What have you done in the garden today? Part 9

[Jimmyneutronsforehead]

Welcome to part 9.

We love hearing about all of your gardening adventures, purchases, tips and tricks and very worthy boasts about what has gone well for you, as well as all of the behind the scenes bloopers.

We're well into the growing season, after a long wet and windy start to the year and a fast and hot spring.

We also love hearing about what you've made from your garden forage.

We are just about out of peony season, but this recipe was beautiful especially in a sponge cake, mixed in with a glass of lemonade and with my morning yoghurt and oats.

Wipeywipey's peony jam (soft set, syrupy) recipe:

I removed the petals and steeped overnight with 1 mug water per flower head, squashed the petals through muslin in the morning (no longer than 12hrs). I did a rough recipe of 1 good mug of sugar to every 2 medium heads, and 3 tablespoons of lemon. It is a wonderful golden magenta colour and tastes a lot better than it smelled when steeping and cooking (quite woody).

for a firmer set

per 1 head of petals, 1 cup of water
Steeped in freshly boiled water for 10 minutes- a large French press works
Brought back up to a boil on the hob
Add 1 cup of sugar per head of petals (or a full bag if you use 4 petals), reduce to a simmer and gently mix in the sugar until dissolved
Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Add 2 Tbsp pectin powder, seived in slowly
Bring to a boil again for a minute or 2
Let cool just enough to jar up safely without burning your hands.

We are also out of magnolia season, but if I can find the magnolia syrup recipe for drinks, mead and wine, I shall post that once I've found where I got the recipe from or the book I wrote it down in. It's very similar to Wipey's peony recipe, with optional additions like ginger and spices.

Please feel free to share any of your garden favourites ❤️

It is pppppppharpppd to get things done. We’ve had ours almost a month and she has made great progress. Shes scared of me today though…

Don’t know what happened there!

Accidentally pressed unwatch on my own thread, wondered why it wasn't popping up!

I need to go buy a bulb planting tool. Ok, need is a strong word, but I was originally just going to do a trench and whack the bulbs all in, when really I want to dot them around the border so come spring time it looks yellow everywhere I look.

It's hard isn't it? We adopted our two last year and the change in their behaviour (for the better) has been huge, but day to day it is barely noticeable.

They came into town with us yesterday and were nervous but pretty well behaved. A chap in the pub gave them some treats and they were wary but ok with him. Then on the way home we stopped to chat to a neighbour and when she reached out to pat one of them silly dog tried to bite her! Neighbour fine about it (she is a cat person so doesn't really understand dogs) and no harm done but it's constantly 2 steps forward one back.

We still can't leave them home alone without them being traumatised but we are working on it...

I would give you my bulb planting tool if you were nearby @Jimmyneutronsforehead as I no longer use it!

I'm still unreasonably annoyed with Sarah Raven and haven't bought narcissus yet but it isn't exactly gardening weather here anyway, not even nice enough to potter around the garden centre. I'll try tomorrow. No damage from the storm so far but wind due to peak from 10am for a few hours. Better get the dogs out soon 🐕

I’ve lost my gardening mojo the last few weeks. Had a few days away and since coming back haven’t really felt like being out there. I have loads of bulbs to go in but just can’t find the energy to put them in. There’s a big patch of weeding to be done too.
The garden is actually looking fab at the moment, the acers and hydrangeas etc are stating to show autumn colours and the dahlias, salvias and roses are full of bloom. The bananas are doing really well too. I’m not sure how much longer to give them before moving their pots into shelter and putting fleece around them.

Storm Austen is blowing everything about right now so I won’t be doing anything today either.

I raked up tons of leaves and trimmed my jasmine and roses (so they don't get wind rock over winter, as they were very tall.)

Much excitement in my garden as my seeded grass has grown very successfully. I did it in stages, so the lawn looks a bit weird at the moment but I am hopeful it will come together and look lovely and lush again next spring.

I have also started doing some planting. I've put in two Hellebores and planted something (can't remember the name) that I bought in early summer but the ground was too cement like to put in. I've got so much more to do and now the ground is soft enough and it looks like we are going to get a good bit of rain, I can crack on. Happy days 😊

Need to get on the Spring bulbs too. The squirrels have been having a feast on last year's, so I need to sort out the pots they were in and get wire over them, so the little buggers (cute though they are) stop feasting!!!

Sent my squash off to decorate the pub again. Fewer this year but still a love them

I'm so jealous of your harvest. Well done 👏

@TheNoWord 2 at once- that is hardcore. We have a sane well balanced and friendly male dog, so thought he would be perfect to help a terrified female. But he’s mainly ignored her😂 However she seems to have got the hang of it all by herself, we can let her off lead, she takes treats on the park, she sleeps all night and she’s house trained. The very experienced rescue lady said she was beyond broken and we would see nothing for months, but she is mainly fine.