What have you done today in the Garden?

Today I did about 1/3 of the rehab in my kitchen garden - weed barrier plus woodchips. That already makes a difference.

With so much rain, the kraft paper mulch started deteriorating in the dwarf tomato raised bed. That's not good, because I want to keep rainwater from splashing fungal spores from the soil onto the low leaves. So I added a layer of cardboard mulch. Fortunately with pandemic life Amazon provides free cardboard LOL.

 

I do the same with cardboard boxes. During winter place then down along paths and areas that frequently become weed patches. By spring the cardboard had rotted and just rake away. The added benefit there are lots of worms.

 

Cayu— that compost pile is growing. Are you chopping some of that up before chucking it onto the compost pile? It may compost down quicker and the pile may not be as high. I am picturing you gardening in the shadow of your pile. Time for some deep shade plants.

Daniel— I was reading about splash prevention. You could remove those lower leaves. It is common here to remove the first two leaf branches. I remove much more, but the first two branches are normal, even with bush varieties.
We are getting too much rain at the moment as well.

Yesterday I had to go into the bees. The queen was dead and I had to take action to allow the bees make a new one. They were quite irritable. Now to wait nine days and check.

I harvested more strabs.


A close-up. These are such tasty ones.


The finished product.


In total, we have harvested 4.750 kilos of strabs to be jammed to date. That means 21 jars of jam; we have eaten the rest.

We are feeding the toms the comfrey tea now, and have made the second batch.

Inspected the apples, the need thinning now, as the June drop has begun.

I performed the Chelsea Chop on the Phlox plants.

 

Things are coming along here. Potatoes are coming up as are Zucchini, Cucumbers and Sweet Corn.








Smaller stuff this year is going in planters and raised beds, 1st year for that.

 

Hello,
Oh how nice to see your foto’s today. Your spud plot looks so nice and tidy. You have laid that out well.

I had been wondering how your planters and raised beds were working out for you. I am interested to hear your opinions of their use…you know—how they worked for you.

 

Pretty much up to date with the garden, the lawn just needed a mow.







The bit of patching I did with the grass seed I "cooked," seems to be taking, I've more "on the boil."





Got round to doing a job I'd been putting off for...years.

Down the side of our French windows were three cables (all different colours) one from the aerial on the roof, one for the cable TV and another that supplies the coach light next to the trellis. They looked very unsightly. So I went out and bought some conduit.

I could only get white from my local electrical supplier, if i'd wanted black,it'd mean a ten mile round trip to another supplier and I wasn't doing that, (filled up with petrol this morning on my way to do the shopping, a tank-full cost me seventy-six quid). So settled for white. I positioned it next to the frame of the French windows, so it doesn't notice so much. This stuff is brilliant. On hard surfaces it will stick on, but the back is also drilled for screws. The top just clips on. I put some clear silicone at each end where the cables enter. Only took me an hour and a fiver well spent.

 

@Sjoerd that jam looks yummy. Why does the Bee queen die?

 

Weeded some ground so that I can put some cosmos in, they've already started to flower.

 

So far so good. I think I have overplanted them a bit as things fill out, but that seems to be a common problem according to many people. The weather has been rather cool here so will see better when the hot weather hits.
Overall, they make my back and legs feel much better, so there is that....lol

 

Everyone's gardens are looking great!

 

Thank you for the plant compliments . You know plants have egos too when admired from a far.

 

Many gorgeous gardens as usual … very talented plant gardeners and lovely displays.

@Sjoerd…The strawberry jam looks yummy.. my fav.. and by the way sorry the bee Queen died. Do you know why. I hope the adapt to a new queen.

@Doghouse Riley …picture perfect garden well including the lawn. My wisteria are coming to a close . The rain and wind storm blew off the flowers and the dogwoods.

@harrylee…very impressive garden you have put together. Soon it will be full …

I cut down a dollar eucalyptus. Last winters ice storm just had weighted down all the tree limbs . They were arched just the tips almost to the ground making a tunnel of sorts. Next time I cut eucalyptus I will remember not to take the long sleeve shirt off before I quit. It was warm and removed my shirt and now I have a rash on my arms from the eucalyptus leaf oils scratching my arms as I loaded them onto the tractor bucket. Really burns more than itchy. I wrapped them in Aloe Vera gel fresh cut from the succulent leafs. Works great.

 

Loggie— There could be several reasons. The most common reason is old age. I looked carefully for her corpse inside the hive and on the bottom. I suppose that the worksters dismembered her and removed the remains as part of the clean-up.

Pacnor— Sorry to hear about that rash mate. Sounds like you had the good remedy though.
No, I could not find her to inspect her remains…not that I would find an answer, but I am a curious bloke. It could also have been varroa, but I find that unlikely because I treat 5he colony for that, plus the workers groom that queen incessantly keeping her squeeky-clean. So it will remain a mystery. It happens every few years.
Sometimes if the queen looses her laying abilities or her ruling pheromones weaken, the worksters will kill her. If she becomes damaged, it is also grounds for reinocide.

 

Sjored…I see.. very sad. Isn’t there another egg in the hive all set for a queen . Sounds like you have a big job ahead.

 

Thanks @Sjoerd I understand now.