I had the Defra horticulturalist here this morning to take samples of my poorly lilacs and she commented on how neat my garden was looking - of course I have been out there all hours over the last two weeks, knowing she was going to see it! I did show her the veg patch, which was looking decidedly less tidy... Lots of seeds sown in the last fortnight: broad beans, cosmos, rudbeckia, sunflowers (thanks GW), verbena (forgot to take cuttings), sweet peas, runner and french beans, chard, beetroot and more. Last lot of leeks pulled from the patch today and made into l&p soup and weeded the bed they came out of. Pulled tons of nettles from behind a baby hedge but left a little wild patch. Now for a cuppa with hubby who'll be home from work soon. Happy Cat
Liri not a bad idea normally but I already put a load of Horse manure down about 6 weeks ago & rotavated it in & I've been beating myself up since that it was a mistake. I hadn't reckoned on the continuing cold & wet. Dove It's almost the whole plot I have broken some up with a 3 pronged Canterbury hoe but it's so sticky its actually easier to fork it I am only going in half way with the fork. The wind & sun today have helped where I loosened it it's drying out now. In normal circumstances what I did would have been fine but just not this year, just shows even after all these years we can still get it wrong sometimes.
Well, I ache all over ... in a nice way ... I have been digging, planting, spreading and raking mulch, weeding, sowing, putting up canes etc etc etc ... My lovely OH came out and helped, cutting back stuff on the Shady Bank 'cos he didn't want me clambering up there and he also turned two large compost heaps, much to the delight of the robins and blackbirds who found lots of worms and insects.
The bees have been busy pollinating the gooseberries and we have to keep coming in for cooling drinks ... the doors to the garden have been wide open all day and are still open ... it was only a couple of days ago that we had the heating on during the day ... the temp today went up to 26.4C in the shade
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Great day in the garden although too warm mid day to do anything energetic. Planted out some of my bedding snap dragons - love them - childhood memories and all that. Later I potted up more echiums (12 inches tall), mini bells.
I love snapdragons GD, mine are never completely upright though, I'd love a bed of tall snaps. Might try again when I've got more space on the allotment.
I got rained off today. Moved a few things in the hope they've still got enough time to settle in. Planned where to put some pond plants I've had sat in pots for a few months. The winter/spring water level is much higher than I imagined and I think the spaces originally created for them would now be too deep.
Made a wish list of daffs and other Spring bulbs for Autumn, (like to plan while I can see where they already are) and also made a tentative list of roses I might buy next bare root time.
Having just spent two very tiring days rebuilding a dry stone wall where it had collapsed,and feeling pleased with the result,not wonderful but certainly a vast improvement. I was appalled to go out to inspect it thismorning,and be told by my neighbour,that the whole wall needed demolishing. He suggested a block wall,faced with natural stone and cemented on to the blocks! I can't stand the thought! Besides is he going to pay for it to be done?? Feeling deflated,and a tad upset...........so much so,that I haven't felt like being in the garden today!!
The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
What a rude man! I bet he watched you struggle rebuilding the wall and thought he'd stick his oar in. He sounds like he belongs to the neat and tidy group and doesn't appreciate the beauty of a dry stone wall. I'd just ignore him. Presumably it's your wall?
Humm neighbours!! I cut the grass, did a lot of watering today. Last week sweet peas and peas in, sowed some more, sowed sweetcorn, sunflowers, cosmos, potted on some small plugs I bought.
Yes Lizzie,it's our wall and it kind of "goes" with the house,which is 120 year old miners cottage.A neat and tidy wall wouldn't look right! It's a pity some folk can't just keep quiet. I was so looking forward to my cottage garden perennials going against it,it's taken the shine off a bit!!😥
The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
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The bees have been busy pollinating the gooseberries and we have to keep coming in for cooling drinks ... the doors to the garden have been wide open all day and are still open ... it was only a couple of days ago that we had the heating on during the day ... the temp today went up to 26.4C in the shade
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I got rained off today. Moved a few things in the hope they've still got enough time to settle in. Planned where to put some pond plants I've had sat in pots for a few months. The winter/spring water level is much higher than I imagined and I think the spaces originally created for them would now be too deep.
Made a wish list of daffs and other Spring bulbs for Autumn, (like to plan while I can see where they already are) and also made a tentative list of roses I might buy next bare root time.
I can't stand the thought! Besides is he going to pay for it to be done?? Feeling deflated,and a tad upset...........so much so,that I haven't felt like being in the garden today!!