normal interaction with anyone at all on a long term basis, just his mum and she may have been just like him and yes, some people are lonely because they really are twats.

Shame it spoils you being out in your garden by him though, he does sound a bit of a bloody nuisance.🙄

On to gardening though, yesterday I cleared more pots out, planted some of the summer plants I bought earlier into a hanging basket, potted up San Marzano tomato into a much bigger pot where it will stay and hopefully have plenty of room. Peony is out in flower and looks very pretty and most of the clematis have flower heads on them so hope to see them blooming soon.

I'm leaving the lawn a bit longer as it's been so dry although rain is expected over the coming days, Philadelphus loaded with flower buds, hoping that the bees will be swarming around it when it flowers, they usually do. I will give everything a feed later today as well.

I'm going down to the beach hut later but probably only for a couple of hours as weather is grey but warm and wind free at the moment but it's not expected to last. Bugger!

We've been joking that I'm going to have to become the midnight gardener just so I stop attracting weirdos. The thought of it does genuinely sound appealing though, as long as it's not raining.

Our first peony has blossomed

Which one have you got? They look nice but I want the greenhouse bit on the top. @user1469565563 have you got a picture of it?

I’ve started back at work after my operation and it’s been hard - really hard. DH has been cracking on with the allotment. But I’ve had to rest loads.

I did stupidly agree to go camping on a rugby tour with lots of teenage boys to support my son, but after one night in the rain - well I had the migraine from hell and my bones (where they have fused them together was agony) so I have a brand new duvet and lovely new duvet cover and pillows and I’ve safely tucked up at home (DH is camping with ours) and I have treated myself this evening to a white lilac bush. Always wanted one and I have ordered this!

@Jimmyneutronsforehead love your peony. Mine are budding but not flowering fully yet. A friend of mine turned up in hospital when my daughter was born with peonies so she always gets the same number of peonies as the age she is on her birthday.

I have left my husband with the boys in and pouring rain. Good job our plants need lots of watering!

I went a bit mad at a nursery on Thursday. So many waiting to plant. I did the strawberries and kale today. My pond has a slow leak and I noticed a bunch of tadpoles trapped in a tiny puddle, so I filled it. Very glad of the rain tonight.

I've managed to revive some of my dying seedlings, but I can't get them in the ground. I've done my back in dealing with those shrubs, then yesterday we went to a theme park and I'd hit my limit for movement about an hour before the park closed but everybody else was in the "last hour, gotta get everything done fast" zone and it's tipped me over the edge and I can't move now.

I'm desperately hoping it eases up because the back garden has been neglected while we've been doing the front garden.

I also think it's time I start considering mobility aids which feels like a massive decision at 30 but I had an occupational therapy appointment earlier in the week about a different issue and my OT said something that was a bit of a revelation that if something is getting in the way of things I enjoy doing it is time to take some steps to resolve it and I don't want to miss out on my garden.

It rained a fair bit late yesterday afternoon and evening so the ground and my pots had a bit of a drink without me having to do it.

Today, weather is warm, sunnyish and dry so far. Earlier I made up two pots of summer plants and put both outside where they'll stay, if there is a warning of sudden frost I can bring them in. Feel fairly confident there won't be.

I need to clear all down the garden of pots and containers this week coming, my patio and path are being cleaned, sealed and the path is being regrouted so I need to move everything out of the area. Any I can't move they will move for me which is nice of them.

The garden is looking pretty good at the moment, flowering I have yellow and orange geums, three azaleas, hardy geraniums, pink peony, one large aquilegia, pink almeria, aubretia, chives, nepeta and Guernsey Cream clematis plus I still have some forget me nots although they are almost past their best.

Lots more colour to look forward to especially my roses, can't wait to see them all out.

Sorry to hear about your back, @Liquoricethyme.I have 2 of these. Love them. Im just waiting for mid May to put my tomatoes, peppers etc in.

Grass had its first cut today,just a trim. That will do it for a while. Gorgeous purple tulips are out now along with harebell and aquilegia. Poppies won't be long...love the garden at this time of year.

Forever digging out bluebells. I have filled three wheelbarrows and two trugs. SO FAR.

Pulled out the last of the forget me nots and found a fuchsia that I had forgotten I had. I've trimmed it down a little and given it a drink as it looked a bit dry so hope to see it in bloom later on, especially as I have no idea what it looks like.