What did you do in your garden today?

[NewLeafTX]

Never heard that one before...and been in Texas a very long time. I hope that is right but betting that it is not especially since the last two summers have been hot and dry. I'll be planting okra soon and also planting pink eye peas both of which love it hot. Let's see if that folk wisdom prevails.

I will plant Southern peas too, since I had no problems finding the seeds locally.

I prefer not to buy stuff, including seeds, online because I want to support my local businesses and keep them running.

 

[Meadowlark]

I will plant Southern peas too, since I had no problems finding the seeds locally.

I prefer not to buy stuff, including seeds, online because I want to support my local businesses and keep them running.

Understand. I'm pretty much the opposite, i.e. order a lot of stuff including seeds online. It is 30 min drive one-way for me to "civilization" and I can have Amazon at my front door usually in just a couple of days instead of driving. Amazon has saved me countless miles/time driving not to mention opened up a whole World of useful items around the homestead.

 

[Logan]

Nothing today it's been raining all day.
But I've been looking after the seedlings in the conservatory.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

It is called a mast year. Apparently it happens every 2-5 years.

I am surrounded by oak trees. One year they were everywhere. Had to do research and find out what happened. It is a normal cycle for oak trees. I have only experienced this once. I have been here 12 years. One should be coming up soon.

MOD

The oak at the end of my garden produces a fair number most years , but sometimes a real lot. It always makes me think, to maintain the population each oak only needs for one acorn to grow, an oak should live for about four hundred years and produces acorns by the hundred after the first few. that's a lot of wasted chances. On the other hand, as long as there is an oak tree left when the humans go it will be able to reforest Britain, assuming there are a few magpies and squirrels to transport them.

 

[lifegardener]

Newly Planted Kumquat.

 

[big rockpile]

By the time I went 80 miles one way to the Doctor. Then went to town and get Feed. Then went the other way to the store.

Set up tables outside and put plants on them. Moved some Ferns into the shade.

Sprayed with Neem and looked over Fertilizer. I'm thinking going back to Rainbow Pro Mix.

Bunch of plants are blooming.

big rockpile

 

[MiniOrchardDude]

Added compost and fertilizer to 3 European plums and 2 peach trees.

Placed 10 bags compost for the sweet cherry trees. For tomorrow's fertilizing.

Arborist delivered 2 truck loads of chips.

MOD

 

[big rockpile]

Well slept in so had to make up for it.

Wife says I've already went to town. Dang I was needing to go to town. What for? Socks.

We also got Egg Cartons.

My wife says she needs to go to the store that would be the other way. Found myself reading my Bible in the car.

Came home watered everything real good. Got to thinking supposed to rain Monday so I will bring seedlings in. Boy stuff is sure enjoying outside.

Checking about getting some more Tiger Lillies got some coming up but need more.

Checked on my Worms give them a shot of water. They are happy.

Speaking of Worms I ordered some Worm Cups.

Sprayed my Greenhouse good.

big rockpile

 

[MiniOrchardDude]

Added compost and fertilizer to 8 Sweet cherries and 2 peach trees. I hope to be done this weekend with all the fruit trees.

Glad I prepped the compost bags yesterday. I am beat!

MOD

 

[lifegardener]

"Wonderful" Pomegranate Doing MUCH Better This Year.!

 

[NewLeafTX]

Finished doing inventory of my seeds.

Moved pink pint-sized seedling pot with 20 recently sown Arugula seeds from full shade, into a sunnier location because they need light to germinate.

Removed 36 radish seeds saved from Spring 2023 from their seedpods. Sowed them in a 9 ft. row in front of Cottage Garden, where Straw-flowers germinated and then drowned last Spring.

Transplanted ten dandelion plants from their seedling pots, into a row in the middle of Cottage Garden.

Sowed 20 French Dwarf marigold seeds (2023) and 10 Chive seeds (2024) into a 2.5 gallon pot filled with compost, in partly shady area of rear patio.

Watered seedlings in rear Cottage Garden that appeared to be drying out. My potted seedlings are ok because they are not in full sun. They will need to be watered tomorrow morning.

Put about 2.5 oz of mixed variety Green bush beans (2023) in a jar of water, to soak overnight. They will be sown tomorrow.

Did internet research to determine when to sow my Southern peas, and when to sow my cucumber seeds. I believe they both do well sown from April 4-14.

 

[Meadowlark]

...Did internet research to determine when to sow my Southern peas, and when to sow my cucumber seeds. I believe they both do well sown from April 4-14.

In my experience, it does not pay to get in a hurry for planting cow peas. It's not the calendar...rather the soil temps... that make for successful germination. The soil temp needs to be above 70 deg F and below 65 deg. seeds will be lost.

Soil temps aren't there yet in my area.

 

[redback]

Added compost and fertilizer to 8 Sweet cherries and 2 peach trees. I hope to be done this weekend with all the fruit trees.

Glad I prepped the compost bags yesterday. I am beat!

MOD

My local arborist delivered two loads of chips here too. Wonderful stuff. I like the style of your composting .

 

[Sean Regan]

My main job today was cleaning my golf clubs, electric trolley, shoes and over trousers, ready for Monday, the bottom of the legs of the trousers get so muddy I have to wash them in a bucket in the garage, although I am "allowed" to put them in the washing machine on the rinse and spin programme.

Anyway, whilst I had the water heater on in the garage, I gave the wooden troughs a wash down, at the same time checking for rot.
They were all good.

I also cleaned out the fountain and checked the pump and its filter. The water in it was very red. Maybe Sahara dust?
I gave the surfaces a scrub with a kitchen pad. It's easy to clean as there's a removable bung in the bottom of the bowl to let you drain out the water.
Now as good as new.

The little bung you can see in the base of the fountain allows me to put a "dip stick" into the old koi pool pump sump on which the fountain sits, to check for water.

I drilled through the bottom drain with which the sump connects with my 1" masonry drill and the same in several places in the bottom of the pool before it was filled in. The stick always comes out dry, so I'm confident the fine hardcore under the paving isn't retaining any water.

Our white hydrangea survived the winter and is growing well. I read on the internet they like coffee grouts, so I'm saving them from our morning cappuccinos and will sprinkle them around it after a few days of saving them.

I tried a bit of wet n' forget the other day on the bit of moss which was resisting iron sulphate.

All the wisterias are showing a larger than usual number of blossom buds. They do this every few years.

These are the clematis that I removed from the bed alongside the garage and replaced with those I ordered from Taylors/Sarah Raven, which with the potting compost, cost me a hundred quid.
I'm giving them a chance, the shed retains the heat for quite some time after sunset, although I'm not hopeful. If any survive, I can find a space for them... somewhere.

Tomorrow, I may get into this myleen clematis over the front door.

I like it to trail a bit. So it'll need some sorting out, as it does each year.

 

[Logan]

During the winter i buy potted chives to use for the salads, after cutting them i keep the plants through the winter and I've potted them into 2 containers on the patio.