What are we doing in the garden 2025

Thanks @lizzie27, I actually don’t mind the hedge, it makes my garden private and I can’t see my neighbour . I went round to see him once to ask if my contractor could trim the top and he said no problem, if your contractor wants to come into my garden for access he’s very welcome. I surprised myself with my diplomatic skills by politely turning down the offer. (My thoughts weren’t quite so polite .)

 

Out in on-off drizzle today assisting my long time handyman 'A' getting the shed partly stripped and repainted. For some reason the previous owner of my home used gloss paint on the front and it's a devil to remove, even though its peeling. All painted and a temporary coat over that gloss for the winter as the wood is rotting and will have to be replaced next Spring. Pictures before and after will follow at some point.

 

Thanks for your good wishes @Retired , @Obelix-Vendée and @lizzie27 . Yes, no cure for it, it can only be 'managed'. She has 2 tennis ball sized cysts which need to be removed, but due to other symptoms she has, the consultant was concerned that it may have spread lower, which mean further complications, operations and the possibility of a 'bag'. I'm obviously hoping that won't happen. I'd do anything to take her pain away.
Nothing done yesterday as the rain came on just after I got in from my walk, so I just had a more lazy day than normal. Sturdy frost and mist today, but the mist's lifting now. Supposed to be good this morning, then more of the usual stuff later, so I don't know how much I'll get done. The bulb potting is the main thing I need to do, but I can always do that in the shed.

 

Hi,

You're always so positive and friendly on the forum @fairygirl in spite of your huge worry about your daughter constantly on your mind which is ongoing; I fully understand your position regarding watching your daughter having to see a consultant; I sincerely wish your daughter all the very best and your hope comes true of no complications; please give her a big hug from me.

Get better - Get well soon - send free eCards from 123cards.com

Kind regards, Col.

 

Sending my best wishes to you and your daughter @fairygirl and hope she can be treated with the minimum intervention. I have had a "bag" for over 20 years - an ileostomy - it was needed for a different reason (ulcerative colitis) but I've found that it's much better than having the original problem.

 

@Bluejayway, me too, colostomy for 8 years, for different reasons - definitely better.

 

That sounds like a worrying dilemma @fairygirl and, if needs be, maybe a bag would be better. My cousin had one in 2020 after an emergency op for cancer but now things have calmed down they've been able to reverse/remove the bag so it may not be a life sentence. Better than constant pain.

No gardening for me yet today tho it is now sunny and lovely out there. Waiting for a parcel to be delivered before I can disappear outside and down to the polytunnel to deal with my new plants and check my seedlings. Can't hear doorbells down there so have to be patient.

 

I hope that everything goes well for your daughter @fairygirl

I've finished planting the tulips in the borders,a lot was from last year that i dug up and kept the larger ones for flowering. Some of the next size down will flower but there's a lot that's too small so I'll bin them. Just got to plant up 4 large pots with tulips to go with the others under the kitchen window.

 

My Grandaughter had to have large cysts and parts of her tract removed a few years ago. She stayed with me before and then after the operation for quite some time. Yes, mri's and lots of other testing kept us busy. They said a stomy might be needed and thankfully she didn't need it. Maybe they say that as a worst case scenario to not alarm you if it does happen. She gets a epipen type shot delivered every week to help and now leads a very "ordinary" life.

Best wishes from me for you both. Hugs, Lori

It's raining so only writing my garden to do list is happening.

 

Hi,

It's 10C at the moment but feels much cooler in the gentle breeze; I didn't intend doing anything outside today thinking I'd wait until tomorrow when it's forecast 16C. I've just come indoors feeling perished; next week I've a 200 journey to visit friends so I've just checked the usual things on the car; tyres including spare; washer bottle and topping up the Adblue, it's now ready to roll.

I then thought I'm already cold so I'll do a bit of Christmas work in the garden; Hoe; Hoe; Hoe, I've given the weeds a bad time and I'm not at all surprised to see my Cleaver enemy has put in an appearance; I need to keep on top of these cleavers; just one of them can infect the entire garden as they spread like lightning. All the gardens are now very tidy with little debris to dispose of.

I've just withdrawn my advert to sell my Howard Bulldog petrol rotavator; I've been worried about it running me over if it got out of control on the steep slope; I'll turn it into a project and design and fit brakes to it then I won't have to free wheel back down after each pass.

The Sandisk memory sticks arrived whilst I was checking the car so I'll now spend the rest of the day converting lots of movies I have running on AVI to MP4 then I can play them on my TV; I'm a pro user of AVC which allows formats to be changed; there's an entirely free version but for what it cost I've signed up,




It's only 14:50 and already getting dark; it won't get better for ages but just before Christmas we have the shortest daylight hours. Daffodils are pushing through.

Kind regards, Col.

 

I've just read about your daughter @fairygirl, having popped in despite not gardening since Tuesday. I hope removing the cysts will cure her pain.

 

Finished weeding one of the veg patches and started on another. Found some dwarf beans! Pruned back the unruly fig tree which did give us an enormous harvest this year. Had to cut back some of the medlar branches as we couldn't get down the path. It is flowering again! Also removed 3 large hart tongue ferns also growing on the edge of this path and not able to see the steps. Replanted them elsewhere but not sure if they will survive. Picked some rocket for lunch.

 

I shovelled up the soggy mass of bark mulch from the shed path, relocated this to the back of the rose bed then emptied out the wisteria shreddings over the shed path in it's place. It's woodier and chunky so am hoping it won't get quite so soggy and slippery - we shall see!

Did more tidying up, propped up two spare trellis panels on bricks to keep them dryer over the winter and put the first large trugfull of leaves into the newly emptied no.1 leaf mould bin. We will have difficulty in remembering which leaf bin is this year's one by this time next year so will tie a label on them tomorrow.

 

It's dusk here now but I had time to pot up all my new treasures and re-pot a spider plant that was being chewed by something. No idea what but it's leaving balls of green poo on my chest of drawers so needs sorting. A scented leaf pelargonium is also being bothered so, in case it's a mouse, I've put a poison tablet under the drawers.

Whilst putting the new perennial pots with the rest of my nursery I discovered a teeny white Jap anemone which has also been potted on. Next job is to prep the gaps in the rose bed in case there are any more big stones lurking so that when the new peonies - 5 each of Sebastian Maas and Big Ben - go in they can settle well at the right depth and then the bulbs can be planted. Just need to find some hardy geraniums now for ground cover.

 

Be careful what you wish for @Obelix-Vendée, I planted some hardy geraniums many years ago which have 'run' everywhere in two of my flower beds and I can't now get rid of them.