What are we doing in the garden 2025

By the sounds of things @shiney you will have a tonne of leaf mould as I do. Just the thing to try Meconopsis. If you fancy another crack at them let me know and I will save seed for you next year.
I am not that sympathetic as you can grow lots of lovely plants I can’t. From memory I think you have or had a Fremontodendron which I would love to grow but it would not last long here!

 

I potted up the new Hibiscus and tidied a couple of other pots.

I had T'other Half assemble a mini estufa I bought in April, for the new Hibiscus, another new one (blue grey Cato) the new Cook's Scarlet and White Pelargonium Zonale, the Vinca seedlings. and my Oleander rootings, so all should be safe for the wet cold Winter.

 

Got to the Allotments today, managed to cut back the Asparagus fronds and get them on a bonfire, unfortunately in spite of covering the the pile with heavy black plastic, most of the rest was too wet to burn properly. I cleared up under the fruit trees, and put some heavy cardboard down under the pear tree, which I covered in woodchip, to hold it in place. I'm hoping by clearing and burning the fallen leaves and covering the ground is can reduce or even eliminate the pear leaf blisters. I think reducing it is my main hope as other trees on the nearby plots suffer with it too.

 

Oh sorry to read that, it is sad when you lose a favourite. My garden is not clay so when we have seriously low temperatures it is not quite such a disaster with the soil being free draining.
Even in 2010 when temperatures here went down to -18oC I don’t remember loosing anything apart from some Verbena Bonarienthsis ( spelling dodgy!). That said after many years of pushing my luck with semi tender plants and resulting deaths I eventually pretty well stuck to plants that are happy up north.

 

Hung the washing out in the sunshine, checked the greenhouse watered judiciously, cut back Dahlia campanulata stems that had collapsed since last visit, however the other three species in the greenhouse still in leaf looked healthy.
In the garden the ground is sodden, most of the impatiens are still above ground and in leaf, as are the species dahlias, the nasturtiums and most of the salvias.
Flowers are in short supply apart from all three winter flowering Lonicera which will have scented flowers for the Christmas table to go with the daffodils.

 

Watched the latest "Talking Dirty" podcast and this plant was mentioned as a marmite plant https://www.thompson-morgan.com/p/cyclamen-persicum-dragon-deep-blue/wkj1079TM
Not for me that one.

 

Lovely sunshine this morning so I whizzed out to do some pruning, rose bush and bits of the magnolia which unfortunately had quite a lot of dead branches. It is getting old ish - 20 years probably but think the very dry summer might have something to do with it. I also cut down the clematis Princess Diana which looked ugly and is right by the drive. Found more snowdrops just coming up - such a cheerful sight.
I also painted some water sealer on the front house wall where the dampcourse is lower than it should be. We had penetrating damp behind the bookcase in the sittingroom because of it.

 

Just been to get the washing in and noticed that an Alstroemeria planted in 2024 and didn't come back spring 2025 has just emerged from the ground.

 

I quite like it but wouldn't pay £10 for it - fat too tight!

 

Oops - typo - it may apply to my jeans after Christmas though!

 

The plan:



The reality:



But here it is, the ex-kennel site finally dug deep, bags of sand and compost mixed in, Echinops moved from their temporary site and Iceberg shrub rose plopped in.

Alliums that I think look like flu victims with their leaky noses (nectaroscordum, properly, I believe), and some A. aflatunenses went in here and there and my posh Oxalis got potted up.

A lovely afternoon in the garden

 

Yesterday, I bailed out the patio pond a bit, to stop it overflowing. Then I cut leaves off the Helibores to reveal the emerging flowers. Should have done more but inside jobs take priority at this time of year.

 

It's been too wet to do anything here without treading mud everywhere. However, my lawn was covered with worm casts again so yesterday I spread them over the lawn and gave the lawn a light raking, to improve the look.

 

Everything is super soggy here too. Can't see me getting any more leaves gathered this side of Xmas. Hoping for a drier interlude in the run up to the new year.