Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

Dull & grey again, but mild again

Managed to clear the buddleia pruning & general dead stuff from the front yesterday, so all set for the bursting of daffs, buds formed and waiting to go once spring really arrives, at least any sun will now get through

My pear has buds getting ready as well, as has next doors, if I have judged my variety right they should blossom at the same time, just need the bees to have same dairy date

Big surprise as well, found a lupin in pot starting to grow. I was trying last year but every time it had a leaf it was eaten by snails, then the drought arrived, and I gave it up for dead. Now I know it really really does want to grow, so I need to find a space for it, somewhere out the front I think

YoungBlueEyes said:

When did your and your neighbours damage appear Farway? 

It's been on going for years, due to our clay soil on a hillside trying to slide downhill.

However, last year was really noticeable as the clay dried out, and literally the ground shrank from under the paths / slabs / walls. It's general in this area due to clay sub soil, some flats built nearby had to have huge pilings hammered in before they could even start building

I heard one of my concrete slabs crack & split as gravity & weight took half of it at least an inch downwards, where was once a gap I could get fingers in I can now get a fist in should I care too

My neighbour had the lot dug out & rebuilt, but this is his second time, don't know if his previous rebuild was faulty or just not good enough for last summer

I'm leaving mine 'cos it's external & unless it gets dangerous it'll see me out and the next owners can sort it

twopenny

Sunny and mild. My crocus and Dutch iris have popped into bloom. It's confirmed that fancy planting is meah where bulk colour at this time of year has more impact. 
Farway, great to get a free lupin. I think mine have been devoured. 
Well I briefly cleared the crocus and snowdrops of the invasive daisy stuff and intended to return to mow the lawn but the swimming pool was closed then my car wouldn't start on top of the freezing moor so aa rescue and garage. 
But while waiting I picked up some sheeps wool for baby plant protection.

Tomorrow is another day

Farway

Back to sunshine after a misty start

With all this talk of blooming bulbs, mine are way behind, and I'm in Soft South . I have buds, but no flowers yet. Agree, mass planting is way to go if able to 2P.

There's a dual carriageway here where council have mass planted the central reservation with daffs, in clumps of different varieties, so one white clump, one yellow, some tall, some short etc. A real picture come spring

I was hoping to have a Poundland version in the Volunteer garden, but it's not quite the same impact with squirrels digging them up when my back is turned

The lupin has landed , sun came out yesterday PM, so managed to get it planted out in the front. I'll keep an eye on it because of slugs, there is a robin that hops about, so hopefully he will also keep an eye open as well

New car battery time 2P? Hope it's not the starter motor like mine was, over 300 quid once labour costs added. Used to be two bolts and motor could be removed, now it's half a day dissembling bits just to get access

Farway

More sunshine this morning so off to Home Bargains for grow bags

Got those , my my £1.99 a bag now , only wanted two because this year I'm going to try the tom growing method of standing the bag vertical and cutting an end off, like a large deep pot really

Either a success or expensive tomatoes

More good news, they also had in square tubs that I wanted to replace my frosted & broken clay ones, also £1.99

I need to drill some holes in them, and then I can get on and repot the dwarf buddleia for a start, the side of its pot has completely broken off now so the sooner repotted the better

If the sun keeps on for a few more days, and my back improves, I may be able to get out the back & prune the buddleia out there in the next week or so

twopenny

Good news Farway.
I've got photos and the gas bill so I won't be hanging around the laptop to post at the mo.

I saw some good daliaha tubers in the low cost bracket and loads of bulbs but where to put them? Borders keep getting wider 
Also lidl have small herbs on standard stems. Cute and tempting.

I mowed the lawns yesterday. Almost looks like a garden. I've also decided at last how to cut the turf for shape so I'm mostly just looking at the mo.
No pots to replace those that are cracking. It will be the cheapest standard ones but that's fine.

goldfinches

Lovely sunny afternoon here and all the crocuses have suddenly opened wide and started looking really attractive. I saw a red kite cruising hopefully at lunchtime as I was walking past the mosque too.

