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Post by Ladygardener on Mar 25, 2024 10:03:14 GMT
I'll keep fighting the vw fight Maggy, I should try some nematodes but it is a waiting game until the soil temperature is right for them, manual picking will continue though as I empty and check pots. I heard on the radio the other day that the nematodes for VW only need 5c to work. I did check it out afterwards and nemasay VW nematodes only need 5c they say too so it should'nt be long before you can use them. FG order is planted into containers with the new compost I bought. I pulled up loads of HBC in flower, at least they're easy to remove.
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Post by Jasmine on Mar 26, 2024 12:02:53 GMT
I've started digging out the edges of the beds just to smarten them up a bit and I spread some of the homemade compost on the beds that needed it. I hope the manure lady pops up again this year - her horse manure has been great. I also planted a few bits and pieces that there were places for.
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Post by Barbara on Mar 26, 2024 12:22:05 GMT
I've been moving astilbe plants to a boggy part of the allotment trying to help dry it a little unfortunately found VW grubs in the soil there, I'll have to find lots of earwigs to add to that part of the plot, lord know how many there are there,
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Post by Tig on Mar 26, 2024 16:34:19 GMT
Potted up the 12 nemesia plugs that arrived today. Sorted out the growhouses, one snail and two slugs found, they were munching on new growth Put some hardier things in a cold growhouse (the cover has more holes than cover these days), the rest are in the well covered ones and I've made enough space to pot up the dahlias when I get some better compost. Cut back the ferns, removed the dead flower heads off all the hydrangeas and did a bit more weeding and demossing.
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Post by Tig on Mar 26, 2024 19:01:50 GMT
Forgot I planted out the sparaxis bulbs, 25 in total all in the front garden & pots on the front.
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Post by Dutchy on Mar 28, 2024 9:10:42 GMT
Do you call them Gypsy flowers too Tig? Must be as they normally are a very mixed bunch colour wise.
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Post by Tig on Mar 28, 2024 9:13:24 GMT
Not heard them called that Dutchy, harlequin flowers sometimes and they are not something to plant if you want to adhere to a colour scheme
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Post by Barbara on Mar 28, 2024 9:40:04 GMT
Lots of jobs done on the allotments. all tidied up and ready for warm weather so we can get sowing seeds and planting stuff out.
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Post by Jasmine on Mar 28, 2024 10:43:48 GMT
Saw your plot on FB Barbara, it looked amazing - you are right ready to go! Potted on some of my SR 9cm pot plants and did a bit more homemade compost spreading. I am going to do some seed planting before we go and they can get started on top of the boiler cupboard.
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Post by Tig on Mar 29, 2024 11:38:17 GMT
In a dry spell I did more weeding and moss removal, bagged up two cat poops I spotted , and removed old wallflowers. Raked over part of the veg plot, need to decide if (or what) I'm going to both growing this year. I'd missed an hydrangea so deadheaded that. Rain stopped play.
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Post by Barbara on Mar 30, 2024 16:10:34 GMT
I sorted out the strawberry bed on the allotment while Derek stood about having a bonfire , at home I've planted my Salvia, Bears breeches and rudbeckia all in the back garden, planted Freesia in a large tub and fed the roses, it's been a lovely day.
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Post by Tig on Mar 30, 2024 17:07:07 GMT
It has been a lovely day here too. I've cleared out three large containers which had last years dahlias in, one was OK so I've added feed & moved it into the WIG. There was one tuber still solid in another pot the rest were gloopy. Potted up all the new dahlia tubers & put them in the WIG, whilst I was in there I tidied all the troughs & other pots ready to plant up with other stuff. Repotted a philadelphus Belle Etoile and tidied up the philadelphus little white love. Must check the begonias next.
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Post by Tig on Apr 2, 2024 14:34:25 GMT
Plug plants arrived so now potted into larger cells, 12 double calibrachoa can can, 2 each apricot, deep blue, lemon, pink tastic, white & wine red. 12 verbena showboat collection ( 2 x burgundy, blue fizz, dark red, mango orange, midnight & white) should get some colourful pots & baskets from that lot. The 66 french marigolds are also on the way! Hmmm, space challenge, shoe horn will be required. It has been so nice I did a bit more weeding & moss clearing and chasing hoverflies with the camera
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Post by Jasmine on Apr 3, 2024 13:26:06 GMT
Sowed marigolds, panicum sparkling fountain, cerinthe, lupin pixie delight, asarina mystic rose and cosmos fizzy pink. I also planted some of the plants I've bought over the past few days.
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Post by Tig on Apr 4, 2024 13:30:19 GMT
I've re-arranged the growhouses again so I could fit the marigolds in once I'd moved the mini-plugs into bigger cells. I got 60 out of the 66 - always some that don't want to come out of those teeny weeny plugs and there was a slug in them! Will see how they grow and move them into small pots or larger cells once they get going. Most of the dahlias I potted up are showing signs of growth. I've taken the monardas out as they weren't happy, perhaps too hot & humid at times, signs of rot on a couple, will have to wait to see if they perk up.
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Post by Jasmine on Apr 5, 2024 10:51:45 GMT
I've just started turning the compost bin into the empty bin - never seen so many worms! I used to do that job in one go but it will have to be a part time job from now on.
