What have you done today in the Garden?

I did get another flower bed weeded, and did some pruning today. If I can't reach it, it does not get pruned. I will try son's pole saw for a few things sometime. That chain keeps coming off when he uses it. He has shown me how to put it back on, but I don't know... ???

I still have not gotten down the path to my pond and cut up that downed tree.

I did some housework also.

 

Not much today i just got my grow house ready for winter by taking all of the seed trays out that i just threw in at the time. Put the fuchsias and tender geraniums in there for the winter, it's going to get colder next week.

 

Loggie—When does Autumnwatch begin?

 

Sjoerd

Back by popular demand Autumnwatch will be returning to screens on The One Show on Tuesday 29, Wednesday 30 and a with a special Halloween edition on Thursday 31 October 2024 with presenter Chris Packham, celebrating the most vibrant of seasons.14 Oct 2024

 

This year Chris will be live at Wytham Woods in Oxford, often referred to as the most studied woodland in the world. It’s the perfect spot to delve into the wildlife, science and beauty of the season.

The badgers of Wytham Woods are Chris’ first woodland A-lister. With live thermal cameras poised to capture footage of them as they leave the sett at dusk, Chris investigates how their diet will be changing at this time of year to make the most of the seasonal offerings.

Chris also explores the mental health benefits of being in an autumnal woodland and why it’s worth taking the time to stop and notice the hidden treasures. When you do – all sorts of wildlife wonders are revealed, as Chris finds out when he meets moth expert Liam Crowley and they explore the science of camouflage.

Thursday’s Autumnwatch offering falls on Halloween, so Chris explores why some of our favourite animals have become synonymous with the season. Bats, owls, corvids and toads, to name a few, have become firmly written into our folklore, so Chris explores the roots of each story and whether these species deserve to be demonised.

Autumnwatch presenter Chris Packham says: “Autumn is one of the most magical phases in our seasonal calendar. It may feel like things are shutting down but far from it. It’s a time for nature to recycle and prepare. Those rich autumn colours are a sign of nature at its very best and I’m excited to be telling the stories of the season in one of my favourite woodlands in the UK.”

Tune in for a dose of live autumnal wildlife in this spectacular setting on The One Show, BBC One and iPlayer at 7pm, 29, 30 and 31 October 2024.

 

Yesterday I smoothed the soil where there will be lawn again, completing conversion of a big garden bed back to lawn and a border. I had a bin of soil mix from a few years ago which was bad, and I spread that in the low spots to even it out. My suspicion was that old soil contained herbicide, and I hope it has degraded over the past few years. If the grass grows there, then it's all OK. I scattered drought-resistant grass seed and raked it in. Rain is predicted, which makes the timing good.

I removed the last of the metal fencing there and crushed it to fit in the pickup truck to take to the metal recycling station.

The last area on that end, is where I used to grow potatoes in containers. I need to empty those containers and throw them away. There are a few peonies and irises there to move, and weeds to remove. Then I can add some edging, smooth that soil too, and that section will be done, much nicer, and will only need puttering in the future.

Then I went into the fenced garden bed and cut down about 90% of the brambles that had taken over a path. I will put down a weed barrier there and tree chips, much more tidy and usable.

 

Just a few jobs today.
I got into this wisteria.




It'll get another, more drastic prune between Christmas and New Year. The "ideal time," was always considered to be in January or February.
There's global warming for you.




Many of the heads need attention. Too many branches. I have to remove some every year.






The lawn needs a mow. If it's dry, I'll do it tomorrow afternoon.





Did a bit more pruning of the big acer in the front garden. Particularly the top. Hard to get a perspective from under it. But I knew what to prune before I started by looking out of the bedroom window.
Ideally, I should take my pruner up with me and use it through an open bedroom window, but, "that wouldn't be allowed."

 

Nice pruning job, @Doghouse Riley

 

I ordered seeds for next year. Not as many, mostly varieties I haven't seen before. I will grow squashes on trellises, so no giant varieties although one looks pretty big and will need "hammocks" for the fruits.

Canada Crookneck Squash
Buttercup Squash
Early prolific (yellow) zucchini
Five color swiss chard
Black Turtle Beans (bush)
Genovese Basil
Derby (bush) green beans
Dandy (dwarf) dahlias
Five color Swiss Chard
New Kuroda Carrot
Kentucky Wonder pole bean
Dwarf Celosia
Squash Long de Nice (will need support)

Tomatoes and peppers will be from old seed packets. I chose my four favorites for each, instead of ten varieties.

I will have my work cut out for me this winter, getting ready. The main challenges will be, continued cleanup, building three trellises for squashes, and repair / extend drip irrigation.

With frost, the three bush bean beds started clearing themselves.

 

Plan on doing cleanup and winterizing my windows this weekend.

 

Loggie— ta. I appreciate the heads’ up for the coming Autumnwatch. I wouldn’t want to miss that.

Great work Riley and Daniel. You guys do put some hours in, don’t you.

 

Sjoerd, your welcome about Autumn, didn't do anything yesterday went to see my friends. Maybe do something today but like to have a rest.

 

With the tree gone from next door's garden now the back of ours will get more sun and should benefit next year being less damp. There are trees in the two gardens behind ours, but they have no effect.






Despite the grass being quite wet, I mowed the lawn with my Flymo Ultraglide. It has a big fan at the back that picks up "anything."
I must have had it ten years. It stopped working last year, but when I checked it out, it was only the on/off switch that had failed. I got a replacement on eBay for a fiver.





This is part of my moss problem. There's some dead moss there from a previous dose of iron sulphate. It needs scarifying, but I need three dry days to attempt to do this.





I might take the jet wash to the moss on the brick paver border in the week.

 

DHR the tree removed your garden looks so much bigger and the light from the sun adds to a very clear attractive well rounded garden full of excellent plants that flourish under your care. Very colorful acers.

 

I raked some of my leaves today. It will take several days, and then some because not all the leaves are down yet. I worked on cleaning some of my flower beds and adding leaves for mulch also. I am still harvesting seeds from my spent flowers. I cut down the spent stalks from some of my Jerusalem artichokes and hauled them to my compost pile. I will cut them up before putting them in the compost. Mine get 10 to 12 feet tall.

It is still bone dry here, and a serious drought going. One friend posted a weather report that we finally have some rain on the way. I sure hope so! We are supposed to get high winds this week, and major fire danger. I don't know what weather report she shared.

DS was working more on that spot by the driveway where we cut down everything and will burn it when it is safe to burn again. The honeysuckle vines make millions of seeds. I have 2 other piles to burn when I can.

It was a lovely autumn day here. The silver maples and redbuds are yellow. The dogwoods and sumacs are red. The oaks are more orangey.