Busy yesterday out shopping, but did buy the manure I wanted and replaced the Black Cherry Tomato seeds I had run out of ready for next month. Today cut back the Autumn Raspberries and field maple top. Thought it would be ok, but the sap is already rising in the maple and its dripping everywhere. It was white over this morning and had been cold for a few days so thought it would be alright, but no things are starting up early this year.
Went through all the plants in my coldframes and cut off dead stuff, gave them a drink etc. So heartening to see shoots appearing Only lost one (corydalis) .
Chilly wind but several layers of clothing and a woolly hat did the trick.
Spent a happy afternoon in the garden (cold but sunny), teaching my left hand to do what my right would normally be tackling, eg hand weeding. Waiting to find out what treatment I need for a torn shoulder tendon, but some gardening jobs can't wait until I'm mended... finally spent half an hour looking for the socket for the rotary clothes dryer, which had disappeared among moss etc over the winter. Found it at last!
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
That sounds difficult @Liriodendron. Hope you get some treatment sorted out soon but it sounds tricky. I wasn't very good at doing stuff with my left hand when I had a frozen right shoulder so good that you are trying.
I also did an hour or so in the sunshine today, pruning a clematis I'd forgotten about, tying in a rose and a little bit of weeding. Pondering a lot on a revamp of part of my main border and looking at small shrubs instead of perennials.
At last! After a dry dog walk I managed a couple of hours in the garden before it began raining again. I replenished the bird feeders and then gave the grasses a hard haircut before moving on to the apple trees to give them their early prune. One is only about 4ft tall so easy but the other one is reaching for heaven so needed to be topped. I also cleared around the bottom of the Globe Artichokes. Now I must give them some farmyard manure.
We've gone from arctic blast to false summer! Temperatures yesterday and for most of the next week will be 20-30 degrees above normal for this time of the year. The last time this happened, March blew in with 3 storms in about a 15 day period that dumped about four feet of snow on us, so I'm being wary. In the short term, if this current weather melts the snow enough in the hillside garden I may be able to get in there and replenish the woodchip walkways around the raised beds.
So far all of the annuals I've sown inside have germinated except for the asters. The baptisia seem to have grown an inch in the last week, and the ginger root I started a few months ago has finally sprouted a leaf.
New England, USA
Metacomet soil with hints of Woodbridge and Pillsbury
We are expecting 8 to 10°C and rain for the next week, with possibly frosty nights. 🙄 No gardening in my soggy mess for me. But there is the joy of March seed sowing to come. 😁
This afternoon we dug up a very woody / old lavender bush , possibly 20 years old it filled the garden bin , good job its being collected tomorrow Left the bed for the moment , I tend to plant a camellia & another bush that’s out grown there pots Just looked at forecast looks , like 3 days of rain 🌧
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Today cut back the Autumn Raspberries and field maple top. Thought it would be ok, but the sap is already rising in the maple and its dripping everywhere. It was white over this morning and had been cold for a few days so thought it would be alright, but no things are starting up early this year.
So heartening to see shoots appearing
Only lost one (corydalis) .
Chilly wind but several layers of clothing and a woolly hat did the trick.
Hope to go to allotment on Wednesday ? To see how it’s going ?
I also did an hour or so in the sunshine today, pruning a clematis I'd forgotten about, tying in a rose and a little bit of weeding. Pondering a lot on a revamp of part of my main border and looking at small shrubs instead of perennials.
Left the bed for the moment , I tend to plant a camellia & another bush that’s out grown there pots
Just looked at forecast looks , like 3 days of rain 🌧