What are we doing in the garden 2025

Thank you for your kind words @Retired. Arthritic fingers are the least of my health problems. I've also had it in my lower spine and pelvis for many years but it doesn't stop me from lugging things around the garden. It's mind over matter and working with it as I can't take painkillers.

I say this tongue in cheek...perhaps you could create a small waterfall/canal to divert that water to the plants that need it.

By coincidence I'm off to my optician tomorrow too, a forty mile round trip. He's very good, which is why I've stuck with him since moving further away. I'm sorry to hear of your friend being ill, I hope she's well soon.

 

Hi,

Many thanks @Sheal Considering your health problems it's even more remarkable how you manage to move things around like the heavy lintels. Well done you. Painkillers often cause more problems than they solve; they can even become addictive. You know best what works for you and you're doing it; top marks from me.

Yes it would be very useful indeed to divert rainwater to plants in need of it; but as you know when it's bucketing down the plants already get more than enough and need to come up for air.

I should imagine a 40 mile round trip where you live is like me visiting my next door neighbour; I've only visited Scotland once and could drive long distances between settlements; it was whilst courting Bron and we set off in our Reliant Robin going camping for a week; we drove 1,200 miles in three days returning home; it was August and bucketed down all three days as we drove from coast to coast looking for sunshine; back home it was glorious sunshine; Bron used to visit Scotland for regular holidays (Iona) with her late parents and brother and the weather was always beautiful. We stopped at services to refuel on the way home and even the wagon drivers were complaining as to how bad the weather was; I'll never forget that journey; the road was worn down at each side due to tyre wear leaving a hump in the middle just right to point the front of our three wheeler skywards. With a stream running through the tent we broke camp about 3am and headed home; as we approached Fort William Bron needed the toilet; not a single toilet open one having a massive padlock on the door. Once was enough for me.

It pays to stick with someone reliable and who is trusted; there are few such people around these days; new driving laws are coming in regarding pensioners driving licences including good eyesight and rightly so together with more stringent health checks; a car to a pensioner is a lifeline but I've seen at supermarkets drivers who are obviously so ill they should never be driving a car; I'm 78 and when my health starts to fail I'll surrender my driving licence; I don't want to be involved in an accident or be the cause of the accident.

Thanks @Sheal my female friend (Widow) is my former neighbour I've known for about 16 years; just a good friend no romance involved and never will be; in all the years I've known her she's had more emergency ambulance rides and is a regular visitor to the surgery and hospitals; her illnesses are very many and varied; never the same so every scan or test reveals nothing. I'm not at all being unkind to my closest friend I just accept the way she is; we're all different and I'll keep on supporting her. It's a shame really; a few weeks ago we enjoyed a five mile walk in rugged terrain where she kept up with me; a few days later; sure enough another surgery visit being sent for another test.

Enough of my ramblings; no garden today; I'll make a start with the painting job in the extension assuming daylight breaks; it's now 8:19 and I'm at the keyboard needing the desk lamp lit.

Kind regards, Col.

 

I understand the problems with painkillers too. I've had back problems for over 50 years, and it's just a case of managing it, as it's not something that can be sorted. Doing things since I ripped my rotator cuff some years back is another problem, but you just have to get on with it don't you?

I started dismantling the rest of the pallet yesterday, for doing a bottom shelf on the potting bench/table, but those slats weren't giving up easily. I have enough to do most of it, and I've got a few spare bits of wood that will do the rest. That was after I'd carried on joining the two lengths of hose, and burying a good bit of the rest of it -gravel, so it was reasonably ok. It should be fine, but I might do a proper job of it in spring, because I didn't want to spend any longer on it than I needed, especially when the hose isn't very pliable at this time of year. Had to put the ends into hot water to get them into the connector.
I can think of better ways to have spent my birthday, but cake will be happening today instead as the girls are both off work. A fish supper beckons this evening too. It's to be dry all day, and cloudy again, but I doubt I'll get anything done out there after my walk. Maybe a bit of deadheading or similar.

 

This morning, instead of going to the supermarket before starting work (I work from home), I decided to move a spirea japonica and do yet some more tweaking to the positioning of some smaller plants. I will have to have fried eggs for lunch, but I scratched my gardening itch

The spirea was in the front garden and now it's part of this border that I have been changing, in the middle. I think it works arrangement-wise because of the yellow-ish lonicera nitida baggesen's gold on the sides, and will look better once the calamagrostis brachytricha behind it grows.



To the left and right of the spirea I was originally thinking to have the same hylotelephium as elsewhere in the border to complete the arrangement (as even numbers are considered better) but now I am thinking to ignore that and have erigeron instead.

Happy birthday @fairygirl!

 

Looks good @CostasK. The Erigeron will add a good contrast there. It will also spread as groundcover, not to the detriment of its neighbours, but politely .

 

Belated Happy Birthday @fairygirl . Enjoy your cake today .

 

Still nothing, Still

Going stir crazy!

 

Hope you had a lovely birthday @fairygirl

 

Have a lovely day and enjoy your birthday cake and fish supper @fairygirl.

No gardening for me yet as we went for our flu jabs early on then off to the SM for the weekly raid and did't get home till just after midday. However, once lunch has settled I shall be potting up some agapanthus and Michaelmas daisies from a friend. Can't plant anything direct at the mo as the soil is bone dry.

Waiting for rain. Anyone seen Godot?

 

A ( belated) very happy birthday to you @fairygirl ..

 

Hi,

Better late than never; happy birthday from me too with a big hug @fairygirl hope it was a good un.

Birthday flowers - Birthday - send free eCards from 123cards.com..

Kind regards, Col.

 

Hope it was a good day @fairygirl .

 

I did venture out after all . Went to plots, just picked up crops and things, no energy to do any more. It's still very dry everywhere.

 

Potted up the daisies and agapanthus as planned, scraping every last drop of compost. Have sent OH to buy me a couple more bags for when we start sorting out my nursery barn pots tomorrow pm.

 

Happy belated birthday wishes @fairygirl - hope the cake was good!

I spent 2 hours in the afternoon and am now wishing I hadn't been so enthusiastic. I came home from the GC with a reduced bag of T n T daffs and a tray of 6 violas, also reduced. I hadn't intended to buy anything - save coffee and cake. Got all 18 daff bulbs planted in various places in the garden but kept digging up previously planted bulbs - I never learn!. I put the last 4 bulbs in a blue pot and topped up with 4 of the violas so I can see them from the kitchen window in the Spring. Came in and had to lay on my bed, upside down, with lower back covered with Voltoral!