What's happening in your garden today?

[Sean Regan]

I wasn't going to do much today.


Just finish off the pagoda.

I didn't give it a complete "make over," just painted the roofs, part of the decks and the sorin. I didn't want it to look too new. The balustrades, which are hardwood mouldings set in the concrete floors, did not need a repaint.

Some of the work that went into this nearly forty years ago is always unseen.
At the time, there was no internet and I relied on illustrations in books.

There's a limit to what you can do with concrete, but I had a go at making "simulated pin-joint supports." These are used under the corners of the roofs which stick out quite a long way.






These of course can't be seen, due to the size of the roofs.


I'm pleased with the progress of this Acer palmatum Taylor. Lots of little buds on every branch. It has spent the last two winters in the utility room in the garage. I replace two we'd bought in successive years which I left on the patio and died over winter.




Still no sign of any hedgehog activity.

 

[Logan]

Pricked out 120. 8in pot marigolds. 60 tall pot marigolds. 50 cosmos seedlings into cell trays, they're all in the conservatory.

 

[Sheal]

Finished pruning shrubs that should have been done a month ago then strimmed the edges of the lawn, followed by its first mowing of the season. It looks a lot tidier but now needs scarifying.

 

[Sean Regan]

There's quite a bit of sport on TV today and I've some domestic chores which need attention, so there will be no work done in the garden.
I've stopped being concerned about there being no hedgehog activity as yet, as I've "checked my records."
This was the first sighting picked up on the trail/cams last year, it was 1st of April.

 

[Sean Regan]

Too wet to do anything today.
But my wife made me smile yesterday. She called me into the lounge saying "Quick! There's some huge birds flying around the garden!"
I managed to grab my camera and quickly caught one as it settled on the chimney of a house over the back, before it flew off.




When I enlarged it, I could see it was a bog-standard seagull!






That chimney could do with a bit of re-pointing.

 

[Logan]

Potted up 40 gladioli corms and labelled them.

 

[Sean Regan]

I wasn't going to anything today, but it warmed up, so I gave the roses a spray.
I've had to order some more of this,

 

[big rockpile]

Today I make a habit of not really working or harvesting.

Try to spend my day thinking about what my Savior did for me and what my Heavenly Father does for me.

But was just out in the Greenhouse making sure everything was ok.

Went by a tray of cuttings of Snake Plants and Thanksgiving Cactus. Saying I wonder.

They are both rooting and starting to get little ones on the Snake Plants.

big rockpile

 

[Logan]

Cut back the old flowering stems of the lavender plants, did some weeding.

 

[Sean Regan]

It's a nice sunny day, but still a bit cold. I've nothing pressing that needs doing in the garden.

I did some shopping in Asda this morning and three more clematis "followed me home." At three for £5, I could hardly say, "no," could I?

I'll find a home for them.






I took them out to the shed for planting tomorrow.


"Bert and Brenda," "our" two blackbirds, spend a lot of time in the garden.
Bert likes to sit on the side fence where he can observe what's going on. He tolerates the smaller birds, but any blackbird or something bigger he chases away from "his" territory. He waits for me to go to the shed and take food down to the feeder under the azaleas near the French windows. By the time I get back to the shed with the empty container. He's in there already.

Our sambucas is doing well. I removed quite a bit of moss that gathers in the forks of the branches.





There's a lot of tiny flowers on it already.






I must keep an eye on the two acer palmatums, I'll need to remove the training net and wire before the foliage is too large to pass through the mesh of the net without damage. Hopefully, they will have "set," when I do. I'll then, "shorten their hems."

 

[big rockpile]

Fed my Worms. Couple more months have to start another bin and get some Worm Castings.

Fed everything in the Greenhouse Fish Emulsion and Molasses.

big rockpile

 

[Logan]

Hubby's been doing some weeding, planted some potted hyacinths and trying to clear the brambles that have got behind the currant bushes.

