What are we doing in the garden 2025

I started rebuilding my winter protection for the Strelitzia and Protea, I think it's still going to fit, I hope so, every year the plants get a bit bigger.

 

Not quite sure how to formulate this @pete , but could they perhaps be... growing?

 

Hi,

Not in the garden today but painting in the rear extension and I've started baking again;



My J Parkers shrubs won't arrive until late November; I want to get them planted before winter hits us; I dislike being frozen in the garden.

I've decided to finally pack in with the wildflower meadows; I've been doing them for about seven years; in a good year they look stunning but I've had failures too due to our dire climate; one year the terrific wind flattend them so in disgust I strimmed the lot; this year the couch grass was the best grower; the drought ruined the wildflowers; it's hugely disppointing to put in many hours hard graft just to see it destroyed so easily.

I want to kill the couch grass then my plan is to plant more shrubs with plenty of ground cover plants so I've been browsing Parkers online catalogue but I'm not in a hurry; just let the couch grass pop it's head up and I'll be happy to give it a drink of weedkiller; I'm also finding the heavy rotavator starting to become more difficult/dangerous to use on the steep slope; I need to quit using it before it puts me in A&E; it self powers up the garden but free wheels back down and it's coming back down which is highly dangerous; lightweight rotavators aren't any good as witnessed by the 18 month old lightweight rotavator I've just scrapped. Had the gardens been level I could have carried on but I need to use common sense.

Kind regards, Col.

 

@Retired Col make sure you look at the parkers wholesale site. They don't make you buy thousands of anything but a lot of stuff is much cheaper if you need a few the same.

 

Hi,

Thanks so much for your excellent suggestion @CarolineL it's very much appreciated. I've already spent around £150 at Parkers in the last few weeks; I'll browse their wholesale site planning for next springtime; I've considered emailing Parkers for their advice as to what shrubs/plants are best suited to my garden. The hard work is finally done just the couch grass to eradicate now.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Many thanks for your kind words @Retired. It's surprising how many gardeners and diy-ers have back problems. I know of quite a few members here on the forum that suffer but we're a tough lot and just get on with things.

I remember reading about your escapades here in Scotland on the forum once before, quite some while ago though. Things have changed here since then including the weather. Mind you, it does tend to be dryer here on the east coast than the west. Fort William is becoming a ghost town like many others in the country so I don't visit very often. It's a slow road from where I live too and takes close to two hours to drive there.

I hope the painting went well today.

 

I've had mixed results with Parkers and prefer not to use them unless they are the supplier of last resort.

 

I understand where you're coming from @fairygirl, I also have a damaged rotator cuff. I did mine trying to start my petrol lawnmower with a pull cord. The engine locked up as I pulled and I felt and heard it give. Physiotherapy at the time did nothing to help. This gardening lark is a dangerous hobby and we're gluttons for punishment.

Edit: I've just remembered, sorry! I hope you've had a lovely birthday today.

 

Today I decided to remove a palm which I had repotted in a new container last year but it still grew at an odd angle and suffered from leaf spot. I replaced it with a dwarf pine, Pinus Mugo Ophir, which is starting to develop its bright winter colour. I have recently developed an interest in dwarf conifers and now have five, should I seek medical help? They make good container plants, that’s my excuse .

 

@NigelJ yes, I had problems with Parkers some time ago. But more recently I've found them much better.

 

I agree about Parkers. They used to be very iffy but I've had some beautiful plants from them this past year. Currently awaiting delivery of a pittosporum and some dwarf hebes.

 

I'm not doing any gardening at the moment. We are on holiday in Corfu. It rained yesterday and it's worse today. We have tipping rain, howling gales and thunderstorms. There is a red weather alert. Our boat trip has been cancelled.

 

Thank you all for my birthday wishes - it's very very kind of you. Those flowers were a nice touch @Retired. So thoughtful. I'll pass on your lovely scones as I've had a lot of cake! Daughter made me some, with lemon icing, and we also went out for coffee and cake earlier, so with that and the fish supper, I won't need to eat much today
Shame about your meadow, but you have to work with what suits you, otherwise it becomes a chore rather than a pleasure. I have to agree with @NigelJ re Parkers, and would only use them for seed or bulbs, but perhaps forum members could send you a few small plants or bare roots to help fill the site? Or - would it be easier just to let it turn to 'grass' and you could just cut it now and again?
I'm thinking a day on the hills is a far easier bet than the garden nowadays @Sheal - despite that being the cause of my r.cuff problem - a fairly spectacular 'luge style' slide of about 200 feet downhill. A neighbour damaged hers playing tennis. I've got a piece of bone broken off and lodged in there somewhere, but it wasn't affecting the recovery and hadn't moved when they did more Xrays. I found the physio very helpful, but these things can be so variable. The wee girl that did mine looked like she should still have been at school
Nothing done outside yesterday, due to my 27th birthday [ahem...cough..aye right...] but it's to be dry again today, with this very weird overcast weather we're having, so I'll try and do something productive later. Probably the shelf on the potting table.

 

Oh, was it your birthday yesterday @fairygirl? Happy belated birthday.

 

It was on Wednesday @Busy-Lizzie. Thank you for your good wishes