The staff at the Botanic Garden here talk about "squirrel landscaping" when they plant bulbs in groups and then find them popping up in quite different places the following spring. It can be rather fun spotting them as a visitor but I do see it must be very frustrating when you've planned and planted for a particular effect.

The idea of small standard herbs sounds very appealing, I'll have to see if I can clear a windowledge in the kitchen and squeeze a pot or two in.

Farway

Rain this morning, not much but enough to help water in my lupin and wash the dust off other plants

Coincidence mentioned "squirrel landscaping" someone I know as moaning about her crocus have vanished but her neighbour now has loads, seems that's why

My dahlia was cheap from Home Bargains, I've still got to pot it up, but now I have compost I could do that this weekend. I'm hoping to get cuttings from it, but borders will remain same size for now, tempting but my back & general doddering prohibits such foolishness landscaping

No gardening today with the rain, not even drilling drain holes in my new tubs

twopenny

2nd time I've posted and it's vanished !

Weather brightish and dry with a chill breeze.

Life's been throwing me the bad stuff still so I went out and bought some Daliah tubers for £1.79 then saw them in Poundland cheaper but they were shrivelled.

Got some more Dutch Iris as I'm impressed by their cheer after so long in flower free days. I just need some purple crocus because the mauve with deep blue is charming.

Going to try and dig in the rubble in the front garden by my steps and put a bunch in.

There were plants at our DIY shop too. So tempting but sweet peas? A bit early?

Farway, did you see Monty Don putting scrunched up chicken wire over his bulbs in pots and covering with compost? Would work in the ground if you wrapped the bulbs in it I think.

Any tips for photographing blue things Farway? It's the most difficult which is why there's only a coupld of pots instead of all

Farway

Dull & mild this morning, may even drill holes in the new plastic tubs later on today

Spring is here, saw some pigeons "at it" yesterday, but they are notoriously randy beggars, last night it was foxes howling & on the "pull", and this morning a blackbird in my grapefruit bush pulling leaves off, I assume for nesting?

2P, yep saw Monty & his chicken wire, I think it would work in the ground, I have heard of covering bulbs with mesh when planting, I've just not done it

I'm wondering now about putting some iris in my new pots with mesh, I'll give it some thought, too late for this year of course

Your dahlias were cheaper than mine, £1.99 here in Home Bargains. I'm hoping to pot it up this weekend along with the lilies

Heard on the radio, everything weather wise is set for bumper fruit blossom this year, the drought put the trees to sleep early, the cold winter spells, and now it's just right. I know there are plenty of plump buds on my cherry and a pear.

I still have to rig a long hose down to that end of the garden just in case we get another hot dry summer

Photographing blue, I suspect it's down to "white balance" but as one who has trouble with coral pink Christmas cactus flowers I'm no expert on that TBH

Nice cheery flowers 2P, my frost broken pots are very similar to that square one, but mine are obviously inferior tat

PS, Snap, I have a rubble area next to my [broken] front steps, but the Shasta daisies like it as do the sedums, must be poor ground though, even chives are struggling there despite running amok in a colleagues garden, very tempted to poke some blue muscari in there, just to see

twopenny

Well I've been digging and reforming some beds. Two at the bottom of the steps for the dutch iris and crocus which when they die down I'm not sure. But makes it easier to mow.

At the back I've been moving the hydrangeas, primroses and some bulbs around my little shady woodland area and now I can see my lemon coloured fern. Another cheapie so I don't know what it is.

Theres a deciduous shrub! No idea what that is but planted to be visible. Just a bunch of sticks so no point in photographing.

The perenial wallflowers are doing a treat. Several pinky purple ones flower well all winter. I have several so there must have been an offer 
There is a deep red one too but not as florifous. 
Tons of seeded giant wallflowers. That will be the next job, moving them.
The whole front bed is mostly those and some out back. I don't mind because they are cheap, pest, drought, wet and cold resistant and they are highly perfumed.
All from ones a friend dug up and left dry in a bucket.

Those pots will be replaced for summer ones with geraniums. Being right outside the patio doors they are visible as part of the'wallpaper' so important.
I looked at some black plastic square ones imitating the expensive ones but they are thin and I think the sun will degrade them quickly. There are some good looking and sturdy ones on sale now though in our local diy shop.