What are we doing in the garden 2025

You certainly look after her. Did you buy it for her birthday.

Any excuse.

It's warm enough to sit outside here so that's what I'm doing.

 

I think my garden's had enough damage and destruction this week . I'm off for a walk, nice sunny day, perfect temperature but I'll be back before 4.00pm when rain is forecast .

 

Just spent a very pleasant morning in the g'house pricking out Carnation chabaud and Gazania. Also repotted a fuchsia, which I thought had had it, but which now has tiny shoots. They never fail to surprise me!

 

Four of the 5 Geraniums I bought last year get new grow. I’m relieved that the plants have survived, even the Rozanne gets new green shoots. The only one that is dead was maltreated by a hedgehog over Autumn and now, he seems to be back.

 

@pete
You're thinking like my OH's MIL.

But, not as a birthday present. OH is welcome to use it, although I expect to be the main user.
Her assistance in the garden today has been to go and buy some dwarf bean seeds, so that I can dig a bed, plant them, water them and ensure they produce a crop - which I will be expected to pick.
She will cook them. And expect me to eat them and be grateful for her input.
I didn't ask her to buy any seeds. I rather like frozen beans!!

 

Ok , you have got my attention ! How does a hedgehog maltreat a geranium ?

 

Bonus time in garden today as wasn’t expecting it to be dry.
Divided a perennial Phlox. I was thinking to cull it as it’s bright pink (sorry) but I’ve made up two pots for ‘gifts’ and keeping the main bit for now… I’ve transplanted some primroses that were attached/near the Phlox too.

I’ve also washed my car.

 

Despite a late start due to rain, I was able to finally plant most of what had been patiently waiting for the temperatures to rise: 6 lithodoras, 3 hylotelephium (sedum/stonecrop) and 2 hostas. I also moved 2 heucheras. Very satisfying

I have also been observing some plants that I had moved in winter for signs of life, even though I knew it was risky moving them: 2 heucheras, 1 clematis and a giant hosta I divided into two and made a mess of it (one "half" was much smaller than the other), then forgot about watering them for a while I expected to end up with one hosta and no clematis. Turns out, I have a clematis and two hostas! But those two heucheras are gone.

 

We have here many hedgehogs. One of them (always the same?) loves my garden and is seeking year by year for a sleeping place in my shed. This fella is very smart and knows that earthworms are best to find in roots. He was already working hard last year.
I think if I made a catwalk into the compost, he would think ‘this must be heaven’.

 

Well I never ! I love that !

 

Wish we had a hedgehog or two here. Haven't seen any for nearly 20 years - think it's probably too many badgers around.

I pruned the hydrangeas, then popped the seedheads into the front hedge in the hope that birds may use them for nesting purposes.

I also took the pruners down to the Community Orchard to prune the low hanging overgrown hazel branches too near the narrow footpath. I'm hoping to get the maintenance man to start mowing the verge regularly as there's a long stretch of very tall nettles/hogweed which flop over the path when it's wet.

Had a chat with son about erecting the shade sail I've just ordered, it's a bit tricky working out where to put the fixing points. It was gently pointed out that I should have consulted him before I ordered the shade sail!

 

Yesterday dug up a lot of self seeded Cyclamen hederifolium they are becoming a bit of a weed problem.
Today was over to RHS Rosemoor for AGS Alpine Show.

 

Sowed a load of seeds this morning tomatoes - cucumbers - melons / watermelons and varies flowering annuals cosmos etc , Musical chairs in the propagators to fit everything I want in.

Cleaned the glass on the GH I just use a soft brush and fairy liquid seems to do the job . I were expecting it to rain for most of the day so surprised I got round to that .

Yesterday I filled up the tomato border inside the GH with fresh compost from my own heap and covered so it doesn't dry out.

I got the lawn reseeded the other days as well , hopefully the grass seed doesn't get washed away like late last year .

@cactus_girl you shouldn't have a problem finding a fuel line , any make will do its just the size you need to know . What Kawasaki engine is it ? I may have that engine on one of the machines I'll take a look .

 

Potted on Chillies and carefully re-labelled most of them, including the strong ones originally labelled very helpfully as "Chil".

Thinned out the column Stock seedlings and re-planted the thinnees into an ever useful fruit tray in the greenhouse, the main ones are pampered and the thinnee lot might or might not make it.

Then it was the hard labour time.

The Child loves a project, so I sketched out a plan for a raised bed to go into the greenhouse to be built from the surplus fence timber we have. The Child valiantly sawed the bits out and then we spent a delightful hour or so prizing the 4x4 post bits off.

"Oh Mother, where is the crowbar when you need one" she exclaimed, making me think why a 24 years city girl would 1) know what a crowbar is and 2) identify a practical use for one in gardening context.

Anyways, the posts came off with some clever wrong-end-of-the-hammer wrenching and the rest of the afternoon was spent on digging.

I dug and The Child emptied the soil from the buckets onto the newly built mountain I still need to think about.

Then we found the third fence post.

The previous owner had a fence across the garden presumably to keep the herd of aggressive Rhinocereus to one side, judging by the sturdiness of the concreted posts. We have so far dug up two, and this new one will just have to wait until tomorrow.

Most sadly, it's bang in the middle of the future pond so can't be ignored.

On a positive note, my Festuca seedlings have survived their rather short-ish acclimatisation and my Pennisetums are ok with their first outing and are now happily blocking the access to the bathroom for the night.

 

Are they double-flowered stocks? I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that the 'weedy' ones are the doubles and the stronger ones come single.