Pruned the wisteria, coppiced part of the eucalyptus, cut down some of the polka raspberries and tipped others so that we get two crops off them this year. Two brown bins full on the front ready for collection next week. It was sunny but gone windy now and looks like more rain. Hubby has sharpened up the shredder for me for the prunings.
I've pruned the two climbing roses on the house. I think they could be Iceberg and Mme Caroline Testout. They, especially the pink one, were getting too tall, they are now much shorter. I hope Caroline doesn't mind, she is a tall rose. I want more flowers lower down.
I've sprayed the box hedge, I think it may have box blight, but I'm not sure there is a cure. The anti-fungus spray said it was for box blight.
I've cut the epimedium leaves off, new flower shoots are forming.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
I've potted on the two Natalie Thypel roses I bought earlier this month, as the weather much more reasonable today. They're already sprouting really well so hoping for lovely blooms later in the year.
At last I've managed a day in the garden 🎉🎉 cleared 2 of the large perennial beds and cleared all the waste to the compost bin. I'm going back to doing this in autumn as the primulas have been completely swamped and look very sad.
Bulbs in the meadow are coming up well with plenty of crocus and 2 stray daffs in flower. Our small cherry tree is in full bloom, now that's got to be very early.
It's been a glorious day today on the Fens, bit windy and cold but that didn't cause a bother.
The lumps of clay soil that was dug up in preparation for the laying of 2 rows of paving slabs are now easily broken down with the fork. Was beginning to wonder what I would do with the sticky clay. Spent a little while breaking the up the lumps, making the beds ready for a top dressing of compost, possibly a job tomorrow.
Climbing rose (Strawberry Hill - the name of my first school) was planted which I'm hoping will frame the French windows to the kitchen, and a dwarf cherry and plum tree was planted in their 'forever' homes.
Newly planted rhubarb crown has got three sticks already, so to encourage the growth further the crown received two buckets of farm manure.
The new wormery is really starting to come alive, and the first tray is now full. In a fresh tray I made a new worm bed of strips of half rotted soggy cardboard, a layer of compost and big dollop of liquidised banana and potato peel with half a limp leftover cucumber thrown in. Half a doz used tea bags were split open and scattered around. Nothing but the best for my worms
The plastic 220L compost bin which arrived yesterday (I know, I know... ) was positioned in a place where it won't be too much in the way, and the compost heap started.
Feeling a little more confident that the garden is more or less under control.
I washed the roof of the arbour as it occurred to me it might be easier to paint it while it's lying on the lawn and I can reach it! Just need some dry sunshiny days now.
After lunch, I cut down the last of my dwarf box hedges. Feel quite sad as they'd been in quite a long time and I really liked them. Rose bed now looks very bare but I'm hoping they'll do better without the competition. I've still got all the stumps to dig out, about a hundred of them.
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I've sprayed the box hedge, I think it may have box blight, but I'm not sure there is a cure. The anti-fungus spray said it was for box blight.
I've cut the epimedium leaves off, new flower shoots are forming.
Bulbs in the meadow are coming up well with plenty of crocus and 2 stray daffs in flower. Our small cherry tree is in full bloom, now that's got to be very early.
Staked a holly tree that has taken a hammering.
Stood with coffee admiring the spring bulbs in the meadow area.
This container has a lid to exclude the light.
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
The lumps of clay soil that was dug up in preparation for the laying of 2 rows of paving slabs are now easily broken down with the fork. Was beginning to wonder what I would do with the sticky clay. Spent a little while breaking the up the lumps, making the beds ready for a top dressing of compost, possibly a job tomorrow.
Climbing rose (Strawberry Hill - the name of my first school) was planted which I'm hoping will frame the French windows to the kitchen, and a dwarf cherry and plum tree was planted in their 'forever' homes.
Newly planted rhubarb crown has got three sticks already, so to encourage the growth further the crown received two buckets of farm manure.
The new wormery is really starting to come alive, and the first tray is now full. In a fresh tray I made a new worm bed of strips of half rotted soggy cardboard, a layer of compost and big dollop of liquidised banana and potato peel with half a limp leftover cucumber thrown in. Half a doz used tea bags were split open and scattered around. Nothing but the best for my worms
The plastic 220L compost bin which arrived yesterday (I know, I know...
Feeling a little more confident that the garden is more or less under control.
Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
Spent afternoon cutting wood 🪵 for fire 🔥 , not really gardening but outside in the Sun
After lunch, I cut down the last of my dwarf box hedges. Feel quite sad as they'd been in quite a long time and I really liked them. Rose bed now looks very bare but I'm hoping they'll do better without the competition. I've still got all the stumps to dig out, about a hundred of them.