What are we doing in the garden 2025

Oops! Forecast was for 3 degrees last night, so I took it at its word and didn't faff about with fleece. However, opening the curtains this morning, I see some frost on roof tops. Can't see any cars to look at windscreens, so maybe it was just a light air frost.

 

I hope your plants are OK @ViewAhead . We've had quite a heavy frost in Norfolk, sunny now.

We had an early appointment at the recycling centre. There was too much for the garden bin and there was the thick trunk of the buddleia tree that fell in storm Claudia. The bin will be emptied too today.

 

Thank you, @Busy-Lizzie. Went to move my bin for collection at 8 am and the lid was frozen shut. So, a heavier frost than I thought. Ah well, we will see.

 

Just put out 6 suet cakes for the birds.

 

This morning I went down to scout out an area to plant the Eremurus I received from Farmer Gracy yesterday. Had to cut back the asters in order to clear a space to work in. Dug the hole and put the root to soak. Then it started raining in earnest.

Have now taken advantage of a break in the rain to nip out and plant it. It's in a patch which must have been gravel at one time, and is now gravel mixed with soil. I added more horticultural grit as per the planting instructions.

Don't expect to manage anything else this weekend. The forecast is solid rain. Thinking of ordering another bare root fruit tree since I've got a space that needs filling.

 

Nothing it's been raining all day.

 

Hi,

I've not posted for a few days because I've been tired out after grafting in the garden rehoming couch grass.


Hours on end kneeling with a hand trowel and now I can't complete it due to more heavy rain. My hands and arms have ached so much but I'm still determined to clear the couch grass from this middle meadow before Christmas; the weather's been very unkind but I've wrapped up well; if the soil is too wet I can't do any work due to sliding down the slope.

After all this hard work I'll be carefully watching for any new couch grass showing then I'll attack it. I don't recommend clearing such a large area using spade and hand trowel; it's more punishment than pleasure but it's one effective way to clear the couch grass.

Next year I'll tackle the top meadow but wait until the couch grass is growing then I'll remove it but not doing the whole meadow on my hands and knees; I've gone over patches in the middle meadow where there wasn't any couch grass. One thing I've noticed is there are so many wildflower seedlings growing but not couch grass as I've been working; I did go over with weedkiller and the rhizomes I'm digging out appear to be lifeless and dry? I've now got piles of rhyzomes I'll put through my new riddle before dumping them at the tip. I'm frustrated by the weather but expected at this time of the year; one more full day should see this job completed.

The picture is dark but is the conditions I've been working in; 2C at 8:30am on hands and knees up the steep garden with a strong breeze on my back has proved challenging but worth it. Not complaining because I volunteered for this job and in warm weather I have more urgent maintenance jobs demanding my attention.

I'm rained off today; GRRRR.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Well done Colin, you'll be rewarded when you've finished.

 

@Retired, give yourself a well earned break on a couch ... erm, I mean sofa! Sometimes nature will outrun your best intentions, but that is as it should be. Imagine if humans could fully control the weather and wild plants. We would mess up, for sure. Our track record for keeping things in balance is appalling.

Couch grass is a survivor. You gotta admire that in a plant. 'tis Christmas, a season of goodwill to all things, including opportunistic seedlings.

 

I have just cut down the two old blackberry stems, making sure I don’t cut the new ones.

 

No gardening yesterday but I was outside cutting wood for a little project. Going to get the Granddaughter's involved later just need to keep their mum out of the way.

 

I have been outside to mix up some compost for potting up the two bare root roses I am expecting.
I had about 5 layers on as it has been raining and very cold all morning but whilst I was out there the sun came out . I nearly took my coat off but decide that was tempting fate too much.

 

I managed a good hour in the front garden this morning in alternating drizzle and sunshine. Pulled out the Gaillardias which have flowered very well. Found that the seeds were already sprouting on one of the seedheads.


Then I did lots of weeding - grass, ragwort, speedwell, mallow, creeping buttercup, dock, cleavers etc - and planted 4 of the new bulbs I received from Farmer Gracy this week: 1 Urginea Maritima and 3 Fritillaria sewerzowii "Green Eyes". I was not expecting the Fritillaria bulbs to be so big - the size of my hand.

The Erysimums are still flowering in the front garden.

I keep catching a glimpse of bright yellow out of the back window and thinking I have daffodils out. It's just the top of a young sycamore which has self seeded halfway down the slope.

 

I think you are on a hiding to nothing there mate, I've never eliminated couch grass, or bindweed, you just live with it, remove what you see each year and move on until next year.

I think you just need to stop the obsession and enjoy gardening, its not supposed to be like this.
You can tame nature, but you will never totally control it, once you get that into your head and you start to live with what you have rather than fighting it life gets much easier.