Such a nice day to get out in the garden today. I enlarged a couple of small flower beds to make one and edged it with some bricks I had lying around. Also pruned roses and mulched some of them with the horse manure I've had rotting down for the last few months. Also did a bit of weeding in preparation for the spring mulch. I've also shuffled around some of the patio containers to give the ones with spring bulbs poking through a better spot. Yesterday I turned one of the compost heaps and added in some fresh manure to give it a bit of a boost. Tonight I will be relaxing on the sofa drinking beer
Hi Mark, I've tried to take pictures of the activity around the chimney in the past but not being able to get close enough couldn't get a proper image.
I probably could now as I've had a loft conversion and have a window near the chimney but it would just be a photo of honeybees at the entrance hole, (I can't see the comb or anything) and I can look at the bees in the garden I'm very glad they live in my chimney, people will tell you horror stories about honey seeping through the walls and the house falling down but really they live there quite peaceably and even though there are sometimes dozens in the garden, especially in the pond shallows and bird bath they aren't a bother at all. I've never noticed a swarm either...
I've had bumbles three times I think, buff tails, once in my hedgehog box so even if the hogs go awol for a while it's not all bad news
Lovely to see some sunshine today - spent hours in the garden just pottering. We have a small mini-pond/overflow pond next to the larger one which the frogs usually love to spawn in so I cleared some dead leaves away and topped up with rain water - as they should be laying any day now. Pulled away tons of old foliage and can see new shoots coming plus plenty of Daffodils. I inspected all my pots which were huddled in an old cold frame for frost protection and most are showing signs of life. I think I may have lost a Clematis - will give it some more time...
Purchased one of these in Autumn, going to fill it with bedding and an underground tube entrance. Fingers crossed, they are welcome to the hog boxes too!
looking forwards to a day in the garden today. I might wash down the greenhouse, scrub my plant labels so they can be reused (same ones for five years now as conscious of plastic waste) and make a plan for my gated garden arch. I bought it last year thinking it would be a nice feature slotted in to the rear fence but it looks lost there. Not sure where to put it now.
Bought some poo for the roses and distributed it, did the clems as well but still got some left? Trying to think if I'm holding onto anything weak that might need the nutrients or if I've got rid of all the nonsense...if nothing occurs to me it can go to the allotment.
Planted my last clem from an order months ago. Had to mangle my nicest lamium to plant it but it will repair.
Dug some daffs up that ended up under a stepping stone after I changed a path. Think they are Altruist but we'll see.
Could do with getting a bit of weeding done but would have to bag them up as I have no bin space and that all seems a bit tedious?
Pruned the Gooseberry and red/white currants, and removed some Ivy which was trying to take over. Been b&m for some raspberry's but didn't have joan J or All gold did have a second choice in Polka. Trip to the GC tomorrow and see what they have.
Really pleased with my now clean greenhouse. Started as just wanting to wash down the glass but ended up emptying the whole thing. Had a good clear out, chucked stuff I never use. Cleaned everything else. Very wet sleeves by the end of it! Might have to re-clean the roof as only had a cloth wrapped around a broom. It's got the worst of the green off but could do with another go. I'm always amazed at just how much more light comes in once done.
Thats very neat Tootles! We have 3, they are all full of either overwintering plants, or seedlings. I do keep tidying up, then they get messy again. |wo days of lovelly warm weather. Had close borded fence delivered Thursday, from Lincs. Saturday to builders merchants for gravel boards, £10 each as opposied to £14 at Wickes, unfortunately, they didnt have them in stock in our local branch, had to go to Newhaven, they closed t 12, so managed to get 13 in my estate. No one Son came yesterday to help Hubby put them up, there was a lot of clearing to do first, removing brambles, and a huge amount of ivy from the old panels.I got the shredder out, and busied myself apart from the biggest stems from the ivy which were like tree trunks! Did a bit of weeding inbetween the slabs on the patio. Now a massive amount of old fencing to be broken up more and taken to the tip. Luckily, garden waste is Wednesday, and our lovelly neighbour has let us use his bin as well, ours is also full up.
