2021 - What I did today

Mostly pink, wishy washy blue hydrangeas round here. If I see an intense blue one I assume they've treated it with summat - is it copper pennies or am I making this up?

EDIT the duckduck told me that the colour depends on the level of aluminium in the soil. Acidic soils allow the aluminium to be released from the soil to the plant.

https://www.gardenmyths.com/hydrangea-myths/

Mostly pink, wishy washy blue hydrangeas round here. If I see an intense blue one I assume they've treated it with summat - is it copper pennies or am I making this up?

EDIT the duckduck told me that the colour depends on the level of aluminium in the soil. Acidic soils allow the aluminium to be released from the soil to the plant.

https://www.gardenmyths.com/hydrangea-myths/

Clever little duckduck! Intersting article that.

So us on chalky/alkaline soils can bury some tin foil to influence our Hydrangea colour then? If only life were that simple.

So us on chalky/alkaline soils can bury some tin foil to influence our Hydrangea colour then? If only life were that simple.

A few beer or lager tins might do the trick? If it doesn't work at least you will have the pleasure of emptying the cans!

Today I finally went and got the hoss muck for the no dig bed that I so desperately need for my germidour garlic. I got enough, but realised that I've bought far too much garlic. I have three bulbs left over, so I will take that with me when I go and see the kind hoss lady next time and see if she wants them. Pictures will follow when I have a moment

I've cut back a spindly rose that grows in the alleyway along the house and it's not really happy there. I put the cuttings in a bucket of compost, and will move that rose next weekend. I have bought some shade plants that can go in there instead. And the ruddy gravel... gravel everywhere lol That will have to be shifted first.

Raked up more leaves, deposited said leaves, and millions of others previously raked and stored, onto the traditional mowing leaves patch (up the top of the orchard). P mowed them I bagged up the lovely shredded mulch ready for using next year. Very satisfying anywhere but especially so this year as the leaves are crispy, dry and shred beautifully. Found some bags of last years leaves, or maybe the year before's, it was black , crumbly leafmould super stuff. It doesn't take much to make me happy Dug up some carrots for tea, and I'm thinking of planting out a few wallflowers in the areas I've cleared frosted bedding plants from after a lunchtime cuppa.

Turned very nippy today so I found the fleece cover for a blowaway shelving thingy and set it up on the end bed inside GH No. There are only 2 usable shelves in it as there are plants growing in the bed beneath but two's better than none! I'll put the seedling peas and beans in there, whenever they decide to germinate.
Pulled up more montbretia and moved a few more unwanted logs from bed edges.

Actually made it to the allotment today. Planted some garlic and sowed some broad beans. Very nice partner lugged some homemade compost over to work into the planting areas. Chopped a few long brambles and covered some non planted areas with black plastic or cardboard. Will need to replace the plastic next year as the weather has taken it's toll over the last couple years. Dug up some dahlia tubers to store for winter. We'll only have a trip or two left in us this winter before the weather and baby and everything conspire to keep us home, so nice to get a bit done. Wanted to manure the plot but that'll have to wait till spring or later.

Emptied our huge kitchen waste compost as I'd reached the top. It's an old incredibly sturdy hexagonal one and I'd love another one to sit alongside it but the only one I could find online was in Europe for €126!, I didn't even look at customs and shipping costs. I can't remember where we got it, it's called a thermoking but not the same a the more modern thermo kings. I would never have paid a huge amount in my younger days for it I'm sure. Anyway emptied out all the top unrotted stuff and harvested the black gold. It went on raspberries, new and old gh borders and various fruit shrubs. Robin thought it was his birthday. Now it's empty I want to move it 10" downhill to stop the lid fouling the fruit cage net. That's tomorrow's job.

I have a hexagonal thermoking that I bought just a few months ago. I'm going to harvest mine too soon