Not gardening, but prepping an area for the 330-gallon tank I just bought for collecting rainwater. Hopefully this will keep me one step ahead of any drought conditions this year.
New England, USA
Metacomet soil with hints of Woodbridge and Pillsbury
I've been looking at a similar sized tank, the ones we have in the UK hold about 1000L and I think one will fit behind my garage where two 200L water butts live.
The rainwater that I miss out on every year just having the butts must be astronomical.
Bit the bullet and cut down the flamingo willow 😭 it's a good job we did as the limbs that looked fine and were growing were rotten inside. Will be replaced by a Holly, as I have one that has been grown from a cutting taken from my last garden a variegated one Golden Queen? Also cut down a limb of the Hawthorn that had been strangled and killed by ivy, before we moved in, but it still lasted five years. Have planted a rose cutting that is two years old now, Celebration.
I cut the grass after work yesterday evening, which is fortunate because it's been raining all day today . The ground should be nice and moist for weekend gardening.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Bit of a chilly wind this morning which didn't make me enthusiastic to being outside. So I thought I'd settle myself for pricking out some seedlings in the shed.
In preparation I dehydrated 2 coir bricks in a big trug, then stirred in some FBM and vermiculite, got my trays ready, water to hand, then chose which seedlings needed pricking out the most. Stepping up into the shed I managed to tangle my feet with bits of drainpipe, guttering, and a tyne rake! Resulting in a comic strip scene of me grabbing what I could to save me coming a cropper. Unfortunately, I managed to grab a plant pot with my favourite begonia which I've been cherishing for a couple of weeks now. Instead of saving myself, in a split second I'd switched to saving the begonia at all costs. Result chaos! But all was well, begonia managed to survive the assault. I ended up kneeling in the trug and covered in moist potting compost. I'll not mention how the contents of shed seemed to be scattered into all four corners.
Not to be deterred I potted up a dozen or so dahlia seedlings with really vigorous roots (I thought I'd lost them as their seed leaves had been mainly eaten by a wicked slug - I was pleased I'd decided to give them another chance), a tray of delphiniums, and a tray of homegrown hollyhock seedlings and a tray of bought hollyhock seedlings - just to see what difference they'll be.
After that I had a shower, rinsed my compost covered clothes before popping them in the machine.
Note to self: Stop stashing stuff in the doorway of the shed, put things away properly!
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Maris Peer 😋
The rainwater that I miss out on every year just having the butts must be astronomical.
Good luck with the installation @CrankyYankee
Also cut down a limb of the Hawthorn that had been strangled and killed by ivy, before we moved in, but it still lasted five years.
Have planted a rose cutting that is two years old now, Celebration.
In preparation I dehydrated 2 coir bricks in a big trug, then stirred in some FBM and vermiculite, got my trays ready, water to hand, then chose which seedlings needed pricking out the most. Stepping up into the shed I managed to tangle my feet with bits of drainpipe, guttering, and a tyne rake! Resulting in a comic strip scene of me grabbing what I could to save me coming a cropper. Unfortunately, I managed to grab a plant pot with my favourite begonia which I've been cherishing for a couple of weeks now. Instead of saving myself, in a split second I'd switched to saving the begonia at all costs. Result chaos! But all was well, begonia managed to survive the assault. I ended up kneeling in the trug and covered in moist potting compost. I'll not mention how the contents of shed seemed to be scattered into all four corners.
Not to be deterred I potted up a dozen or so dahlia seedlings with really vigorous roots (I thought I'd lost them as their seed leaves had been mainly eaten by a wicked slug - I was pleased I'd decided to give them another chance), a tray of delphiniums, and a tray of homegrown hollyhock seedlings and a tray of bought hollyhock seedlings - just to see what difference they'll be.
After that I had a shower, rinsed my compost covered clothes before popping them in the machine.
Note to self: Stop stashing stuff in the doorway of the shed, put things away properly!
Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
You deserve a glass of something tonight, very well done @Jenny_Aster
Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
https://youtu.be/ZXxUGyC7FSU