What did you do in your garden today?

[johnny canoe]

Yesterday I made visits to two of my more senior customers, brought them both over some of my tomatoes and did walk through both their yards with them, talking plants and such. Chopped down my Castor Beans, all my beautiful Begonias are drying in the GH getting ready for the cold room in my basement. Pulled up more Petunias. Will start digging up Cannas and Dahlias after the first killer frost. Emptied both the 1600litre and 200litre water tanks, emptied the fountain. Blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes and put in freezer.

Well here's an amazing cheer for me!lol

 

[alp]

You've done a lot. I have been out digging up my irises from a spot where they didn't flower last year. It was so humid and now I came in for something to eat and found my laptop still on, for no reason. More to dig up and more to plant and now I have the same problem - all plants and no way to get to the middle.

 

[reimonc]

Cleaned up some of the beds and did bulb relocation.

 

[Fernsdaddy]

Cleaned up the last of the beds for the winter, just waiting for the rest of the leaves to fall so I can get them cleaned up and fertilizer the front lawn. It needs to turn cold so they will fall but hat won't happen if the temps stay in the 70's . I'm so ready for winter.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

It was so dark and gloomy here this morning with some rain and plenty of wind so I thought I've little chance of doing anything useful in the garden. Just after dinner it brightened up a bit but still with a strong wind so I spent a bit of time sowing more Ajuga seeds; hopefully once these grow and are potted I'll give them to our lovely neighbour as a thank you for the two big bags of compost she recently gave me; that's the full packet of Ajuga seed now sorted out.

I then had a choice of spending a bit of time in the garden being blown around and possibly getting another soaking or wander into the workshop and resume work on a 3hp router table I'm constructing. I think I must have been bitten quite hard by this gardening bug because I chose the garden.

Since moving here 30 years ago I've fought a long weary battle with lots of Snowberry; at least I think its Snowberry but ours at its peak was around 8' tall and there was a lot of it forming an hedge at the top of the garden; a couple of years ago I really attacked this reducing its height to around 3' tall but it still tormented me putting on lots of new growth whilst trying to march down the valley; in short this Snowberry has become a real pest and now I'm at war with it.

Approaching it with secateurs; loppers and spade I wondered how to go about this; I crouched and started to cut away with the secateurs but it was slow going so I switched to the loppers; what a pain its been cutting this lot down to around 6" tall; mixed in were lots of bramble; holly; blackcurrant and mile a minute vine. Pricked and poked whilst taking a lot of care not to injure my eyes I went at this with some unrestrained enthusiasm after all its tormented me all these years.

Old habits die hard and I must confess I forgot the suggestions from both Robert and alp to take it steady and enjoy the work; an hour and an half later its down to 6" tall and piled up ready for shredding but then I remembered about easing back so I knocked off for today just in time as the strong wind was starting to bring along some rain.

I've just been browsing Snowberry online only to find I'm in for lots more grief and lots of work because of its invasive root system; I had hoped it would be shallow rooted but with my usual luck no chance; I couldn't just have the odd bush oh no I've got to have an hedge of the stuff. A large area of garden is covered in these stumps and there are many of them; what fun I'm in for because I'll not be happy until I dig the lot up and dispose of them; perhaps I should have chosen to play with the new router table project? The pictures show progress this afternoon.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Vishu1708]

Been in the garden since early morning.....
Did weeding and fertilizing.......
Watered the lawn....
Planted garlic and onions.
Divided lemongrass and spread it throughout the garden to keep mosquitoes in check.
Didvided and planted sansieveria border.
Planted more amazon lily bulbs.
Divided and thinned amaryllis clumps.
Below the custard apple tree, the grass didnt grow properly so planted this patch/border with amaryllis+tuberose+mums.

Also planted papaya saplings and dahlia bulbs.

 

[johnny canoe]

I tried to get ready for the snow storm yesterday. Dug up my Glad bulbs and repositioned the rain spout away from water tank. Pulled up most all annuals and left the Cannas and Dahlias alone, I'll dig them up after the storm has passed. Got a evening emergency call from a customer who was panicking because her Geranium cuttings were not rooting. Went over and cut some more for her and told what she was doing wrong. Then she treated me to a glass of her home made raspberry wine.

 

[DeborahJane]

I posted a story about my poor echium that was squashed by a branch a few years ago. Lots of support and encouragement from you guys and it's about to come into its own again. Will post photos as soon as it explodes, not literally of course. The lower section has become so heavy it's escaping the garden bed parameter so today I extended the border. 3 steps, one to go. 1. Dug the border 2. Moved patches of lamium which surrounds most of the border of this garden bed to match. 3. Tomorrow lay newspaper and mulch in remaining patches and voila it will look like it was always the border. Less mowing is always popular here. The escapee can be seen in the background.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Good luck with your echium Deborahjane.

Yesterday morning I managed to shred the pile of brash from the Snowberry hedge but had to work like someone possessed starting at 8:15 and done by 10:15 just as the heavy rain hit us; I had been working in horizontal drizzle brought up the valley on the strong wind so I was pleased to get this job out of the way but I then needed to spread the pile of shredded material which was receiving a good soaking.

I thought I was dreaming and had awoken in another country as I looked out of the kitchen window first thing this morning; the patio was almost dry and it wasn't raining; WOW.

This afternoon I used this shredded material to mulch the newly planted garden area by the new hut; I was very surprised by how dry the shredded material was considering the soaking it received yesterday; there was just enough and once it turns dark brown it will look good whilst suppressing weeds; retaining ground moisture and preventing soil erosion on the steep site and of course it cost me nothing. Today has been wonderful apart from the usual strong wind; a bit of sunshine is good for the soul.

Yesterday was a black hole but today has been much brighter and this is clearly seen in the picture quality.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Rajesh Sethi]

I don't like rainy season much, whole garden becomes a marshy puddle.

Had moved all potted plants and herbs to shade few months ago, will have to wait till water get drained.

planted papaya saplings

Isn't it too close to wall?
It's a heavy feeder, need atleast a feet around it.

 

[Vishu1708]

Been growing papayas in that place for many years...... they do well.....
As long as they are properly fertilized, i dont think they mind

 

[Rajesh Sethi]

Been growing papayas in that place for many years...... they do well.....
As long as they are properly fertilized, i dont think they mind

My mistake, in picture it appears too close. Single leaf will get about a metre long.

Is it the dwarf variety?

 

[Vishu1708]

My mistake, in picture it appears too close. Single leaf will get about a metre long.

Is it the dwarf variety?

I am hoping they are dwarves.
Nursery guy told me they grow 6ft tall (max). But you know they arent reliable.

 

[Rajesh Sethi]

Same here!

 

[Vishu1708]

Btw, where are you from, if you dont mind me asking....