What did you do in your garden today?

[Sean Regan]

My wife wasn't particularly impressed with the "security measures," I'd taken (a slate), to prevent 'arry for getting into the long grass of the garden of the presently unoccupied house next door.

"A cat could knock that over and he could get through. What we need is a little door."

"A......little......door?"

"Yes, a little door...with a lock on it."

"A ....little...door...with a lock on it.....you're joking?"

"No I'm not, so when it's safe for him to be able to wander next door you can unlock it."

Now I blame myself, for having the ability to usually "knock something up," or successfuly engage in a bigger project, which usually starts with my wife saying "What I thought was..."

Anyway.. On my way home from golf this afternoon (pleased with myself, had a gross 84, best score for...well...this year I think) and before I did some shopping, I called into the local woodyard to see if I could get an offcut length of decking board. I must have been speaking to the manager and because I was vague about how long it needed to be, I explained to him what it was for. We went into the yard and he found me a piece six foot by 4.5" which was ideal. He wouldn't take any money for it. All he said was "I like hedgehogs"

So with a bit of "fettling."

This afternoon I made this.

The hole in the concrete panel behind it, is still the same size. I'll probably paint it with Dulux exterior woodstain, like the rest of the woodwork in the garden.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Pulled the cucurbits, strung the tomatoes higher and pruned them, weeded with the strimmer. I cannot till with it this wet, but maybe a shovel and the stihl cultivator will be next for the fall crop.

 

[Sean Regan]

Finished the hedghog door.

My wife said "It needs a little bell on a cord."

I won't say what I said.

 

[Sean Regan]

Too hot for any gardening today.

This was a welcome sight this evening.

The BBC "red button" weather map had no indication of rain for the North West, still doesn't

But the weather forecast on the bottom of my laptop screen which for the last few days has been saying "Sunny" plus giving the temperature. said "Rain Coming" an hour or so ago and says presently "Raining now." Far more reliable.

 

[Sean Regan]

On successive nights 'arry has been digging to the left side of the hedgehog door, not that it'll get him anywhere for the moment, he'd have to dig down nearly a foot to get under the concrete panel. He probably can see next door's "jungle" if he looks under the little door.

I've had to re-route the cable that feeds the two Japanese lanterns by moving it to above the door. It's only 12 volt but I don't want him chewing through it. He could get lost next door at the moment the grass is so thick and tall, he'd be vulnerable to a fox or whatever which he wouldn't be able to see and would have difficulty in making an escape. But hopefully the house will be sold soon and the garden restored to how it was six months ago. So I'd feel happier opening the door.

I've made a couple of posts on "Hedgehog Street," linking a some photos of 'arry, explaining the particular circumstances and when I'll be opening the door.
There's some sort of "Hedgehog Mafia" running this board who didn't bother to properly read my posts, but were quick to send me an e-mail telling me what to do (open the door) and when I replied explaining the situation (again), sent me another wanting to argue about it. I've had to politely inform them...well in effect I've had to tell them to "mind their own business"and to stop sending me unsolicited e-mailed advice, or I won't bother posting again.

 

[Sean Regan]

It's been quite a busy day, mostly mowing, generally clearing up after the deluge the day before yesterday and pruning our many wisterias.
They're presently throwing out new side shoots from the roots upwards nearly every day. But with regular pruning you can force them to grow where you want them to go like this one.

It also throws out more side shoots every couple of days along the entire length, I prune these off with my telescopic pruner which will have the effect of making it "bush up" along its length.
It's got about six feet to go before it reaced the corner of the house, where I'll call a halt to its lateral growth. It's suspended by wire tied to masonry nails I banged into the mortar beteen the courses of bricks.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Picked a tomato, tossed a tomato, picked a tomato, tossed a tomato. Thank you okra, for being so forgiving of our wet climate. I believe it has rained every day except the 4th of July. Too much of a good thing this year. Today the water gods are at it again.

 

[Sean Regan]

I did a bit of pruning this afternoon.


Firstly the quinces along the side fence. I like them as a "band" along the top of the fence. I don't like too much growth below as they interfere with the rhodos and azaleas. I don't let them grow too tall either, as they block out the sun on the plants and the right-hand side of the lawn.

The lawn has been suffering from the heast in places. But it will recover.

I also did some tree pruning, by getting up on the roofs of the tea-house and shed. I try to stop neighbours' trees overhanging our garden, by pruning back any that overhang. They can stop the light, but more importantly you could ignore them and eventually branches will brush against the roofing felt and could overtime damage it.

Both buildings which I built decades ago are plenty strong enough to take my weight. In fact when we re-felted the tea-house roof ten years ag,o I and my youngest son were both up on it.

