What have you done today in the Garden?

@Sjoerd, so many people will walk past your flowers and admire them. That's a fine public service!

I've been laying soil barrier fabric and covering it with wood chips. I hope that keeps the weeds away in the garden paths this year and possibly longer. It's looking much nicer, too.

I started another batch of early seeds, mostly onions, scallions, shallots which I can set out while it's still cool outside, and chili peppers which I'll grow under LEDs until it's nice and warm. And a few others. Peppers are slow for me but worth the effort. A lot of the seeds are old so they may not grow. By planting early, there will time to try again if this batch doesn't grow.

That's all the warming mats will hold, so nothing else gets started until these are growing.

 

Thanks Daniel. I do hope that the visitors will have something nice to look at when they come here for a stroll. I can tell you that when we were planting, so many folks stopped briefly for a chat and to give positive words of encouragement. That was great.
Y’know mate, we wanted to do something positive in this time of negativity.

 

Nothing today it's still very frosty so can't walk on the grass.

 

Daniel, I forgot to say your seeding operation looks really good. You are running out of space and materials, looks like. What a varied selection of chilli’s! You are going to have to have quite some harvest if they all make it. The black-eyed susans are always a good plant to have.

That little rack that you fixed-up works well, doesn’t it.
Well done you. Fingers crossed.

 

@Daniel W you've got a lot of seeds to do, I like the rudbeckia very good for the bees and butterflies.

 

@Sjoerd, chilis are a big favorite. In 2021 I made 6 pints of Sambal Oelek type hot sauce using red Serranos and red Jalapeños. If I had more chilis I would have made more .

The rack is a nice work area. Under the top shelf I have LEDs for growing plants once they are germinated. I also have a big rack on wheels for later. Plants can be wheeled outside on nice days then inside to keep warm in the evenings.

@Logan the bees and butterflies should be happy with me. I try to give them lots of flowers. No insecticides or herbicides. Last year a colony of honeybees took up residence in the abandoned beehive but they vanished in the fall.

I didn't know about planting Rudbeckias without stratifying them. It's been a long time since I grew any, I forget. They have already started germinating - one week after planting.


The shallot seeds that I saved from a grocery store shallot are also growing.



The footpaths in the kitchen garden are done. I couldn't be happier with that. It was a lot of work.

 

I must keep complimenting you. That raised bed pod really looks professional now. There is activity in the small pots!

Sambal oelek is a fav in this house. It comes to us from Indonesia and there is a very large Indonesian presence here.

 

That's great @Daniel W yes I'm the same no sprays and grow a lot of flowers for them.

 

It's a job for Sunday. I bought some tanilised 4" X 2" from the local woodyard. I'll be replacing one of the cross beams on the pergola over the French windows which has rotted. It's presently drying out on the floor in the garage. I've bought more than I need in case I discover any others that need replacing.

 

No work for me today. Back pain. I've had worse. Hope to be back in the saddle soon.

I did read up on LED lights. I want to add another strip. Lots of confusing options out there so it took some studying. In the "old days" I used fluorescent tubes, then CFLs. I think LEDs are just as good, even better, but not as easy to figure out.

Kale seeds germinated after only about 5 days. Mixed types in the seed packet.

Reading up on carnations. I like the spicy fragrance so I am growing some this year. Those are a new flower for me.

 

Nothing today it's very cold with a sharp frost and fog this morning.

 

I went to the allotment complex to pick up that group of seed ordering.


All nice and warm back home. Even though I know what is in the box, I still open it with wide eyes and a Kerstmis enthusiasm.

Also I have been pruning back Clematis from the arches.


They all look like that now. Pretty gruesome. It was such a cold and misty day with an unfriendly wind.

 

Those seeds look great, I always like to keep looking at my seed packets and look forward to sowing them.

 

Why can't you walk on the grass when it's frosty? We do.

We spent a great deal of time over the past few days cleaning pathways and general paved areas - they get so slippery otherwise, especially as so much is in shaded areas. We needed to get it done before any snow comes. It cost us a new pressure washer

 

Because the ground is frozen and I'll damage the grass, that's what hubby says.