Joy(bouquet)lilies planted in veg patch in a line for cutting.
Planted 6 Lilium longiflorum in a big tub. Tipped out another big tub to find some ginormous Lilium henryii that have been in there a few years. Gertrude Jekyll land Brian Matthews say these should be semi shaded. I could dig out the old lavender bushes which are not getting enough light and put them there.
I've potted up some blue perennial cornflower from the space where I dug out the tree peony. Lots of brandlings in the muck heap to keep the birds happy.
I have been to my other allotment this morning and started digging the main bed- i think I must have pulled about a ton of cough grass roots up this is the site where I'm in the process of setting up a chicken run on the opposite bed, and where we have been concentrating on that so much, we have not really managed to get anything proper done around the rest of the plot. We got the keys for that one in November but because of the weather, haven't had chance to make a start on it
I must have worked harder than I thought, I'd built up a proper sweat! Only another 3/4's to go
Oooo Fruitcake - you are so lucky to be able to keep chickens on your plot. I don't envy you the job of clearing the couch grass - evil stuff.
I've discovered muscles I'd forgotten I had as I've hacked, cut and sawn through an overgorwn shrub this morning - green wheelie bin full to the top. Being rewarded by being taken to see Shaun the Sheep film this evening.
I have been out to play. Had a friend yesterday to help me tie in windbreak fabric along the northern fence and have done some hacking - enthusiastic pruning? - of shrubs, clems, hellebores and roses plus taken off lots of dead material on perennials. Loads left to clear and tidy away and then weeding needs to start as the nettles and buttercups are already growing.
Garden last week at -6C
Garden this week at +8C
Still have the woodland corner and pond beds and shady beds and front to do but it's good to have made a start at last.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Planted two roses, dug up some more lawn for new plants. Moved Hydrangea and a couple of geraniums. FB&B the borders. Doesn't sound like much so why is my back killing me?
Lovely sunny day here so got stuck in digging out a base (on a bank) to put my new water butt on. Dug down till I hit clay and then leveled it flat to put the paving slab on, then had to do a bit of retaining wall behind the butt to keep the soil back. Next job is to cut a longer pipe for the diverter bit as the one supplied is not long enough to fit and I'll probably have to fix a bit of pipe on the tap as well so it sticks out through the new rose arch I'm hopefully putting in front of the water butt. Not an easy job to do (or describe!) but I'm getting there.
It took 3 hours so I hope my back's not going to kill me tomorrow! First bit of proper gardening this year - and I've just agreed to open the garden again for Weston Village Open Gardens so there'll be lots more to do.
Posts
Joy(bouquet)lilies planted in veg patch in a line for cutting.
Planted 6 Lilium longiflorum in a big tub. Tipped out another big tub to find some ginormous Lilium henryii that have been in there a few years. Gertrude Jekyll land Brian Matthews say these should be semi shaded. I could dig out the old lavender bushes which are not getting enough light and put them there.
I've potted up some blue perennial cornflower from the space where I dug out the tree peony. Lots of brandlings in the muck heap to keep the birds happy.
Coffee drunk now back to work...
I have been to my other allotment this morning and started digging the main bed- i think I must have pulled about a ton of cough grass roots up
this is the site where I'm in the process of setting up a chicken run on the opposite bed, and where we have been concentrating on that so much, we have not really managed to get anything proper done around the rest of the plot. We got the keys for that one in November but because of the weather, haven't had chance to make a start on it 
I must have worked harder than I thought, I'd built up a proper sweat! Only another 3/4's to go
Oooo Fruitcake - you are so lucky to be able to keep chickens on your plot. I don't envy you the job of clearing the couch grass - evil stuff.
I've discovered muscles I'd forgotten I had as I've hacked, cut and sawn through an overgorwn shrub this morning - green wheelie bin full to the top. Being rewarded by being taken to see Shaun the Sheep film this evening.
more saw and shred done.
I'll split a few more snowdrop clumps this afternoon and dig up the sick looking hellebores
In the sticks near Peterborough
sowed the first tomatoes plus spring onions today.
Germinating these in the living room , but have two gh's with electricity, and heaters ready , when they need it later on.
Checked on Chili peppers , Padrons now on third leaf and looking good.Have stopped them as an experiment this year.
Other peppers all looking good , with baco foil behind them, very sturdy.All germinated in the airing cupboard some weeks ago.
I've done a bit of tidying of hellebores and working out where to plant my birthday snowdrops - they should arrive any day now
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I have been out to play. Had a friend yesterday to help me tie in windbreak fabric along the northern fence and have done some hacking - enthusiastic pruning? - of shrubs, clems, hellebores and roses plus taken off lots of dead material on perennials. Loads left to clear and tidy away and then weeding needs to start as the nettles and buttercups are already growing.
Garden last week at -6C
Garden this week at +8C
Still have the woodland corner and pond beds and shady beds and front to do but it's good to have made a start at last.
Planted two roses, dug up some more lawn for new plants
. Moved Hydrangea and a couple of geraniums. FB&B the borders. Doesn't sound like much so why is my back killing me?
Lovely sunny day here so got stuck in digging out a base (on a bank) to put my new water butt on. Dug down till I hit clay and then leveled it flat to put the paving slab on, then had to do a bit of retaining wall behind the butt to keep the soil back. Next job is to cut a longer pipe for the diverter bit as the one supplied is not long enough to fit and I'll probably have to fix a bit of pipe on the tap as well so it sticks out through the new rose arch I'm hopefully putting in front of the water butt. Not an easy job to do (or describe!) but I'm getting there.
It took 3 hours so I hope my back's not going to kill me tomorrow! First bit of proper gardening this year - and I've just agreed to open the garden again for Weston Village Open Gardens so there'll be lots more to do.
Our dog has been digging a rather large hole over the last few weeks, so took advantage of it and planted two forsythia.