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

KajiKita

My key vistas are out of the living room windows - loads better after pulling out a lot of wild briar rose that had run through the bed and the bulb pots on the patio. The latter need periodic deadheading and watering as it has been dry here for a long time now. 

The other ones are through the conservatory looking out towards the veggie patch (but bare atm 😉) and the front windows onto the front garden (not looking too bad but needs weeding and mulching). 

KK

greenbee

I really need to work on this. Now I've got the veg plot in place, and the orchard, I need to work out what to do closer to the house, as at the moment it's just a huge expanse of patio (in shade most of the day at this time of year, as the house faces north) and then a huge expanse of empty 'lawn'. Last year this was wildflower meadow, but it needs breaking up. And i'd also like to build some structure so that a. I screen the veg plot a bit and b. I can grow some climbers. I also need to think about the fact that we might, at some point, convert the garage into an office - in which case I need a view from there too. 

EssexHebridean

Our patio really needs to slabs cleaned, but allowing that anything we use on it will potentially run off into areas of planting I need to give some serious thought to how. Can’t really jetwash as it will end up all over everything I suspect. I have a hunch someone talked about bicarb and/or vinegar? We picked up two tall thin metal trellis panels in Aldi yesterday though to train the clematis over - and added another clematis today as well from our favourite nursery.

Weeds are pretty much dealt with as we go along now - which is easier with a relatively small space of course. It will get trickier now as we have various plants appearing and being planted. 

Sunflowers we sowed last weekend are doing that sunflower thing - I hadn’t thought to check them then realised yesterday morning that they were threatening to push the lid up on the propagator! They’re now outside - albeit tucked away in the cold frame for now. First few peppers are through as well - the “Bishop’s crown” ones - no sign of any of the others or the aubergines as yet. 

More sunflowers (small “white Italian” ones) and lots of calendula sown today, and yesterday was herbs - parsley and chervil, plus some American Land Cress. 

Managed to resist the temptation to go too mad at the nursery today - just the clematis (“Duchess of Cornwall”), a bag of manure and 6 strawberry plants - 3 Cambridge Favourite, 2 Elsanta and one Sonata. The garden centre netted us a couple of packs of seeds we wanted, plus 2 half price troughs and saucers to suit (for the strawbs) - those were planted up and the clematis settled in to its new home when we got back.

in the spirit of never ending garden spending we now need more compost… 🤦🏻‍♀️😆

Cherryfudge

I'm only managing tiny amounts of gardening at the moment but the weeds are putting in overtime. Yesterday I thinned out the weeds in an area I'd done the other week, and all it did was make room for others! I'm putting off battling the ground elder which is not a wise thing to put off.

The late-sown daffodils are through and looking sturdy. I made a note of what they are but it's on my photos somewhere, ie. lost.

I discovered a buddleia has grown through the base of a pot and under the house - where is the old 'Eek' emoji when I need it? I'll cut the root off of course and the buddleia can take its chances. It's self-sown so not a treasured one.

I've also started on a slow program of potting on houseplants. So far I've done the tiny orange tree and a Money Plant. More plant pots are emerging from under shrubs so I'll recommence last year's Great Plant Pot Recycle.

greenbee

My compost area needs work - the main bay needs turning and the secondary bay then needs turning into it, and more grass clippings (i have lots) need adding to heat it up. Someone else did the last move, and it's all in layers and not doing much, so needs a really good stir. But I'm not up to doing it between meetings, it's definitely a weekend job!

Cherryfudge

Six minutes spent with shears, marmalising some of the top growth of ground elder! I know that won't cure it but it slows it down. I also learned last year that the fight is in the spring and early summer and after that I didn't see much new growth.

I've also watered the pots. It's been so dry!

EssexHebridean

Yay - we have bishops crown chillies and a couple of aubergines poking through! 

MrEH  managed to snare the last two trellis panels in Aldi as well - so we need to work out where those sre going. 

redofromstart

My Kitchen Garden bishops crowns have germinated as well EH, clearly a good batch of seed. I think I have 4 or 5 through - in unheated propagators. I love those little chilli peppers stuffed with cheese so I am hoping for a decent crop. 

KajiKita

Cherryfudge said:

Six minutes spent with shears, marmalising some of the top growth of ground elder! I know that won't cure it but it slows it down. I also learned last year that the fight is in the spring and early summer and after that I didn't see much new growth.

I've also watered the pots. It's been so dry!

Well done, I was going to suggest that you chop the ground elder down to slow it down! Mulch might help where the weeds keep reappearing?

With you on the watering! Very early for it and doesn’t bode well for the warmer weather ….

KK

greenbee

No rain in the forecast either. I think I need to get my irrigation systems set up this weekend before too much is sown in the veg plot/goes into the greenhouse. Even if I have to fill water butts from the hose, it will save a lot of work in the long run.

i’ve just had an email from one of the suppliers I bought bare root plants from reminding me to give them a good soak, so I’ll need to get the hose out too.