Finally sowed my sweet peas and bulbs. Weeded a small raised bed ready for replanting. I am hoping to get out today to do more weeding and clearing up.
Thank you Lizzie. I have another leucothoe in the garden that is fiery red and about a yard high so next year the fire basket one should look good. I too like recycling rusty stuff out there.
An update on my putting bark on the small beds that I'd planted with bulbs last week. Four days later and no sign that the mice are digging them up and nibbling them. Still early days but I'm starting to feel hopeful.
Out in the garden this morning tidying herbaceous plants and transplanting tulip bulbs from last year (might not do much) and crocus bulbs. The crocus is sprouting already.
Just finished planting 150 tulips, which meant clearing up a lot of dead annuals and leaves as I went, then spread some homemade compost over the borders. Noticed quite a few patches of snowdrops had become overcrowded and were pushing small bulbs out, so carefully split and replanted. Looks like grey squirrels have been digging-up the crocus I planted a few weeks ago, and the bird feeders are being emptied at suspicious times, so it's tree-rat war again!
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Long overdue thinning out of substantial Black Bamboo clump. Now I know why it was long overdue. Jeez - what a job. Trying to trace the 12 foot canes from top to bottom in this congested clump is the first problem. Then getting access to the older inner canes, whilst the clump makes it very obvious that your intrusion is not welcome, is the next problem. But getting any loppers onto your chosen cane, whilst holding its adjacent sentries aside, is often nigh on impossible. By 'eck .... I ache!
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Spent last two days digging up, splitting etc. a rather large clump of irises. The house had lain empty for about ten years before we moved in three years ago and we have finally got round to doing it. Now need to decide where to re-plant them all! Also have over 800 bulbs still to plant - busy days ahead. Our Italian friends/neighbours are always curious to see what "the strange English couple" is up to .
Martina Franca, Puglia, southern Italy Love living in Italy but a Loiner at heart
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Then an hours this afternoon tidying up
Gets dark so early now
I am hoping to get out today to do more weeding and clearing up.
An update on my putting bark on the small beds that I'd planted with bulbs last week. Four days later and no sign that the mice are digging them up and nibbling them. Still early days but I'm starting to feel hopeful.
Out in the garden this morning tidying herbaceous plants and transplanting tulip bulbs from last year (might not do much) and crocus bulbs. The crocus is sprouting already.
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Love living in Italy but a Loiner at heart