What are we doing in the garden 2024

I will try that @Grandma Sue , i think its going to have to be Wensleydale !

 

I have my lemon verbena by my favourite garden seat too. I did some cuttings this year which are looking ok.

I have used LV in drinks (tea and cocktails) and made a jar of lemony sugar to use in baking - sprinkled on a fresh sponge cake is lovely.

 

Great ideas @AuntyRach , Mrs B likes the idea of lemon sugar so if it ever stops raining i will pick some fresh leaves for that purpose

 

Venture outside this afternoon to collect some potatoes in the drizzle, I'd left some in by accident last year anyway they grow and I've got a unexpected tray of potatoes . Removing the spuds has giving me a chance to sort some of the plant stash out so I done that , thrown the odd thing out and weeded some or re potted , took some teucruim cutting I don't know why and got a few plant knocking about . I have a habit of taking cutting of anything I get my mitts on at this time of year, I think I am just trying to hang onto the gardening year .

Tidied up the plant stash I can pull my finger out and start putting the stone flags down, it need digging out first feel like going out in the rain and getting stuck in but its probably a bad idea it gets really wet hence why I am flagging it.

Still looks a tip but not as bad as before, I am a bit short on stone flags I see if I can scrounge some more

 

My side front garden is finally hardscaped. I've been buying zs my mknthly budget allowed and the cement slabs and bricks for this year's wishlistare now all purchased and the last laid this morning.

I started with an 8 foot length and have now finished at the 32 foot mark. These slabs weigh 28 kilos apiece which is over half my body weight, so a bit of a work out.

And the back gardens brickwork are complete now too. They were another 40 feet of brick (combined) and I am glad that's done.

The guessers say it is going to rain on the next hour or so which launched me back out to put down soil and grass seed where needed before the free water comes.

I'm well chuffed!

 

Looks good @CanadianLori .

 

Very nice @CanadianLori !

 

I'm well chuffed! [/QUOTE]


..and rightly so @CanadianLori

Didn't do a lot yesterday as I had curtains to finish and hang, but I filled the bed beside the shed that I've been attending to, and replanted the plants I had to take out, plus a couple of foxgloves that I'd grown on. Attached the last little piece of timber along the side of the shed too, so that's looking decent now. Just need to add a bit of the compost from the bin as a mulch in the general area.
Some of my bulbs arrived, so I potted those up, and planted the remaining crocus in a little area I've been adjusting. There's quite a few of the narcissus left too [that was a good buy - a lot more than the 10 I'd ordered!] so I'll look at finding a space for those, or potting them up. I have some anemones, but I'll soak them beforehand.
Might get some more pot painting done today. I've been experimenting with doing a sand finish, then painted, on some of them, and that's worked quite well. Need decent weather for doing it, as there isn't really room in the shed.

 

@fairygirl is this a new shed you put in? You sound very handy - good for you! Do you make curtains too?

It is still pitch here because the sun isn't going to rise until about 7:18, about 1/2 an hour from now but I plan to finish pulling the sad annuals I have left. It is our garden/brown bag pick up this friday and I have paced out the pulling to have two bags each fortnight for the scheduled pick ups.

 

I've spent the day, crawling around on my hands and knees in the wood, planting 220 Bluebell and Snowdrop bulbs. I had to pause half way through, when I kept bending the bulb planter handle. I took 10 minutes out of planting to weld two quarter inch round steel bars up the handle and now it's rock solid.

 

Prettying up the water butts

 

I think I should have a nap and reset my brain - my pick up day is next Friday, not this one!

I went out to do some clearing up and everything is still too wet from last night's rain. So I'll wait until the sun gets some of the drying work done.

 

Today I trimmed the box hedge in my front garden, just lightly as it’s still recovering from my unwise decision last year to use a hedge trimmer. It didn’t like it and displayed its disapproval with lots of browning where the trimmer had torn through the branches and leaves. I just used shears today and it looks much better. I then tidied up two borders, removing fallen leaves and weeds. I also trimmed the oldest, lower leaves off some Heucheras and Geums which has smartened up their appearance. The steps got swept again to remove more Sorbus berries but that task should be over soon as the tree is nearly bare. It got quite warm so it was quite a pleasant afternoon!

 

Pulled up the Snapdragons and did some weeding.