We were forecast a short period of sunshine this morning before heavy rain in the afternoon, which actually held off for another few hours. I was able to finish clearing out behind the shed in anticipation of the hedge pruning next week, cut down a native honeysuckle which is suckering like mad on the verge outside our hedge and do a general tidy up.
Hoping for more sunshine or at least some dryness tomorrow.
Another glorious gardening day wasted dog walking and shopping. It was positively hot! It brought out a lot of men's knees. Down here there is a bit of a cult with men baring their legs at the slightest ray of sunshine. Especially the posties. I explored a "refill" shop. You can take your own empty container and fill it up from various liquids, fabric softener, washing up liquid etc. I usually buy 5ltr. catering bottles from the local farm shop, I must now compare prices and effectiveness. Another horrible day. Low heavy mist and mizzle. Dark, grey and boring. Still very mild, everything is producing buds and shoots.
This month, between the rain, I've been weeding, cutting down, pruning and mulching our garden in Norfolk. I've used the big garden dalek compost bin, a smaller compost bin, a big bag of leaf mould from 2022 and 9 sacks of bought compost.
Easiest to show by means of photos - but I didn't take any "before" ones.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
I've actually had the chance to get out and do things without being overseen. Wife does fret so much. Still, she struggles with the handsaw (it suits someone with large hands, not the dainty ones she has), so I find it easier. The enormous rose bush of unidentified type, is now six inches high. If it grows new shoots, then great. If not, we already have a white rose to take its place.
Edited to add: I also started a mini log pile, in a dark corner of the garden. Here's hoping it attracts the slow-worms!
All I’ve done this last week is move some almost ready daffodils from a a big canvas bag (I emptied a few pots last year after flowering and forgot to pot back up in Autumn - but they all looking ok) to a few pots for the patio. First blossom is out on my dark leaf cherry plum 🍒
I've been working on a sloping side bed next to the drive which was relaid back in January. I had to remove the plants overhanging the curbstones out of the contractors way. I replaced the existing 2 metre wonky path with rectangular slabs (not an easy job) and this morning replanted a row of small heuchera 'Amethyst Mist' on the driveway curve, interplanted with native primroses (of which I have hundreds) and one or two Erigeron K. which do well here. Think I'm satisfied with it but can always fine tune it later. There are existing pink hellebores, cyclamen and pink dwarf The Fairy rose in the middle so I'm trying to keep to a white/pink/purple theme. Forgot about the yellow daffs!
You've been working hard @Busy-Lizzie, that looks good. I mulched most of the garden last year before I got ill and haven't the energy to do it again this year. There's still bark mulch on most of it and I'll mulch the roses/clematis next month.
Our purple leaved cherry tree is full of beautiful pink blossom today which lifts my spirits and the first magnolia blossom - really early.
What a terrible day. It didn't stop raining all day, and it rained all night, still raining now. Where is it all coming from? It is so sad, the camellias, spring bulbs magnolias, etc. are flowering but being battered and bruised, as soon as they begin to open, into brown soggy blobs. I even lost my dog on our walk. He went off exploring and the mist was so thick he couldn't see his way back to me for several minutes. Thank goodness I trained him to come to a whistle. I had to stand in the middle of the cricket field repeatedly using the whistle so he could track his way back to me. No gardening done.
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Hoping for more sunshine or at least some dryness tomorrow.
Everything was drying out then more rain ☔️
It was positively hot!
It brought out a lot of men's knees. Down here there is a bit of a cult with men baring their legs at the slightest ray of sunshine. Especially the posties.
I explored a "refill" shop. You can take your own empty container and fill it up from various liquids, fabric softener, washing up liquid etc. I usually buy 5ltr. catering bottles from the local farm shop, I must now compare prices and effectiveness.
Another horrible day. Low heavy mist and mizzle. Dark, grey and boring. Still very mild, everything is producing buds and shoots.
Tomorrow hoping to go to allotment , fence mending
Easiest to show by means of photos - but I didn't take any "before" ones.
The enormous rose bush of unidentified type, is now six inches high. If it grows new shoots, then great. If not, we already have a white rose to take its place.
Edited to add:
I also started a mini log pile, in a dark corner of the garden. Here's hoping it attracts the slow-worms!
You've been working hard @Busy-Lizzie, that looks good. I mulched most of the garden last year before I got ill and haven't the energy to do it again this year. There's still bark mulch on most of it and I'll mulch the roses/clematis next month.
Our purple leaved cherry tree is full of beautiful pink blossom today which lifts my spirits and the first magnolia blossom - really early.
It is so sad, the camellias, spring bulbs magnolias, etc. are flowering but being battered and bruised, as soon as they begin to open, into brown soggy blobs.
I even lost my dog on our walk. He went off exploring and the mist was so thick he couldn't see his way back to me for several minutes. Thank goodness I trained him to come to a whistle. I had to stand in the middle of the cricket field repeatedly using the whistle so he could track his way back to me.
No gardening done.