What did you do in your garden today?

[Sean Regan]

I did a bit today.

Pruned off all the dead wood on our two acer palmatums.

There's always a lot, as well as "dead ends" on living branches. This might concern some but it's what always happens, every year. Some of the lower branches partially, or completely die off. But they are always replaced by new branches at the top. there's also plenty of new buds forming on the rest of the branches.

Both acers will need a bit of help "balancing" out of the distribution of the branches to achieve the uniformity I like. I'll do this with some garden wire

I pruned our seven wisterias, back to between two to four buds.

The fence behind this one is in a poor state and really needs replacing. but I won't be doing anything with it at the moment as it's covered by next door's creeping ivy which is destroying it. Until they wake up and accept that it's what's causing the damage it can stay as it is. The wisteria is supported on wires stretched between the concrete posts. So doesn't need the wooden panels.
Whilst up on the ladder, I noticed the pergola over the French windows needs one new 6ft cross beam as one is starting to rot. Not a big job. The rest is sound.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

You are lucky with that ivy, I find next door's creeps through all the gaps in the fence, heck, it makes gaps in the fence, no matter how much I prune it back.

 

[Marck]

Interesting, I have English Ivy (Hedera helix) coming through a wooden fence from a neighbor as well. I certainly don't want a huge thicket of it, but I don't mind a few trailing wisps and additional verdant sprays. Once a year ,or so, I may go along and prune away any excessive or offending tendril. In truth, I don't labor over it any more often than I would most garden plants.

 

[Sean Regan]

The problem with ivy is that it retains the damp which rots the waneylap panels.

It does creep through between the panels so spray it with weedkiller. But it only kills off the bits I spray.
The problem these days is that waneylap panels don't last as long as they once did.
That fence is about fifteen years old and even where there's no ivy the top panels are deteriorating.
Converdely we've a wanylap fence between our drive and next door's at the front of the house which is fifty years old and is still in fair condition.

 

[Sean Regan]

To wet to do anything. I took these photos from the back of the lounge through the glass of the French windows so they aren't very cklear. If I went any closer I wouldn't have got them.

This is a jay under one of our acer palmatums. We get them from time to time, but now there's a pair.

This is Syd, one of our two squirrels.

He's sitting eating his lunch on his favourite branch of the wisteria on the pergola over our lounge windows.

From here he can reach up and take more kibbled nuts out of the feeder, without losing his place.

 

[gary350]

I checked my potato rows plants are growing. When we start having freezing weather there will be no more plants above the ground surface and there will be a good potato harvest about May 15 just in time to plant, tomatoes, peppers, corn, beans, where potatoes were.

 

[Marck]

Back in November, I brought inside any tropical container plants that I know would not abide Winter cold and wet. Among this number was a Xiphidium caeruleum in the Bloodroot Family (Haemodoraceae).

A few weeks later, I noticed a number of large, jagged bites on the Xiphidium leaves and soon found the diner, a green caterpillar, possibly in its last instar. It too had been brought inside for the Winter. I put the caterpillar in a jar with a stick and a sealed mesh top.

A few weeks later, I noticed the caterpillar had pupated, forming a woolly cocoon on the lid of the jar.

Today, I looked again and found that the adult had emerged, perhaps yesterday or the day before. Its a Cabbage Looper Moth (Trichoplusia ni) a small mostly black moth in the family Noctuidae, that is a generalist feeder on many plants. Xiphidium caeruleum was likely exotic fare for it. Cabbage Looper Moths have several distinct features, including two metallic, silver spots on each forewing, and a dramatic plume of upright hairs on the pronotum of its thorax.

The next time you find odd larvae crawling about consider putting one in an airy jar. It might turn into something, both beautiful and educational to behold.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Yesterday I noticed what I thought was a leaf hanging from a spider web on the outside of the greenhouse, went to brush it off and realised it is a cocoon hanging from a bit of silk.
Then I cleaned up all the propagator and all the trays and covers that go with it ready for sowing seed very soon. Sorted through my left over seeds, an exciting time of year. Scrubbed some of the black off the patio, still a way to go with that. Not out there yet today, it's horrid cold.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Nothing. Bama is playing for the National Championship again so it was BBQ and homemade bread. It was a sunny day, and made me realize these interruptions are very frequent. Roll Tide!

 

[Marius]

Today I went in the front garden to work on a climbing hydrangea. It is very tangled and needs some cleaning to reduce rubing sprouts and give it some more air and light. My plans to reduce it's size might change as I noticed two bird nests in it.

This was the occasion to spot some first colour signs for this winter. Are these winter aconites?

 

[DirtMechanic]

Nothing. Bama is playing for the National Championship again so it was BBQ and homemade bread. It was a sunny day, and made me realize these interruptions are very frequent. Roll Tide!

Georgia was the better team. Congrats on a Natty after 40 years of patience!

 

[Sheal]

Yes, they look like aconites to me Marius.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Today I went in the front garden to work on a climbing hydrangea. It is very tangled and needs some cleaning to reduce rubing sprouts and give it some more air and light. My plans to reduce it's size might change as I noticed two bird nests in it.

On the other hand now might be the time to act, the birds won't be using them in winter and when the time comes they will find an alternative.

 

[Marius]

On the other hand now might be the time to act, the birds won't be using them in winter and when the time comes they will find an alternative.

I cleared the plant to give it more air but I decided not to reduce its height. The areas around the bird nests are not so thick anymore. I don't know how the birds will like it when they come back. But with the new growth I think there will be some more shelter, so maybe they will seettle in this year too.

 

[Sean Regan]

It's a job for Sunday. I bought some tanilised 4" X 2" from the local woodyard. I'll be replacing one of the cross beams on the pergola over the French windows which has rotted. It's presently drying out on the floor in the garage. I've bought more than I need in case I discover any others that need replacing.