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Post by Tig on Jan 22, 2024 14:18:47 GMT
I've pruned all the deadwood out of the roses, apart from a couple of bit that require bigger loppers and I couldn't be bothered to walk back up to get them. More phlox paniculata old stems taken down and a few more bits of moss removed. Tidied a few woody salvias that were over the border edges and loads of old crocosmia foliage pulled out. Soon got a bit chilly round my lugholes though so I've quit for today.
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Post by Dutchy on Jan 23, 2024 8:55:21 GMT
You do enjoy a good workout in the Garden don't you Tig?
I filled the new veg bed with good garden compost ( bought but still... ) and, as on the plot, sprinkled some mixed cut leaf lettuce in. Exiting to see if that will do me just like the plot used to where seeds were in with the compost and then whenever the lettuce saw fit they grew. Funny thing they grew stronger than anything and some people who did things in plugs started to do the same as somehow my lettuce was stronger and slugs left it alone.
A new year of fun is coming.
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 23, 2024 10:37:52 GMT
I've heard it said that nature is the best sower Dutchy, hopefully your sown ones will do well too 'tho.
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Post by Tig on Jan 23, 2024 10:55:44 GMT
Not so much a workout as a potter Dutchy, being outside is good for my soul, much prefer it to being cooped up indoors (or housework). I find things that self seed seem more robust, the seeds which germinate must have a 'survival instinct'
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Post by Tig on Jan 25, 2024 12:54:39 GMT
I spotted a bramble had started to grow behind the big acer so climbed in to get it out and few self sown cotoneasters & mahonias were also growing by the fence. Managed to break an old mossy small garden statue so I've binned it, doubt it would have repaired well. More rosebay willowherb & moss removed from the veg plot, then tackled the hairy bittercress in the biggest island border. I was only going to do half but carried on, got quite a lot of moss & hairy allium seedlings out too. Pulled spent alstroe stems out of the other island bed but there are some I couldn't reach. Job for another day.
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Post by Dutchy on Jan 27, 2024 15:57:29 GMT
It’s been one of those days where you start and find new things to do as a result. We started with the chainsaw as OH turned dry wood into proper sized firewood. The fresh cuttings I stacked on an old table so it too can dry. It all created space so I could finally move the pots to the freed space. That meant space for stacking the compost surrounds. That meant spreading the ready compost on the garden. I chased two voles out. Pretty things but two create a crowd with these rodents. Hope they stay away. Noticed water dripping from the water butt drain besides the compostbin. Hm that should not be. Discovered the drainpipe to the Brook had gunged up . Got my drain pull out and freed the drainpipe. Checked inside the barrel if all had gone. Noticed anaerobic rotting leaves. Cleaned out the waterbutt .
Pooped but satisfied I made a nice cup of tea.
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 27, 2024 17:00:51 GMT
Sounds like you had a really busy time out there Dutchy. I've cut back some of the ivy on the plinth, I never want to cut it all back as the berries are starting to ripen now for the birds so I do about half each year or so and that keeps it productive. I've also made a start on pruning the Roses. I was clearing away some manky hellibore leaves and disurbed a queen wasp who was overwintering, she stung me and boy was it painful. I've covered her back over and made her cosy again 'tho so hopefully she will continue her hibernation.
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Post by Dutchy on Jan 27, 2024 18:04:11 GMT
Outch Ladygardener, We too have queen wasps. They mostly come into the house on the firewood. They are easy to overlook when you bring a basket in. At least those go to the window and are sleepy so they are easy to catch with a glass and some paper. I hope the sting did not last long. I will cut back the Ivy in early February. Birds are starting their nests mid February these days and I want to get to it before they do. Our Ivy hedge is shared with theneighbours and from them a clematis has sneaked in and from us the Wisteria has sneaked in. Both need to be removed and it is easiest to just cut all in one go. No way are we ever going to get all growth of those two invasive ones out.
