What have you done today in the Garden?

I had a re-think about the fence I made with the roll of netting I ordered, although it stopped the cat getting under the azaleas, at some time or other I may need to get at 'arry's 'ouse and to make the fence secure against the cat, (when he got into the enclosure before, the camera picked him up putting his head inside the little doorway) it would be difficult for me to access it.

So I decided to make it again with a frame and put the wire netting on it. I bought some more of those green 1.2mtr metal plant posts and drilled six of them. so I could connect them with wire.

Now it wll be easy enough to disconnect the frame from the rest of the fencing and remove it.








I needed to make sure that there was a big enough aperture (4.5ins) for hedgehogs and not cats to pass through it.







Job done!

 

Brilliant, Riley.
You are so lucky to have those little creatures about.

 

Finished tying in the blackberry canes

 

Thinned artichoke seedlings today, trimmed the onions and leeks, and prepped a new grow light area for celery to be started next week.

 

Trying to rally the Community Gardening Troops. Time to schedule the start-of-the-season business meeting at the Community Garden. (Well, not actually at the Garden. Over Zoom.This is still the time of COVID after all). I need a town crier to beat the drum (or is it to ring the bell?) to rally all these fickle Gardeners.

 

Noted oregano seeds have germinated. There will be lots more of that this year for herbs and bees.

Pruned the grapes. One vine remaining. Pruned the kiwi vine. Collected a sweet cherry scion to graft onto a feral cherry tree root. At least, I think it's cherry.

Labeled seedling trays for second batch of seedlings. More chili peppers, sweet banana pepper if the old seeds grow, and Chinese eggplants.

 

Started cutting down the old stems of the Japanese anemones in the front garden. Couldn't do much because got to wait for the bin to be emptied on Friday.

 

Cayu, good luck with getting those gardeners motivated. Just because there is snow doesn’t mean the wheel can’t begin to roll. Get stuck in!

 

Thanks Sj. I've actually heard from 6 of them already. Within hours of my posting.

 

Today I pruned and tied up the last grape vine. Yay! They don't get much attention, mainly the February pruning. I hope there is a good crop this year, mainly for jam and juice.

I started a new batch of seeds. This time, Asian eggplants, more peppers, and some 8 year old collard greens seeds. I don't know if those will grow.

I started some sweetpea seeds soaking.

I planted some Florence Fennel seeds.

I dug up some ten-year-old lavender and rosemary bushes, cleaned them up, pruned them, and planted in their new home, a strip that I want to hide a drive that was installed on an easement on my property. Wow those were fragrant. I know deer wont touch them. That area will also get Rudbeckias, Echinacea, marigolds, cosmos, zinnias, bachelor buttons, and statice when Spring arrives.

 

That is way cool, Cayu..
I see that those six are chomping at the bit a bit. I love that feeling of enthusiasm and expectation that introduce themselves, and just sort of take over one’s a-brrrain at a certain moment in the pre-spring months.

 

Daniel W, is the Asian eggplant you are starting Ichiban? We have had good luck with that variety. If there are others, I'd love to know about them!

 

@marlingardener Im growing one I have not tried before called "Chinese Finger" from Baker Creek. I also have five year old seeds of "Long Purple" from Lake Valley Seed co. I think I bought those seeds in a store. Being so old they might not grow but I have grown much older chili pepper and tomato seeds.

 

This is our shed, I built it from reclaimed, roofing ply, 3”X 2” timber and three wood framed windows from next door when they had their double glazing installed


It was for our eight year-old daughter's growing collection of rabbits and guinea pigs. I constructed two banks of cages down each side. This was in 1976 mind you and it's since housed my garden tools for over thirty years, but we still call it the “rabbit shed.” It's really solid. It has to be, as I stand on the roof to prune next door's overhanging trees.


I changed the roofing felt about three years ago.


There's a gap of less than a foot between the side and the party fence. It's that way so I could have a roof with an overhang where rainwater didn't drip down the side, on the fence or next door's garden. Over time I've stuck bits of surplus wood in this gap. But today, I pulled it all out as I was getting concerned that contact with the side of the shed might start it rotting. But there was none, I then managed to spray the side with clear Cuprinol just in case.

I made this removable fence panel with the surplus wire netting and some extended green stakes. I'll let the honeysuckle next to it grow up it, but I know I can easily lift it off its hooks if I need to get behind there. It'll stop cats getting in there.


My wife bought a huge box of fat balls on line for the birds, so I ordered two of these feeders from eBay one to hang on this mimosa and the other from the pergola above the French windows. They arrived the day after I ordered them!





Yesterday I went to Homebase on the way home from golf for some compost and topsoil.

I put the two Chinese witch hazels we bought into bigger pots. The roses were "minature Christmas roses" in 4" pots two and three years ago, they flower every year.

These are the primrose bulbs my wife bought on line I had these shallow pots so used them. They're at the other end of the patio steps.





The cyclamen were a Christmas present for my wife from a friend, I'll plant them out in the long border later, they might come up again.

I also called into Dulux for a 2.5 litre can of exterior Mahogany Woodstain. Some of the woodwork in the garden will get another coat in a couple of months. This stuff is getting quite expensive now, as it was £63. But it's worth it,


I'll mix up the topsoil with some grass seed for the bare patches on the lawn which are always in the shade of the azaleas and rhodos, I'll do it when it gets a bit warmer. I bought the grass seed in Wilkos, they sell it loose and it's dirt cheap.

 

@Doghouse Riley that's a very nice shed. Excellent job.

I made new doors for mine last year. They helped a lot but the shed itself is in bad shape.

Today I planted bush type snap peas. I inoculated them with rhizobium before planting. I hope they give a crop before I need that beed for Tomatoes in mid May. Ninety days seems like it should do but our climate is cool.

I also transplanted, cleaned up, and pruned a few more Rosemary and Lavender shrubs. That is a garden job that can leave you smelling very nice.

I transplanted a catnip, oregano, and lemon balm into the developing herbal border. Eventually it will also have marigolds, more oregano, thyme, fennel, dill, cilantro, and various flowers.

Now I'm tired and sore and need to rest