 

[Sheal]

I've changed the little bit of hard landscaping I started a couple of months ago. Sorry I forgot to take pics I'll do that tomorrow.

 

[olly-buckle]

The missus picked up a tray of nice little greyhound cabbage from the farm shop, they have good, healthy looking plants, must get them in tomorrow, meanwhile I have been doing a bed with roots, parsnip, turnip, carrot, beetroot, and radish so far. It is the only bed that was cultivated properly when we came, and I think it had tomatoes in it every year with a fresh bag of compost each time, it is well raised, and the compost goes down further than a spit, hoping for some good roots. Finished planting potatoes, I have a few more seed ones that are not properly chitted, I have put them in the garage in the dark, hopefully they will be good to go in August for my winter ones, if not, c'est la vie.
Watered, greenhouses, but outside as well, not a lot of rain for this time of year. Watered spuds and topped up all the ones showing.
Spinach is coming up, I must get another row in as follow up. Potted up another lot of tomato seedlings, most look good but I am sure some will fail, no matter there must be four times the number I actually need, I'll just keep the very best looking ones, it's about the fourth lot now, so three or four out of each will be plenty for the two of us. Been taking it easy as my leg has been giving me a bit of gyp, but keeping up generally.

 

[big rockpile]

Posted plants For Sale on Craigslist.

Ordered some seed for Bedding Plants to sale even though I think it is early.

big rockpile

 

[Sean Regan]

Nothing today, as it was golf then shopping. Fed the birds when I got home and checked on the wisteria. The blossom buds have burst out in the last week, so there will be the usual big displays.








The rhodos are looking really healthy with lots of buds.





Tomorrow, I'll plant out the three clematis I bought on Monday.

 

[Logan]

Potted up 50 gladioli corms that's 98 altogether, got to think where to put them.

 

[big rockpile]

Well shoot Soil Test still not in and I'm out of soil.

Took some cuttings today hoping they will root.

Repotted Creeping Inch Vine into a Hanging Pot.

Planted some old Beefsteak Tomato Seed figure people like them.

Got plenty Seed I can plant but no Soil Test. Heck I probably could have rolled it around in my mouth and figured what it needed by now. Oh wife's bread needs more salt.

big rockpile

 

[Sean Regan]

I did a bit today.
Checked the front garden, the azaleas have plenty of flower buds on them.




This one is already out. Suprisingly, as it gets hardly any sun at all.
That's the wire mesh and posts fence I made thirty years ago, that separates our garden from next door's. I think the low post and panel ones between adjoining gardens look ugly. But they are OK when they separate the two drives on the other side.



Decided to put out the other two hedgehog houses, despite there being no activity as yet.

I'm pretty sure there's one in this house under the azaleas.





If there's no sign of it by the middle of next month, I'll be tempted to check it out.

Both feeding stations have had food in them for a couple of weeks. Once the feeding stations get used, it would be better not to make new houses suddenly appear. The houses may interest some younger visiting hedgehogs.

There's a brick on this one to stop a fox which may visit our garden trying to get the roof off. A bit of wire tied between two screws at the back will also keep the roof in place.




This larger house, in the opposite corner, has a removable floor for cleaning, which should only be necessary once a year. It has latches that keep the roof in place.






I've taken the net off the acers, as the foliage will be too big to pass through it in less than a week. I've kept the restraining wires attached for now. I've also given it a trim.
A lot of the top branches are, "doing their own thing." It won't be until the leaves have "set" and they droop down a bit, will I know which need to be pruned off.




I've not given up yet on the grass under it. The combination of the removal of the huge tree in the garden to the left of ours which created a lot of shade and the shortened "skirt" of the acer, should allow more light under it.

I've planted out the three new clematis and put the eight new phlox in the rockery.
Flower buds on the trailing branches of the wisteria on the pergola next to the garage.

 

[Logan]

Pricked out the 12 tomato seedlings into cell trays. Hubby finished pruning the roses and did some more weeding.