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Post by maggy on Jan 28, 2024 6:37:58 GMT
Your a better man than me Gungadin Ladygardener, that wasp queen or not would have been put to sleep full time if she had stung me ! I planted 10 little allium bulbs I bought ! don't know why i had them , they might come or not ! Took the imitation ivy and trellis off the side gate, it was well fixed on I had to use secatures to remove it, the dogs are fascinated they can now see into the front street .
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 28, 2024 10:08:11 GMT
So long as the dogs are safe maggy. I will be more careful in future, it was my own fault. She was only being defensive. I really hope she makes it through the winter.
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Post by Jasmine on Jan 28, 2024 15:15:02 GMT
Ah, now I can see how you ended up being stung Ladygardener, ouch. Hope it isn't so painful today. I've planted all the little pots of spring bulbs I've accumulated, won't be long and there'll be lots of things in bloom. I potted the Christmas tree into a bigger pot. I think we've got a couple of years more before I can't manage it anymore. I staked the Pittosporum but it is still a little bit wonky. I might give it a trim - I didn't realise Arundle Green got so big!
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Post by Tig on Jan 30, 2024 14:49:31 GMT
I spotted a holly sapling growing in the hardy fuschia so I've got that out and also found an ivy growing in the middle of it, that was a bit tougher to pull but I think I've got it all, will have to keep watch for any new sprouts. Bit more moss raked off the borders.
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Post by Tig on Feb 1, 2024 13:00:17 GMT
More ivy seedlings spotted and removed, then tackled cutting clematis Margaret Hunt out of the magnolia Susan, what a tangled mess that was, I got showered in bits of dead leaves & twigs. I may need to have another go at it once the cut bits dry out as it has pulled the obelisk it was originally growing up slightly over.
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Post by Jasmine on Feb 1, 2024 14:11:36 GMT
I've tidied up the lower bit of the terrace otherwise you can't see the snowdrops properly and I started to tidy up at the bottom of the garden. I missed an honesty, I normally cut the seed heads off them in the end so I don't have to clear up 100s of little seedlings...had to clear up 100s of little seedlings!
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Post by Dutchy on Feb 2, 2024 9:29:57 GMT
I did some thinking and now plan to do the ivy hedge real soon.
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Post by Tig on Feb 2, 2024 14:20:37 GMT
Thinking is a very good way to start any garden project Dutchy, and less strenuous on painful feet! I've tackled the big miscanthus this morning. The birds had stripped most of the fluffy bits off the flowers for nesting material so I felt needed doing as I could see new growth. It has filled the bin and it is has spread too far so needs at least 1 ft chopping back all round it once OH feels OK to do it. It's a big Bertha job, preferably before too many more bulbs start to appear. Tidied the leaves off a few more hellebores and pruned a shrub that was too tall for where it is at the front of a border, I think it was supposed to be a dwarf variety of caryopteris but it didn't get the memo.
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Post by Dutchy on Feb 2, 2024 16:01:50 GMT
Did the hedge today. Glad I did as the birds have begun claiming it.
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Post by Ladygardener on Feb 2, 2024 19:19:43 GMT
For sure the birds all seem to be gathering for their nests and there are a lot of them around at the moment.
I'm carrying on with Rose pruning, doing a bit of weeding and I cut old stems off one of the Euphorbia as all the new shoots are showing well now too.
Yesterday I found a beautiful Queen Bee who was walking in the drive, I had to lift her before she got run over, it was getting dark as well. She let me lift her in my hand and I set her beside some Crocus and Pulmonaria, the soil in that bit of the bed is nice and soft and she has lots of shelter.
