What have you done today in the Garden?

@Melody Mc. on the geraniums, the are so versatile in what you can do with them. There are many ways to overwinter, giving you a head start with bigger plants in future years. Later, I'll post what I'm doing with the parent plant for those cuttings, which is about ten years old. These cuttings are more stressed than I usually do, so I'm curious about how they do and how fast, but I'm guessing they will be similar size and bloom as French Marigold by mid summer, maybe better.

When I was a kid in the midwest, my neighbor would dig up her geraniums, let them dry out, then put them upside down in paper grocery bags in the winter. They survived. I usually overwinter dry, in containers. But this year I kept them growing and blooming in the sunroom.

I imagine you can do the same with citronella geraniums, but I have never tried. I would like to grow more scented ones if I can find some.

You can also grow geraniums from seeds. I never had. I thought about it this winter, but I don't know where I would grow them.

 

Did a bit this afternoon.

The lawn was dry enough to cut. Although still a bit damp at the bottom end.




Doesn't look much different, but I got the best part of a grass box full off it. The big fan on the back of my Flymo fluffed it up a bit.
Closed up several "golf pitch marks" the squirrels had left on the lawn. They are oblivious of "golf etiquette."
De-weeded and hoed the bottom bed and under the big acer.




No sign of any hedgehogs yet, mind you, the first sighting last year was in the second week in May. That was pretty late, I'd have expected to see them sometime in March.

I'm a bit concerned, as there has been some very cold weather a couple of months ago. The vacated two very safe, dry and comfortable houses and hibernated somewhere, probably in next door's garden. "So they can't blame anyone other than themselves, if they didn't survive the winter."

 

Yesterday went out cleaned up fallen branches and filled bird feeders. Notice some of the peppers have germinated.

 

I got my new strawberry plants planted in the raised bed and containers. I hope to get a few more when I am in town.

I have been working on hauling away ashes from my burn piles. I have not done it in a long time, so there is a lot of accumulation. I have recently told the kids that trash can only go only on one pile, and the other two will be for wood/brush or paper only so I can use those ashes in my garden. Wood ash is supposed to be good for the garden.

I need to get outdoors and get at more work.

 

@Doghouse Riley Your work is always so i credible. Your container roses are especially appealing to me. They will be lush and beautiful, accessible, and I hope fragrant!

 

Thanks!

I'm just hoping that there won't be much black spot!

 

We planted the toms and broadbeans today…as well as began chitting the spuds.

 

Wow! is that early for you for Toms Sjoerd? Congratulations!

 

I cannot put out tomatoes here before May or they will get killed by frost.

My seedlings are still kind of thin and leggy. Those grow lights are not enough. I have put them outdoors on warm days, but that might have been too much...

Has anyone here grown torch lilies? My "torch lily" seedlings do not look like the plants in the pictures. The leaves are all short and curly, the pictures have them with long spear like leaves. I think the seller sent the wrong seeds, and eBay would not let me contact the seller because they are "too busy". I have not had that happen before. bummer.

 

It's fine and warm today, so I spent around a couple of hours in the garden.

Gave the two patios a scrape and sweep.


Spring's here and there's a lot of green, including the main patio.




So it was either a choice of the Karcher jet-wash, or a spray with "Wet n' Forget."
Using the Karcher always disturbs a bit of grout here and there, so as "The Garden Manager," I made an executive decision. "Wet n' Forget!




The rose patio is always a pain as all the pots have to be moved and I have to brush under the overhanging phlox on the rockery side. I also got into the rockery and removed some grass and weeds.






Within a couple of hours the main patio had dried, the chemical is still working, but already most of the green had gone.





I gave the rose patio's balustrade a wash down and checked for any rot, but found none. It doesn't even need a re-paint.





I selected about 50 45s on the largest jukebox, which played some 50s, 60s 70s and 80s pop whilst I was working.
I had it on slightly louder than I would at a week-end, as mid-week daytime there's no one around.
It therefore gave itself a good" work-out," which they need to keep them in good condition.
For that many plays, I don't use coins, there's a credit switch where you can add two at a time.

 

This morning saw more and more of the peppers are emerging. Took off the humidity dome lowered the light a did aluminum foil hack on top off light to increase the intensity. Then off to work I went.

 

Mel, yes, that’s a wee bit early, but with the climatic changing…it is worth a try. The tom plantlets were a bit short last year when I planted them. We missed at least one tros because of that.

 

Potted up 25 more gladioli corms and labeled them. It's been sunny today but tomorrow back to rain showers.

 

We began cleaning the beds in the flower garden. Checked on the peas, but they have not yet come up…nor have the onions.

 

No gardening as it was a golf day, quite warm and sunny. It got colder in the late afternoon.