What have you done today in the Garden?

So wonderful Logan

 

Thank you Melody, i don't think that i'll be able to keep them all.

 

SEEDS CAME!!! ( ding ding ding ding!)
It is the first time I have learned enough to purposelly order some heirloom seeds. Some varieties I still have to or choose to grow hybrids, especially to accomodate the short growing season. It's pretty exciting.

Tomorrow I'll be spending some time with my gardening binder and a calendar to plan when to start some of the heirlooms early as seed plants, so that I can save seed next year. ( Big time spring fever going on here.)

 

I lurve your enthusiasm, Mel.
It is fantastic making this journey with you.

 

I Agree..

 

Nice looking ones, Loggie. How many will you use then?

 

Thank you Sjoerd.

 

@Pacnorwest kudos to you! I deliver for Meals On Wheels in Vancouver, WA. I started about five years ago, but paused during the isolation time. It's very rewarding for me. I've been a weekly alternate since resuming. Starting this week, I have my own route again, yay

@Sjoerd that's a mighty fine harbinger of Spring. You gave me some joy and optimism.

Today I trimmed the massive hybrid Horse Chestnut tree in the front yard. It's developed a spreading, weeping habit that makes mowing, weeding, and maintenance darn near impossible. Before pruning, it looked like this.



After some initial pruning, I saw the reason that wide-spreading branch was so wide-spreading.



That split was all the way through the wood. I could actually see all the way through the split.

After pruning (16 inch electric chain saw. No Black Knight scenes, from Monty Python , ensued), it looked like this.



I'll clean the prunings later. They are cut wood-stove size for future use. Some high branches need cutting. There are lots of dead branches, too. I'm not ladder-comfortable but I have a very long pole saw, which will help. I'll try not to stand directly under the branches that I cut. That big branch on the right side may need similar treatment soon, but it is rather high.

After pruning, I saw this poking out of the shrub to the left of the horsechestnut tree.



It's a fig tree! How did that get there? I really don't know! Previous owner (would have to be at least twelve years ago)? I can't imagine I would have put that into such a strange location. I might dig it up and move it, although I really don't need any more fig trees.

 

I see lots of poppy seeds there, Melody!

Lots of other good stuff too. What an exciting season!

 

.It was a sunny day no rain. Planted a couple peony’s a lil late. Blew all the pine needles off the roof , partial driveway. Mowed front .. then darn all off a sudden the mower just stopped flat out while I was mowing. Never had that happen before. Been trouble shooting the mower all afternoon. No luck..

Charger wouldn’t start it. I think the gas had water or the gas filter clogged. Will Jack it up in a couple days and check the blades. Needless to say I’m a bit jacked up …frustrated.. hope I can get it running.

Just thought to ask …anyone ever had their mower just stop flat out while mower with no power, after mowin about 20 minutes.

 

@Melody Mc. have a great time with your seeds, you have a lot to sow there, i see that you like poppies, great flowers.

 

Thanks Sjoerd, probably get rid of a lot of them, i dug some out and put in large pots until i can find time and get some more compost to pot them up separately.

 

Well Loggie, I shall have to look and see if I have any this spring.

Serious work, that Daniel. It does look out of balance to me though. I guess you could get used to it though. Those trees can really get big and spread laterally. There are a lot of them where I live and the colour of the pollen was visible in the hives.

 

Sjoerd i hope that you have some, mine started growing last autumn when i planted the purple crocus there, i just thought that they were weeds but i left them.
Just sowed some lupin and eurigeron seeds, both collected off the plants last autumn, put them in the heated propagator.

 

I've been off-line for a few days due to a serious computer hack, some threats and a demand for $400 to remove a Trojan.
It managed to get through Microsoft's security.
Fortunately, my trusty computer servicers, cleaned it up and removed any nasties for £55 and installed additional security for £30 a year.

Anyway, nothing in the garden today as it's rained for two days so too wet although, we've blue skies now, but I pruned the acer in the front garden on Friday.

It still needs a bit of tidying, as unpruned twiggy bits will bolt and make it look like a pincushion in the spring. But it's a pain constantly viewing it at a distance from all sides to maintain the shape and trying to get at the top bit with a long pruner.






I needed both my Barnel telescopic pruner for the twiggy bits and my extended..extended.. Fiscars lopper for the thicker branches.






I've taken about a foot off all the way round as I do every year.

Here's a "twig." Some were over a foot long. Lots of buds already. I chose Friday as it was reasonably warm, I wouldn't do it if frost was forecast.