Got quite a bit done and completed a whole job for a change, planting the alliums. Only took a few minutes but I'd built it into an insurmountable chore. Planted most in pots, they are violet beauty, quite tall I think, don't know how they'll get on in pots?Crammed 45 into one pot
Started the brick path, did a couple of metres until I ran out of sand. Built up the soil level with some manure to help shore up the sides as the bricks are in a straight line. One job creates another of course and I had to dig up lots of bulbs to lay the path which are now lying around all over the place, think they are only tete a tetes, but what if they are something nice? Will have to sort something☹️
Dug a clem, Parisienne, out of where the lawn extension is going to be and replanted in the stumps, only got two juncus left in the new lawn mud now, a red geum and something else.
Started picking the stones out the old pond beach, extending it up the the lawn edge, tried to sturdy up a flimsy trellis I recently bought, tidied away some chunks of concrete, but still got a pile of boken slabs on the lawn mud. Might have to bite the bullet and have a tip run but I'll need them as soon as they're gone? Planted another clem, Viva Poland, think it was either free or on offer, now only have two clems left to plant but both in difficult places.
Thought it wouldn't kill me to pile up a few of the empty pots that are rolling around the garden and put away some stakes and I was right, it didn't
I agree with others nothing to gain by walking on saturated clay soil. Last visit to plot was Saturday to collect sprouts & parsnips otherwise no gardening for now.
I wanted to get out today but ground still covered in snow.
Decanted the sloe gin instead, misread what I'd marked on the calendar and have strained at 7 weeks instead of 9 but it smells and tastes beautiful. Kind of syrupy in texture but the gin no longer has that strong perfume but fruity and sweet. The ratio of ingredients were slightly out, as I needed a bit more than a bottle of gin but had already mixed the sugar and berries so thought I'd roll with it.
Colour is different from purchased sloe gin on left and smells different so maybe I've made it wrong. Perhaps it will change over the next 18 months though?
I'm now making sloe brandy from a recipe from GWRS using the same berries, that's cooking in the jar on the right.
Yes, at last after champing at the bit I have been out in the garden and cleared some agapanthus roots. They are a devil to eradicate from our garden, and I swear I haven't removed them all - sure there will be some baby plants popping up in the months to come.
However with one more going over the soil in the next few days, we will be ready to improve the soil and prepare it for thenew birch trees, shrubs and perennials that we plan to plant in the next stretch of the border that once had a lovely escallonia hedge growing in it. I read that birch are one of the best trees to plant to attract wildlife without causing too much shade and little maintenance.
Derbyshire‘s really weird weather continues, was about 12c where I am today.
So, I moved in here 8 months ago and last year was all about creating borders and doing experemental sacrificial planting in my terrible terrible soil while trying to improve it.
this morning I removed the weed membrane from the last border, sorted out my compost and got my wheelbarrow back because they *finally* collected my green bin.
this afternoon pruned everything that survived last month’s cull and moved a cherry tree, next week I’m getting a tantalised steel greenhouse base that will be used as a raised border for a 6x8 vegetable bed in the back garden, which strangely seems to have OK soil, even If I do keep having to remove concrete slabs.
Finished laying a brick path and steps today. It looks imperfect I'd say, (?) but if it doesn't annoy me it'll create charm. May have to put in a few fixes but I'll let it settle and see how it looks. I've got 50 odd block pavers left that were with the bricks I requisitioned, will probably make a better surface under the bird feeders than the broken slabs that are there now, that can go on the back burner though.
Had to move a rose, Trumpeter and a Panicum I've forgotten the name of, maybe north wind, for the brick laying. Planted the grass in a temporary space where the new lawn will go but planted the rose in a permanent space. I would describe the mud as mushy but I have planted roses in soggier stuff so I'm sure it'll be fine.
Had some moments of brilliance today, including mending a bird feeder and some ideas concerning a new bridge I need for the pond reshaping. Pity I didn't have something more important to solve really
Posts
Got quite a bit done and completed a whole job for a change, planting the alliums. Only took a few minutes but I'd built it into an insurmountable chore. Planted most in pots, they are violet beauty, quite tall I think, don't know how they'll get on in pots?Crammed 45 into one pot
Started the brick path, did a couple of metres until I ran out of sand. Built up the soil level with some manure to help shore up the sides as the bricks are in a straight line. One job creates another of course and I had to dig up lots of bulbs to lay the path which are now lying around all over the place, think they are only tete a tetes, but what if they are something nice?
