What did you do in your garden today?

[MoonShadows]

You never know what you are going to find, Colin. A few years back when we were digging a footing for a deck, we came across a concrete slab. It was only after we removed the slab that we found it was covering a 25 foot deep, rock lined well that must have been used on our property a century ago or more. I always feel like I'm on a treasure hunt whenever I dig on our property. No frogs yet, though.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Many thanks Verdun; yes I could end up in trouble evicting the poor frog's from their home without spending £k's in legal fees and getting bailiffs in; I was saddened though when I found them and turned their life upside down; I'm just pleased I didn't hurt one of them; small things matter a lot to me and Bron.

Being idle in retirement was never an option for neither me nor Bron; we are used to working hard for what we have and will continue to work hard in order to retain or even improve our current lifestyle; this bungalow and gardens though will never ever be classed as low maintenance. I pity those who retire and drop dead the day after because they are bored and have lived only for their jobs chasing money not having any other interests in life or hobbies; if I was forced to sit and watch wall to wall sport on TV all day in retirement I think I'd jump from a bridge; much better to go to bed with aching bones and feeling too tired to sleep having done something useful every day.

Kind regards, Colin

 

[Sheal]

Have to find the link for the Virginia blue bells I have.
Have tons of these that come up in the spring. I have actually sold some, they say they are had to find. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/bluebell/virginia-bluebell-flowers.htm

And I have these also. which do naturalize very well. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/bluebell/grow-wood-hyacinth-bluebells.htm
And the above are mixed in with MayApples.

I like the Virginia Bluebells Esther, I think they're prettier than the English ones. Do they self seed? We have Spanish Bluebells here too and they are considered to be a threat to our native ones.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

The Virginia Bluebells do self seed, @Sheal reason why in some areas of my gardens I have to be careful when or if I mulch. they make these little heavy roots that sort of look like an iris root but less formed. So when I dig around to put other things in, its easy to identify. And about mid May I can just cut the spent ones off at the quick with no effect for next years crop. What happens their leaves can flop on new appearing plants. However, if they are the only ones out in an area its ok to just leave them alone, their leaves melt away before fall.

 

[Sheal]

I suspect they're not quite as invasive as the other Bluebells then?

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Thanks MoonShadows; the area we live in is an old deep coal mining area; when searches are carried on during the sale of properties it has to be established where the old mine workings run due to the possibility of subsidence; large holes can and do appear from time to time. Is your old well still serviceable and if so it could prove useful as well as being turned into a very nice garden feature?

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2017/04/are-bluebells-protected/

Here in the UK we have beautiful woods with blankets of bluebells beneath the trees which are truly delightful to see when in full bloom. Our native bluebells are protected as seen in the link above; we have a small area in our front garden which puts on a nice bluebell display every year.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I suspect they're not quite as invasive as the other Bluebells then?

They can be, but in the "right place" they are wonderful. If you have a woodland area that you just want to let be but add some color that is your plant. I have plenty of room for hug clumps to be happy in. was able to also thin some out two years ago and made some money for them also. its pretty how they turn colors when they are up from pink to blue. they are not the type of plant that will strangle the next one near, actually I have other plants as said above that start coming up close to the finish of the bluebells. and the only issues is their leaves at the end, where I just cut them off at ground level and toss so the next plant has room to reach up. OH--YES, forgot ---the hummers they love them. Its always the trigger for me to get my hummingbird feeder hanging, When I see the hummers darting around the bells.

 

[MoonShadows]

Is your old well still serviceable and if so it could prove useful as well as being turned into a very nice garden feature?

I think it may have been part of the old cistern system on this property at one time. (You can see the old cistern in the first picture. It is opposite the well we found.) Actually, we wound up filling it in with gravel as it was the exact spot where we needed to place a pier for the deck.

 

[Silentrunning]

I can't imagine the amount of work that went into building that project!

 

[MoonShadows]

I can't imagine the amount of work that went into building that project!

