What are we doing in the garden 2025

The hour spent watering last night seems to have prevented anything keeling over today but I noticed that some plants like Lythrum are shutting down with browning flowers and yellowing leaves. They have survived here for the past three summers, even though they prefer moist soil. I think I might have pushed my luck with them though and may need to replace them with some grasses. I cut back a hardy geranium, Walter’s Gift, which suddenly started to look very weary and deadheaded a couple of roses and some Pelargoniums. It was still uncomfortably hot at 10 pm so I gave the tree fern trunk a thorough soaking and gave the fronds a shower too. Tomorrow looks like a better day for catching up in the garden, I’m letting it enjoy another holiday today .

 

Hope it all heals well, @Logan. Nighttime wanderings to the bathroom can be fraught with hazard.

 

@Logan Really sorry to hear that , i am sure many of us can relate to the dreaded night time visit to A and E . Hopefully its a simple break and not your dominant hand. Best wishes for a full recovery x

 

Thank you @Plantminded ,@ViewAhead and @Robert Bowen yes it's just a simple break and not my dominant hand,no surgery.

 

I hope you aren’t in too much discomfort @Logan and the dogs are being kind to you.

I’ve pretty much done nothing in the garden since Thursday morning (apart from watering). I have two pots of dwarf sunflowers that are going over already, so when the heat goes, I’ll cut the flowers off and hang from the apple tree for the birds, then I have two pots to fill! I have a few Cosmos and Strawflowers that might suit.

 

@Logan
Vxx

 

I've got myself a job, the neighbours had a mass ive tree an Ailanthus at the end of their garden, on my boundary was an old goat willow, both trees planted by the previous tenant.

The willow was rotten but still alive and probably 30ft tall hanging over my greenhouse, it was extending nearly half way across my garden over the greenhouse and was IMO unsafe.

I had a word and we agreed to get a tree surgeon in to cut both trees down to 8ft, I said I'd pay half and got some one in to do it.

The previous tenant had also planted Pyracantha under it all.

Anyway, the tree surgeon came Friday and chopped off the two trees, but he wasn't keen on doing anything with the pyracantha, got a phone call while I was in the park, I've just found a birds nest in the pyracantha, he said, so I cant do anymore.

Its the biggest birds nest I've ever seen, to me it looks like an old squirrels nest.

Anyway, with out going on much more, I have now got a massive 40 yr old Pyracantha to cut down, its the full width of the garden and 15 ft of it is encroaching on the old allotment site out the back, its about 15ft high and a nightmare, I'm ripped to shreds just doing a couple of hours this afternoon.
The stems are a good 4 to 5 ins in diameter in places, and thorns 2 ins long.

 

Hazmat suit required there, @pete.

I haven't seen my little frog for ages and was worried some new cats in the neighbourhood might have got it, but I was just doing some watering and lo ... out it hopped, landing in a nicely camouflaging spot!

 

Yikes thorns of the devil!

 

@Logan I hope you heal quickly and am glad it's not your dominant side. Hopefully your pups will give you the sympathy and loving you deserve.

 

@Logan - I hope you heal quickly and well. So frustrating for you but at least it's not the spring or autumn busy period and you can still deadhead withe the good hand.

Not a lot going on here as it's so hot and dry but yesterday I managed to re-pot all the hostas, removing any snails responsible for their lacey foliage and potted on a couple of new mints. Other than that just dead heading roses and watering pots and the veggie beds.

Today I harvested the garlic - very small bulbs thanks to the dorught, but healthy. Will have to reconsider how to grow it next year so we get nice fat bulbs.

 

Thank you @AuntyRach @Victoria @CanadianLori and @Obelix-Vendée
It's a bit painful and the painkillers are useless.

 

Oooh @Logan Hope you mend soon. It's only when these things happen that we realise how lucky we are if we have all our faculties the majority of the time. At least it isn't your dominant hand - that would be much worse. Take it easy.
Won't be doing anything out there until mid afternoon at the earliest as it's very wet and not to stop until then. Might get some plants put in at the front - won't have to water them in either as it's to be wet again tomorrow. Result!
Yesterday was a bit cooler, and it was cloudy with some smirr briefly in the afternoon, so it was ideal for me to get the strawberry runners all done, and a couple of things potted on. Pergola was good for the shade until late morning, so I did some seed sowing sitting there as well as the strawbs. I also sifted some of the rough compost I had, and that will be good for any future seed sowing.

 

I have some long leather gauntlets that are handy in those situations - also long handled loppers are good. It seems a waste of time, but nipping off lots of small branches with them, makes it easier to get to the main branches.
@Logan the hot weather must be making it worse! Perhaps when you go back, ask them for something stronger for the pain?