What are we doing in the garden 2025

I've used peat free compost for a few years and the one is Westland multi purpose with added ji, which is just sand sometimes in lumps, but it's good and the plants do well.
Didn't do anything today in the garden it's been raining but i had to wash my hair instead of tomorrow.

 

Hi,

Nothing in the garden today but added more to the hobbies section regarding my porch.

Yesterday morning the post office emailed stating my violin organ machine was to be delivered; later in the day it was changed to tomorrow (today). I'm glad I'm not holding my breath or having to remain home to accept parcels.

This afternoon I visited a female ex-neighbour friend for a natter (no romance) taking care of the afternoon and after tea I enjoyed a brief violin practice.

I've just completed the hobbies porch thread.

Time now for some YouTube before bedtime. I completed the online TV licence renewal cancellation form; I never watch British Brainwashing Corporation at all; everything I want is either on YouTube or Netflix.

Kind regards, Col.

 

I had to plant the Linaria into the wildflower bed. They grew out of their pots in the greenhouse. But I have to cover them with a net hoping the fox doesn't dig them out again.
The tree leaves start to cover the gravel. I wanted to collect them for the compost, but need to top up some beds first with soil. I will do this over the weekend.

 

I got plants put into the front bed yesterday, and have some compost left in the bin, so I can maybe use it to pot up the honeysuckle that I'll need to move from the shed, now that the water butt's there. It may have to wait until tomorrow as I have to go out later.
I didn't water the plants in as the soil's very wet anyway and it was to be cold overnight [ it was 2 degrees when I got up at 7am] so extra water wouldn't have helped, although there wasn't a frost as it was cloudy. I find that info, especially on TV progs about 'always watering plants in' can be misleading. The last thing my plants need at this time of year is watering in. Again, no accounting for differing conditions. It's to be very wet later. I've just looked and they've survived...
Anyway, rant over!
Can't remember what else I did, but it was mainly deadheading and filling the sunflower heart feeders - again! A bit of pot moving too, and repainted a small pot which I'll use for my reticulata Irises which are coming soon. It was a pleasant day here for footering, although a couple of layers needed if sitting as it didn't reach double figs until mid afternoon, then dropped again after a short while.

 

Hi,

EVRI are delivering the latest plant order from Parkers anytime now until midday so I'm in for a bit of planting but I'll need to wrap up well; it's cold out there. Last night whilst watching YouTube my legs suddenly felt cold; I expected frost & ice this morning but as I went shopping early this morning the car was showing 6.5C which surprised me; it's forecast 10C today and the MET office has redesigned its website page; they seem to have got that right.

Parcel Force have just sent their regular email stating delivery of the violin organ machine is today; perhaps it's third time lucky; they've already burst my bubble twice.

Kind regards, Col.

 

My Parkers delivery is expected today too @Retired , wonder if they despatch to everybody at the same time
Mind you, my plants were ordered nearly six weeks ago

 

I know that some nurseries dispatch Mon, Tues, Weds to avoid plants being in transit over the weekend as they have no control of the conditions the packages are stored in over the weekend.
It does depend on the nurseries and the deals they have with the couriers. Some even use 24 hr delivery, tend to charge a bit more though.
Parkers being a big operation probably ship every day to keep the flow going through the system.

 

Hi,

Good luck with your Parkers delivery today @Bluejayway My plants are now with me. I hope the sun still shines after dinner as I plant them otherwise it's going to be a chilly job. I too always have to wait weeks for my Parkers orders but I've never been disappointed with Parkers.

It makes a lot of sense @NigelJ to avoid having plants being stressed over a weekend awaiting delivery.

Kind regards, Col.

 

No gardening for me last few days as not been well. But been making plans for nk yr flower and veg gardening plus want to have a almost zero cost growing yr for 20.26. Dont really need to cut costs but l love to do challenges and its all learning etc, keeps my brain working hard lol. l want to make it more easier for us to veg garden now getting more elderly. Im writing out plans in my garden planner to see how much more we can veg grow on the patio in containers, so been watching loads of balcony gardening on UTube. One grower said she manages to grow over 150 diff veg on her space..not sure what they are, but that seems a lot to me so ll have to watch it and make note's . l have decided that one of the raised beds will be for long growing to havest veg and the other one is my plan for it to be the home grown seed saving area. The 3rd bed im planning on making into a raised nursery bed as my tiny greenhouse is alway overloaded with seedlings. l also want to not buy any more veg seeds next yr unless l can get them £!.50 or less a pk , as some companies are charging outrageous prices now..l guess they have no choice with rising labour costs. So will spend this afternoon doing seed company searches to see what l can get for nk yr. Plus of course still using up all my seeds iv already got. Iv been maing notes on how to made free home made fertilizer.. We already make loads of our own compost as we use the 'lasanga; method of compost making as well as out 2 compost bins and leaf mold cages. l really want to see how l can make it a almost zero veg/flower gardening yr for 2026 as l like challenges. So l'll learn more on how to take cuttings of my collections of roses, clematis, hydrangers , azalers etc.
Husband moved all the herb containers now nk to the french window doors , for ease of harvest as no longer will be opening fully over rest of Autumn/Winter. if well enough l will go and have a quick look in greenhouse and kitchen back door to see if my seedlings l planted up are still there/growing. Been saving all our large pieces of bubble wrap to cover them when cold/frost weather comes..but its amazing how mild it still is