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Such a nice day to get out in the garden today. I enlarged a couple of small flower beds to make one and edged it with some bricks I had lying around. Also pruned roses and mulched some of them with the horse manure I've had rotting down for the last few months. Also did a bit of weeding in preparation for the spring mulch. I've also shuffled around some of the patio containers to give the ones with spring bulbs poking through a better spot. Yesterday I turned one of the compost heaps and added in some fresh manure to give it a bit of a boost. Tonight I will be relaxing on the sofa drinking beer
Hi Mark, I've tried to take pictures of the activity around the chimney in the past but not being able to get close enough couldn't get a proper image.
I probably could now as I've had a loft conversion and have a window near the chimney but it would just be a photo of honeybees at the entrance hole, (I can't see the comb or anything) and I can look at the bees in the garden
I'm very glad they live in my chimney, people will tell you horror stories about honey seeping through the walls and the house falling down but really they live there quite peaceably and even though there are sometimes dozens in the garden, especially in the pond shallows and bird bath they aren't a bother at all. I've never noticed a swarm either...
I've had bumbles three times I think, buff tails, once in my hedgehog box so even if the hogs go awol for a while it's not all bad news
This site has lots of information on bumbles and tells you how to make nest boxes.
http://www.bumblebee.org/helpbees.htm
I'm going to have a go at this myself, along a sunny, drystone wall behind my veg garden. Would be good to ensure some polinators
Lovely to see some sunshine today - spent hours in the garden just pottering. We have a small mini-pond/overflow pond next to the larger one which the frogs usually love to spawn in so I cleared some dead leaves away and topped up with rain water - as they should be laying any day now. Pulled away tons of old foliage and can see new shoots coming plus plenty of Daffodils. I inspected all my pots which were huddled in an old cold frame for frost protection and most are showing signs of life. I think I may have lost a Clematis - will give it some more time...
Purchased one of these in Autumn, going to fill it with bedding and an underground tube entrance. Fingers crossed, they are welcome to the hog boxes too!
looking forwards to a day in the garden today. I might wash down the greenhouse, scrub my plant labels so they can be reused (same ones for five years now as conscious of plastic waste) and make a plan for my gated garden arch. I bought it last year thinking it would be a nice feature slotted in to the rear fence but it looks lost there. Not sure where to put it now.
Bought some poo for the roses and distributed it, did the clems as well but still got some left? Trying to think if I'm holding onto anything weak that might need the nutrients or if I've got rid of all the nonsense...if nothing occurs to me it can go to the allotment.
Planted my last clem from an order months ago. Had to mangle my nicest lamium to plant it but it will repair.
Dug some daffs up that ended up under a stepping stone after I changed a path. Think they are Altruist but we'll see.
Could do with getting a bit of weeding done but would have to bag them up as I have no bin space and that all seems a bit tedious?
Pruned the Gooseberry and red/white currants, and removed some Ivy which was trying to take over. Been b&m for some raspberry's but didn't have joan J or All gold
did have a second choice in Polka. Trip to the GC tomorrow and see what they have.
Really pleased with my now clean greenhouse. Started as just wanting to wash down the glass but ended up emptying the whole thing. Had a good clear out, chucked stuff I never use. Cleaned everything else. Very wet sleeves by the end of it! Might have to re-clean the roof as only had a cloth wrapped around a broom. It's got the worst of the green off but could do with another go. I'm always amazed at just how much more light comes in once done.
Last edited: 19 February 2018 05:45:40
Thats very neat Tootles! We have 3, they are all full of either overwintering plants, or seedlings. I do keep tidying up, then they get messy again. |wo days of lovelly warm weather. Had close borded fence delivered Thursday, from Lincs. Saturday to builders merchants for gravel boards, £10 each as opposied to £14 at Wickes, unfortunately, they didnt have them in stock in our local branch, had to go to Newhaven, they closed t 12, so managed to get 13 in my estate. No one Son came yesterday to help Hubby put them up, there was a lot of clearing to do first, removing brambles, and a huge amount of ivy from the old panels.I got the shredder out, and busied myself apart from the biggest stems from the ivy which were like tree trunks! Did a bit of weeding inbetween the slabs on the patio. Now a massive amount of old fencing to be broken up more and taken to the tip. Luckily, garden waste is Wednesday, and our lovelly neighbour has let us use his bin as well, ours is also full up.