What have you done today in the Garden?

As Hubs is busy on some outside house maintenance work still, I've been tackling a job that I don't normally do all by myself..hedge and big shrub cutting. I quite enjoyed it ..well apart from the winds blowing a gale and sending all the trimmings all over the place, it reminded me of my days as Hairdresser.
I have also made a start to cut right back the Alchemilla mollis, hopefully allowing it to sprout lovely fresh leaves for the Winter season. I am normally hopeless at getting my timings right.

 

It must have been quite a wind to blow the cuttings around. I like lady’s mantle the dark green open fan shape of the leaves and chartreuse flowers. We do have a harsher winter here with snow and ice storms. I use my mulcher mower and mow them back to the ground. They do spread out nicely the neat season. It’s a plant that requires very little maintenance and is a great plant to enjoy in our gardens. Critters don’t bother it at all. That’s a plus in my book.

 

Some harvest





These went into a meal for guests from town.

A sunflower bloomed.

 

Yeah Daniel that really is some super harvest. Looks like a picture right outta magazine.

The sunflowers.

 

What lucky recipients

 

Those cutoff valves can come in handy!

My house is "only" about 50 years old. The number of repairs and updates has been daunting at times. My previous house, 65 years old, was much more solid.

 

Although our house looks and is new from the outside, 30 years, the other half of it is 120 years old . It is thankfully a solid build and doesn't require a lot of maintenance..if anything the newer part seems to require more!!! They just don't make them like they use to!!


What a fabulous harvest @Daniel W it all looks absolutely scrummy.

 

@Pacnorwest yes if wind is forecast then we can expect to get more than is predicted because of the Isle of Wight 's placement just off from the main land. The wind is well know to gust and pick up speed around the island's coastal area known as The Needles with the knock on effect being felt nearby on the mainland.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Needles

 

Hiya Oreti— I used to grow Alchemilla, and back then, I would prune it in July, and again in the fall. i want to say though that in the fall, I only cut away the old leaf stems, flower stems and damaged leaves. I left the foliage to protect the plants during the winter.

Daniel— oh what a lovely collection of fruit. BTW, are those basilicum stems you are showing in that first pic? Then we have those four red monsters destined to fill the tummies of guests from town. They look very nice.
…and finally, the sunflowers. Who doesn’t like a sunflower. Great posting, mate.
Of course it was a nice touch that you captured a bee on that sunflower.

 

Thanks @Sjoerd , it will be fine as it will still grow back in time for the Winter sporting lush new leaves.....well it normally does, hope I haven't jinxed things now.

 

I’ll bet it will be oké. I am an optimistic chappy.

 

My house was built after the war, and they just slapped them together for the guys coming home. There's just two things I don't really like about it; no pantry and no dining room. Luckily I have a drop leaf table so it fits nicely in the kitchen. I do like it other than that.

Love your harvest, Daniel!

 

@Daniel W , your harvest looks lovely. Yummy.

I worked on weeding a flower bed this morning, so I would not miss my ride to the eye doctor's today. All is well, but I am getting some new glasses. I had not seen her in over 4 years because of the covid... and last year the company that was to provide a ride never showed up. (medical taxi). She is booked solid for more than a year at a time. My next appointment is in 2026. She is THAT good, that many are willing to wait for appointments.

A few weeks ago, a piece broke off of one of my giant marigolds. I hate to toss it, so I stuck it in a starter pot to see if it would root, and it did! I looked this morning, and it had roots coming out of the bottom of the pot. I planted it in another large pot with a rose bush.

I took a big bowl of sliced cucumbers to church this week, and they nearly wiped them out. They were really good. I have more in the fridge to eat soon. My cantelope is very good...

I was wanting those cut off valves on my sink a long time. The first year I was here and still renting, the faucet broke once and I had a gueyser in my kitchen.... that was a royal mess. At least now, we can turn the water off easily on each the fixtures now.

 

Yes, Italian basil. I save the seeds each year. It grows very nicely here and pairs perfectly with tomatoes. And for pesto yum yum yum LOL!

 

It's amazing what you can grow from cuttings, isn't it!