Planted an apple tree in the front garden. I've discovered that the recently removed lawn lay on top of a splendid mix of builders debris. Hit a section of drainage pipe, which was sitting in a particularly sandy bit. Makes a change from the normal heavy clay.
Yesterday I impulse purchased a very small Colorado spruce, which I've wanted for the back yard. This morning I tried digging in five different places and was met with frozen solid ground. Thank heavens for cement foundation, because near it was the only pliable ground I could find! Little spruce is now buried in its bucket for the winter, until I can get a new garden space created next year.
I also purchased tulip, allium, and anemone bulbs since they were half price; I'll store them in my fridge and pot them around Easter. Last year I tried potting bulbs and putting them in my unheated barn over winter, and nearly every bulb rotted. I'm still trying to figure that one out, because I only lightly watered them after planting and didn't water them again. The only thing I can think is the pots froze solid in those -40F temperatures even though they were undercover, and the freeze/thaw did them in.
New England, USA
Metacomet soil with hints of Woodbridge and Pillsbury
@Biglad, gosh, that looks jolly awful as a planting medium! I think I'd prefer the heavy clay.
That's a shame @CrankyYankee, about your last year's bulbs. Really glad we don't have those low temps over here. I potted up some half prize bulbs a couple of days ago and put them in my unheated greenhouse. Never heard of storing them in the fridge, wouldn't be room in mine!
We will be away for nearly all of March which is usually the busiest month in my garden (very poor holiday planning!!!) and so this year I'm trying really hard to get on top of jobs before then. My aim is to do 30 minutes outside everyday (unless it's absolutely tipping down) but that 30 minutes usually becomes an hour and today it was nearly 2 hours. Reckon I'm doing about 6 - 8hrs a week at the moment. It's usually zero hours in December! Been coppicing the hazels today and the back lawn is now covered in 5m long hazel poles waiting to be cut back to a usable length and the trimmings shredded for compost. That's tomorrow's job.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
I know @Lizzie27 - you don't get many fruit trees growing on beaches
I went pretty deep and wide and filled with a mix of the normal clay, soil improver (manure-based), garden compost and a good sprinkle of mycorrhizal fungi. Fingers crossed!!!
This morning I woke up to winds that sound like a freight train, slamming into the house and shaking windows. Pouring rain. Temperatures have soared into the low 50sF and the ground has thawed to the point that I sunk about 3" into the mud trying to get to the barn this morning. If I've read posts here correctly, this is what you folks you deal with on a regular basis, and I have a clearer understanding of your gardening challenges now. The crows showed up for breakfast despite 50mph wind gusts, and when I went out to throw them their food I noticed a bunch of small clumps of perennials I'd planted into the little meadow area had been heaved up out of the soil, and are basically little islands floating in private lakes. Nope, I don't envy your wet winters at all!
New England, USA
Metacomet soil with hints of Woodbridge and Pillsbury
Making the most of the ground being not too wet at the moment, I've made a start on widening the thinner of the two beds along the drive. That will then get a some organic material to give it a couple of months before spring. It looks like only light rain tomorrow so I'll try and get that finished then.
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That's a shame @CrankyYankee, about your last year's bulbs. Really glad we don't have those low temps over here. I potted up some half prize bulbs a couple of days ago and put them in my unheated greenhouse. Never heard of storing them in the fridge, wouldn't be room in mine!
My aim is to do 30 minutes outside everyday (unless it's absolutely tipping down) but that 30 minutes usually becomes an hour and today it was nearly 2 hours. Reckon I'm doing about 6 - 8hrs a week at the moment. It's usually zero hours in December!
Been coppicing the hazels today and the back lawn is now covered in 5m long hazel poles waiting to be cut back to a usable length and the trimmings shredded for compost.
That's tomorrow's job.
I went pretty deep and wide and filled with a mix of the normal clay, soil improver (manure-based), garden compost and a good sprinkle of mycorrhizal fungi. Fingers crossed!!!
Stll quite mild, I had to cut the leaves, buds and small blooms off one or two but have left some gorgeous orange hips on the one on the wall.