3: Gardening Diaries ...

[Perki]

Hi , nice pictures alp
Not done much in the garden recently had another frost thursday morning. The weather been quite nice the last few days, rain / drizzle forecast tomorrow. I am waiting for the GC and b&m to reduce their bulbs so I can go and clear up . Not got anything else to report on but for I am sick to deaf of clearing leaves at least I get paid for it.

 

[alp]

LOL! @Perki ! You should put on music doing so. Do you keep the leaves to make leaf mould? I stopped the car in front of the church and took several bags of leaves home. But it took ages for them to turn into anything. Apparently, tomorrow is the last balmy day and that's why we went to Hyde Hall.

Yes, do wait a bit as sometimes they reduce a whole 5kg sac to 10p! Of course, there is no chance of seeing them flower the first year, but it doesn't matter, does it?

Thank you for the kind words and hope to see some of your photos of your garden. I have nothing but dahlias..

 

[alp]

@Upsy Daisy is having a bit of headache and aches and the screen makes her feel worse. Hope she gets well soon!

 

[Perki]

I were wondering why upsy hadn't popped in, hopefully she better tomorrow

No I didn't keep any leaves for my self, I dont have the room for that amount of leaves. I been using the lawnmower to pick them up but the box fills in no time so I just end up mulching loads into little bit and pick them up after. I have got a leave mold pile but haven't had anything out of it yet, I'll have a look tomorrow its been rotting for 2 years.

I haven't got much to take pictures of but for some roses - aster monch - dahlias and other dribs and drabs.

 

[alp]

Went to bed early after posting and missed your latest post, @Perki ! In fact, I was slipping in and out of consciousness the whole night apart from when watching Strictly Come Dancing! Saturday night viewing has always been boring.

Yes, it took ages and the leaves haven't done anything. I might do it again though if I saw bags of leaves outside the church. I was amazed by how many flowers still in bloom in Hyde Hall - tons of salvias, yellow, light blue to deep blue and tons of Symphyotrichums and I nearly left with £10 lighter. 4 for £10, but from my previous experience, they haven't overwintered that well. Had a lovely Salvia Glimmer, a Symphyotrichum, a dark blue delphinium and just couldn't find a 4th one. Glad that I didn't buy them as I will have 4 more pots to sink into the ground.

@Zenj You are going to leave just in time for the cold spell. So envious!

This is a much richer and deeper colour in reality. Very nice!

I remember when red hot pokers are screaming with bright red and yellow. They have toned down and thinned out a bit. Shame. In fact, in the Cottage garden, tons of plants have died as the labels are neatly stuck in the soil as if they were being planted. Quite a bit of bare ground, probably because of the summer heat!

Another rockery?

Wonder what these fruits are?

A kind of Yucca but I prefer the white flowers.

I so want to have this orange flowers. Was given some cuttings, but they died in the car.

The main pond

This symphyotrichum is my favorite!

Love this orangy tiny thing - very rich oragne!

So much grass

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Good morning all, hope everyone is in fine fettle today!
Great pics @alp

What a smasher of a day we have in store!!

Looking like an undercover spy.....sunglasses inside the house as well as out. .Head still hurts....but hey! ....it's a lovely day.

Need to crack on today and pot up all the remaining plants that need over wintering in the coldframe/ greenhouse.Have decided not to save Dahlia tubers...will sow fresh ones instead. Plant out remaining winter bedding . And.......this is the painful bit......pull out fading summer bedding that are still trying their hardest to bloom!! Temps are dropping next week so I know the emerging buds won't open.

Next week will be busy as we start on tackling my Dad's garden .....a Ground Elder haven!!!!! Have to make sure we don't bring even the tiniest bit of root stock back with us. We got rid of all ours about 10 years ago

We can't really do anything more than keep the surface clear by pulling up as it emerges.....can't chance 'killers' because of his two ponds and also haven't really got the time to treat the soil and leave it barren for a year or so ( as we did) as at the age of 93 I just want to give him loads of summer colour next year, as he loves watching the wildlife in his garden so aim is to attract as much as I can.... that's the plan!!!

