What are we doing in the garden 2025

I spent an hour or so this afternoon digging a hole for a rose I have grown from a cutting from my 'New Dawn'/'Queen Elizabeth'. I think and Busy-Lizzie agreed with me that it's more likely to be the old Queen Elizabeth as it's much more HT like in habit than the climbing New Dawn - pliable it isn't!

I was surprised to find when I started digging that the soil quality was actually quite good, not the thick glooey clay soil we've got elsewhere in the garden, which used to be part of an orchard I've been told. I had a tussle with an old shrub root nearby so had to give up trying to dig that out - too much like hard work so dripped some SBK on the cut trunks, covered it in a black plastic bag and reburied it. I've put a mix of manure/our own compost in the hole for the rose and will plant it as soon as the existing beautiful flower dies.

 

@Retired Col, what weedkiller have you got? I think only glyphosate really has a chance against couch grass. And the professional sites recommend adjuvants to ensure the right pH, and to cling to the leaf surface.

 

Hi,

Thanks for asking @CarolineL Yes it kills the roots/rhizomes too; I've asked the question. From Amazon.



I'll go over the meadows shortly using this also the grass pathways to kill the lot and as new growth pops up next springtime will go over again; I'm determined to cause as much trouble to this couch grass as it's caused to me for so many years. I dislike using chemicals but I'll make an exception in this case. I can keep killing everything in the garden I don't want then this gives me breathing space to work one section at a time. I think I'll do away with wildflowers which is a shame.

At the moment I get so bogged down with work including looking after myself I don't know what job to do first. I'm now on top of the gardens and bungalow maintenance but it's a constant battle; I daren't let up because nature quickly takes over if I blink.

This afternoon I had another small problem whilst playing my violin; the bow was skidding over the "D" string; the string is worn out and it's recommended all four strings are replaced together; I think the last strings cost £60 but I'm not complaining; I get so much enjoyment from my violins. An early Christmas present from me to me?

Violins aren't the cheapest of hobbies but can be started with a used (very) £25 violin from eBay; I paid £25 for a "Rainbow" violin still on sale I believe at around £160 new; it had bow; rosin; soft case and even tutorial books with it; the guy selling it worked nearby so dropped it off at my home; there are still decent people around. My lovely wife Bron whilst at home in palliative care had two care workers four times each day; one was a very young asian girl who was interested in my violins; she was learning to play a guitar; she now owns the Rainbow violin. I still have three violins and can only play one at a time.

Neighbours renting the house directly across from my bungalow have just moved and I was generously given two large bags of top quality grass seed costing them £60 because the new house they've moved to doesn't have grass. I'm sorry to see them go; they are a lovely friendly family. The five bedroomed house is now empty but I think will be sold so what will my next neighbours be like; five bedrooms won't be attracting a retired couple.

I'm rambling on again.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Planted 100 crocus bulbs in between the polyanthus, couldn't do much because it had been drizzling most of the morning.

 

We did just an hr in garden this afternoon. Found a few Winter Density lettuce germinated, again old seeds. Checked on my artic king lettuce seedling planted up in one container in greenhouse to see if survived ove night. All looking good so im hoping the slug pellets will carry on working. Will plant up the other 17 containers in there over the nk week. Mizuna seedlings ready now to go into back door kitchen garden containers. We are slowly puting garden in order for the coming winter season so l need to get my potting shed organised for nk spring. Mock orange tree l bought a few yrs ago is a rare double blossom ...need pruning but its now in lovely Autumn leaf colours so will leave it. l need to take cuttings as l planted it in wrong place and im worried it wont survive when we try to move it. Loads of runner bean seeds to take in then must remember to make the runner bean arches more stable for over winter as cant take them down.Need to remember to plant all our strawberry plants in circular bed as nowhere else they can go. l need to remember to also prep another raised bed ready for nk Spring..so much to do/remember and not enough energy :(

 

I can't remember what I've bought for the shed @Retired and unfortunately it's down in the shed so I can't look - it's dark. I know it's not from an expensive range but with three coats, one after the other, it's said to last ten years. It's an old shed and in ten years time it will either need replacing or it will have seen me off.

I remember you building your sheds and a fine job you've made of them too.

For most of us here, sorting the garden is an ongoing pastime and waits for no man...or woman. There aren't too many heavy jobs fortunately.

I thought you might like to see this. A garden on the Black Isle, Inverness.

 

There's a good few gardens like that round here @Sheal . It's always interesting to see how people negotiate slopes and inclines. Traversing is always the best way, same as hillwalking.
All that concrete - lintels, kerbstones etc are a total PITA to shift or dig out. It's certainly easier if you have the room to manoeuvre. I never seem to have that!

I want to know what the metal is @NigelJ
Yes - I just need a connector @Allotment Boy . I had a look at my 'collection' but of course, I had everything else but that. The cheapo shops have no garden stuff out now, but I'll nip to B&Q later. I got another bit of hose out and started burying the bit I already had, and feeding it into the pond edge. It'll take a bit of faffing [my favourite hobby] as I'll have to leave one section where it goes behind the fir tree that we'll cut down for C'mas this year.
That's what I mainly did yesterday, but I also planted out the other wallflowers, and used the potting bench to pot on a few seedlings - hurrah! I might try and get the pallet taken apart and get the other shelf started on that too, as it's to be dry, albeit driech again. It's not been in double figures here since Monday early evening, but there's no wind, so it's fine if you're busy. I have some errands to run too, so I'll see what time I have later.

 

@Peaceful Gardener , your experiments with old seed is interesting. I also sowed winter density and chicory alongside mizuna, mustard greens etc. The mizuna and mustard are thriving, neither of the other two germinated. I often find lettuce seeds more than 6 months old fail nowadays. Especially little gem, not sure what your secret is.

