What have you done today in the Garden?

The water heater arrived around 2.00 pm this afternoon and it's up and working

This was a bit of a marvel as there were no instructions. I've e-mailed the supplier for them.



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I removed the old Santon heater, which was really heavy, I imagine it must have a big copper cylinder inside the metal casing.

Like most stuff, the new one is all plastic.

I then had to work out where to fix the bracket on the wall, on which the new heater hangs, to line up its inlet with the existing pipework.
I needed a screw on 15mm. adapter to go on the heater inlet, which would accept the original compression connector on the supply pipe. It wasn't supplied.
A quick trip to the plumbers merchants was abortive, they'd closed for the holiday. I could have left it until the New Year... But, "me being me".....

I thought, as I'm out, I'll drive to the nearest B&Q and risk the idiots driving to the Trafford Centre for last minute Christmas shopping.
But fortunately, the traffic wasn't too bad. B&Q had the part, £1.99, (another marvel), so a further half hour journey was worth it.

I managed to connect it all up without any leaks, which was a marvel as I've had to use a few waterproof seals to pack out one connection. I've also put a tap in the feed to the heater and the basin tap, in case need to change a washer in the basin tap at any time.

 

Arctic front has moved in and heavy ice and heavy ice and snow has squished the whole garden flatter than a pancake . Just put down cat sand on the walk ways.

 

Not exactly "in" the garden, but "about" the garden. I pulled out the seed boxes and looked at what will be the first ones to start indoors in January - peppers, onions, echinacea. Felt a little lost, nothing I can do in the garden today. Even though it wasn't too cold, it was raining on top of ice. I'm trying to avoid broken bones.

 

That freezing rain is a very scary business. Very scary. And destructive. Hopes and hopes for all in that situation.

I'm super excited with the new gardening tools and watering cans from Santa
.....germination/heating mats @marlingardener ( swoon swoon). Very much looking forward to sourcing out my seeds for planting in a few weeks and ...looking forward.

 

When the weather out side is snowING…

 

Not much to do at the moment, just relaxing for a few days. I can sow the verbena bonerences soon, the rest in feb and march.

 

Spent an hour in the garden today, pruning these two wisterias.






Not as well as I like, still needs a bit of attention. I'm working under a handicap, my wife doesn't like me using the ladders as I'll be 83 in four months. I understand her concerns, as if I had a fall (unlikely!) we'd be in trouble, as we'd both be disabled. So I was using my telescopic pruner, this makes it more difficult and gives me neck-ache looking up all the time.


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This one presented no problems and is finished.





I think the mimosa has been killed by the frost.
It looked fine a couple of weeks ago, in the snow, green foliage and nice little yellow flower buds



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Now the buds have died and the foliage decidedly grey.






I'm very philosophical, in these situations. We've had it since a "baby" must be twenty years. It's become very spindly.
If it has died, we'll get another in the spring, but hopefully an established one. At our age cost is not really a consideration.

I'm hoping the acer palmatums and other plants are OK. The "Taylor" is in the room at the back of the garage, so should be OK.

I'll clear the patio of leaves and bits of pruned wisteria tomorrow, as the bin will get emptied on Wednesday.

 

Sorry for your possible loss, Riley. Twenty years is a long time. My old bee mentor has one that is older, and every year he holds his breath a little.

Nice trim job on your Wisteria. I have that job in my allotment to do as well.

 

I managed to get into the greenhouse for an hour today. Some geraniums flowering. tidied up some plants, dead bits etc. Unpacked my bulbs, some just starting to sprout, hope to pot them up tomorrow. Quite warm in there 60F. seems ages since I'd been in the garden, flipping health.
LOL! The other week, I had a heart stress exam at the cardiac clinic.Supposed to be a bicycle....talk about torture machine. The doctor said I was very fit. If i'm fit, why the B hell am I walking about with a dicky heart?

Back in doors. An email offer from Peter Beales Roses 25% off. everything went wrong so I had to message them to cancel the order.

Nice video on you tube. Romantic Rose Garden Tour.
Keep smiling. All the best for 2023.

 

I hit plus 4 C today I was actually rained on while I was clearing walking trails for Angus and I with the snowblower. The warm temps had all of snow slide off of my greenhouse. I was able to shovel the snow away and peak inside....which led to a sneak inside....which led to some dirt being moved about and a few pots planned.

I have dirty finger nails in December. Today was a good day

 

Yes! Punching the air here.
Good for you, mate.

 

Thanks Sjoerd. It is funny what opportunities we can create when we try to be a more thoughtful gardener as opposed to a survival gardener ( my life until three years ago).

 

Not much at the moment, still in holiday mode but thinking of things. Had some dried lupin seeds in the garage that i brought in, so i will give them a chill in the fridge for a while.

 

I had one of those tests a few years ago Mike - I think they use nitrates, not sure. I'm extremely allergic to nitrates - they instantly take my BP to zero. Don't let them do it again!
I'm also walking about with a dicky heart, and we have to be glad that we can. It's much better than NOT walking about with a dicky heart!
Your visit to the greenhouse would be one of the very best ways to lift your spirits. It is a wonderful place to be able to spend time when the weather is a bit grey. Enjoy it my friend.

 

We've these three wisterias on the pergola on the side of the garage.

Here in 2020. The one in the middle was new the previous year, those either side were self rooted bits of a really old one that died.




Over the past two years, I've trained them to cascade.

They're, blue at each end and white in the middle, which refuses to flower at the same time as the others,"nature uncooperative, as usual."





But as the year progressed, they got a bit out of hand. This is a small garden and I don't like anything to become too dominant.





So this morning, before it rained, I spent fifteen minutes, pruning off a dozen branches. I may yet remove a few more. On the next dry day, I'll run a wire round them at about a foot from the top, so they'll be much tighter to the pergola by the time I take it off in April and won't intrude too far over the patio.




The big acer I try to restrict its diameter by selective pruning.

But sometimes you have to take drastic action.

In 2004, we had these three camellias in the centre of the garden. Which had grown to this size, so they had to go.





Since then, we've had this small circular bed. Whatever we put in a big tub in the centre, doesn't obscure the view of the bottom of the garden from the house.






Heaven knows how tall and wide those camellias would have grown, if we hadn't made the change.