What are we doing in the garden 2025

Hi,

You're very welcome @Sheal . Unfortunately so many towns in the UK are now run down; there are YouTube videos showing how bad the town I was born in and loved what a run down dump it is now. Over the last few years West Yorkshire weather has changed; we used to be submerged most of the year but we're still in drought conditions and have actually had a summer lasting more than two consequtive days; the drought has completely spoiled the wildflower meadows this year but the couch grass enjoyed sun bathing.

Thanks yes I made a good start with the painting; rubbing down and applying primer; I'll do more today but this morning has been a trip to Specsavers for my eye test; in a couple of years I'll be facing cataract surgery which doesn't worry me but it's just another of lifes inconveniences; I'll be back again to collect the new glasses. I hope I'm clear of vaccinations for a while; I think I've had eight over the last few months with a second shingle jab to look forward to; I think it's shingles and there are two jabs 6 months apart. It was interesting returning from the opticians this morning; 11 red traffic lights out of 14 I felt cheated all should have been red.

You're most welcome @fairygirl you appear to have enjoyed a super birthday; I'm pleased for you. The meadows have indeed started to become a chore and depress me when the weather destroys them; perish the thought of reverting back to grass; I spent years and lots of heavy work getting rid of the grass which needed constant cutting having to drag the petrol mower up the slope; dragging the even heavier petrol rotavator up the slope was even harder but only needed doing twice each year.

Every time I go into my garden huts to pull out machinery I enjoy the aroma of fuel and oil; if only I could bottle it.

The only problem I ever have with Parkers is their long delivery time; other than this Parkers have done well for me supplying healthy plants at a fair price.

Do dwarf conifers remain dwarf @Plantminded. When we moved here 38 years ago we planted an 88' long conifer hedge these were root stock but also pot grown conifers too; the conifers once they got their feet in loved it here on the valley side.


Here's the last of them in 2022 it was now 65' tall and two more planted before we came here were felled by me at 80' tall. Please note the wire mesh fence I installed; the horizontal fence post between the two upright end posts allow high wire tension; there's a diagonal wire from the top of one post to the bottom of the other post; I copied the idea from a YouTube video.

No you don't need medical help @Plantminded just go with what pleases you.

No gardening today just more painting.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Thank you @Retired, yes most of the dwarf conifers I've got won't get too big as they are bred to be small, often used for bonsai (which I don't like!). I'm also keeping them in pots as the soil in my garden is too dry, although other larger conifers which have been here for a long time don't seem to mind! Enjoy your painting today .

 

Collecting Runner Bean and Climbing Bean seeds for next season.

 

Hi,

Like you @Plantminded I too don't like Bonsai trees and another I dislike is a Monkey Puzzle tree; generally though I like trees a lot.

Thanks; I've just been preparing for tomorrow collecting my paint brushes and rollers from the workshop to give me an early start tomorrow morning; I can now complete the painting tomorrow applying two top coats; one in the morning the second in the afternoon; this Benjamin Moore paint dries very quickly. Although not gardening; many members are practical people good at using their hands and will also do their own painting/decorating;

Here's what I'm currently painting; it's now ready to receive the top coats of paint.


How many are aware 2" (50mm) paint rollers and sleeves are available as seen above; years ago I used to paint iron railings with a brush taking forever until I searched for small rollers only to find one company sold them;

https://www.mypaintbrush.co.uk/two-fussy-blokes-2inch-frame

I've had mine so long the company has changed the make of roller. I bought dozens of sleeves having spent ages to find them. These 2" rollers are ideal for frame painting.

Back to gardening; here are my two little friends;

This black one is Dudley.

This posh one is Gems; Both are neighbours cats and have been regular visitors since they were kittens; Bron used to spoil them rotten but I now just give each three meals each day; I've been critized in the past for feeding cats like these but the neighbours are happy about it. They follow me all over and they are very safe here even when they leave me presents in the soft soil I dig or rotavate.

We no longer have daylight; it's different shades of darkness hence my wait until tomorrow to complete the painting when hopefully I can see the brush/roller.

I've ordered a set of violin strings this afternoon; this time I'm trying steel strings on my Yamaha YEV-104 electric violin after doing some research on the web knocking the painting job back a bit.

I hope you can catch the runner beans @john558

Kind regards, Col.

 

We've managed to dig up the tall lavatera, not without a struggle from OH getting the stump out . It had unfortunately split into three bits but each has roots so I've planted the biggest bit in the verge outside in the hope that it might survive and potted up another as a possible backup.
I do like lavatera but didn't realize when my friend gave me a small potted cutting that it would grow quite as big as it did in it's first year! There's a lot more room the other side of the fence and hopefully the neighbours will enjoy looking at it, as well as all the bees.

 

@lizzie27 that's amazing! Over here, lavatera is only an annual. I have overwintered tubers but they didn't produce any bigger or better results than simply starting new from seed.

And belated belated Happy Birthday @fairygirl .

 

Thank you @CanadianLori . I'm of an age now where it's all forgotten after a couple of days!
I've had Lavateras, but they get trashed too easily here with the weather in late summer/early autumn. I wasn't keen on them for the site I had, so didn't grow them again.
I used a lightweight mower for the difficult slopes we had in the last garden @Retired , but they were just near enough to leccy sockets which helped. There are battery mowers, but I expect you wouldn't want to bother buying something new now. Those little rollers are a great thing - I've often wished I had something narrower for awkwards sites, and wondered if I could have adapted a standard one.
I got my shelf slats done yesterday, with a bit of 'language' when I couldn't get some off the pallet without them splitting. I've got enough though, and painted the backs, so I should get the tops done and attached today. I'll hopefully get some cuttings done of the sweet williams too, as suggested by @NigelJ and pete, for trying to overwinter them. One container is under cover now too. I've got some bulbs to sort, so should get all that done before the rain tomorrow. Staying mostly in single figs in the daytime now, and with no wind to speak of [which is highly unusual] it's very mild, but it got to 11 yesterday. Positively tropical! Great for outdoor work.