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Post by Barbara on Apr 5, 2024 11:42:35 GMT
Same for me Jasmine, . I put cuttings from a blackcurrant bush in a pot in autumn, today I took them out to pot on, they are good to go, but the pot was riddled with VW grubs, dead now but , glad I decided to do it today, many more sycamore seedlings pulled and as everywhere is so wet not much else can be done, I have plants to go out but it would be cruel.
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Post by Jasmine on Apr 5, 2024 13:07:28 GMT
I've just weeded and mulched the bed in the front garden - it looks much tidier now.
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Post by Tig on Apr 5, 2024 15:48:41 GMT
Been in the garden most of the day, got the begonias in trays as they had sprouted, couple were no good but most were fine. Planted out the monardas as they weren't happy in the pots, two chances now. The delpiniums & apricot foxglove have gone in, as have the two bright orange polyanthus. I've cleared more pots ready to plant up with summer stuff, and tackled a few that were very mossy, including the rudbeckias which were being strangled. Pots topped up with fresh compost & slow release feed, table now clear and ready for the next batch of plants to arrive from T & M. Sown cosmos ladybird mix, only one small tray.
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Post by Tig on Apr 6, 2024 9:26:21 GMT
Split several heucheras that were getting leggy, I've not potted the bits up just planted them directly in any heuchera friendly gaps. Pruned more off next door cotoneaster as it is desperate to hang over my borders it seems. Cut back last years stems on more phlox & heleniums, tidied up a couple of dianthus and got some weeds out. I have lopped off some of the old wood off the woody salvias. Hope they resprout from the bottom.
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Post by Jasmine on Apr 6, 2024 11:44:44 GMT
I've just emptied and turned the second compost bins - they weren't as full as the first bins as they are tucked out of the way so don't get used as much. I used the compost to mulch the shady bed. I then weeded along the top of the front bank - hoicked out lots of dandelions, Herb Robert and arum lilies but also spotted self seeded foxglove and honesty - I left those!
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Post by Barbara on Apr 6, 2024 13:50:32 GMT
On the plot this morning seed sowing, beetroot, parsnips, turnips and some red onion sets, we're doing out first earlies in tubs because it's so wet so they got sorted this morning too.
Back home planted some foxgloves I dug out from the plot, and the clematis 'Montana' I bought yesterday, and more sycamore pulled out.
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Post by Barbara on Apr 7, 2024 11:52:26 GMT
This morning I moved the stepping stones that go up the lawn over a couple of feet and widened the bed, lots of new planting opportunities now, I've planted a delphinium, an astilbe and some baby lily bulbs already, it looks a bit untidy at the mo but it will all knit in soon, I got over the other side of the pond and pulled more ground elder that was coming under the fence, problem is it's leaves look like astrantia,
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Post by Jasmine on Apr 7, 2024 17:18:47 GMT
Love a new planting opportunity Barbara! I tidied up the plastic grow houses and potted a few things on. I also cleared some space in the lobby as the more tender salvias will manage in the growhouses now it isn't so cold.
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Post by Tig on Apr 7, 2024 23:05:22 GMT
I spent the day dodging showers, I want to prune back the garrya elliptica James Roof as it has never flowered well despite being in for years now. I got some of the old wood out but rain stopped play. I did find 3 lily beetles and dispatched them.
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Post by Tig on Apr 8, 2024 15:02:22 GMT
I have managed to use OHs saw and cut through the biggest branches of the garrya, then wrestled the sprawling growth out from behind the magnolia Susan. I had to cut a few branches back on her to get in and it has taken me over 2 hours. Too much to fit in the brown bin but it gets emptied tomorrow so I will be able to chop up the rest of it then. OH got big bertha out and managed to remove the stump and main roots. I've tidied up and managed to dig a big enough hole to plant the hydrangea aspera macrophylla which had outgrown the container it was in and was root bound. I wasn't able to loosen the roots but hope as the soil if damp it will do OK, it wasn't going to prosper in the pot. I've also planted the bareroot amelanchier lamarckii further along and will add a couple of hydrangea paniculatas when I recover. It should be a better display than the garrya. The rest of my T & M order that arrived this morning has been potted on into better pots. Hydrangeas paniculata polestar & pink diamond, plus a Miss Saori & Cloud Nine. A small viburnum bodnantense dawn is also in a bigger pot and rose everglow ruby has gone into a deep pot that I've put in a white ceramic container on the side terrace, the rest are in the growhouse for now as I am never sure how if they will cope with a late frost.
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Post by Dutchy on Apr 9, 2024 8:22:18 GMT
Crikey Tig. That is a lot to do.
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Post by Tig on Apr 9, 2024 9:10:07 GMT
Dutchy it was too much really, but if I'd left it another year would have passed by and I would be yet another year older, I do forget at times how ancient I am now! It is really wet today so I won't be doing any gardening, the weather gods are watering in my plantings though.
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Post by Dutchy on Apr 10, 2024 10:39:32 GMT
You are not ancient just well preserved... Sometimes the bottle isn't strong enough but you can keep a lid on that.
Well erm you know what I mean. As long as the fun is stronger than the pain......
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Post by Jasmine on Apr 10, 2024 17:09:47 GMT
As long as the fun is stronger than the pain...... I like that idea Dutchy! I have carried on with the bed edging and weeding - it's a bit of a never ending spring/summer story but it does make the garden look tidy! Some of my SR plant order arrived..no thanks to Yodel - poor plants were out of their pots and loose in the box but I think they'll be fine. I don't know why businesses use Yodel or Evri.
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