2021 - What I did today

Watering, feeding, harvesting, potting on. Also potted up a sweet William & a black pansy that decided to germinate in the wrong place. Making chilli sauce and blanching beans & broccoli for the freezer.

I am still at a loss as to why people blanch food stuffs, modern freezers are so efficient, there is no need.

No gardening today, it was a bank holiday and we were minding no. 2 grandson and the dog, so lots of garden entertainment etc. Then brought grandson to the swimming pool for an hour, back home via the shops to get a new ball for the dog and some sweets for the grandson. Had a nice evening dinner then brought dog for a walk and spent the evening playing Jenga with the grandson and the dog who like to push her nose in to see what we were doing and the inevitable happened. Great evening had by all.

Watering, harvesting, rescuing butterflies from tunnel. House work, running errands. Taking part in the big butterfly count. Later I’ll be adding courgettes to the dehydrator.

   
Cut back the grapevine that sprawls over the shed and GH No. 2. Its laden with fruit - trouble is the grapes are small with big pips and only suitable for Jelly jam or juice.

Then pruned some leggy branches on one of the apple trees - helped by the dogs (who pick the lowest apples and want to play Fetch with them). The chooks, however, want to eat their apples so you get the occasional skirmish as they squabble about ownership! (The chooks always win)
Pulled up some raspberry canes that were growing under and through the apple tree. Those raspberries are everywhere!

Cut down Comfrey yesterday and added it to the bucket.
Lots of dead heading I'm trying to cut down on the self seedings especially Oregano popping up everywhere.

Yesterday moved some planters around, details in the plot thread.
https://gardenandgossip.org/showthread.p...6#pid27826

Also put some circular supports around my 6 sprout plants.

Today town for INR test and a nice walk back along the canal.

I've just popped a marrow size courgette in the dehydrator (One of the plot holders gave me 2 along with a cauliflower)

More pruning of the apple tree. Have to be careful I don't cut off the branches that have apples on - they're coming along nicely. Also pulled up random raspberries and other stuff growing under the tree. The lowest branches are too low to walk under (even for this vertically challenged individual) but I don't want to raise the height too much as then I wouldn't be able to pick the fruit!

Not a lot in the garden before going off to work. Picking and harvesting for giveaways and tieing in growing mangetout to its net to avoid it getting unmanageable.

Transported 11 fruit bushes (in pots) to the allotment, 4 trips there and back with the wheelbarrow.

Will now reclaim the back yard for the new planter.