|
Post by Tig on Jun 23, 2021 8:55:04 GMT
It doesn't matter what I do in the garden Dutchy I always enjoy what is there (apart from red devils, vine weevils & rose sawfly larva), there is even some joy in spotting and removing a weed or sapling I can't sit in the sun, but I do love touring the estate with my camera in hand looking for any of natures nicer visitors that may be lurking or enjoying a flower with lots of pollen
|
|
|
Post by Barbara on Jun 23, 2021 13:16:27 GMT
Tooooooo much, I'm knackered
|
|
|
Post by Tig on Jun 24, 2021 17:47:25 GMT
Watering, weeding and deadheading again. The tatties are flowering, the toms are forming more and more trusses, and the first ones are just starting to ripen.
|
|
|
Post by Ladygardener on Jun 25, 2021 8:52:26 GMT
Fab about your tomatoes Tig. Our potatoes are flowering too. I've been out this morning tying in honeysuckle, roses and sweetpea as well as picking them. I've done some deadheading as well.
|
|
|
Post by Tig on Jun 25, 2021 14:48:54 GMT
Not in the garden but in the garage. Sorting out all my gardening stuff, things which I've bought when reduced and just bunged in then over time they've got lost! I've got 2 x 4 shelf growhouses plus 2 spare covers, one 130cm tall growhouse & 2 spare covers, 2 arches, 2 obelisks, enough fleece, netting & plastic growbags to last a lifetime, weed suppressant sheets galore, gloves galore although some had perished, 3 pairs of wellibobs, one still with the price tag attached, wire, ties and string again should see me out, trellis of various sizes and found a bag of vermiculite, box of iron sulphate - no grass now so that isn't needed and even a bag of strong weedkiller. All tidy and put back in better order, will I be able to find anything when I want it is another matter.
|
|
|
Post by Barbara on Jun 25, 2021 17:45:05 GMT
I've watered the toms in the GH quite a few on them and lots of flowers too, did a bit of weeding while I was there, always weeds on the plots because some just don't bother, they plant in the middle and leave the outsides to go a mess, plus there are two unmanned ones near by.
|
|
|
Post by Jasmine on Jun 25, 2021 18:22:49 GMT
Just had a walk around, it's great after a week at school.
|
|
|
Post by Rosefriend on Jun 26, 2021 5:41:28 GMT
Planted nearly everything that I want - just got the stakes to put in for the Toms and Peppers - never been so late, but it is finally done....
My girlfriend is coming in this morning to help me clean up the garden a bit and sort empty pots out etc...I feel so relieved!!
|
|
|
Post by Jasmine on Jun 26, 2021 8:18:21 GMT
I've just tidied up the bottom of the garden, the hazel, holly and honeysuckle were taking over.
I've also fed the roses.
I am getting a funny sense in the garden that things move much quicker, perhaps it is getting older. Things flower and go over much quicker than before...or it feels like it!
|
|
|
Post by Barbara on Jun 26, 2021 8:47:03 GMT
I've been out since early coffee time planting wall flowers, some in a tub and some in the ground, I must remember not to do so many next time.
|
|
|
Post by Tig on Jun 26, 2021 15:57:13 GMT
Two tulips pots emptied and the bulbs put in the growhouses to dry off. 19 dahlias planted out in various containers, the rudbeckia gloriosa I grew from seed have all gone into containers as they seem to survive longer in a big pot than in the ground, 19 in total (and I thought I'd been sparing in my sowing). Some dianthus I'd grown from seed have gone in a low container, and I've emptied a load of pots and tidied up a few areas that I'd neglected. Spotted a pot of very sad looking iris I'd grown from seed, all roots munched, tipped pot out, full of vine weevil grubs 5 plants had a bit of root so I've put them in another pot and will see if they survive. Echinacea breeders mix plugs arrived from Hayloft so I potted those on, 5 are very sickly, I've taken a photo and emailed them, I want replacements as they are on their last breath and won't survive. Feel a bit stiff and my shoulders and back are aching a bit, will have a soak later.
|
|
|
Post by Ladygardener on Jun 27, 2021 7:46:32 GMT
Those vine weevels are a pain Tig, how disappointing for you. Hope Hayloft get you a new lot of Echinacea soon. Jasmine, I'm sure the warm weather has contributed to things going over quicker. I'm glad I got back to Jenny's to see the Peony in flower. Barbara, better too many than too few. I've moved all the peppers and tomatoes outside apart from 3 tomatoes that are going to live in the shelter of the poly but out in the open. Everything got a seaweed and tomato feed to spur them on a bit although all are looking healthy. I've watered all the fruit and veg and tied a couple of the squash up to canes. Between Jenny and I, we've planted out Dahlia, Petunia, Sunflowers, Dianthus, Heuchera and I'm sure other things as well. I did some weeding in the fruit and veg beds as well, living out in the countryside it's a case of trying to keep on top of the weeds rather than eradicating them.
