2023 - What I did today

Planted some more daffodils. Worked out where the rhubarb tyre is going in the veg garden. Started digging the turf off that area.

Sowed flower seeds (and saved £30), potted on some more Calendula and Cerinthe from last month's sowing. Also some pak choi and rhubarb chard from the other "subscription box" (saving £20).
Rained off and on all day so I didn't do anything outdoorsy.

Cut off as many seedheads as I could reach on a buddleia, hoping to stop it spreading everywhere.
Chopped back a self seeded/squirrel planted hazel and noticed that there was a mini-forest within arms reach - an oak, ash, birch and hawthorn, all about 3 feet high and about to take over that patch of ground. Need to get them out asap before they get too big, If I turned my back on this garden for a year or two it would become a proper woodland. I'm constantly pulling up baby trees, don't worry, I say Sorry to them as I pull.

Finished digging the turf off the area for the rhubarb tyre. Dug another little mini bed, edged with rocks, filled with more compost. Planted a climbing rose. And some more tulip bulbs. Then topped with mulch. Also mulched the mini bed I dug earlier in the week. Rearranged things in the tunnel with lots more copper pipe and fleece. Trying to stop the very determined slugs.

Trip to allotment plot to break up an old shed into pieces for transport, big enough to build a new shed at home. Managed to get a car full home and lugged the timber to thet op of the garden. By that time I was knackered so the cladding will need to wait until another day.
A while ago I bought a load of urooted differnt coloured stemmed willows.I managed to get four of the ten growing. One of them has shot upwards and is about 20 feet high. The problem is , is that the prevailing wind has made it vere towards my neighbours garden! To counteract this I have pulled it back to vertical and tied it to a rhododendron bush growing next to it. Hopefully this will cure the problem?
Two of the other willows are growing either side of a narrow section in my lawn. I have the bright idea of making a willow arch, but these two are growing more prostrate. Once again an old piece of aerial cord was utilised to tie one section of the willow in question to a metal clothes line post which should make it go upwards before going outwards? We shall see!

Between heavy showers I managed to plant 3 trees. Apple, plum and pink rowan. With skews help.

   

If I’m digging in the garden, skew has to dig in the garden. Unfortunately not always in the most helpful of places     . But today was mostly helpful.

I have the same dog-digging problem - usually Spud but he's often joined by Ted as they were today, undermining the bronze fennel!
Meanwhile, I was clearing grass and weeds from a path between a couple of veg "beds". I can't decide where to put some more "beds", just know that the grass has to go. I hate grass, pointless stuff. At least Montbretia has flowers.
Heavy rain this afternoon which stopped play.

Whilst it was raining outside, much of my day was spent shelling crispy beans. Not all were as crispy as I would have liked but I have a good haul of beans for further drying, if they cooperate and don't rot. The heating's not on yet so I have to find sunny spots and clutter the window sills with trays of beans. P will be pleased

After work this morning. I dug around the end of one of the flower beds. Not previously done it because it’s where the waste from the ditch is piled up. But that end of the bed was getting very weedy! Also started laying outlines of where and how many other beds.

The sun was out so I emptied a couple of small square concrete tubs at the front steps. Being concrete they are really porous and loose lots of water in the summer. I revamped the compost and lined the tubs with black plastic. Planted a few pansies in them for some winter colour.