What's happening in your garden today?

[big rockpile]

Found today my Succulents don't like April Showers, all the others it's like a New Fast Acting Fertilizer.

Succulents went back to the Greenhouse.

big rockpile

 

[Logan]

Cut off some of the old hellebore flowers in a border and weeded there, the ground is still dry there so I'll water the polyanthus that's there.

 

[Sean Regan]

Didn't get into the garden until mid-afternoon, as there was shopping to get first.
Why is it when you just go out for, "just a few bits," when you come home and up the receipts, it comes to over £100?

Anyway, this celosia caracas "followed me home," from Asda.
At £6, it was quite reasonable. I must remember to put it somewhere frost free in the winter.




Just the usual tying up of more clematis and I gave everything a really good watering, we haven't had rain for days.

 

[big rockpile]

Mostly played in Worm poop.

big rockpile

 

[Meadowlark]

Robbing potatoes. I start robbing new potatoes just after the seed potatoes bloom and continue to the final harvest. Our blooms this year started about three weeks ago. This effectively extends my enjoyment of fresh potatoes by several weeks. A small price to pay for fresh new potatoes.

Today, wife requested I rob a few extra for tomorrow's guests and of course I obliged. With three weeks to go until harvest, these are the best "robber" potatoes I have ever raised averaging 11 ounces per new potato}. The production looks to be off the charts for the reds...didn't rob any whites today.

At about 15-17 pounds of new potato per pound of seed potato, this will be a bumper harvest. Very pleased with this result so far...but with three weeks to go Nature can have a significant say in the final outcome.

All potatoes are left as is from the ground to preserve flavor until it is time to prepare them for consumption.

 

[Sheal]

That's a healthy looking harvest you have there.

 

[Sheal]

I've been spraying weeds. I try to keep the use of weedkiller to a minimum but the 'to do list' in my home of 9 months doesn't seem to be getting any shorter at the moment. The gravel drive and stone walls have been spot weeded and I've had to use it on some weeds that are running roots and taking over. When things settle down I'll be back to using a garden border fork.

 

[big rockpile]

Repotted couple plants for another guy.

My Marigolds and Zinnias are coming up.

Picked 4 Wine Cap Mushrooms probably have more tomorrow.

Got my Bulbs in for my Cannas soon as I can get them in the ground.

big rockpile

 

[Sean Regan]

A year ago, my wife got me to look at this blue tit feeder on "her" TV shopping channel.
It was accompanied by a video, "showing lots of highly trained blue tits in and out of one."
So as we get a lot of blue tits in our garden, she convinced me that I should buy one, (not really, but anything for a quiet life).

Anyway, it had been there for a year and completely ignored by every blue tit.

It's well-designed and constructed and so it should be for nearly thirty quid.
Only birds the size of blue tits can get through the outer mesh. Two blocks of food fit in the inner wire container.

A month ago, I bought a pack of suet blocks that would fit it. rather than those of dubious content provided with the feeder. Another twelve quid.






Anyway. I looked out the kitchen window this morning to see a blue tit in it! But no chance of getting a photo.

 

[big rockpile]

Planted some Gerbera Daisy and Coleus seed.

Oh cut the tops on my Onions because they was just too tall and laying down.

Picked 4 more Wine Cap Mushrooms.

That's about it getting some much needed rain.

big rockpile

 

[big rockpile]

Rain! Rain! Rain!

Nothing today so tied my Grapes up and cut off some Leaves.

Put couple Geraniums in a pretty good size pot.

Taking care of couple babies left on my doorstep. You could pour the water out of the pot.

big rockpile

 

[big rockpile]

Came up with something today. Plant couple of Petunias or Geraniums in one big pot.

Start plants from cuttings.

I have to say I have the best looking Cabbage ever.

big rockpile

 

[Sean Regan]

Nothing planned for today. There's a lot of golf, tennis and football on TV.
Brought the trail cams in, to charge up the batteries. I have two on adapters, but one of them doesn't seem to be working very well. There's 24 rechargeable batteries, between the three cameras. I've only one charger which takes four and needs two hours to charge. So it's a 12 hour job, (not for me, for the charger)

Just had a check of the roses, no sign of black spot and three more are starting to bloom. Despite me clearing a lot yesterday, more fallen wisteria blossom on the patios.














The azalea hedge in the front garden is almost in full bloom and the acer tree is nearly "fully leafed." It's gone from its pink and pale green colour to a slightly darker green. It will go darker than this.
The blossom on one of our two rhodos is fading, the other is nowhere near coming out yet. The lawn needs a cut, but it won't get one today.





This brick gate post pillar, I moved two feet to the left 27 years ago when I bought our first Honda CRV.
When the house was built in 1965, the drives by modern standards, were quite narrow,
I was quite proud of my "newly acquired brickying skill." Then two weeks later the cable company dug up the pavement to lay their cable and splashed cement up it, some of which is still there.

 

[Logan]

Nothing today went to see my friends.

 

[Sean Regan]

Just general "garden housekeeping" today. Pruned off more wisteria unwanted growth, the same for the quinces on the side fence. Tied up more clematis growth and put some stick supports in one or two rose tubs. No trace of aphids, lily beetle or much black spot. Just one rose. I removed a few leaves and gave it a spray.

It's a quiet day, but might get a bit noisier a bit later. Our crescent has been closed off, because round the other side, they are having a VE Day anniversary celebration street party.
I was invited, but I turned it down, as I'd already been to a VE Day street party.

That was an "original one," back in 1945. I was only five, but I do remember it outside my parents' home in South London. There was cake, lemonade and jelly and custard. That made an impression on me. As other than basic food stuffs, such "luxuries" were very short at the time.

 

[Sheal]

I'm starting to lose shrubs here due to a drought since the end of January. I dug out a dead Potentilla today and replaced it with a Fuchsia. Spent a couple of hours watering the garden this evening but it's not enough, we need a lot of rain.

 

[Meadowlark]

You're dry and we are wet. Lots of rain and rain in the forecast the next three days. Rain is good but also has its cons... onions and potatoes need dry right now prior to harvest. On the plus side, the pollinator garden is growing like crazy.

 

[big rockpile]

Put some Acidfier on my little trees they say they like Acid Soil.

Spaded some on my garden. I was saving worms but found it slowing me down.

They was going to put a Concrete Horse where my Bird Bath was. I told them no I have Coleus coming up. Got some Marigolds coming up. Seems lots of this stuff just scatter seed and it goes.

big rockpile

 

[Logan]

Planted some wild poppy seedlings in the front garden.

 

[Sean Regan]

Didn't do much today, apart from making this video of our pink wisteria.

But whilst I was making it, I was reminded that I did need to do something with the gable end of the garage. The wood was rotting and really needed replacing.
The left-hand side is coming adrift.



My wife often accuses me of "looking for jobs," (as if she can't find me enough).





Anyway, I went to the wood yard at lunchtime and bought the wood.
Just a case of cutting it to size and sanding down the edges and corners. Plus, making a ferrule for where the two halves join in the middle. I got it all done and did a "dry run." Assembling it all. Then took it down and painted the backs of the bits.
I've golf, lunch, then shopping tomorrow, but I'll probably be able to put it all back up again and paint the front in situ. when I get home.