Removed a Cersis (Forest Pansy) which was steadily dying back, cut back all the gp3 clematis and cleared a lot of old Magnolia leaves which were covering clumps of emerging snowdrops. Weeded out a few hundred common chickweed seedlings and lots of emerging cleaver seedlings.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
We ditched the gardening in favour of taking the dogs into the cold, wild, windy hills. It was truly therapeutic for us all - except one of them is lame again. But I did think about gardening. I noticed my pansy seedlings have germinated plus the parsley I sowed on 8 Jan. This week, I will sow Greek basil, a few chillies, and some more sweet peas.
Managed 2-3 hours in the garden today, beautifully warm and sunny ! Weeds gone from 2 beds, transplanted Astrantia and planted dwarf Iris and snowdrops. What a day!
Colder than it looked out there but I managed about an hour and a half. Cut back some Gp3 clematis, gave a couple of evergreens a bit of a hair cut, combed through perennials and dropped leaves and turned the soil on a small bed. Amazed how dry the soil is but, when I think about it, we've not had much rain this winter.
Stood back and did a lot of thinking how those beds are gong to work now I've removed all the dwarf box hedging. (Gave up the fight with blight and caterpillars). At the very least lots of stuff needs to be moved because the spacings are all wrong without a 'border'.
Sometimes I's loves gardenin' an' sometimes I's hates it....
Going to try to do 30 - 60 mins every day for the next few weeks to get everything tidy for spring. Bit windy the next couple of days though. Hate gardening when it's windy....
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
During January I planted up the round bed with the 3 pink, 3 white and 1 Darcey Bussell roses that I bought very cheaply in the sales last spring. They had been planted in the veg garden until the bed was ready. Had to dig in lots of compost when I made the bed, a few months ago, thick clay soil.
I also planted 3 yellow roses along the fence.
Done a bit of weeding and pruned the grape vine but the garden is mostly left to its own devices in winter. Today and yesterday I stacked logs for the stove as I had a delivery on Friday.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Not really done anything but did go into the garden for a coffee as the sun was out. Daffodils sprouting up and the sun warmed my face so that was a boost.
I'm full steam into completing tidying beds and cutting back perennials a bit earlier as so many plants are growing early. I completely cut a shrub to the ground as it was taking over a patch. No idea what it is, holds green leaf all year, was about 5-6ft tall and shoots run out from under ground. Dark red flowers late Autumn. I meant to take a picture as ask you guys for ID when it was in flower but forgot. Every year I prune it a bit more and every year it grows more vigourously so let's wait and see..... Fab weather for gardening today, bright and sunny, cold but the sort of cold you get nicely warmed up working
I sowed more flower and some vegetable seeds. Re-planted more freesias (had to dig up thousands when we re-juvenated a very overgrown garden we inherited).
Trying to take more osteospermum cuttings but the b*****s won't stop flowering!
Gardening interrupted by calling into our next-door-neighbours to return empty home-made wine bottles, reciprocating with home-made lemon drizzle and fruit cake. We are never allowed to leave without, eg home-made pasta, newly-laid eggs etc. Such lovely people.
Martina Franca, Puglia, southern Italy Love living in Italy but a Loiner at heart
Thank you @Fire. You're turning into the Forum "go to" guy.
Well, despite being ill I managed to cut back some brown stems and gently rake off some dead leaves. My reward, emerging snowdrops and some little daffodills in bud. I will be honest there was more sitting than doing, but it felt so good to be out there in the sunshine and I was pleased to see the garden is not the complete jungle I thought it was - yet. Lots of little jobs lined up in my head for days to come, including exactly what you were doing @BobTheGardener. Sneaky stinging nettles sprouting through too.
“Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon
Posts
But I did think about gardening. I noticed my pansy seedlings have germinated plus the parsley I sowed on 8 Jan.
This week, I will sow Greek basil, a few chillies, and some more sweet peas.
Stood back and did a lot of thinking how those beds are gong to work now I've removed all the dwarf box hedging. (Gave up the fight with blight and caterpillars). At the very least lots of stuff needs to be moved because the spacings are all wrong without a 'border'.
Sometimes I's loves gardenin' an' sometimes I's hates it....
Going to try to do 30 - 60 mins every day for the next few weeks to get everything tidy for spring. Bit windy the next couple of days though. Hate gardening when it's windy....
I also planted 3 yellow roses along the fence.
Done a bit of weeding and pruned the grape vine but the garden is mostly left to its own devices in winter. Today and yesterday I stacked logs for the stove as I had a delivery on Friday.
Also sowed some basil varieties for me and some nasturtiums for the tortoise.
Trying to take more osteospermum cuttings but the b*****s won't stop flowering!
Gardening interrupted by calling into our next-door-neighbours to return empty home-made wine bottles, reciprocating with home-made lemon drizzle and fruit cake. We are never allowed to leave without, eg home-made pasta, newly-laid eggs etc. Such lovely people.
Love living in Italy but a Loiner at heart
Well, despite being ill I managed to cut back some brown stems and gently rake off some dead leaves. My reward, emerging snowdrops and some little daffodills in bud. I will be honest there was more sitting than doing, but it felt so good to be out there in the sunshine and I was pleased to see the garden is not the complete jungle I thought it was - yet.