 

Hi,

Three coats of paint should last on your shed for years @Sheal such jobs just occupy so much time and often access isn't good because sheds tend to be placed very near a boundary. Good luck,



I've used my Wooster Pelican extensively for many years and wouldn't be without it. I use a lot of water based paint (Benjamin Moore) and at the end of a painting session empty the Pelican and with the liner still in place wash it out; Yorkshire folk are known for beight tight. I thought this might be useful to share.

The garden picture you posted @Sheal is a mountainside and even a lot worse than mine; I think I could rotavate the bottom area but to get higher up it looks like a rope job to get oneself up; top marks to the owner.

I see lots of steep gardens with fence panels staggered as in the picture. 23 years ago I dug out to the bungalow side and installed a sloping pathway adding a low retaining stone wall but I then designed my own fence; I wanted a fence which wouldn't become damaged by powerful wind so bought packs of treated roofing tile battens quite cheaply and made a bespoke fence to fit the slope; I made the panels removable for maintance each panel secured with four hex head screws.


Heres's the new fence after being treated with a 50/50 mix of old engine oil and diesel. The handrail was added for Bron to use and the acorn finials were lathe turned from the post top offcuts; I ran a stringline down and lopped the post tops using a chainsaw; the fence still looks brand new. Note the rain starting as I secured the last panel. The angles were determined using a simple carpenters bevel.

Treated panels sitting on polythene sheeting whilst they drained; a local garage was only too happy to give me free of charge two gallons of old engine oil with me supplying the container; a gallon of diesel cost very little. My fence preservative outlasts all other preservatives I've tried over the years. On a nice warm sunny day this is a relaxing job.

I'm much better with home maintenance than I am with gardening but now I'm improving my gardening knowledge.

My next job is giving one of the two roomed extension a full makeover; I like to keep on top of everything. I also need to select and order plants from J Parkers.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Hi,

Decision time; what to plant in the cleared left hand garden area; the garden is a steep slope with good but dry soil so I hope I've chosen suitable plants but time will tell; I don't want to overplant the area but can add more later. This will take care of one section of the garden. I'd better spray the weedkiller on the other areas otherwise any overspray could damage these new plants; I'll be extra careful and for a change today is calm; cool and overcast.




One job now sorted next job is a mug of tea then spray the weedkiller; I'm determined to keep the gardens under control having fought the battle for 38 years to get them in good condition.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Yesterday I potted on all my September seed sowings - chervil coriander, dill, Swiss chard, festuca glauc and eragrostis. Fairly good germination from all of those but only 3 parsley seedlings which I left alone to see if any more come up.

The late edibles are an experiment as the spring sown ones either fried or bolted in the early heatwaves. So far so good.

No measurable rain for months now so the soil is hard and dry which makes hoeing difficult and there are loads of weeds to clear now before any autumn planting can be done. Needless to say weed seeds need just a bit of dew to germinate and grow like topsy.

None expected this week either but Monday might be wet and then we can get going with weeding, planting and erecting trellis for the wisteria along th eveg plot fence. Can't get the posts in till the ground has softened a bit.

 

@Retired those plants look good, yes be careful with the weed killer with your other plants.


Potted up 4 big pots with tulips and polyanthus, had to get the gladioli out first.

 

I have a few days off work so I spent the last 2 days getting things sorted for winter. Cut the grass (hopefully for last time but we will see), extended a flower bed into the lawn about an extra foot or so to give plants a bit more room (so moved a few around the bed) and added in some manure and got my daffodil and allium bulbs in (waiting a bit for tulips). Then I redid my old veg beds, they are 2x 8m long beds with a long path between them but I redid the path/layout into a sort of Z shape which looks nicer. I haven’t used the veg beds as much lately so considering turning them into flower beds or a potager flower/veg mix. I will see in spring. Emptied pots (ready for tulips) and did a general tidy around. More to do over the next few days still.

 

I can well believe it @fairygirl. In fact there are very few flat gardens anywhere in the Highlands, mostly on new estates.

The previous owner of my garden has been described as a 'belt and braces' man by a neighbour and it's ringing true. Overkill for almost every job including the heavy fixed units that were in the shed that I've removed with difficulty.

On this occasion I'm not doing the painting @Retired, I still have many other things to sort out. The Wooster Pelican is a good idea but unfortunately no use to me. I have arthritis in my fingers and holding that they would cramp up. There is quite good access around my shed to move around, so painting won't be a problem.

I like your choice of plants for the garden. Keeping them watered until they establish might be a problem though. In my previous garden I had a similar issue on a bank so surrounded them with some large rocks on the lower side to stop the water running away.

 

Hi,

I'm sorry to learn of your arthritis @Sheal; arthritis is a huge problem to many people. Under your circumstance I agree the Pelican would be useless. Thanks for your excellent advice regarding holding water around the new plants; I've seen in mid summer during an English cloudburst a pretty cascade (Torrent) of water down the garden steps and a 5' wide stream down the pathway at the side of the bungalow; the garden is so steep and shortly after it was dry again; yes I need to barricade the new plants from within. I can't even use an hosepipe; the ban remains in place and it's incredibly hard graft carrying watering cans up the steps and up the garden. Nothing is easy here.

I didn't spray the weedkiller this morning; instead I cleared the window area in the extension ready for a repaint then did the shopping. After dinner I did do the spraying and sprayed all the grass; I've declared all out war on couch grass and want to kill every last bit of it.

I've another appointment this time at Specsavers on Friday morning; I was working around tomorrow afternoon which was to visit a friend; she's just emailed me to say she's too ill. I can't plan the simplest thing but I'll stick with it and roll with it; it's not all bad news though; tomorrow I can get the window area ready for painting.

Kind regards, Col.