What are we doing in the garden 2025

Out of sight out of glass policy?

 

Nothing; have you seen the weather!

 

You've greeted my family then.

 

Had a go grafting one of the nice wild damsons onto our plum tree, more to practise it than anything. Hopefully it takes. I did whip and tounge style but its harder than it looked hard to align it properly. wrapped it in electrical tape. Not sure if I should cover them in protection, its pretty wet here right now anyway.

 

I think you may be a bit early, I've found whip and tongue a bit tricky, especially if the wood is different diameters, I usually bud in late summer, I've had more success that way.

 

interesting. what method do you use, just a diagonal? i had an idea to cut a diagonal on the scion, line it with the branch and use a sharpie or paint to make a guideline for a perfect angle. maybe im overthinking it

thanks for the advice!

 

Really amatuer way but I've T budded in the past, the way they do roses, chip budding is another one I struggle with.
The experts do it so easily but I've not had much luck, I hope yours works, its very satisfying when it does.

 

Check greenhouse, take vegetable waste to compost heap and then not sure as the ground is sodden, so not going on bare soil unless really necessary.

 

I'm going to cut down my Miscanthus today, much earlier than I would do normally. It has dried out more quickly than in previous years and bits have been blowing all over the garden in the recent high winds . Littering is not permitted here .

 

Well! I had intended on more or less completing the potting up for the charity plants sale today…..however after the gales last night I had other more urgent things to do, like rescuing my wee van!!
Passed the French doors on my way to feed the cats and just happened to notice, omg my very large cherry tree had fallen over onto my van. Tremendous. 1 large branch had landed on the van the other onto the grass and driveway blocked.

After about 2 hours of chainsawing the van is free and damage not too bad. It has a substantial dent on its roof and some scratches but not a total disaster.
What I am really cheesed off about is I had so nearly cleared my driveway of wood piled up after having lost a massive Beech tree, likewise Silver Birch and Eucalyptus from previous serious storms.
You can see a smallish pile of wood infront of the van.That was all that was left after those huge trees came down. Back to square one. It will be another year probably before I get my driveway back. Only good thing is my supply for the wood burners is not drying up. Oh yes and the road down to the nearest village is impassible unless you have a boat. All I want for Christmas is an Ark!

 

Well this morning was sunny and little wind after yesterday. So an apple and 2 pear trees in the garden have been given a huge cut back. Not done for some years so needed doing. No fruit from them next year but then we have the fruit trees in the orchard so no worries.

 

I enjoyed an hour or so in the garden today as the weather was gorgeous after yesterday.
Hastily planted a bag of last year's tulip bulbs I'd forgotten about and cloched the returned soil to keep squirrels at bay.
Noticed to my amazement I've got a small clump of snowdrops already up and nearly in flower!
I think these must be my courtyard ones which I had to dig up and replant out of the way of the building work on the terrace back in August. They were always the earliest to flower.

Then I tackled the edge of the driveway wall, weeding and cutting back gone over plants which had flopped over the edge.

I'm very happy.

 

Checked greenhouse watered as required, potted up some more rooted Salvia cuttings, pinched out broadbeans plants and stood outside to harden off. Noted that Lilium henryi have germinated well.
Then pruned a Myrtus and a Buddleja before cutting down 9 trees.

 

I cut the Miscanthus down as planned, plus several perennials that no longer had any structural interest, including some Nepetas, hardy geraniums, a Salvia Caradonna and a Crocosmia. I also pruned a rose, topped up the bark mulch on one of my borders and did some leaf clearing off the paths and steps. After three hours of work, I came in just before dark. Nice to be tidy again .

 

Spent an hour or two in the veg plot starting with giving the chooks their daily treats and then cleaning the hen shed floor and pouring gravel to make a path between the hen pen gate to the hen shed door so we and they don't track in so many layers of mud. Then I started on the clematis which I grow over the veg plot fence to attract pollinators and look pretty.

Caerulea Luxurians had some healthy new shoots thanks to the warm weather this last week or so so I took cuttings. Maxima had loads of fat seedheads so I've collected some of those to sow.

Checked the beans and peas and the broad beans I soaked first are marginally ahead of the others but still quite a few no shows. The peas I sowed in the pot for salad are romping away but the ones in the ground are very shy.

OH took the nets off my brassicas a couple of weeks ago. I now have a healthy crop of cavolo nero but almost bald broccoli and holey Savoys and Pointys. Humph!