What did you do in your garden today?

[Marck]

Today my companions were my secateurs and the pole pruner. The major task was thinning the branches on my grove of Xylosma congesta. Removing dead wood and water sprouts in Winter allows more light to the shade garden plants beneath.

After that, I clipped back old inflorescences and various tufts of monocot foliage. The autumnal charms they possessed in late 2021 have deserted them with the New Year, as an early California Spring once again looms on the horizon.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Planted out a raspberry sucker I put in a pot last year. Should have done it before the frosts, but no great harm if it didn't make it, there will be more suckers on other plants. The pots with cuttings and such in (mostly lavender and box) are the last place I have left without the leaves cleared, they get caught between the pots and help stop the roots freezing, but I always lose a few. I always take more than I need, someone will always be grateful for them.

 

[Marck]

Today, I watered some pots and wished it would rain...

I planted a small New Zealand Tea-tree (Leptospermum scoparium 'Ruby Glow'). The deep red, double blooms and fine, dark foliage have a brooding intensity, so different from the preconceived notions of a spring flower.

A few more Spring bulbs have emerged. The first deep blue and white gold of Iris reticulata 'Pixie', and also an odd little, yellow onion relative (Allioideae, Amaryllidaceae) from Uruguay and northern Argentina: Nothoscordum felipponei. It has hopped around taxonomically, formerly being named Ipheion sellowianum or Tristagma sellowianum. At first glance, one might take it for a Romulea.

Addendum: Colchicum soboliferum is blooming too. Small pale lavender flowers at ground level. Perhaps not the most visually stunning bulb, but rich with botanical interest. It's native to the Balkans, Anatolia, Caucasia, and the like.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Strange, I looked up colchicum soboliferum for a look, I do like those small flowers that draw you in as opposed to the big showy stand back to look at it ones. All the references I saw though called it Autumn flowering, which I would expect from a colchicum. Is yours out of rhythm Marck?

 

[Marck]

Strange, I looked up colchicum soboliferum for a look, I do like those small flowers that draw you in as opposed to the big showy stand back to look at it ones. All the references I saw though called it Autumn flowering, which I would expect from a colchicum. Is yours out of rhythm Marck?

The genus Colchicum is often referred to as the Autumn-crocuses,* as many of the better-known species do bloom in the Fall.
However, Colchicum soboliferum is a Winter- or Spring-blooming species. It too has had a series of name changes. You might find more information about it as either Merendera sobolifera or Bulbocodium soboliferum.

* An unfortunate name in itself, as there are also many true Crocus that flower in Autumn.

 

[DirtMechanic]

The genus Colchicum is often referred to as the Autumn-crocuses,* as many of the better known species do bloom in the Fall.
However, Colchicum soboliferum is a Winter or Spring blooming species. It too has had a series of name changes. You might find more information about it as either Merendera sobolifera or Bulbocodium soboliferum.

* An unfortunate name in itself, as there are also many true Crocus that flower in Autumn.

I only read your post. What usda zones?

 

[Marck]

I only read your post. What usda zones?

Most Colchicum are quite cold-hardy, some to USDA Zone 4 or lower.
However, Summer heat, rainfall, and humidity should also be considered when attempting to grow them.
Many Mediterranean, Alpine, and desertic geophytes are susceptible to rot if conditions are too wet during dormancy.

 

[Sean Regan]

Just checked the trail camera.
It's pointing at 'arry's 'ouse. I put some food on his patio, in case he comes out for a snack as they do sometimes in the winter. It was a mixture of hedgehog food and suet pellets.

Problem is that other garden dwellers like the suet pellets. So in the last 24 hours the camera took 112 photos and videos, like these.

I'm going to re-set the clock for just the hours of darkness and just put out hedgehog food.

 

[Sean Regan]

I did a bit this afternoon.
Mowed the lawn and got the garden vac out to clear a few dead leaves and twigs off it which have fallen from next door's trees.
I then gave the few places where there's moss on the lawn a dose of iron sulphate. It's looking a bit rough at the moment particularly under the acer palmatum where grass always struggles to recover until July.

Cleaned out the two birdbaths and the fountain.

These temporary measures I've taken to stop the cat from getting into 'arry's garden, are obviously not working and look a bit of a mess, but you can't see it from the house.

I've ordered another roll of wire fencing to see if I can make it even more difficult for cats to get into 'arry's garden.

I also ordered a couple of Chinese witch hazels.

 

[Neno Baylov]

I will soon start maintaining the lawns in my orchard, I am very happy with this machine. It is not advertising.
Husqvarna 553RS

 

[Riverchancer]

Another nice day, another day in the garden. Like I said yesterday, I planted some native plants around the outer edge of my vegetable garden. I also transplanted violets from my yard into my native garden in hopes of attracting more Great spangled fritillaries. On top of that, i also added two shrubs to the front of the house.Thuja occidentalis 'Hetzi Midget'. They look nice. I'm interested to see how they grow.

Last year, I added two trees, Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald Green' and they both died mid-summer. Never figured out why.

I'm a professional gardening based in the uk and I get the feeling a lot of people on this site arw based in USA so not always sure of course which part you live in as I know the climate conditions vary hugely. I have visited your wonderful country a few times

Another nice day, another day in the garden. Like I said yesterday, I planted some native plants around the outer edge of my vegetable garden. I also transplanted violets from my yard into my native garden in hopes of attracting more Great spangled fritillaries. On top of that, i also added two shrubs to the front of the house.Thuja occidentalis 'Hetzi Midget'. They look nice. I'm interested to see how they grow.

Last year, I added two trees, Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald Green' and they both died mid-summer. Never figured out why.

Hi. I'm a professional gardener based in the south of England. I have been to your wonderful country a few times and know the climate is incredibly varied. If you are in a hot part I would suggest with Thuja it is almost certain to be lack of water. I've had this problem even in the very mild uk.

So I suggest, water, water, water and then water some more every day until Christmas. All conifers (apart from yew) need this.

Good luck.

 

[Sean Regan]

My trail camera showed me where the cat had been squeezing in under the bottom of the wire into "'arry's garden."

Bottom left corner.

I did some shopping this morning and also bought some more tall green plant "canes" from Wilko and similar garden wire. In the meantime, the extra wire fencing I'd ordered on eBay yesterday had been delivered.

So if it's dry tomorrow, I'll rip out the bread tray and other bits of wire and York stone and put the more suitable wire fence in its place. That will hopefully keep cats out, yet still let the birds dash in off the patio or rockery if they feel threatened when feeding.

 

[Sean Regan]

As the weather isn't likely to be any better over the week-end, me being me, I decided to get the job done this afternoon.

I've trained bits of the azaleas through it and more will come, I'll also train that euonymus round the wire fence to give 'arry a bit more privacy. No ugly bamboo canes, so by the summer it will hardly notice.
As soon as I'd finished and left the garden, two blackbirds "bounced" down the rockery and went through the fence. I guess they wanted to see what I'd done. It's a safer way to approach the feeder near the patio steps.
I've left the camera in position so I can check what the cat does.

 

[Sean Regan]

Success!

The cat turned up at around 10.00pm last night, but couldn't find a way to get in.

The videos shows him patrolling the perimeter of the fence then leaving.

sOther videos showed that the extra fencing was no impediment for the variety of birds, other than of course any wood pigeons.

 

[quiltbea]

Sean, am loving all your colorful photos. I envy you your marvelous garden space. You keep a wonderfully neat garden. Will hope to see more colors this spring.