What have you done today in the Garden?

It's been rather wet. I managed to cut the lawn in the front garden yesterday, but it's quite small so didn't take long. Then spent some time reorganising the shed.

Our mimosa continues to impress, "it must like its new less restricting unobtrusive support post."



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Chuckle, Riley….as long as it works, mate.

 

Yesterday it was warm and humid here. We took down the pea patch pea-plants, cleaned it up and planted some green manure. In this case, Phacelia.
We weeded the spud patch and removed all the foliage, as the plants have reached the end of their lives. Also, I could not be sure that the leaves did not have Phytophthora. Removal then, out of an abundance of caution.

We harvested more beans and got some plums from a gardener-lady up the way. She and my Bride had a conversation about what to do with the plums. The neighbour lady said she freezes them after washing and then makes the jam on a rainy day. She said you can just squeeze the seed out. That sounded attractive. However, in the end we processed when we got home after eating. We were finished a bit after 23.00 hours.

We got ten jars of jam and another three double meals of beans.

 

@Melody Mc. , I tried those neck cooling scarves earlier this year I think, or maybe last summer? I am allergic to whatever they put in them and broke out in severe hives and rash from them. It might have been last summer. I don't think it cooled me off all that much either.

I did some pruning of low branches and cut out some wisteria and bushes/small trees from one of my overgrown flower beds today. It will take a LONG time to clean that mess up.

When I moved here in the 80s, the wisteria vines had been sorely neglected and have run amok all over the place. I have never been able to get ahead with them. And the wild honeysuckle has moved into my yard and taken over several areas. And that American bittersweet is a problem also. I have about 6 large areas like that I need to clean out completely. The bed I worked on today is between the old orchard and the chicken area... I showed you all the poison ivy wall along one end of my veggie garden... The others are not quite that bad, but I sure do want them cleaned out. I got behind when I lost so many trees several years in a row.

I wonder if cutting through those giant roots of wisteria would help get rid of them, or make them worse???? I would need to use an axe or chainsaw to do that.

One of those vines is on my rebar arbor. This is when I first built this arbor.




The first one is when I first built that rebar arbor some years ago. I guess it was winter? I have phlox growing there, and a washing machine tub of day lilies. I need to thin them out again. There are also Jerusalem artichokes by the arbor, and some autumn joy sedums.... That wisteria vine has gone hog wild there. I am tempted to remove it, and there are a lot of rose of sharon bushes have grown into that area also... That is my old chicken coop in the background that my son built. I had to replace that in 2021. Anyway, there is loads of work to do in this bed also. I guess I need to take another photo in that spot just to explain how much of it has changed. Many of those trees are gone I think, there are more flower beds.... Weather permitting, I will try tomorrow.

 

@Melody Mc. , I tried those neck cooling scarves earlier this year I think, or maybe last summer? I am allergic to whatever they put in them and broke out in severe hives and rash from them. It might have been last summer. I don't think it cooled me off all that much either.

I did some pruning of low branches and cut out some wisteria and bushes/small trees from one of my overgrown flower beds today. It will take a LONG time to clean that mess up.

When I moved here in the 80s, the wisteria vines had been sorely neglected and have run amok all over the place. I have never been able to get ahead with them. And the wild honeysuckle has moved into my yard and taken over several areas. And that American bittersweet is a problem also. I have about 6 large areas like that I need to clean out completely. The bed I worked on today is between the old orchard and the chicken area... I showed you all the poison ivy wall along one end of my veggie garden... The others are not quite that bad, but I sure do want them cleaned out. I got behind when I lost so many trees several years in a row.

I wonder if cutting through those giant roots of wisteria would help get rid of them, or make them worse???? I would need to use an axe or chainsaw to do that.

One of those vines is on my rebar arbor. This is when I first built this arbor.
View attachment 33227
View attachment 33228


The first one is when I first built that rebar arbor some years ago. I guess it was winter? I have phlox growing there, and a washing machine tub of day lilies. I need to thin them out again. There are also Jerusalem artichokes by the arbor, and some autumn joy sedums.... That wisteria vine has gone hog wild there. I am tempted to remove it, and there are a lot of rose of sharon bushes have grown into that area also... That is my old chicken coop in the background that my son built. I had to replace that in 2021. Anyway, there is loads of work to do in this bed also. I guess I need to take another photo in that spot just to explain how much of it has changed. Many of those trees are gone I think, there are more flower beds.... Weather permitting, I will try tomorrow.

 

I had inserted those pictures.

It is pouring down rain at the moment, maybe later if it eases up I can do a few things.

