What are we doing in the garden 2025

Just checked the Hibiscus over, all fine and several have buds. Took cuttings of the Pandorea jasminoides and Coleus and put in water on the kitchen windowsill to hopefully root.

 

I have been digging over and up what is under the ex kennel removed yesterday.

So far I have unearthed ten paving slabs, rubble, bricks and around a bucketful of beautiful, water rounded stones and cobbles



The biggest stones are around 2-3 fist size, I have gratefully accepted them and placed in the pond. A treasure!

The garden naturally slopes down gently towards the stream a bit away, but has been levelled flat.

After a lot of looking and dreaming, I had a brainwave.

I like alpines, succulents, grasses, stones and botanical tulips (incidentally just bought), the site is South facing and the fence West facing, so will probably dry out totally during summer....


I'll restore the slope and have a gravelly rocky mound garden on that side of the future gravel path. That should look fine sloping down right towards the pond and ferns on the East facing side and towards the flowery part down.

I'll have to think how my must-have Viburnum will fit in as it will probably not like too arid spot until established but we'll see.

It's so nice to plan and do and dream

 

That soil looks delicious @Selleri , lovely and black. Lucky you.

 

Hi,

Yesterday was amazing spending over two hours in the garden against the wrong weather forecast for rain but it remained dry. It was borderline dangerous working on the slippery slope but no chance at all of gardening today. Overnight heavy rain means the garden is out of bounds which is frustrating but goes with this time of the year.

It would be nice to buy a pair of double skinned wellies I could use like an hot water bottle; kneeling in the light but cold breeze yesterday let me know I have ankles in spite of thick socks; I converted my full sized wellies into ankle wellies years ago using the bandsaw; full size wellies always rub the back of my legs sore with prolonged use. 10C; dry and calm would allow me to really crack on but I can dream.

I've worked in snow logging storm damaged trees but wearing waterproofs means I'm kept dry from the outside but then sweat from the inside; it's just life.

Kind regards, Col.

 

I emptied the vegtrug from the last soil, which enriches now the compost. I also tidied up the bits below the vegtrug and cleaned the propagator equipment for January when the chillies will be sown. Finally, I cut some of the Hardy Geraniums down, and removed suckers fromthe Johnson Blue. I’m not sure if I will keep it. It’s a runner

 

I've never got along with Johnson's Blue. Azure Rush (a neater version of Rozanne) has worked best for me. Really long flowering season means it earns its spot.

 

Was able to dig up some carrots this morning as no frost. Harvest doing well. Had to plug in the propagator in the conservatory and put the broad bean and globe artichoke pots in as they are not germinating so giving them a bit of warmth with the hope that they appreciate it.

 

It's lush @Songbird , heavy clay but improved over the years. These houses were built between the wars so no builders' rubble but signs of cultivation when I dig deeper.

Having said that, I also dug up a layer of coal and was just about to brag about my personal coal mine that will make me a millionaire when I realised that finding coal in your back garden doesn't have much of a wow- factor in Newcastle

Anyways, grit, sand and compost are on their way to start making my sloping garden bit

Shovels on the ready Ladies!

 

Today I have grubbed up some docks and planted out 4 tiny variegated hollies and 2 Gaultherias. Also ordered a few bits from Farmer Gracy's 40% off sale with free shipping.

 

My Impatiens have completely keeled over, so I sorted out the remnants, but it was too cold to be out long and everything was soaking from yesterday's rain, so I lost enthusiasm pretty quickly.

 

After planting out the asparagus crowns well you know what....the badger/fox/cat dug them up!!!!
So had to do yet another method of putting them off. We had no mesh etc left so used some old large plant containers that you get from GCs which still have holes in them. Put these over the areas with some bricks to keep them in place. Not good to look at but maybe the plants will be given a chance to grow later.

 

@On the Levels , sorry for your asparagus.

I see holes every morning in my garden and always thought it’s the hedgehog looking for worms, but Monty made me thinking when he said in the last episode that squirrels are so keen on tulip bulbs.

 

The foxes and/or badgers are making a right mess of my back lawn. One area is so dug up that I'm thinking of just finding a nice big shrub to plant there instead.

 

Thanks goodness, we have no badgers.
The fox (I suppose) gets himself worked up at the lilac tree and the tree fern now and then. Like On the Levels, I have covered those areas with bricks which I remove after a few days when he has forgotten about it. I have also protected the wildflower bed, and still, a cat squeezes itself underneath the net and left his marks. I have currently a cat visitor which has a type of diarrhoea.
Someone also digs holes where the Gladioli bulbs are. Never mind, I wanted to plant new ones in Spring time.

 

I also have a visiting cat with the runs. It likes to go in the middle of my front lawn. The owners can have no idea their pet isn't well, since they are never in the position to examine its poop.