I actually had a contractor I have used for other projects do it for me. This little "detour" added almost 2 days and $2000 to a project that was originally supposed to cost just over $3000.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Great pictures MoonShadows; someone took a lot of pride and care in building the old well but as you say if it's in the way then better filled in. The paintwork is immaculate; is it a new build or has it just had a comprehensive makeover; what paint has been used; Benjamin Moore perhaps? Benjamin Moore paint is now available here in the UK and I recently gave our bungalow exterior a makeover using five and a half gallons at £75 per gallon but it has been money well spent. I'd like a Bobcat for Christmas and Bron would happily buy me one but we couldn't store it.

I could really enjoy attacking our rear garden with a digger; I'm not fussy whether Cat or JCB. Do you know JCB diggers used to be supplied with a kettle; I'm unsure if this tradition lives on but might explain why I see so many parked at roadworks doing nothing.

http://www.jcbexplore.com/content/about_jcb/jcb_facts/

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

They can be, but in the "right place" they are wonderful. If you have a woodland area that you just want to let be but add some color that is your plant. I have plenty of room for hug clumps to be happy in. was able to also thin some out two years ago and made some money for them also. its pretty how they turn colors when they are up from pink to blue. they are not the type of plant that will strangle the next one near, actually I have other plants as said above that start coming up close to the finish of the bluebells. and the only issues is their leaves at the end, where I just cut them off at ground level and toss so the next plant has room to reach up. OH--YES, forgot ---the hummers they love them. Its always the trigger for me to get my hummingbird feeder hanging, When I see the hummers darting around the bells.

Hum, did not see an edit on this. so wanted to add, it does take a few years before you realize there are just too many for the "look" you want. depends on where you want them. I started a clump elsewhere, and they are free to do their thing.

 

[Verdun]

Some lawn mowing at my niece's new build and a few sketches as to planning and planting. A clematis montana grandiflora and Miss Christine are already on their way to be planted asap
Here, astrantia moved, euphorbia Rainbow (at last I am appreciating this a lot more) planted, some primulas divided and planted (some are flowering foo) and salvia patens Cambridge divided and potted
Plant order of geums duly arrived

 

[Colin]

Hi,

After Blackie soaked everything overnight I wandered up the wet garden armed with spade and fork just over an hour ago. I had jug out the final patch of buried stone; bricks and rubble but I then ran out of energy so left the job for the day; yesterday I piled all this hard material against the base of our dry stone wall in the hope it would deter low life having an open invitation because I had opened up a gap in the laurels; I also piled lots of garden debris into the trench where many of the stones and top layer of concrete had been removed from; this lot should rot down without trouble; what a terrible job it proved to be just filling in the trench and raking everything level; the soil was clinging to everything and as I walked around I was sinking into the freshly dug soil whilst I kept growing taller; however I'm now pleased to have this job behind me and the top corner of the garden is now much tidier ready for seed sowing next springtime. I'm thinking about sowing meadow flower seeds all along the top of the garden.

What a dramatic difference though after many weeks of hard graft to reclaim this top area of garden from the snowberry hedge which at its peak was 8' tall and mixed in were tree stumps where I had felled the trees; I've dug the lot up and all under the laurels was masses of English Ivy which too is now removed and shredded; looking back I wish I had a Bobcat for all this heavy work; a Bobcat would have easily removed the many stumps and roots then made light work of breaking up the soil but doing it the hard backbreaking way meant I've been able to hand remove the masses of roots. The shredder has seen a lot of action again this year. I'm certainly not complaining but I would never recommend this kind of work to anyone wanting an easy life. The pictures show before after I had brought the hedge down to about 3' tall; the Snowberry hedge was very invasive trying to walk down the garden every year whilst putting on lots of growth; I won't be trimming it this year? It's amazing though what can be done in an hour with some serious effort.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[productivegardener]

Picked brussel sprouts. Actually my wife did and whisked them into the oven before I could get a decent picture. 20 minutes yet...