I had trimmed dead branches off of my purple crepe myrtle and accidently got some live ones. I plan to make starts with those cuttings. They are in a bucket of water until I can get at that. I was hoping to do that and dig potatoes this morning, but the rain has gotten heavier.

I tossed some canteloupe seeds into a bed out there a few days ago, and they are sprouting. I hope I get some good canteloupes. The other melon plants and cukes look good so far.

Does cutting the scapes off of onions and garlic and putting them aside for later count as "working in the garden"?

 

yes

 

Other than watering, I checked the rows of bean seeds I planted a few days ago. They are starting to germinate. I plant them mid July every year, and get big crops in September.



The alpine strawberries that I grew from seeds, are starting to bloom. I'm surprised. They are still in the seedling packs.





I harvested Shiro Japanese plums. They are in the fridge today. I might can them tomorrow morning.



The xeriscape / "deerscape" border outside my garden is blooming.



Most of that is mostly self-maintaining. I might move a couple of plants out, this fall, and move in a big rudbeckia.

Given tomorrow's prediction, I just plan to dig some more garlic in early am, and water, and prep the garlic area to plant more bush beans.

I also need to move the rest of the patio plants out of harms way for for planned power washing.

 

Looking great and appreciate the “Deerscape” and “Xeriscape” garden.
Fruits and veggie garden too. You have been buzzy.
Nice the power washing will be next to prep for painting the new siding.
From power washing so much over the years the long day’s of constant vibration caused my hands to get what is called Vikings arthritis or Dupuytren's . It’s an interesting phenomenon. I don’t power wash any more. I call Jet Clean. They come out and have a huge truck with long hoses and Wowwowwowwow in no time everything that doesn’t move looks brand new again.

 

Those beans look good, Daniel. Are they both bush sorts?

 

More of the same, just general garden housekeeping.

Pruned some more wisteria side shoots and tidied the azaleas where they overhang the main patio. Tied up some of the larger azaleas and rhodos, and pulled them back where they were overhanging the lawn, it encourages moss to form if I don't.
Pruned this little acer, which would resemble a pin cushion if I didn't.





Did the same for the big acer in the front garden.



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Then mowed the back lawn, edged it with my strimmer and vacced the whole garden and patios then fed the lawn and treated a few areas for moss. You shouldn't do it after mowing, I'm told, but it's never bothered me, nor the lawn.
Put food out for the hedgehogs.

 

Yes, they are all bush beans. They give an excellent crop each year, minimal effort.

When I've dug out the rest of the garlic, I may plant Romas or Limas or both, to experiment. I also have saved seeds of the usual green beans.

 

Gotta take care of that Dupuytrens! My dad had that. He declined any interventions, and developed pretty significant contractures. He was in his 80s then. He was a woodworker and did a lot that caused scarring to the palm ligaments, causing those contractures.

I was wondering if it wouldn't work just as well, or well enough, to mix detergent in a bucket and pour it on the patio and deck, let it soak in, and scrub with a broom. Or rent a carpet scrubber for that. Powerwashers are hard work.

 

Up early to water, weed, walk the dog and move rocks.
‘I planned to harvest oregano, but it was alive with pollinators.

‘Took cuttings from this plant that was gifted to me. Four new pots will brighten the garden


Digging to set the rocks, moving rocks, and now it is time to purchase mulch to fill and finish the enlarged terrace. It is times like this that I realized how much slope there is to the lot.

Heading back up to the house I found one of the lily bulbs I’d stuck in a pot was blooming. Pleasant surprise. One of many bulbs that ended up in pots because my terrier thought they were toys for her run around tossing them in the air. She survived and now I have pots filled with bulbs meant for the garden.

 

I mowed most of my yard with my rider onThursday, and was going to do the rough areas with the push mower, but it would not start. I took the spark plug out, and it was fouled, so I cleaned it good. Then for some weird reason I could not get it back in properly. No idea why, because I have been changing/cleaning spark plugs on my mowers for many years. I will try again tomorrow and see if I can get it back in and use my push mower.

I got a bunch of pictures of that rebar arbor area the other day, and posted them on fb this afternoon. I will try to get them here this evening or tomorrow. I made that album private.

I want to dig up some of my empty beds and plant some fall things in them like carrots. I have loads of onions to put out there. And I need to plant my Egyptian onions babies, and other onions. I want to sprinkle a bunch of cayene pepper around my corn and other plants to discourage the masked bandits. And I still have a lot of other onions/Egyptian onions to dig up, and save if they are still okay.