|
|
|
Post by Jasmine on Jun 27, 2021 8:49:07 GMT
I prefer that thought to my idea Ladygardener! Hope you hear from Hayloft quickly Tig, they are a million times better with their customer service than SR, and 10 million times better than Crocus! If you'd seen me yesterday afternoon you would just have seen my legs sticking out from under my £10 Morrisons' magnolia which is now 8ft tall and 8ft wide. I laid a picnic blanket down under the tree and wiggled under to deal with the nettles! I was quite pleased with my work...and my idea!
|
|
|
Post by Barbara on Jun 27, 2021 9:34:04 GMT
I have an image I cant get rid of now Jasmine,
|
|
|
Post by Jasmine on Jun 27, 2021 10:51:18 GMT
...and I didn't get stung Barbara! Just been over to the field next door and beaten back the weeds. I can weed kill them next weekend. Can't do it today because we are due rain.
|
|
|
Post by maggy on Jun 27, 2021 13:11:08 GMT
We are going to prune my magnolia next week now the bin has been emptied Jasmine , I like it under control it will get far too big for the garden. This morning I have dug the large foxglove out of the corner bed , weeded it ,took out aquilegia and planted begonia and salvia. Forked over the bed in front of the french window weeded it and planted a couple of salvia , I need something else but will leave it for now, the hydrangia there hasn't come out yet it doesn't get much sun, the fuchsia is being swamped by the peony that has stopped flowering, so another day that wants tidying up, and the hellebore leaves want cutting.
|
|
|
Post by Tig on Jun 27, 2021 23:14:35 GMT
I've only been cleaning lilies of poop today, can't believe how many I've missed, mucky job but needed doing before they get to the stage they pupate and go into the soil. A few less to come back later. Watered the toms, cucs and peppers in the WIG, must remember to feed them tomorrow.
|
|
|
Post by Barbara on Jun 28, 2021 14:57:58 GMT
We spent hours on the allotments, got lots of jobs done and made a turf stack, the man on the next plot has a collar on because he had a broken neck,( hit and run victim,) so Derek gave him a lift to get some weeding done, I was filling a bottle with water and it slipped, miss wet T shirt wasn't in it, good job no body was around , I asked Derek to cut back the Iris that had finished flowering, he started chopping the day lily plant, I noticed before he did too much damage thank god.
|
|
|
Post by Tig on Jun 28, 2021 15:51:38 GMT
I've only pulled a few weeds, searched and destroyed lily beetle grubs and watered the toms, it reached the giddy heights of 10c here, flaming June!
|
|
|
Post by Tig on Jun 29, 2021 14:53:46 GMT
Got a good bit done today, cutting back shrubs that have had a growth spurt with the rain, removing the seedheads from all the peonies that have gone over, deadheading roses. Cutting back the stems of more of the spent poppies and some of the digitalis before they set seed. Found another half dozen hazel saplings as I scrawled under the shrubs. The purple leaved prunus on the front had sprouted from below the graft so I have trimmed all that off it, very strong growth and I'd missed it even though it stood out like a sore thumb being bright green. Tied up the huge miscanthus in the big back border as it was smothering everything else, it now looks like a giant haystack I've carefully removed the seedheads off the euphorbia wolfenstein as that sets everywhere they drop, made sure I didn't get any sap on me. Planted out the cobaea scandens seedlings - 10 pots of them but some had two growing. Not sure if the s & s brigade will munch them before they get going but they were starting to tangle themselves up. More ruddy slugs in the pepper trough, I'm destined to have none at this rate, more pellets around them, much as I hate using them, at least in the WIG the frogs won't be getting the slugs. Watered the stuff in the WIG, the toms were wilting a bit despite it being overcast. Lost my secateurs, spent ages looking for them with OH, no sign. Got another pair out and when I went to put all my tools back I'd dropped them in the hand trowels & forks pot
|
|
|
Post by Barbara on Jun 30, 2021 12:35:05 GMT
All the geranium cut back and composted, the raspberry bushes we dug out last year had dried out so we shook all the soil off the roots and went to the tip with them 3 bags and a trug full of them, lots of crocosmia bulbs went too, and we trimmed the pear tree and too so it's all tidy at the back of the plot now, the next job is to cut back the comfrey plants that only have a couple of flowers left on them.