 

Hi,

Thanks @fairygirl I installed exterior double 13A sockets to both front and rear walls of the bungalow and I have a very long extension cable I've used to power tools at the very top of the garden but I dislike using long power leads for safety reasons. I'm very wary of battery powered tools/machines given the problems associated with e-scooter and EV car battery fires; I'm often told such fires are rare but they do happen with dire results. Extension leads also need fully unrolling when in use otherwise these too can self ignite.

Years ago I looked at petrol Flymo type mowers but at the time was put off by used ones on eBay being sold as spares or repair. I've seen maintenance guys at the side of motorways using mowers on a long rope; if there's a problem there's a solution but now I'm on my own I seem to have little time to myself although once winter arrives I'll be driven indoors.

It's surprising isn't it how quickly you can learn a new language when something goes wrong @fairygirl. Good luck with your endeavours today.

I'm awaiting daybreak then I can crack on with painting today; I want to complete the job today if possible.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Yesterday I planted the last of the crocus bulbs into a pot, plus a few into the front garden but that's all I managed. Still very lethargic, worse still I've passed this lurgy onto the missus.

@Retired I think you have made the correct decision to do something different on those steep slopes. If you can face it I think the one you have rotavated would benefit from some more raking to get as much of the couch grass root as possible before you plant. I hate to say this but having battled both couch and bindweed on various Allotments over the years, you are unlikely to eradicate it totally, the best you can hope for is that it becomes more manageable.

 

I spread a large bag of bark mulch on the shed path to top it up and then added our own smaller chippings on top.
I also gathered surplus plastic pots up (how on earth do they breed?!) and stacked them in a spare, cracked recycling bin. My potting area looks rather more tidy now. Cut the leaves off all my potted Mara de bois strawberries but left them out in the open to have a good soak in the expected rain overnight, then I'll stack them in the unheated greenhouse over the winter out of the way. I must also collect up all the ceramic bowls and other stuff likely to crack and stash these in the shed.

 

I moved a few perennials around today. First I cut back my Lythrum which didn’t flower for long this year because of the drought. I’ve moved it to the raised bed in my lower garden which is opposite the hose, so easy to keep watered. I also added some composted bark to improve the soil. I moved a Hakonechloa to a shady area near one of my Phormiums and potted up a red Salvia which may need winter protection in the garage. I binned some potted Pelargoniums which were slowing down and looking a bit ragged. Last year I overwintered one in the garage but it was a bit lacklustre when I moved it back outdoors, or more like ungrateful .

 

Finally, out in the garden doing some lovely autumn jobs

Last weeks have been full with long days physically in the office so I have barely seen the garden.

Today I potted on the autums sown seedlings of foxglove, columbines and something I forget, all looking good.

The Child was tasked to rip out the groundcover annuals plus weeds from between the pond and the fence and put in 45 Allium sphaerocephalon (ok, I googled the spelling ) to give some shape there behind the ferns. Liriopes went in too, and the Poundland climbing rose that has shown quite nice growth this summer in a pot. And some Daffs.

Whilst I started to tackle the biomass of tomato plants in the greenhouse I instructed The Child to plant various Alliums in positions I had nearly planned out. The blue ones in a group, and the tall, huge ones here and there. The blue tiny Xion...whatevers (the ones always appearing in crosswords), went in near the patio and the rest of assorted bulbs somewhere.

I was a bit distracted so agreed on all suggestions, goodness knows what comes up and where in the spring

Ripped out Cosmos from the front planter and chucked in Daff bulbs, seed grown Festuca glauca, a small pretentious conifer sold for the purpose, and violas. The container looks fairly good, I'll sweep the mess around it tomorrow. Or next week

The Child made the first lasagne pot with tulips, daffs and something else. I might be tempted to get some Cyclamen on top for now.

Finally, carried the pots needing some shelter into the GH on the raised beds nearly cleared out of the toms.

Forgot a large bowl of toms in various stages of ripening in the GH, and now it's already so dark I can't find my way there so pickling is left for tomorrow.

A lovely day

 

Well what a good work out today. We cleared an area that we should have done many weeks ago so that we can know see the spinach and mooli plants! So many seedlings that some are from seeded swiss chard so will see what happens with these.
Then we had made compost areas from polycarbonate sections from our conservatory (long story). And today we got the compost out to put on the veg areas nearby. Fabulous compost. Amazing.
While weeding we have many foxglove plants that we have allowed to grow around the garden. Many have ended up in the veg area. Lovely to see but now we have hundreds of seedlings. So the main HUGE clumps we will have to move them (and yes we know they wont like it and probably wont survive) to another area to give us back some veg growing space.

 

In greenhouse potting up cuttings of my lovely black petunia which is still flowering.
Repotting other greenhouse plants

 

Over the past few days, planting wallflowers and Sweet Williams, a bit of weeding, removing the daily quota of tree seedlings, took cuttings of several tender salvias, planted garlic (4 rows), dug up Charlotte potatoes sown in late July, more weeding, picked more Aztec broccoli.
Planted a further three shrubs and am looking for space for another Mahonia that only reaches 1.5 m.