What have you done today in the Garden?

Yes it probably does, one cat used to get over the fence from next door but they have a younger dog now and she wouldn't let them get in their garden.

 

Dug up 3 gooseberry bushes that don't fruit well and replaced them with 2 lupins, 1 knautia, 2 aquilegia and 3 hardy fuchsias.

 

Ungabunga, I have not dropped seeds yet but 288 little coir pellets are moistened, stirred up and waiting at this point.

 

There was a pause in the atmospheric river. I cleaned up the area for the "supplemental" raised bed, put down a soil barrier (plastic) and the two pallets that will raise the containers a bit higher. This bed will be mostly a sort of "box" for very large nonwoven fabric containers, the total soil volume will be similar to a 3 1/2 foot by 8 foot raised bed, 20 inches deep.

I think the containers would stand on their own, after they are filled. But that might sag, and they would look untidy. The "box" will keep them neater.

I also removed brackets from the old fencing, to be used for construction of the bed.

I planted a columnar apple tree. A few years ago I bought the variety "Tasty Red". I wanted red apples on a columnar tree. Last year it bore green / pinkish apples, which a web search revealed to be "Blushing Delight". I was not delighted. I decided to buy a new "Tasty Red". I ordered it, it came today, I planted it. These were originally developed by Jaroslav Tupy in the Czech republic. He also developed Topaz and Opal apples. The yellow one "Golden Treat" that I planted as a companion bore some large, sweet, yellow apples last year. The apples were golden, and a treat. They reminded me of Golden Delicious. Apple trees are so expensive now. This will probably be the last one that I ever purchase.

 

I will mark this thread and make fun of you in a few years from now. Never say never.

 

Nothing today it's raining since 6am and still is.

 

Whoot! It is up and running!

 

That looks great @Dirtmechanic

 

Thanks! It makes me hungry to look at it!

 

Today we could not withstand the urge any longer and planted our various tom sorts, two root trainer trays full of broad beans and a few marigolds. We began chitting the spuds as well. Let the spring arrive.

 

As it was a dry day, I decided to give this little bed between the tea-house and the shed a bit of a lift. The lateral wires that support the wisteria were getting a bit tired and could do with another couple of layers added.
I also decided that the few dhalias we had there were more trouble than they're worth.




So I made a trip to Dobbies this morning and bought half a dozen hebees. I like hebees as they require little maintenance.

At £12.99 each they weren't cheap, but the quality is good and like everything they sell, if they die off over winter, they'll replace them or give you your money back.

I turned my nose up at their garden wire at £6.99 a roll, the village DIY shop sells the same stuff for £3.99.

I drilled a few holes in the concrete posts, added extra wire and replaced the rest, supporting the branches of the wisteria as I went along. Then just a case of planting out the hebees. Well not quite, in one place where I wanted a hebee to go I found a 4" thick root of one of next door's trees in the way. So I dug round it and cut a six inch piece out of it with my jigsaw. The trees are a pain, the roots have caused a bit of "heave" and raised my little wall a few inches in front of the base of the wisteria,. The root I cut out of the tree was under the second hebee, I made sure it wasn't the wisteria, (different kind of wood). I needed to dig out quite a few bluebells, which was not a bad thing. We've far too many.

I already had a hebee in the corner which is of a similar variety to four of the new ones. I had one hebee left over so I planted that in the bed on the other side of the garden near the pagoda.

Anyway, job done.

Played my jukeboxes in the tea-house for the three hours I was out there, which gave them a good "work out." They like to be used, keeps the mechanisms from "stiffening up."

 

Sowed some Calendula seeds and Snapdragon seeds.

 

Transferred some cucumbers to a bigger container. Thinking maybe I started them too early as they are taking off. The spinach is coming in well. Hopefully, there are a bunch more read to sprout. The jungle room keeps getting fuller. I love that we finally figured out what a good use for this room would be.

 

When I planted the new hebees yesterday, I dug up a clump of peonies near the tea-house. They never did much I always had to grow them through a square of weldmesh on sticks to stop them flopping over.
But they were showing new shoots.
I decided I'd put some of them in some pots to see how they did.
I'd run out of green plastic pots, I don't like the brown ones so I went to Parkers and bought four 12" at, "two for £7." Which I think was good value.

I put the spare hebee in the fourth pot.

No idea where they are going, I'll leave them on the small patio for now.





I was thinking about the hebees I bought yesterday at £12.99. I bought four the same size four years ago when Dobbies was Wyevale.
They are in the two wooden planters on the patio.
I remember they were £7.99. Talk about inflation!

 

After up-potting the carnation seedlings I started in January, they all wilted and died. I wonder if it was Fusarium or other fungal disease. The roots completely rotted. So, I threw them into the trash, and am using new seed starting medium. I don't know if that was from the commercial Miracle Gro potting soil I bought, or from the containers which I had stored in the shed. I admit I didn't sterilize them.

So, today I planted a new batch of carnation seeds. This time they are in brand new silicone containers, pricey but they can be washed in dishwasher each season. I also bought new 4" containers for up-potting. I don't know if I will try that potting soil again.

I also planted tomato and some other seeds. Most of the tomatoes, with a few exceptions, are small statured dwarf varieties, so I think it's OK to start them early for a head start.



The hand-written packets are tomato seeds I started last year. The one's from Victory Seeds are heirloom types than can be saved if I like them. I also planted seeds for Sungold, which I will do a pruning experiment on this year to see if I can grow it as a less crazy bush shape. I've never heard if doing that so I have my doubts LOL.

I also planted a few more seeds, these plus oregano plus cilantro seeds I saved last year.