What have you done today in the Garden?

Snowing again…not much but way to cold…

 

Today we planted the onion sets. We just rolled back the mulch, made drills abs chucked them in.


After that we de-weeded the two strawberry beds, scratching the soil to loosen it.


Finally we had had enough of the wind, rain and coldness so we had a cupper and headed home. Right outside the gate, Larry was sitting there to say goodbye.

 

Nothing today again it's raining.

 

No gardening, no golf, so I've been watching the athletics on TV and practising my putting on the carpet. But it's too easy when the floor is dead level.

 

Not in the garden but i potted up 21 gladioli corms, started off with 12. The roots started growing so i put them in the greenhouse for a few days because going to have a few cold nights.

 

Little nonsense chores before the visitors began to arrive. Many folks in their lotties today. Well, I couldn’t work anymore when the surprise visitors arrived, now could I.

 

That's going to be a Garden Of Eden.

Don't forget to put enough postage on those packages of strawberries when you pick them. They need to be overnight airmail, please.

 

Put them to work. That's what visitors are for. Their feeling will be hurt if you don't let them dig holes, hoe, and pull weeds.

Plus, Larry wants to say hi to them.

 

I got to run a few errands yesterday, and bought some new strawberry plants, some seed potatoes, some more thyme seeds, more spinach seeds and some potting soil. My poor house plants have not had new dirt in a long time, and I want to repot them this coming week, I HOPE. I can toss the old dirt in my garden or compost... I almost forgot, I got some seed corn for Peaches and Cream sweet corn, and some buttercrunch lettuce seed. The feed store sells seed in bulk. I also bought some more chive seeds as the ones I planted are not doing much yet.

@Logan I don't guess rice grows in the UK does it?

 

After a doctor appointment, I went to the super-cheap membership store for large containers, which will hold the new David Austin roses I ordered.

They had left-over Valentines day roses in front, full sun and all the weather. Most were burned, with dead flowers. This one had alnost-opened buds. I cleaned it up, cut off dead stuff, watered, and today the buds are opened.



I looked up mini gift roses. This one must be the Kordana variety "Daniela". Something to play with.

Meanwhile, the yellow one that I separated, pruned, and repotted, is doing quite well. I cut off some of the tops so they will be bushier.



These are from a geranium / pelargonium that has been in the garage all winter. Mostly some spindly pale growth and dead leaves.



I chose the tougher-looking ones and pruned them.



Then inserted them into some potting soil.



They might grow. This usually works for me. These cuttings are from a pretty stressed plant, not watered since October and in cold and dim light. These are a variegated leaf, heirloom variety called "Mrs. Pollack".

 

Did a bit in the end yesterday.
Pruned the roses, fed them and gave them a spray of Sulphur Rose, to hopefully reduce any black spot this year.









The heathers are doing well, had to take one out from each trough to give the others more room.








Last year's hebes have kept their foliage. This is just one.



As have the others in troughs either side of the tea-house steps.






Two quince, on the side fence, already in bloom.







Did a bit more today. Went to the garden centre this morning for some "rose compost" for the two David Austin roses that should arrive mid-week. Some "green sticks" you can't have too many of those, some shady area grass seed and some new pots for the roses when they go in the troughs.


I decided to look for some rectangular ones, to provide for more volume of compost, as the aperture at the top of the trough is only 11" wide. Round ones wouldn't hold much. Luckily, I found some which were a foot wide, I didn't expect to find some even that size. I like the fact that the drain holes in these pots are on little "cones." So there will be some water retention for dry spells.






With a bit of, "fettling with a hacksaw," I trimmed two sides of the lips and now they fit perfectly.
I gave the trough a good wash down, then let it dry in the sun. Rubbed down the top then painted it, the "weather side" and the ends of the planks, though it wasn't really necessary.





I'm all systems go now.


I mixed up the grass seed with some compost and spread it under the acer, then tamped it down. Hopefully it will germinate. There was some grass coming through already, but I'm covering my bases.





On the first dry day, I'll give the lawn a mow. These roses will add our total of 16 in green ceramic pots and two in boarders.

That might be tomorrow, as there will be no golf as my leccy trolley is "still at the menders," It'll be ready before I play on Wednesday. I could hire an electric trolley from the pro shop tomorrow for £10. But I'm not that desperate to play.

The blackbirds have kindly emptied the eaves gutter above the drive of moss, in their search for live food. So I had that to clear, but then I was done for the day.

 

Everyone's gardens are looking so wonderful!

@Doghouse Riley - I really love the Heather. They have certainly filled out. And one can never have too many roses.

@Daniel W - Thank you for showing your process with the geraniums. I have been wanting to try this for some time, and with my citronella. Do they take long to grow bigger and flower from a cutting the size you showed? I've always been a wee bit hesitant with my short window of time to enjoy flowers. I'm not sure if a cutting would develop enough for the flowers to open between the end of May and the first week of Sept. I do miss geraniums.

@Sjoerd - your soil always looks so dark, rich and well cared for. It is very exciting to see how well your strawberries are already doing. They must be fertilized with anticipation and sheer will.

This morning I extended my grow lights with another three foot section. I'll move a bank of lights up to my daughters room for flowers soon (my indulgence), and keep the more natural light and heat controlled environment of my oldest daughters room for the vegetables. This is in anticipation of starting my tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage soon. ( and a few more flowers ).

I potted up the peppers yesterday.. I'm not planning on canning peppers this year and I'm only growing enough for eating poppers and chili rellenos. I was excited to see that the Rhodochiton Purple Bell Flowers germinated. They were tricky to germinate and are native to Mexico. Teeny tiny little sprouts have show up, 6 out of 15 seeds germinated. If I like them, I'm eager to collect my own seed this fall. Apparently they are four months from sprout to flower and it took almost a month to germinate. I hope they work out. When I worked I indulged and bought bedding plants and flowers every year for copious planters and elaborate hanging baskets. Since quitting to be home with Hubby I must be more creative and frugal, which is rewarding and fun in it's own right. My hope is the Rhodochiton scratch my hanging basket itch.

 

Hubby pruned some more of the roses, but the ground is still too wet.

 

Still snowing.. Bah…hum, bug

 

Daniel— imagine that…”Garden of Eden”. Cheers, mate. The strawbs may have to wait because this is their first year. They typically do not yield much their first year. We shall see.
I tried your suggestion today, but the lady wasn’t having it. Haha. “Nice try”, she said. My Bride laughed with her. Why do they always gang-up on guys like that.

Nice propagation work there, mr D. You did a super job with those dwarf roses. Very nice indeed.

What a lot of work you did, Riley. Good how you sorted those pesky container lips. I guess you could say you gave them “lip service”.
I really like quince blooms. Do you make jelly or jam with the fruits?

Ta Mel. I put a lot of work into the soil. I hope the new strawb plants do well this first year, they have been in the ground there less than a year.

It is so exciting reading about your flower and veg seeding. Things are looking bright there. Whoopee!

Great Scott, Pac…is it ever going to stop snowing. Beautiful to see, but it may be wearing out its welcome