I dug out (with OH's help with a pickaxe) the stump of an Acer. Hadn't expected it to be such a tough job, it was only about 6 or 7 years old I thought. Planted some gone over tulips in the hole so they were deep, filled it in with fresh ericaceous compost and bunged some pulmonaria on the top. It's my specially made raised acid bed so might get another azalea to put in the gap.
Chance to do some proper gardening again. Mowed all the grass and verge out front. Dead headed the climbing rose that's out front, it's putting on a fantastic display this year. Swept the front path and pulled out all the weeds. Strimmed all the edges. Planted some iris in the pond and tried to make the stones look a little more natural. Watered the ferns in the stumpery and topped up the bog area too. Planted out about a dozen Japanese anemones, same of achillea's, salvias, ferns and some great big iris,s All these plants were freebies from neighbours and father in law. Dug up about 9 large primulas divided and replanted. Watered all in. Potted on some eryngiums grown from root cuttings, kniphoia, and some grasses. God it's good to have a go in the garden again.
@purplerallim I was very silly and didn’t calculate the compost required up front when buying the gabion planter.
Compost prices are ridiculous at the moment, even normally it would be over £150 if compost.
The frustrating thing is that I have a perfectly good garden I’m just trying to get the landscaping done up front. I’m not getting the opportunity to actually garden And have very little experience so wanted to make sure I actually grow things from seed this year.
I read about lasagna raised beds so I’ve put some layers at the bottom which has helped.
Overnight 3 tomato seedlings have appeared!!! They seem to do their business in the night. 4/6 pots germinating is not bad so very happy 😃
Up early and turned 2 compost bins mixing in all yesterday's grass clippings and primula trimmings. Ran the sprinkler on the tropical bed for an hour, it seems really dry and we haven't had any real rain for ages.
Lifted a stepping stone that wasn't required, dug soil over and planted salvia "Dilly Dilly". Also took the Agastache "Black Adder" out of a big pot (they weren't happy) and found a spot for them They're a bit squeezed in , but it will have to do. Moved a foxglove and planted salvia "Pink lips", and also planted a white salvia "Gletscher". Fed the clematis (and the blackbirds !). Moved all the cosmos and petunias out of the greenhouse - we have mild overnight temperatures until the end of the month and the greenhouse is stuffed to the rafters. I have decided to take the risk 🤞. Neighbours came round for a garden visit, they are on the 12 week lockdown so were glad of the change, and l was able to get rid of another 5 or 6 plants ! OH got the hosepipe out for me as l was getting fed up carting watering cans around, every where l go l find something suffering, and no rain forecast for the forseeable future 😕.
I didn't do much. Moved the runner beans which are getting taller every day, into the greenhouse to harden off but might have to plant them out later this week. Six didn't germinate so sowed my last seven beans to try again. A neighbour gave me some Ammi majus seedlings so I need to plant these soon as well. Emptied out three tulips pots, (ready to put the tomatoes in) and just drying off the bulbs in the greenhouse before storing them elsewhere. Too hot to do anything else by 4pm.
I weeded over a border, pulled a ton of ivy out which was strangling my Philadelphus and pulled an old leggy Erysimum our to make room for something else, if I happen to pop in to a nursery/garden centre. We trimmed off a few wayward conifer branches and both got a conifer rash up our arms. Lesson: long sleeves and gloves for handling conifers, pines and junipers (I had a nasty juniper rash last year). Oops.
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Moved all the cosmos and petunias out of the greenhouse - we have mild overnight temperatures until the end of the month and the greenhouse is stuffed to the rafters. I have decided to take the risk 🤞.
Neighbours came round for a garden visit, they are on the 12 week lockdown so were glad of the change, and l was able to get rid of another 5 or 6 plants !
OH got the hosepipe out for me as l was getting fed up carting watering cans around, every where l go l find something suffering, and no rain forecast for the forseeable future 😕.
Stay safe