 

I've been putting together a very cheap (£15) Cordless Strimmer, no
instructions and what a B******d it was, bolts holes not in line. But
it's all done and I've been out strimming very wet long Grass and it
works brilliantly.
I am very pleased and with two batteries to.

 

think iv sorted my money saving on seeds for nk yr..at least for 6 mths. just found an offer for home del of kitcedhgarden mag that is doing offer for 6 issues for £15 and giving 10 pk as free gift. Plus went throu cash back and got £3.40 as a new customer. As l get free veg seeds as well with each home del of the mag, l think iv got a bargin. In store the mag is £4.99 and if iv done my maths right l'll get the mag for £1.93 a month ( with the £3.40 taken off ) and each mag with free pk of veg seeds. lm told can vary how many seed pks each mth from 3 to 10 pks..but even if l get just 3 pk seeds each mth ll be happy..... plus iv got the mag to read.

 

Hi,

I hope you're feeling better @Peaceful Gardener; you'll be pleased to be on top of your seed buying and be looking forward to the next issues of Kitchen Garden.

I've just enjoyed a bad session up my mountain of a garden; it's very exposed up there; the wind is very cold and plenty of it; planting was awful; if I normally put a plant pot down it wants to head to the valley bottom but due to the wind I needed three hands for holding the plastic wrapper with plant pot; the plant and trowel; in the end I started stuffing the pots and all paper packaging etc back into the long box but then the box started blowing around until I dumped the spade on top of it; at times I thought I was going to be blown over and would need to nail my cap on. What joy it is living on a steep valley side. This morning as I looked at the guessers it was forecast dry but straight after dinner when I checked it was now for heavy rain so I've been in a panic to get the plants in.

More couch grass is also popping up but now I can easily pull it out weather permitting.

With it starting to rain and me feeling frozen what's the point of moaning; I got stuck in and planted the lot; I planted at random hoping it would look better but I can move things around later if it doesn't look right. Having rotavated the soil was perfect so I didn't need dynamite as I would have needed only a few weeks ago whilst the soil was very hard and dry. The weather spoiled what normally I'd have enjoyed.


I don't normally believe in miracles but Parcel Force has finally delivered my new toy; the Electro-Harmonix B9 organ machine. I'm having a mug of hot tea and when I warm up I'll try the pedal out; life isn't so bad after all; well not all of it.

Kind regards, Col.

 

It went down to 3c overnight so a friend told me which rather surprised me as I hadn't expected that. I've still got a Begonia 'Illuminations' in full bloom in a basket on the fence so loth to get it down just yet.

Just had time to skip out between the heavy showers to measure up my next project, cutting down the wisteria and trying to work out how many roses I can fit into a narrowish bed instead.
Not looking forward to the blood, sweat and tears on trying to dig out the wisteria roots and will have to enlist OH to help with that which is not his favourite job in the garden. We've got around 20-30ft of wisteria branches to cut up and dispose of as well. I shall be really sorry to see it go but am worried about the continued weight on the wall we've just had to have very expensively rebuilt. Hopefully roses will be less maintenance long term and on the plus side they'll definitely be within reach!

 

A dry bright start meant I got into the garden today. More cutting back and deadheading. I know the modern trend is not to tydy up too much in Autumn but some things just go to mush so they are all in the green bin ready for tomorrow's collection.
This afternoon we made another quick dash to Jaques Amand, we bought a pot of Nerines in flower to give to SIL. He saw some in someone's front garden recently and is really taken with them. Whilst we were there we bought a lovely Ameryllis (Hippeastrum) already in flower so they gave us a great price. Just as we were leaving we spotted a bargain box of assorted bulbs, a real pot luck only a fiver so we'll have to see what we get.