What are we doing in the garden 2025

Unfortunately @Robert Bowen , Bob has gone to that great dovecot in the sky...
I posted yesterday on another thread [maybe the buzzing, flying one?] about it. I think being able to fly a little was a poisoned chalice, because it meant he could get up to the fence at the back, but he could also then get out into the drive where I originally found him. He wouldn't stand a chance against certain 'pets' which are in ridiculous numbers round here, because he wouldn't be able to get away quickly. I could see some evidence in one area - lots of little feathers and disturbed gravel. I'm just glad I could help him and the parents a little bit, but there was nothing I could do if he got out of the garden.
Hope your woodwork bears fruit. I've got another project to consider too, with a potting table for outside, but I might leave it for now.
I didn't do a lot outside yesterday, but what I did do took ages and it looks like I've done nothing! Finally planted out an Erythronium I had, but digging holes isn't easy when it's in the bit round the pond. Solid clay and chuckies, and then you hit a rock, with no idea if it's just a large stone, or a piece of kerbstone. You have to dig out a much bigger hole than you really need to allow for extra decent soil/compost to go in. My back is even worse than normal now. At least the other plant that needs putting in is going in a cultivated area! I might do that today.
I also took out the other tomato from the extra gr'house, put all the shelves in, and put the sweet peas and other bits and pieces I've sown recently in there. There was only a few toms left on the plant, so they're in the kitchen to ripen. I think I'll have to bring the rest of the toms inside too - far too cold at night, and not really warm enough through the day anyway.

 

@fairygirl “I've got another project to consider too, with a potting table for outside, but I might leave it for now. “
You have got me thinking now , i had an idea for a tiered structure to stack trays in lieu of a cold frame in a sheltered spot overhung by buildings on 3 sides which gets no sun and i have done a makeshift stand , as a test , which has worked really well for striking cuttings ( salvias and heucheras in abundance - heucheras to be planted up this week).
You have got me thinking about a potting table for outside to slot underneath the tiered structure ( nest of table style) and bring out as appropriate.
Thanks for the inspiration @fairygirl
Ps Sad to hear about Bob but you did your best

 

I used to use the wooden storage cupboard I had, next to my back steps, as a potting bench and general working area @Robert Bowen. However, the lid of the box started to deteriorate a bit, and I also felt it wasn't as good for storage in it's horizontal shape. Earlier this year, I turned it into a vertical cupboard, and used the good half of the lid as the roof, which I recovered with roofing felt. It has shelves now, and is much handier to get at stuff. I now have a space next to it, and the outdoor tap is there too, so I'm thinking of getting this table made to fit in there. I can add a shelf or two as well, for storing all the loads of pots I have. The plastic dog bed I use for the actual potting process won't fit though, so I may have to reconsider what I have there. I sometimes use old washing up basins for doing smaller bits and pieces, so that's a possibility, and I can put the bed in the shed, where I have a bench for doing stuff on wet days.

Yes - I still have guilt about Bob, but it is what it is. I felt sorry for the Mum too, because she couldn't understand where he was, and was tootling round and wanting more food - for feeding him as well as herself. What can you do though? It was very late for them to have a brood here, but the very mild weather has meant quite a lot of birds have produced extra broods. The sparrows have had three, judging by their activity, and that's rare here.

 

Not yet sure what will be able to do today in garden, hope l can sit and sow a few of the 'out of date' seeds l found for Sept ,just to see if any germinate. Husband cut back all the fuchsia by raised goldfish pond. It was covering the steps that lead up to garden where my washing line is and l was fed up fighting with it to get past. Will check on the wheeler cabbages, now all planted out in raised bed. Half covered with 2 cloches and other half taking chance with spiky sticks to deter the pigeons. Found a small pot of germinated turnips seedling called 'toyko'. They got planted out with the cabbages. Husband also harvested rest of muscat grapes that grows behind water butt nk to bungalow wall. l weighed them last night..11lbs !! Will have to go in freezer, as too many for us for jam making. Took photo so will post that as soon as l can. Im amazed how the grape vine manages to grow , as only a few inches of soil behind that water butt..and we never water it as cant reach it. l dont think the water butt leaks, we havent noticed that it does, plus thinking about it, now i'm wondering what the vine is doing to my wall :( If cant manage to get in garden , todays plan is to start sorting out my seeds boxes into some sort of order. l did manage yesterday to repot my lemon seedlings that l grew from pips.. All 12 of them !!! some about 6" tall. They are a yr old and looking very healthy. l found they germinated easily in coir soil, so repotted them in that. l hardly ever water them, all on my kitchen windowsill ..no idea what i'm going to do with them all !!

 

Those out of date seeds are annoying are't they @Peaceful Gardener !
I wonder if your water butt has a bit of overflow somewhere higher up to allow moisture into your grapevine?

