What are we doing in the garden 2025

Treated the shed with preservative also did the gate, sowed seeds of Gloriosa superba.

 

Let's hope. I only really wanted one to try ... but 6 was the smallest option anywhere. The alternative was to wait to see if local GCs get a supply, but that could be hit and miss.

 

This is what I did today, weeding and planting. I made the roundish mixed bed a year ago. There weren't many weeds though as I'd mulched them last December.

 

Yesterday afternoon I tackled the herb bed. The 8 year old sage had suddenly died back in January (although a cutting from the same plant is thriving just a mile away). I don’t know if it has reached the end of its life or not. On the assumption that “if it will revive, I should cut it right back, if it is dead, I should cut it right back” ….. I cut it right back!
I then cleared around the base of it, carefully where there might be a rooting branch from the main plant. Cut out the dead wood from a neighbouring artemisia, and the dead branches from the smallest rosemary (no idea why that one is not thriving).
Donning gloves, it was time to pull out the nettle runners that were running a-muck through the mint. Got a whole trug-full . Then it was time to make tea!

 

Ordered some plug plants for a white fuchsia Hawkshead and they came today…all six of them and in lovely condition. They are all potted up now and will be waiting to see them take hold and start to grow. I have used some money given to me for my birthday, from a grandchild ( 23 for old GW posters) so they will for ever more be known as Al***’s plants now Can’t remember the last time I saw a white fuchsia. They are hardy too and a bush type.

 

Beat some soil into a tilth in the veg plot and got the onion sets in.
Then dug up a load more Galanthus that were overcrowded, reduced clumps by three quarters.
Then went and had a wander around to see what was happening, two patches of Lilium henryi are bursting through, a number of hardyish salvias are leafing up looking decidely anaemic at the moment will green up as it warms up. Snakeshead fritillaries are starting to flower, fuchsias are also leafing up nicely, Azara microphylla is getting ready to flower although the cold winds have almost completely defoliated it.

 

Planted the Pear tree and the Hebe. Had a sweep up.

 

After a lovely walk in the Zoniendwoud this morning, I did some serious intense weeding this afternoon. Although I was sitting on the ground for a lot of the time, it involved pulling out tiny fescue grass plants from amongst my creeping thyme plants that are growing along the “gravel stream” (where the drive ends, and merges into the grass, leading into the soakaway along the side of the house). The thyme is incredibly low, no more than 3-4mm high, and there are lots of plants. It took about 2 hours to weed them!

Time to go and pick some kale leaves for the stirfry for tea!

 

Been planting Cosmos seeds in trays this afternoon.
The warmer weather is coming!!

 

Today I pruned my second hedge of Griselinia, reducing it by about a foot. It’s on a sloping bed with some emerging perennials, contained by an unstable dry sandstone wall so a bit of a challenge . It had got to over six feet high and woody so it needed loppers and secateurs to trim it. I then mowed both lawns, trimmed the edges and tidied up some Geums before refilling the birdbath which was enjoyed by a robin at first light this morning .

 

One of my favourite fuchsias. Practically indestructible and grows very easily from cuttings. You can lop it right back to a couple of inches tall and it doesn’t get the hump.

 

Quite a bit today, helped by my lady gardener who arrived at 9 am. She trimmed the top of both the privet hedge in the front garden and the euronymus one in the back garden, both were out of my reach.
After lunch I started feeding the roses but one box wasn't quite enough so might have to get another one. As it's been so dry here I then went round with a watering can and watered all the roses in pots and will try to do the others tomorrow.
I then treated myself to a cuppa, sitting in my newish hanging swing chair in the sunshine, having just unzipped the cover and folded it back over the top. Needless to say, as soon as I sat down, it all unravelled over the top of me! Served me right for being lazy.
It's been a beautiful day and the magnolia has started flowering.

 

Gave my grass a first cut. Very warm day here. Had a green oasis next to bird bath Let grass to dry or rot on the bed prepared for planting vegs later, depending if it rains or doesn't.

 

Had to cut back the first part of the privet hedge and that means cutting it down by at least a foot. We had somebody last year who was supposed to do that but just skimmed over the hedge so we had to do all the cutting again. Needed both of us out in the road to unsuccessfully slow the traffic down. Thanked the very few that did. Then tackled plants in and around the paths that shouldn't be there.

 

Well the past two days have been great. The change in the weather forecast lived up to expectations and i have really enjoyed getting outside and doing a range of different gardening tasks - yesterday i was in just a polo shirt ( plus trousers and suitable footwear) all day and sitting in the sun with a large mug of tea with the sun shining and spring bursting out everywhere was a real joy.
And , to cap it all , the cannas i had left in the ground and dug up to dispose of yesterday , have survived the winter, so i replanted them with hopes of a good display this year.
All in all , a really good day , and i hope it was the same for you too !