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Post by Tig on Feb 3, 2024 13:45:25 GMT
OH felt up to wielding big Bertha, so the clump is now muchly smaller and more manageable for a few more years. It was hard work as the roots were like rock in places. I had hoped he'd be able to take a foot off the front of the stipa gigantea in the other border as that had grown too far forward, and after a brief rest he did. Too much to put in the bin as it is full, so two large compost bags used. I've raked all round where he had to trample, a few squashed bulbs but couldn't be helped. Planting spaces too
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Post by Barbara on Feb 3, 2024 15:30:08 GMT
I've pruned the clematis Anuska, I left it late last year and had to fiddle about round new growth, not doing that again, I weeded out creeping buttercups from a few beds round the back garden and swept lots of leaves up, emptied a basket and a couple of pots of last years bedding plants, I have a trug full now for the compost bin, next door were throwing some wardrobe doors into a skip but I need wood for new compost bays on the allotments so they took them out and put them on my side path, so that's next weeks work
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Post by maggy on Feb 4, 2024 14:48:57 GMT
Pulled the dried stubs left on 2 large phlox dug dandelion weeds out cut lots of dead iris stems and pruned 3 rose bushes, a shame to cut buds off our diamond wedding rose but needed doing it was spindly.
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Post by Jasmine on Feb 5, 2024 9:09:05 GMT
Yesterday I cleared a bit more of the terraced bit of the garden along with my trusty garden helper who obviously thinks she is a goat! None of our collies ever set foot on a flower bed let along climb all over the terrace!
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Post by Tig on Feb 5, 2024 11:29:03 GMT
She will only know not to if you tell her to get down Jasmine, probably looking for wild chillies Next door (SNs bungalow side) have grown a wisteria up the trellis next to our fence, needless to say it doesn't want to stay on their side. I've pruned bits off which were invading and hitting me on the head as I walked down that side of the garage. The have also let ivy grow up the concrete fence panels lower down and that was coming through to ours. I've cut back what was growing between the joints and dug out some that had sprouted at the bottom on our side, plus a load of spreading grass that had set there. Spotted several clumps of rosebay willow herb so got that out too.
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Post by Barbara on Feb 8, 2024 7:23:06 GMT
I cut back some of the old stalks from last year, pulled lots of HBC some was starting to flower, scraped some moss off the middle bed, lots of bulbs starting to grow there, filled the bird feeders and cleaned the water bowl of leaves, it was mild in the back garden out of the wind.
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Post by Dutchy on Feb 8, 2024 9:57:03 GMT
Good to see the bulbs coming eh?
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Post by Jasmine on Feb 12, 2024 14:07:47 GMT
Isn't it just Dutchy! I planted a few primroses, snowdrops and daffodils and did a bit of weeding as I went. I also planted my new hellebore. It was so nice to be working in the sunshine!
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Post by Ladygardener on Feb 13, 2024 13:38:01 GMT
Barbara, we have clumps of HBC flowering too, I've been pulling up what I can. Not all the Roses have been pruned yet but I've done about 2 dozen of them. I've been going around this morning with granulated seaweed fertiliser and compost to mulch them.
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Post by Tig on Feb 15, 2024 10:21:02 GMT
Weirdly mild this morning for mid February. I have cut back the last two miscanthus and pruned a bit of the cotoneaster that grows over our side from next door. I need to climb in to get some ivy & vinca coming through from their side but the ground is very wet at the moment. The hardy perennials from the Parkers order I put in last week are on the way, or at least Evri has them. I'll need to sort out spaces or put them in pots & grow them on a bit so hopefully it stays mild.
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Post by Ladygardener on Feb 15, 2024 11:52:52 GMT
That's really quick Tig. Hope they're ok when they arrive.
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Post by Tig on Feb 15, 2024 13:08:51 GMT
As long as Evri get them out for delivery they will hopefully be OK. I went to check the bin to see if any ladybirds needed rescuing and found two lily beetles in the lid! They weren't rescued but were dispatched. I had a wonder and found another one near the black grass (ophiapogon), I've found them on it before. Did a bit of weeding in one of the front borders mainly hbc and the one with tiny blue flowers.
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