 

you could be right...husband plan is to empty it out this Autumn to see whast going on. l managed to get a cutting of that vine rooted ( l think l did it last yr) and its growing nicely up the arch trellis up by the veg plots. so l think this mature grape vine has its days numbered as it such a vicious grower and covered the wall of the bungalow. In Spring when grows back from the pruning it blocks the door to the sunroom where we keep our fridge/freezers and my craft room. It was here when we moved in about 10 yrs ago so iv no idea what its called, all l could identify is that its a muscat grape.

 

Leek planting for me this pm but first admin for the crafty sewing club.

For work benches I use old tables found in the ruined farmhouse when we moved in. I have 2 in the polytunnel, one now covered with our pumpkin crop and the other with seed trays and recently potted on apsaragus sown last spring. I use an old shed door on an old metal leg base to hold pots of seedlings and cuttings outside when they're mature enough.

We have chooks which like to fossick and dust bathe in the polytunnel in winter and spring so I needed protection for trays of seeds and seedlings and bought some cheap IKEA shelving with zip up plastic covers. I use the medium height and they provide protection from bouncing hens as well as a degree or two of extra warmth - https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/hyllis-shelf-unit-indoor-outdoor-30428326/ and https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/hyllis-shelving-unit-with-cover-transparent-s99291745/

This pm I will be tensioning the old metal washing lines, strung between 3 concrete posts, and adding a few more to be supports for my new clematis and roses bed. We use a whirlygig for drying laundry or indoor racks when it's wet.

Sorry about Bob @fairygirl but nothing more you could have done for him.

 

I am not keen on anything substantial growing against a house wall. Downpipes etc are places where , out of sight , problems such as damp ingress can occur undetected and substantial main stems can conceal a multitude of problems. That said i do like the sound of your muscat grapes on the trellis. A very nice acquisition there , and another freebee from cuttings , lovely!

 

yes, your so right. Husband checks the wall and says cant see any damage..plus its half on a wall trellies that previous owner put up..its the roots im really worried about, but husband is convinced its not done any damage..but he will empty the large water butt soon to see whats happening. The previous owner had diff ivy species growing all over the bungalow walls, some varigated, some tiny leaves etc. l think he was a collector of them ;( , ;;oh and loads of ferns top of garden lol ..we were told he had been very ill for a few yrs before we bought it and sadly he couldnt keep on top of garden jobs. First Spring we moved in we chopped and dug them all out, took us months..the ivy had reached to roof of bungalow, we had surveyors check the walls before we bought it.. we cleared it just in time.

 

Well a glut of Beurre Hardy pears made me core and slice many and put them into red wine and then the freezer. Bottling or plain freezing they just go brown but in the red wine they keep their colour (or the ones I did 2 years ago did!).

 

That reminds me, I did some last year to eat at Xmas and forgot all about them @On the Levels.

Planted out 36 leeks this pm but the chooks were "helping" and pulled some out so they've been puddled in again and netted. The rest of the bunch are much finer so have been loosely potted to grow on a bit till I can get to them. A dozen beetroot plugs planted out too and blow me if the fat white Cosmos pussy didn't start re-arranging them so he and they have been well watered.

 

Planted a few more wallflowers in the front garden.

 

Thanks for the link @simone_in_wiltshire. Yes I do have a small garden now and have recently decided not to have a greenhouse. The only place I can put it is destined to be a bed as it's the only place in the garden that gets sun for most of the day. The garden being full of shrubs needs colour so the new bed will have mostly flowers.

That's not a bad price from Halls but still more than I would expect for a greenhouse that size. Having had a look around the website, Halls are still quite competitive with their prices though - good to see.

 

It's the only company and product that have still the same price as 6 years ago.
Our one costs £164 because Wyevale GCs were sold back then and our greenhouse was a show one.
All together, we spent £926 for renting a van, the flooring chap, tiles were the cheapest in that bundle, and finally the (professional) chap who corrected our erected result.

 

Hope you get your leak located/sorted out @Peaceful Gardener. As @Robert Bowen said - you don't want any ingress into your property. Water finding it's way in can be a real PITA to find and fix. It seems an odd place for a grapevine though - up against a house wall - or is that a normal thing? I'd have thought a pergola or similar would be the best sort of site. Not something I've ever grown - they'd need to be inside here. If you have another one in a more sensible spot, it makes sense to get that one out.
Thanks @Obelix-Vendée . I did what I could to help the wee fella. I know it's just a wood pigeon, and we have gazillions of them round here, but...
You've reminded me I have a load of wallflowers which I need to find room for somewhere @Logan. I sowed some seed I had, and of course - the whole lot germinated! No idea what I'll do with them.
I got some timber yesterday to make legs for my potting table, and some brackets. I'll see if I can get on with that today. It's to be dry, although cloudy later, but that's fine for painting and sorting it. I need a waterproof cover for it, so I'll see if I have some roofing felt that'll fit. I put some netting over some large pots that have bulbs. The dunnocks are currently enjoying sitting in them, and having a little dirt bath! I've already covered some with various circles of mesh I have, or old hanging baskets, which are particularly useful for that. I have another one somewhere, but can I remember where I put it? No, of course I can't
Garden is otherwise not bad for the time of year. Nothing much to do until annuals are finished and I can use the compost for bulbs or similar.