What have you done today in the Garden?

Hello Jewell— what type of Hosta is that in the last pic?

 

No gardening today, I'm up to date with most things, it's the final day of the Open Championship. It'll be on the TV all day, as will the cricket between England and the West Indies.
But I did go out and feed the birds and the squirrels.

Quite a bit of hedgehog activity last night and in the early hours of the morning. I've had to make the front of this house where I leave the food "cat proof" hence the wires. It's like a "stockade," but the hedgehogs are used to it.
Both houses are presently unoccupied and have been for over a year, but there's at least three that come to the garden to feed on the pellets I leave out for them. I cleaned out both houses, sprayed the interiors with Nutradol to mask the smell of any previous occupants and put in fresh hay. We're hoping one or even two will take up residence later in the year. Hedgehog houses are their best chance of surviving the winter, as they can be kept dry.

I moved this house away from near the hedgehog doorway in the side fence to the little bed with the bamboo forest against the back fence. Easier for me to get at to put in their food. I often find that slugs have also found the food, but obviously, I can't put down slug pellets. Anyway, I thought it was the hedgehogs' job to get rid of slugs for us. They are "falling down on their job."

Twenty to five in the morning and it's already a bright sunny day.








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This is our sorbus that has lived in this corner of the garden for thirty years.







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We bought it at Bents garden centre and I remember it wasn't cheap and not a well balanced example, but it was the only one they had. It was about six feet tall and we had to have it delivered.

Over the first few years I straightened out the kink in the trunk a bit, wired the branches to get them to adopt a better spread and shaped the top. I also removed a couple of the lower branches last year. I shape the top now and again as occasionally a branch will "bolt."

Therefore, it's only about 12ft tall, but now reasonably proportioned for our small garden.

It tends no go unnoticed by visitors.

But we're happy as it is.

It "does its own thing."
Some years there's very little blossom, so few berries at the end of the summer. But this year it seems to be bothered. There will be a lot of these berries which will go a deep red.

 

Riley— great hedgehog pics. The hedgehog looks enormous. Is it normal over there to see hedgehogs out and about during daylight hours?

 

I've been banned from the garden by my hubs until the antibiotics I'm on have kicked in and my back decides to behave itself. But......I've turned into an armchair gardener and am turning my thoughts to next year!

 

Hope your back is better soon! And the antibiotics kick in soon too.

I'm also thinking about next year. I have to be realistic. I think I should set a goal of 1/3 to 1/2 reduction in garden space. Plus much more focused on xericsaping / deerscaping (maybe bunnyscaping too). Then it's more time to enjoy, with less work.

 

These were the last photos the camera took, so they were off to bed soon after.

 

Righty-ho, Riley. Don’t those beasts know that they could gain weight by eating before bedtime?

Oreti—Sorry to hear about your back. I did not realise that you also were fighting an infection. It's a pity that you have to deal with both problems at once. Nice seeds ‘n tea pic. I used to order from T&M also.

Daniel— it sounds like you are making responsible plans. Moor free time and less work— that sounds like a good goal.

 

Thanks @Daniel W and @Sjoerd ... it seems like I celebrate a big birthday and afterwards, along with the knee replacement, my body begins to fall apart!!!

Yes if, as it seems, I can't persuade my hubs to consider downsizing then I must seriously re think our garden next year as I do all the seeding sowing and Spring/ Summer maintenance now. Hubs still cuts the boundary hedges twice a year and mows the lawns , but this year that has only been a couple of times. I hate it looking wild, unkempt and unloved but am now struggling to keep it as I like it. Being surrounded by fields weed seeds are my worse enemy....the wildlife I can put up with.
Next year I'll be somewhat hindered by recovering from the surgery and I really don't want to rush things and do more that I'm able too soon as I want to get good ,lasting results from the surgery.

So thinking cap is firmly on now.

 

I have a very unusual thinking cat for you .


Doghouse Riley your garden is outstanding and the sorbus tree is a very nice tree, (actually in the rose family). A perfect addition to add color and height in the back corner.
Glad the little hedgehogs are back . They are lucky in your garden to find a good home and your their gate keeper making sure they are always as safe as possible. Picture perfect is the best way to characterize your garden.

 

Love it @Pacnorwest

 

The back of my "orchard" area. this used to be an old apple orchard. I do have some cherry trees, and non fruit trees now.




The rebar arbor a few days ago, and all the new stuff growing around it. There is a wisteria vine here (and lots of other places), some autumn joy sedums, phlox, rose of sharon bushes, and other odds and ends. I really want to clean this out. There used to be an apple tree here, and the wisteria was in the apple tree before I moved here. The apple tree came down in a storm. There is an elm tree to the left of the arbor, and a washing machine tub of day lilies also.



The other side of my rebar arbor. More phlox, irises, dormant daffodils, some Jerusalem artichokes, and my old shed and chicken coop in the background...


I have about 50 to 60 flower beds to keep up with, and I am way behind. They are need weeded a lot. Then there is my veggie garden...

 

AAnightowl nice to see more pics of your beautiful garden, apple orchard , flower beds . Always seems like there’s so much to do . I know I’m overwhelmed this time of year from the gardens we designed in years past. Time passes and catches up with us . I have been down sizing for ten years. I’m not sure I’m making any progress. I admit to belonging to the plant hoarder club. It’s been tricky to cut out plants we are used to seeing every season. My future picture of my place in my mind some day could be a home gobbled up by wisterias, trumpet vine, virginia creeper, clematis , grape vines and passion vine. Those little wisteria tendrils have already found their way inside the house from the pergola outside. And the whole place buried in pine and fir needles. Kinda creepy. Reminds me of that creepy movie Grey Gardens.

 

Everyone over here is having extra probs with their garden weeds this year— so many, and they have grown so fast.

 

Oh @Pacnorwest you've summed it up so well. Although we know we have to size down in an attempt to lighten our loads it's so hard not to have our familiar and much loved plant family as part of our gardens. Like you I had thought I was making things a tad easier each year....but then suddenly everything seems to run amok and ...mostly the weeds...and it just gets very overwhelming and the daunting task of tackling it becomes harder on the body each year.

 

@Sjoerd ..same here for us too but we are surrounded by fields.