With the greenhouse ready I am all fired up to get it filled with the bedding plants to harden off and the tomatoes and cucumbers to plant, only to find mid week its going to drop again to 1° that will make it 0.1° in there.🤬 this time last year they had all been in there a week.😡
Some of my poor seedlings were bursting out of their 7cm pots so I decided chance it and planted the hardy perennial ones (Scutellaria altissima, Crytoaenia, Geranium ocellatum) + a handful of plants I bought at the garden centre (those whose seeds I wasn't so successful with). I think altogether it was some 70 odd plants. They have been in a cold frame and hardened off over the past two weeks so hopefully they will be fine (and they look it, I swear that when I went to have a look this morning, some had grown overnight!). Fingers crossed. That was yesterday.
Surprise of the day: a zinnia is growing where I had dumped the seed tray after pricking and potting up seedlings despite having had a few nought and minuses temperatures
Today, continuing helping my elderly in-laws with their garden. Cleared their old rock garden that had disappeared under dead leaves and general rubbish, and moved some alpine plants from one raised bed there. The reclaimed bed was cleared of all sorts of weeds and old roots, added compost, and planted a row of penstemons (var. Dakota Burgundy) - that bed is long and narrow narrow so can't plant much more. Then cleared the north-facing bed of rampant Vinca minor, pruned dead material from an overgrown Astilbe (so my mother in law tells me, but I suspect it may be some other plant). Saw that 3 shrubs are planted way too close together so will move the middle one on my next visit.
@purplerallim I hear you. I am champing at the bit to plant my dahlias (from seeds, various Bishops) and even my zinnias and cosmos but blast these cold night temps!!!
Planted out the podding peas, they were multisown in cells and had rooted really well. There under big cloches till the nights settle and they are hardened off. Turned 2 compost bins both were given off plumes of steam which is always good to see. Spent the afternoon going around tidying the garden, it's the trouble with having so many things going on at once you never quite get everything put away properly.
Made a start on painting all the fences. The panel has had 2 coats same as the trellis, the other fence only 1 coat so far. We're waiting for the end delivery so we can get the patio put down hence the mess
Couple of hours in garden this afternoon , blooming cold again lots of little jobs done , including cutting a pallet in half so it will go in car for allotment , cut the leaves off my ferns and some grass seed mixed in compost to repair bits of the lawn
I sowed various seeds, direct and greenhouse, and gave my tomatoes, still in the greenhouse, a bit of fresh air. Potted on some calendulas and osteospermums. My friend, Francesco, was bemoaning the fact that, despite his many acres, he doesn't have growing any of a particular favourite of his ... nettles ... so I have bought and sown some specifically for him and will pop some in our garden for the benefit of our insect friends.
Martina Franca, Puglia, southern Italy Love living in Italy but a Loiner at heart
I took all the blackspotted leaves off a favourite rose on a shed, then dismantled a mock 'stream' I'd made several years ago from blue glass nuggets and cobbles representing the water with more stone cobbles on the edges. It was meandering down the rockery, getting overgrown and becoming a trip hazard. I'm trying to pre-empt any future problems and simplifying the garden.
Potted on some Silver Falls snapdragons and Chocolate Orange Rudbeckias. Put some shade netting up on the greenhouse roof and watered the pots. It's been much colder today so I've covered the raised bed with fleece.
Pruned 3 olives in the front garden ( they are purely ornamental). Then continued with mulching the back garden, I am having to water and weed as I go.
Had to plant up some sweetpeas that had reached 30cm into their tub. This will go in the front garden against a trellis, have had to give them support with netting in the meantime. So much for later planting.🙄 Hubby gave the grass it's second cut. Lots of watering, which is more difficult as the water butt is empty.
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Surprise of the day: a zinnia is growing where I had dumped the seed tray after pricking and potting up seedlings despite having had a few nought and minuses temperatures
Today, continuing helping my elderly in-laws with their garden. Cleared their old rock garden that had disappeared under dead leaves and general rubbish, and moved some alpine plants from one raised bed there. The reclaimed bed was cleared of all sorts of weeds and old roots, added compost, and planted a row of penstemons (var. Dakota Burgundy) - that bed is long and narrow narrow so can't plant much more. Then cleared the north-facing bed of rampant Vinca minor, pruned dead material from an overgrown Astilbe (so my mother in law tells me, but I suspect it may be some other plant). Saw that 3 shrubs are planted way too close together so will move the middle one on my next visit.
@purplerallim I hear you. I am champing at the bit to plant my dahlias (from seeds, various Bishops) and even my zinnias and cosmos but blast these cold night temps!!!
including cutting a pallet in half so it will go in car for allotment , cut the leaves off my ferns and some grass seed mixed in compost to repair bits of the lawn
As ever watered pots
Love living in Italy but a Loiner at heart