Will have to sort something☹️
Dug a clem, Parisienne, out of where the lawn extension is going to be and replanted in the stumps, only got two juncus left in the new lawn mud now, a red geum and something else.
Started picking the stones out the old pond beach, extending it up the the lawn edge, tried to sturdy up a flimsy trellis I recently bought, tidied away some chunks of concrete, but still got a pile of boken slabs on the lawn mud. Might have to bite the bullet and have a tip run but I'll need them as soon as they're gone? Planted another clem, Viva Poland, think it was either free or on offer, now only have two clems left to plant but both in difficult places.
Thought it wouldn't kill me to pile up a few of the empty pots that are rolling around the garden and put away some stakes and I was right, it didn't
I opened the polytunnel doors for a while. Does that count.
Clay soil shouldn't be walked,on in present conditions so I've done nothing
I agree with others nothing to gain by walking on saturated clay soil. Last visit to plot was Saturday to collect sprouts & parsnips otherwise no gardening for now.
I wanted to get out today but ground still covered in snow.
Decanted the sloe gin instead, misread what I'd marked on the calendar and have strained at 7 weeks instead of 9 but it smells and tastes beautiful. Kind of syrupy in texture but the gin no longer has that strong perfume but fruity and sweet. The ratio of ingredients were slightly out, as I needed a bit more than a bottle of gin but had already mixed the sugar and berries so thought I'd roll with it.
Colour is different from purchased sloe gin on left and smells different so maybe I've made it wrong. Perhaps it will change over the next 18 months though?
I'm now making sloe brandy from a recipe from GWRS using the same berries, that's cooking in the jar on the right.
Yes, at last after champing at the bit I have been out in the garden and cleared some agapanthus roots. They are a devil to eradicate from our garden, and I swear I haven't removed them all - sure there will be some baby plants popping up in the months to come.
However with one more going over the soil in the next few days, we will be ready to improve the soil and prepare it for thenew birch trees, shrubs and perennials that we plan to plant in the next stretch of the border that once had a lovely escallonia hedge growing in it. I read that birch are one of the best trees to plant to attract wildlife without causing too much shade and little maintenance.
Yesterday i cut the old leaves off some of the helebores, they're starting to flower. It will show them off better
In spite of the odd dry day in between the ground is far too sticky to do anything useful on my Allotment.
Ah well just have to dig out all the seed catalogues that came before Christmas & plan next years adventures.
Derbyshire‘s really weird weather continues, was about 12c where I am today.
So, I moved in here 8 months ago and last year was all about creating borders and doing experemental sacrificial planting in my terrible terrible soil while trying to improve it.
this morning I removed the weed membrane from the last border, sorted out my compost and got my wheelbarrow back because they *finally* collected my green bin.
this afternoon pruned everything that survived last month’s cull and moved a cherry tree, next week I’m getting a tantalised steel greenhouse base that will be used as a raised border for a 6x8 vegetable bed in the back garden, which strangely seems to have OK soil, even If I do keep having to remove concrete slabs.
Finished laying a brick path and steps today. It looks imperfect I'd say, (?) but if it doesn't annoy me it'll create charm. May have to put in a few fixes but I'll let it settle and see how it looks. I've got 50 odd block pavers left that were with the bricks I requisitioned, will probably make a better surface under the bird feeders than the broken slabs that are there now, that can go on the back burner though.
Had to move a rose, Trumpeter and a Panicum I've forgotten the name of, maybe north wind, for the brick laying. Planted the grass in a temporary space where the new lawn will go but planted the rose in a permanent space. I would describe the mud as mushy but I have planted roses in soggier stuff so I'm sure it'll be fine.
Had some moments of brilliance today, including mending a bird feeder and some ideas concerning a new bridge I need for the pond reshaping. Pity I didn't have something more important to solve really