What are we doing in the garden 2025

I didn't do any of the things I mentioned yesterday...got sidetracked....
I did do a bit of pricking out of various bits and bobs that were sown quite late, and are only just getting going properly. That was quite pleasant, as I even sat on the bench under the new pergola to do it. After I'd dried all the water on it first....
Today is looking similar - wet and windy, but I'm not convinced it's going to be as dry and sunny as they say it is. If it clears up, I'll try and do some of the things I should have done yesterday. I've got some renovations needing done to a gate, and I have some Irises to lift and move to a better site, so that's another possibility. First though- I'll see if the little pot of marigolds that I had to resite to the pond [moat] has survived any more slug damage.

 

I potted on my last tomato plant, watered everything and potted on 4 Mini Melons that are cucumbers, usually used for pickling.
My water iris have just popped open, all together. They are white with a pencil line of purple along the edges of each petal. It makes them look so fragile and delicate. I bought them as Papillon which I think means Butterfly, very appropriate.
I am hoping to get started on planting out veg. in the veg. plot today. It will mean a lot of watering if the heat wave happens, it doesn't look as if it is going to be as bad here as further upcountry.

 

Gave in and got the sprinkler out last night, so I've watered the pots on the patio this morning before it got too hot. I have Dahlias to plant out on the plots. Weeded and watered the parsnips there yesterday watered selectively, things like courgettes squash, and salads. The rest will just have to tough it out.

 

I saw the fox walking on the fence this morning but wasn’t brave enough to take my crossbow and to kick him over the fence
When I came back an hour later, the wildflower bed was raveged and I took out the remaining daveged linaria and covered it completely woth the beans net. He also ravered the fern from Tintern in the bed on the left from the compost and the Diacentra Alba on the other side in my old bed.
What wonders what comes next. May the lord have mercy with me and sends him to hell soon. Sorry, my patience with that fox is running out of steam.

 

I feed a family of Foxes and never had any damage in my garden. Perhaps this is the answer.
Each to their own of course, but Foxes were here long before houses were
built.

 

That sounds really demoralising for you @simone_in_wiltshire, after all your hard work. I don't know whether this link contains any advice that you haven't already considered:

Living with foxes | RSPCA - RSPCA - rspca.org.uk

 

I've got the four cubs around here now and as they grow they can do damage, mostly playing or digging.
It's really down to how perfect you keep your garden, mine often looks a bit wild and rough around the edges, can be gauling when they dig up the veg though.

So I see both points of view.

 

My sister has a mother and 4 cubs in her garden. They do dig up stuff, so I gave her some old plastic trellis to put down around newly planted things and it seems to have worked provided it is pegged down. Loose, and they just regard it as another toy to enjoy. In the winter, they nick the fleece off her doorstep pots.

 

My little fox is just a compulsive digger in the same wildflower bed and returns without any sense.
I have to wait until he is too big to jump over fences, and hope the future damage will not be too severe.

 

There must be a smell there that he likes.

 

He wont get too big to jump over fences, they can scramble over 6ft pretty easily as adults or dig under.
They keep digging the same spot in my garden, so probably wont plant anything in that spot.
Annoying I know.

 

Did a lot of watering.

 

Haven't seen our foxes for a few weeks. The worst they do is poop on the lawn. They come to see what food is available then off they go. Never had any digging going on. Mind you our soil is rock hard at the moment that even I have problems digging it.

Trimmed my two box bushes in their planters. They seem OK, but two box moth caterpillars dropped out. Gave the bushes a spray.



We have been doing a lot of hedge trimming and because the bin men are still on strike I am putting more on the compost or just leaving the off cuts behind the shrubs. We've got about 20 bags and a wheelie full. We can't even book a bulky collection. And they won't collect recycling - glass, cans and paper either. So I remove some items from the wheelie and put it in a separate black bin bag and the bin men take it. It all goes in the general waste.

I still have some small seedlings to plant out, but they haven't grown well in the useless peat free compost.

Otherwise it's just watering.

 

I realise you would be hard pressed to find a fan of the Box Moth caterpillar ... but you have to admire the way Nature has given them such an intricate coat, camouflage and scary eyes combined to perfection.

 

I only did a few bits and bobs yesterday. Every time I went out, the rain came on, so I waited until it was a bit better in the afternoon to do anything 'hefty'. Then I got too hot, even with the good breeze. Can't win! On the plus side, the washing dried well...
I did a fair bit of deadheading, got a little alpine geranium into it's new position, tied in various climbers, and planted some small plants grown from seed. Birds are eating me out of house and home, so had to top up the sunflower heart feeders [again], but the entertainment makes up for the cost. I started sorting out the side gate, but I was losing the will to live. That's what happens when you reuse some of the old materials on an existing gate, and it starts to degrade.