Have a fabulous day!

 

[alp]

Gee! Don't know how you manage with all the terrifying ailments and still be so cheerful.

@Upsy Daisy Take it easy. Don't do all at once as the weather is getting cold and you've been unwell.

It's been a lovely day. Got a free lampshade, some free buckets and kiln dried sand and wonder if I could use it to suppress weed in my seeding pots? What do you think, @Zenj and @Perki and @Upsy Daisy ? Can kiln dried sand be used. Also took 2 bags of sub base like material, but actually more sand. Will sieve the sand and watch it with rain water and use it to stop compost bugs laying eggs in my pots. Also got a pond like structure for my lilies.

Saw a new dahlia outside the front lawn. I'm going to dig up those dahlias that I don't like and bury them in the front lawn and leave it to the future owners. The chance of them being stolen is probably zilch!

 

[Perki]

New lawn coming on well

Wallflower bed sowed them earlier this year and they done much better nice big plants

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Looking fab @Perki

Still got some Wallflowers to plant out didn't get to them today after all. Started on clearing another bed, planted up 2 more winter tubs and planted.out more Pansies.....getting there slowly but surely. Swept up loads of leaves too.

Had another BBQ.....think we've had more this year than we've ever had before!!! Aiming for a Christmas day one! Think the Turkey might take a while to cook though

Did a bit of Googling @alp but didn't come up with much, I can't see why not to use kiln dried sand. I must be a bad gardener really as I don't do anything to my compost , thankfully I haven't had any eggs in my pots/ trays.......yet!! If I re-pot house plants then I do zap it in the microwave....just in case
What sort of pond structure did you get, sounds interesting.

Still have a headache , hope it lets up a bit as I plan to launch an attack on my Dad's garden tomorrow morning. Will take the stronger meds and have an early night.

Sleep well / have a good day everyone

 

[alp]

@Perki Well done! That's a lovely lawn!

Just love penstemons and for some reasons, my Mother of Pearl and Sour Grapes are sulking sisters. I will have no flower at all this year! That rose is very pretty.

Funny thing is that I never have to sow any wallflower seeds. They just wanted to say hello and I removed them as I had no space. I will collect them and grow them in front. At least, nobody will walk home with them.

@Upsy Daisy Hope you get better tomorrow morning. I'd love to marinate my pork with mustard and make it taste like BBQ stuff.

Wonder why people use kiln dried sand. But I need them for my cuttings, so I took it. The owners - a very nice couple - told me to take whatever as they are clearing the big farm for new tenants. Son put the freegled lamp in the hall way and exclaimed that it looked bloody in the hall way as the lamp shade was red in colour! No wonder the owner wanted to get rid of it. Quite hilarious to see the hall sooo red! Good effort, @Upsy Daisy ! Sleep well and get hope tomorrow you're fresh as a daisy!

 

[Upsy Daisy]

 

[alp]

Good morning - first time we have turned on the radiator. Oh, dear! It's going to be dear!

Last night, whilst out putting the tiny rubbish bag with meat into the public bin across the road, I found out it was drizzling. Good for my grass. Going to have photos taken on Thursday for the house sale again, going to tidy up the bedroom and sort out the hellebores.

Today I got rid of 3 rubbish bag - a bit of record for me. Normally, I had one for 3 weeks.

Happy gardening for all and happy packing for @Zenj et his beloved .. Never been to Crete! Think about all the lovely Greek foods!

 

[alp]

Going to be colder during the weekend!

 

[Zenj]

Morning all 5c here real feel 1 c really cold night leave it all behind tomorrow will be setting off to the airport at 6 am

 

[alp]

Morning all 5c here real feel 1 c really cold night leave it all behind tomorrow will be setting off to the airport at 6 am

Think beyond the flight and you'll be so happy. Meanwhile, the cold weather is an excuse to cuddle your better half! LOL!