What are we doing in the garden 2025

Mine has an overflow that goes to a nearby drain.
I just drilled a hole about 2ins down from the top and connected some 25 mm plastic pipe, the push fit stuff, and took it to the drain.

 

Nothing today, this morning went to the opticians for an eye test and bought 2 pairs of glasses, one for reading and the other for intermediate use, was told that the left eye is going cloudy so will have to have that done when it gets worse and we had a lot of heavy rain this afternoon.

 

I only have one water butt, as it was never really a priority here, I attach a longer piece of hose and push it out into my hedging at the back corner of the shed for winter. I don't know if you can do something similar @lizzie27 ?
It rained most of yesterday here, albeit not heavy, so I did a few bits and pieces when I came in from my walk, then went to the nursery for my clematis in the afternoon. I was very restrained and didn't buy anything else! It was drier later on so I did the last bit of the new support for the front bed hydrangea, and some general bits and pieces. More feeder filling too. They seem to like the new seed I got from the mill, so I may just keep getting that.
Today is to be drier in the morning [supposedly] so I'll try and get that support put in after my walk, then see what else I can do depending on how wet/dry it is. It's mainly to be showers, but that can mean anything. I have some basil to sow, just to keep a bit more fresh stuff for the bruschetta, and for freezing for winter meals. I wouldn't usually do it this late, but it's been so mild that hopefully it'll take, and it'll be inside anyway.

 

Nothing outside but inside I potted on the rest of the polyanthus. At least i don't need to do any watering.

 

I'm looking out the window at the heavy rain.

 

Thanks @pete and @fairygirl. Think I'll get OH to look at Pete's suggestion as we can't pipe the overflow anywhere else because of its location.

 

Hope you get a suitable solution @lizzie27 . This gardening lark always throws up a problem - just when we think we're getting the hang of it, doesn't it! I have a slightly different problem with mine because of it's location - conifer foliage/needles getting into the guttering. I didn't want to cut into the down pipes on the house, so that was the only other option. Always tricky.
I'm not sure what I'll do today. It's to be showery, but so was yesterday, and that didn't happen - it was sunny in the morning, and then it just rained for several hours. I managed to get a few things done though, although nothing major apart from planting out the new white clematis, C. Tsukiko, beside the pergola. I know it'll be like the Iris I have, Kumo-no-obi, whose name I can never remember, so it gets called Obi-wan Kenobi. I'll end up calling it C. Tsatziki.
Didn't get the hydrangea support put in, as the rain came on forcefully at that point, so I'll hopefully do that today if it isn't too wet. The grass will need a trim, but tomorrow might be better for that, as it's to be more reliably dry - fingers crossed.

 

My intention is to tie in the sweetpeas again. They are enjoying the rain but would like more sun to encourage them to come into flower. They do not like being cold, wet and chilly. The Ipomea have grown but not enough light for them to flower.
The Cornish Longkeeper apple tree has just about finished, the later, no named, apple is just beginning to colour. The tomatoes are still ripening, I have closed the greenhouse door to retain as much heat as possible. Although the loofah has set fruit, it is too late for them to develop to any size.

 

Did some more weeding around the polyanthus and trimming the grass edge.

 

Cleared a place on the patio to pile the inherited paving slabs (30 or so) I managed to give away via Neighbourhood website. The lady who wants them was ever so grateful and even offered a payment- so nice to see they are of use for her and I get rid of them free. Win win.

Anyways, before I had the brainwave to advertise for them, we painstakingly hid the pile slotting them between the shed and the fence (just seen in back right hand corner).



Today I had planned to unslot and carry them to the patio for the lady to carry them from there to their car through the winding, narrow alleyway. I managed two

Harvested some beetroot from between the Cosmos. It's by far the best way to grow beetroot I have ever known, they swell nicely above ground and are not at all woody. Delicious!

Watered pots and greenhouse where the hardy seedlings (posh Foxglove and Aquilegia, Lupin, Campanulas and assorted impulse buys and freebies) are coming up nicely and Tigerella toms are chucking out a bowlful of fruit every day. I'll definitely grow Tigerella next year too, tasty and firm.

We found an absolutely perfect stone on our walk. Sadly, it's so big that we had a rather heroic walk back, taking turns and managing to get it to 20 mins walk from our house to be collected tomorrow. It was already pulled out from the soil and thrown into a heap of rubble so I didn't feel guilty about stealing it- it will be stunning in the pond.

My arms feel like wobbly jelly

 

Dug over some more of the veg plot, sowed green manure seed. Took the weeds up to the compost heap and then went back to weeding one of the flower beds.

 

I removed the Box hedge in my front garden which has succumbed to Box moth caterpillar damage. I decided not to try any chemical treatment and then have to wait in anticipation of possibly more devastation next year. I replaced it with some evergreen grasses, Anemanthele lessoniana, formerly a Stipa, also known as Pheasant’s tail grass. They will have more width than height so will fill the space quite nicely. Here's some photos of the damage and before and after photos.

 

Final hedge cut for this year, only had to cut them twice this year, sorry two times, due to the dry weather, might have to start cutting the grass next.

 

Steady on @pete - cutting your grass. Whatever next!
Mine needs done, but if this mild weather keeps going, it might need done again. It rarely needs a trim beyond mid September. Hoping to do it today, as there's more rain in the forecast every day for the foreseeable, and it just makes it easier if it's a bit drier when it's cut. Less mower cleaning too. The forecasts are always hit and miss though.
I got my edging/support put in yesterday, but I can't get the conifer thing out that was in the bed. It's really wedged in tight. I've cut it back and applied stump killer, so I'll now just have to wait before planting the area up. It's annoying, but not much I can do. I need to put a little edging along the rest of the bed, just for uniformity, but I'll need to see what wood I have for it. The ground slopes, which isn't helpful, so I need to see how I can make the join fit nicely and not look dodgy. The important thing was the hydrangea area though, as it hangs over the grass, and I catch it with the mower.

 

Planted up the sink today not looking to bad!