What are we doing in the garden 2025

Thank you, didn't realise birds were so choosey It seams these lupin aphids arrived in the UK around 1980s. At least they're not going to spread to the roses I hope. They do wash off quite easily with a hosepipe, not like the more sticky aphids on the roses. Hoping they'll not crawl back up the plant. When I cut the lupins down last autumn/winter I put the leaves and stalks in the compost bin. Maybe I should be more careful.

 

Couple of days ago I had a parcel to return with Evri and park in Lidl car park as closest to the Evri shop. Once relieved of my parcel I indulged myself with another Armeria and ornamental grass. Noticed Lidl have now got some very nice hedging plants as well as the flowering plants, but I've nowhere to plant hedging .

Yesterday I removed the Hebe from one of the wooden planters. Had to cut it right back to do that and it was a battle to get it out! Removed the old compost and back filled with new compost and soil mix. Have some plants to go in , probably today. I painted the top of the wooden planter with fence preserver.

Have decided I don't like the white coving stones on the patio wall, but will need to buy some more paint as the soft green I mixed myself has all gone. Had a sweep around and a chat to the Bees on the cabbage tree plants, then sat with a coffee and snack for awhile. It was quiet in the garden as overcast and cold wind keeping the noisy neighbours indoors. I've noticed a few more spiders and insects starting to appear in the garden

 

I have terrible greenfly infestation on my native hellebores. Luckily, they don't seem to spread to any other plants. I doused them with the watering can yesterday, so that might give the plants time to gather the strength to resist them. The leaves perked up fairly quickly.

 

I’ve given up on Lupins as they are decimated by all manner of creatures!

Sowed some more sunflower varieties today. I noticed on the packet it suggested growing chives next to them to deter greenfly. Anyone done this? I usually do sacrificial marigolds by the tomatoes for slug management.

 

Still behind the times but then we must start somewhere! Sowed some sweet corn in pots and then indoors (no room in the tunnel). Again sowed some swiss chard seeds to fill in the gaps followed by the Spinach America (not in the same area). Found 2 beetroot seedlings (!) so again sowed some more in the row. We cut our "lawn" for the first time. Sad to cut off the heads of so many wildflowers. Cleaned the mower and sharpened the blades.

 

I don't have trouble with the hellebores and greenfly. I've tried washing up liquid and spraying with water for the lupins but still no good. It's usually later on the the season that they arrive. They won't spread to other plants.

Cut off some of the old hellebore flowers in a border and weeded there, the ground is still dry there so I'll water the polyanthus that's there.

 

One of my neighbours along the road has had a hard-standing put in at the front of his bungalow, and got a good number of bricks left over, ready to dispose of.

Not being one to see good quality tiling bricks go to waste, and, needing a replacement surround for my fruit garden, . . . . .
You've guessed the rest. I now have a large number of those bricks down the end of my garden, ready to use on another day. I've used my energy just transporting them by wheelbarrow.

I'm surprised that the owner didn't ask for a small donation. I would have done!!

 

Finally got the new Raspberries planted. Hopefully they will be OK in the forecast heat. The Joan J and Polka are sprouting, nothing on the Tulameen, though I did a scratch test and there's green under the bark so they should come.

 

@Allotment Boy, good luck with your raspberries.

I've got Polka as well and last year tried cutting half to the ground and half about half way up. That way you can get in a small double crop if you wish to. Worked quite well as an experiment.
Be warned, though, mine are now on the run, under the bark mulch path next to them, into the asparagus bed and (hush) one popped up through the Terram in OH's vegetable bed!) I haven't confessed yet. The terram fabric mulching stuff was supposed to be tree root proof!

 

Today, nothing. I can’t even sit in the garden due to hay fever caused by Rowan pollen. It hadn’t affected me until last year when I had a strong reaction to it. Strange after nearly 11 years of living here. There’s a large Rowan in my garden and another close behind it in my neighbour’s garden. Last year I seriously thought about getting the tree removed but folklore says that cutting down a Rowan will bring bad luck . I’ll put up with the symptoms instead. The garden could do with a rest anyway .

 

Seems to be a lot of folk lore attached to rowan trees, I've heard we should plant one in each corner of our property to keep the witches away! There's even a folk song about Rowan trees on YouTube.

What a great day today weatherwise. Been totting around the garden today, trying to organise the plants awaiting planting, they seem to be everywhere. I might regret it, but I've cast caution aside and have planted 3 of each, Lolo Peppers, Corno de Torro Rosso, and seeds I got from a Tesco pepper, just for the interest. Red Marconi needs a bit more tlc before they're planted. The young plants are in a sheltered position alongside the shed and water butt and can easily be covered should a frost threaten, they are quite hardened off.

Planted 4 seeds, two to a hole (in case one doesn't germinate) of butternut squash, they've been planted at the bottom of compost bin, temporarily covered with a plastic bottle just in case of slugs. Thought the compost may keep the ground moist and provide extra nutrient?

Planted out seedlings of Achillea Gold Plate, double Sunflower, Dianthus, red Hollyhock, and Sweet William, the later has been planted in a temporary summer home, I'll move them in the autumn to a better place.

I've managed to grow 10 seedlings of asparagus, they've now been planted at the end of one of the raised beds which presently has onions growing, too many of onions are growing in there I fear.

 

You lot sure are busy!

I dug one very small hole, ready from my Impatiens grown from a cutting, and sieved out the stones. That was enough hard labour for one day. I would never have survived in the gulags.

 

Its great to have fine weather here at this time of year. You can virtually see the plants growing , i have 3 different viburnum mariesii types coming into flower , paeonies too , and 7 out of 10 early potatoes have broken through the soil. The only downside is the 20 acres or so of rapeseed in the two large fields across the road. The vibrant luminous yellow is just starting to wane , attractively bright and warming but its so aromatic ! Its like living in one of those “ Lush “ shops in the High Street. Powerful stuff and very sneezy! It wont stop me po- atchoo- ttering around the garden though.

 

We used to have rapeseed in a field about 50m from the house. Now it's new builds. Not an improvement, IMV, and not addressing the local housing need in that some have been standing empty unsold for 15 months. Expensive but tiny is clearly not appealing.

 

Hubby did a bit of weeding, i picked the first lot of rhubarb.
4 lb. I've cut it up put in a roasting tray and poured honey over it, cover it with foil and cook it in the oven until soft. When it's cool portion it up and put in freezer to make into crumbles.