GreenFly - A 'flylady style' gardening thread with weekly tasks to tame your garden

greenbee

Lovely patio Cheery! I've cleaned my today, which feels like an acheivement - but nothing like yours!

My hairdresser used to give me my hair to take home I put the stuff from my hairbrush into the compost (along with nail clippings - and when I didn't have synthetic carpets I used to also put the contents of the hoover).

As well as cleaning the patio, I've tidied a lot of stuff up. The metal railings from the dog pen that was taken down have been moved up by the veg plot as they'll either be used as part of the boundary or to grow stuff up); all the cardboard has been moved to the veg plot ready to use; bits of brick/concrete/granite from the hearth have been moved from the front to back; the mess of bits of hose that was in the shed has been de-tangled and laid out in the veg plot so I can work out what I need and set up leaky hose in all the beds with a network of hose feeding it. I've also watered the greenhouse, the rest of the veg plot (not well, I need to get another hose reel out and use that until I have my leaky hose setup sorted out), and all the stuff planted in the last couple of weeks. I didn't do the pots on the patio, but as it was overcast today they should be OK. They'll definitely need doing tomorrow. 

There wasn't enough weedkiller to do another round, so I've ordered more and it will be arriving tomorrow. I have found some odds and ends of other kinds of weedkiller which I will make an effort to use up and not replace as they're pretty old. Now it's so easy to get next day delivery on things there's no real point in keeping stock of chemicals that may or may not be used. 

Cherryfudge

I cross-posted with you @Cheery_Daff, so I'm coming back to say you've made a lovely job of the patio and I'm intrigued by the outline of an old door in your house wall! I expect you'll spend plenty of time enjoying the patio, it looks so welcoming.

Cheery_Daff

Cherryfudge said:

I cross-posted with you @Cheery_Daff, so I'm coming back to say you've made a lovely job of the patio and I'm intrigued by the outline of an old door in your house wall! I expect you'll spend plenty of time enjoying the patio, it looks so welcoming.

Thanks both 😊

Yes,  we think that's the original door to the house. I'd love to open it one day,  it goes into the kitchen and I'd love to have an outside door straight into the kitchen,  and maybe even a little sun porch or something one day.  But it's WAY down the list of priorities so in the meantime I'll just enjoy the patio 😊

redofromstart

The patio looks so right for the house Cheery, just lovely.

I have been away for a week and when I got back last night I was most depressed by the volume of weeds, and once again the slug damage. I've lost my young fig tree - no leaves at all left. And the black fly infested the beans in my absence, but as I only had one bean forming I think I shall just pull the lot up today.

it was unexpectedly hot (at home and in the Lake District!) and although the plants that turned up early got watered, the things in pots did not so a few losses although I plunge soaked as much as I could when I got back so a few may recover. I brought a few cuttings of a lovely smelling honeysuckle back so I got those into a pot too. 

Tomatoes are coming on well at least. 

Today I need to weed, a lot. And get the bits of hosta and mint potted. More treats for the slugs.

Cherryfudge

I hope the plunge-soaking does the trick, @redofromstart, it's so sad losing plants. And it may just be worth giving the fig another try, they aren't too easy to kill (and my rhubarb that was down to a single leaf now has three, so in my mind that proves it).

I don't know if you've read back over recent posts, but slugs seem to be a significant problem this year.

I will be interested to see how your honeysuckle goes: I've a piece that was snapped off and lying in the road and which is now in water but hasn't yet rooted. Did yours come with roots? I also have a tiny bit of a gooseberry that I stuck in water and which has produced a beautiful set of roots despite being too small to have much chance. No idea where I will plant it but I'll find a pot somewhere. And the (red?) current cuttings taken when I had to cut a very leggy plant back early in the year? All but one have taken and are thriving.

And a general question: how are raspberries doing this year? I found a few canes died and what remains is fruiting but nothing like as well as last year. I've offered the same sort of neglect as in previous years, so perhaps I simply need to be more active in caring for them.

Brie

What's the thing I'm supposed to do with the tomato plants?  Pinch out the tips or the side shoots????

Farway

Brie said:

What's the thing I'm supposed to do with the tomato plants?  Pinch out the tips or the side shoots????

Side shoots

BUT, depends on the type you have, you don't do it for bush tomatoes, so you'll need to know what variety /type you are growing

Brie

Farway said:

Brie said:

What's the thing I'm supposed to do with the tomato plants?  Pinch out the tips or the side shoots????

Side shoots

BUT, depends on the type you have, you don't do it for bush tomatoes, so you'll need to know what variety /type you are growing

I've got some that are supposed to be big and others that are supposed to be little.  I think one may be moneymaker as that seems to be everyone's go to.  I wonder if there's a way to tell......

Floss

Brie said:

I've got some that are supposed to be big and others that are supposed to be little.  I think one may be moneymaker as that seems to be everyone's go to.  I wonder if there's a way to tell......

By the labels....

Brie

Floss said:

Brie said:

I've got some that are supposed to be big and others that are supposed to be little.  I think one may be moneymaker as that seems to be everyone's go to.  I wonder if there's a way to tell......

By the labels....

  if only there were any!!  these are ones passed along to me by people who said things like "this self seeded".