 

[Logan]

Picked some blueberries and watered the hanging baskets.

 

[Sean Regan]

No actual gardening, but I did make an examination of the party fence to the left of the garden.
It's wanylap with concrete posts and concrete base panels. It's looking a bit sorry for itself in places.
The waneylap panels are 5ft X 6ft.
To buy they're around £30, so to replace them all would cost around £400. But they aren't in bad condition. The weather mostly attacks the tops, the cappings and the batons below them. So I can make good the panels with new caps and batons on several for about £5 a panel. One panel needs a new board at the top, they're about £1. So I'll get a few as they might come in handy. I can do the whole job for around £50.

It won't be a problem, as the house next door is presently unoccupied as it's for sale. I can do the whole job from that garden, because what was the lawn goes right up to the fence. It would be really hard from our side.

I'll go over to Eccles on Tuesday and pick up the stuff. I'll need to get some more nails, to secure the caps, but I'll probably mostly use screws to secure the batons. They're quite cheap in Wilco's.

 

[Mike Allen]

Trying to dodge the showers. I set about potting up my new collection of roses. I purchased these from Cottage Memories. I have to say. Since my start in growing roses in the 1960's These are by far the best ever thgat I have received. I potted on fron their 4ltr pots to 15 ltr pots, using a MPC. Finishing off with a topping of about 3inch layer of farmyard manure. I was working in a small restricted space and I endured much back pain. Eventually I had to give in. I still have a couple to pot on.

The selection is. Golden Delicious. Super Trouper. Nostalgia. Reconcilliation. Scentsation. Margaret Meril. Korresia. Valentines Heart.

 

[Sean Regan]

It was a golf day today, but I decided when I came home that it might rain tomorrow, so I went over to Eccles and bought the caps and batons for the fence. I decided to use screws for the lot so bought a box of 200 whilst I was there.
Came home and got straight on with it. Worked mostly from the garden of the empty house next door.
Finished for 6.30.
Replaced all the batons and caps though one or two batons weren't too bad. Only needed to replace two top boards.
I've a couple of batons and caps and three boards spare. I always get slightly more than I need, saves going back again if I've mis-calculated.
Pleased with the result. Fourteen panels now good as new.

I was standing on what was the top of what was the waterfall at the end of the rockery to the left of this lamp, pulling a broken cap off the fence and when I looked down there was a baby blackbird three feet away looking up at me. He's been hiding under the azaleas nexct to the patio behind my "cat deterrent" fence for a couple of days and his mother comes and feeds him. But he's getting adventurous now.

New board here, it'll go grey like the rest in a year.

 

[Sean Regan]

Another night of heavy rain left puddles in the areas where the water drains off through holes in the patio's perimeter walls.

It was up to the top of the bottom brick earlier today, but has since gone down to this level at mid-day. Hopefully, if the rain stays off it will clear by this evening. Worth pointing out one of the two support posts of the pergola on the back of the house. I made these concrete "elephant's feet" so the base of the two wooden post are never in water.
The wire fence prevents cats if they hide under the azaleas, from "pouncing" on any birds on the patio who visit the little peanut butter feeder on the wall. The fence is new this year, it was a pain to install and I had to do a bit of pruning to fit it. I'll let the azaleas grow back through it. The place where 'arry's feed station goes in front of the steps which is higher than the edges is already clear of water.

I keep a brushpan and brush to the side of the steps to use to clear any poo off the patio near his station. He was trying to be helpful last night by having a poo in the pan! I move his station away from the steps each day and wash down his "bird tray" over a house drain, ready for the evening when I put out his food.

No problem with the small patio. No matter how much rain we get it just runs off into the lawn. Our soil is quite sandy as we're in what was the flood plain of the Mersey thousands of years ago. However the borders have had their fair share of additional compost and soil over the years so don't drain quite as quickly. But we never get any puddles anywhere other thsan the drain-off areas of the main patio.

I might do a bit of wisteria pruning this afternoon if it stays dry. Though there might be cricket to watch on TV.


We're promised sunny weather tomorrow and I've had an e-mail from my golf club to tell me that after being closed on Saturday, the course will be open tomorrow, which is good news, though it might rain when I come home afterwards.

 

[Sean Regan]

In the end I did a bit. I removed the plugs in the bottom of our many potmovers.
Each Spring, I put a dab of silicone over the drain holes I drilled in the middle of each.
This is to retain some water in very hot weather and it works well. as the pots can dry out in a day.
But presently, we've had so much rain the potmovers are always full of water, which isn't ideal in the circumstances.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Weed pulling, pruning stuff. planting 3 Fox Gloves that was gifted to me.