|
|
|
Post by Tig on Jun 30, 2021 19:13:10 GMT
Got back from shopping to find Hayloft parcel of helenium plugs, can can, wesergold & rubinzwerg, OH had got one pack out as they'd been folded over to fit into the plastic carton, I hate it when they do that! They all had plastic mesh around the root balls so I had to cut those off as they always die if left on, one of the plugs was dead, no root at all, but I can't be bothered to email for one. All 14 others are in pots, 5 with little canes to try and stop them dying where they were bent. I'll see how they look after a couple of days. I tidied four pots and planted the petunias & dahlias I'd bought at the GG in them for a bit of a bright splash of colour, there is plenty of colour around but can you have too much? Spotted another hazel sapling that I must have missed last year, it was in amongst the rosemary, so managed to pull it out without too much effort. Got dirt in a couple of my cuts as I couldn't get my fingers through the scissors with my gloves on, despite soaking they still aren't 100% clean, just hoping it may help them heal, a bit of muck....
|
|
|
Post by Tig on Jul 1, 2021 15:46:33 GMT
Just a bit of weeding and tomato pruning today, they'd gone mad with side shoots and were suffering from poor airflow as a consequence. I've opened them up so hopefully they will now start to ripen better.
|
|
|
Post by maggy on Jul 1, 2021 16:51:29 GMT
I just planted the celosia , not where I bought it for but saw a gap that needed something. Then I washed the household bin out and gave it a good hosing down , I left the hose out so I can give everything a good soaking once the sun goes down.
|
|
|
Post by Ladygardener on Jul 2, 2021 13:46:31 GMT
I watered the potatoes growing in sacks, did a bit of weeding, planted up a container with odds and ends and did a bit of dead heading.
|
|
|
Post by Tig on Jul 3, 2021 19:09:38 GMT
I've watered the fed everything in the WIG, pulled a few weeds that were in awkward spots and required me to thrash my way in through the jungle ... David Bellamy style. Three clematis I've been meaning to move into bigger pots got done, and the rostrinucula dependens is in a bigger pot until I decide where it's going, I'll just have to dig a bigger hole when I eventually find a spot for it. Tidied up some clems that had wilted in the heat, and deadheaded more roses and peonies. The sweat was dripping off me again as it was too hot & humid. Found a few more poo covered lily beetle grubs so stomped on those.
|
|
|
Post by Jasmine on Jul 4, 2021 8:07:18 GMT
I weeded, edged and watered yesterday. Only a week and I can keep on top of it daily!
|
|
|
Post by Ladygardener on Jul 4, 2021 9:08:52 GMT
I've been tying up the squashes and cucumbers and tomatoes, planted out comfrey I'd taken from the plot. Jenny and I are developing the area at the bottom of the garden into a wildlife friendly, more relaxed way of planting. Our little tub that the girls bought me last year to use as a water feature has settled in really well now that lots of things have grown up around it and I'm finding the whole area a lovely place to sit, even 'tho there's tons to do.
|
|
|
Post by Tig on Jul 5, 2021 17:56:44 GMT
Emptied water out of all the trays and repotted a mint I rescued from Sainsbos a while ago. I've cut back this years foxgloves, pulled a few out, weeded and planted out my dozen new ones. Cut back lots of hardy geraniums that were starting to set seed, found spaces for four hellebores I'd grown from seed. Watered the WIG, got lots of toms forming just need them to ripen, a couple of cucs coming and 2 big courgettes that need picking. As I was weeding and finding foxglove spaces down the path beside the long fence down the back I dropped into a rat hole! Twisted my ankle but managed not to fall over. Bruddy things have made tunnels all along that path under the weed suppressant plastic, and it looks like they've come in through next doors garden (what was SNs) there is a big hole by one of the fence posts. We've put poison sachets down each end (as far as we found, there a more further up, I can feel the ground is soft), OH baited another trap. Will see if there is any activity tomorrow, then OH is going to ram the soil all down that back path and see if any come out (I shall be a good distance away!)
|
|
|
Post by Ladygardener on Jul 5, 2021 18:37:58 GMT
That's a right pain about the rat holes Tig, hope your ankle is ok. I've planted out some Zinnia and Sunflowers and picked sweetpea, tied in squash and chopped up material for the compost bin. I've also cut back some branches of one of the cherry trees at the bottom of the garden so I can go in and out to the heap without being whacked in the face. My back is giving me some gyp at the moment so I did'nt get anything more done today.
|
|