What are we doing in the garden 2025

Not much here today apart from deadheading eight clumps of Heleniums while trying not to disturb the bees, then giving the Heleniums and roses a good watering.

 

I planted some Saxifrage out today. Hopping the rain had softened the ground, unfortunately at full trowel depth it's still dry and hard.
Later I pruned some of the thin extension growth on the Rowan, my wife pruned two sarcoccus one in front garden, one in the back.

 

The native rowans here aren't far away from having totally red berries @Allotment Boy . They've been orange for a couple of weeks. That's early - even for here.
I did a lot of deadheading yesterday and finally sorted out the bird cages properly- I now have two side by side on the screen. A few sweary words happened, as it's quite tight for space, but the birds now have 3 feeders on there, along with 2 in another cage on the back fence.
Spent a while watching the masses of wasps that have emerged from their nest. They love the Knapweed I have. Managed to get a pic, so I'll put that on the 'buzzing' thread.
It stayed dry for the afternoon, and was cloudy, although still hot/humid, so I didn't fancy doing much apart from that - I get a sore head in that weather. Today is damp, but there's to be a breeze, so it should be more comfortable. I might plant the Acer that's to go at the end of the pond where I took out the S's Seal. Might even get around to doing something in the front garden - I keep saying that, but never quite manage it!

 

I ended up doing some work on the back gate yesterday as it turned out quite dry. A good breeze too, which helped. It's still not right, but I was losing the will to live with it. May get more done on it today. I transplanted some lettuce into a bigger container, and sowed more foxgloves and some seed of a wllflower I'd collected last year - and had forgotten about.
Today is looking good, but I might have to go out, and daughter's coming over in the afternoon, so I might just be footering about.
Topping up bird feeders will likely need doing- the birds have been extremely greedy this year!

 

Picked some more white currants and watered the hanging baskets.
Had to go to the fracture clinic this morning to get a full plaster cast for my lower arm,that took all morning going backwards and forwards from the x-ray and consultant and set it properly.

 

Hope your arm heals up soon @Logan, a plaster cast makes life quite awkward I understand though fortunately for me, I've never needed one (fingers crossed!).

I was out most of the day so the only gardening I did if that counts was to buy a pale green metal lantern and matching candle for my new sitting out area when the terrace has been rebuilt.

 

Thank you @lizzie27

 

Was removing more rhizomes of Bidens aurea "Lemon drop" that I mistakenly thought was a coreopsis. It seems to come back virtually every day. Its an absolute menace, rivalling bindweed and couch in how quickly it colonises an area and creeps under plant roots so is hard to get out. Accompanying photos will be along shortly.

 

Dusted the cobwebs off the mower and cut the weeds, (lawn), back.
First time in about 5 weeks.

 

Following one of my periodic back seize-ups last Friday, I haven't done anything out there except fret that I can't get anything done! Today, I decided I was OK to do some standing-upright-no-bending pruning down the passage leading to my back gate, which has rampant climbers growing over the top of neighbours' fencing. Left to their own devices, these make the path impassable in a very short time, so needs must. Felt good to make some progress down my list of "urgent" tasks.

 

I haven’t done anything very much, other than watering pots, in the garden for what seems like weeks. It been too hot and dry. I did get outside for an hour yesterday, cutting back ivy and suckers from our large bay tree.

 

Had planned to garden most of yesterday but we kept having short, sharp showers with thundery bits. Weekly shop this morning and some research so I've only just got out there to sort out more pots in my "nursery".

Had to get OH to come and remove a 4' long dead snake - live is fine cos they wriggle away but dead and unexpected is not fun.

3 fuchsias in need of potting on for permanent homes up by the house so I've been pot washing. Having a cuppa while they dry and then back to the satisfying job of pruning and potting up. Lots of small plants, sown this year, that need bigger pots too, including asparagus and some helenium Red Shades that have survived a snail attack.

 

4' long dead snake! That is quite sizeable. Makes my slowworms seem like tiddlers.

 

It was long @ViewAhead but very thin so presumably had something wrong with it as all the live ones I've seen have been much thicker. They're western whip snakes and not poisonous but definitely bigger than grass snakes.

 

Ripped out the Ammi Majus that are now past their best, and since they grew up without any rain, had decided to spectacularly fall over in the first downpour. Drama queens

Anyways, I saved some branches for Child's dried flower arrangements and cut off the thickest stems to keep as potential bughotel material.



Watered veg and pots, and topped up the pond that has a high evaporation rate now that the plants in and around are still tiny.

I will have to see how things settle down from now on, I do not like pouring drinking water into the pond.

A collared dove waded in for a drink and a personal hygiene session while I was filling the pond up.