2022 - What I did today

Different day, we went to a dog rescue to look at 9 year old staffy Piper.

She was a lot more lively then I expected and didn't stop barking. I appreciate its going to take patience with a rescue but sadly we have to say no this time

Danny, my brother's a dog walker at the local rescue kennels. Most of the dogs he takes out bark - they're so excited at being let out and having attention. Just saying.............

Danny, my brother's a dog walker at the local rescue kennels. Most of the dogs he takes out bark - they're so excited at being let out and having attention. Just saying.............

I appreciate that Veggie but we saw another that was very quiet, she wasn't the fit for us plus sadly her name was Stella which bought back too many memories for me.

We will find one as we want to give a dog another chance however it's made us think about maybe reviewing our wish list

I got 4 drills of spuds in today, 2 x purple rain and 2 x maris piper.

   
   
   
   

Strawberries and rhubarb doing well

   
   
   
   

I got nothing gardening related done today I started the day with a three hour Open University session that was really good. Jay is feeling under the weather so I went and bought some more tiles for the bathroom, food shopping etc. It's been so windy, I stand no chance of doing anything with the greenhouse frame on my own

I've planted some early potatoes my Mum brought over for me last week. They've just been bunged into the dug over clay soil where my predecessor had a (membrane covered and gravelled) raised bed. I just don't have enough compost to really do them justice, but I'll be happy to get even a few potatoes this year.

I've also popped out some multi-sown turnip modules, and plonked them in the same soil. I can hopefully mulch them as time goes on, but I'll be happy to even have turnip tops to eat from my first sowing - actual turnips will be a bonus!

Put some chitted peas in for some peashoots too. I've been growing them inside up to now, so we'll see how they do outside.

Finally, I have pruned the two enormous camelia bushes by my garage. They don't appear to have been pruned for several years and were growing over the garage windows and into the gutters. The pruning has been rather brutal, but it was very much needed. I suspect I won't get great flowers next year, but hopefully they will be better for the haircut in the long-run!

Cleared some more of a bed in GH1. Most normal people would have ripped out all the bolting plants and consigned them to the compost heap - but, as you know, I'm not normal I'm digging up all the living plants I can find and replanting them in odd spots in the random garden. Its amazing what you find growing in a sea of chard - brassicas ?kale, Japanese mustard, an allium -either elephant garlic or Babington leek (I can only tell them apart when they flower), lettuce and lots of chard/spinach.
The problem with replanting them, is finding a space that is ready. Therefore, I have to weed before I can plant!
Also dug up a lot of the white comfrey as its flowering and about to set seed. As well as not wanting it to spread anymore, the seedheads are bristly and stick to the dog's fur and my legs (trouser legs, not hairy legs). I chopped off the flowers and roots straight into the green bin and spread the leaves around the fruit bushes.
When I plant random plants in random spots, I can picture the end result and how the combination of plants will look. There's rhubarb chard alongside daylilies and mint, unknown brassicas and strawberries; White stemmed chard alongside gooseberries and lovage with wallflowers, More chard next to the blueberries, underplanted with Ajuga, now covered with purple flowers.
It would be impossible for me to plant in rows or follow a plan.

Still too windy to plant out any delicate/sensitive plants so turned my attention to soft fruit. Weeded, fed and watered. Then mowed some grass for mulch to go round them and keep the moisture in. I don't know why but I can't remember ever having a row of raspberries that was not full of nettles after a few years. They seem to be permanent companion plants.

It's already 2pm and I have spent most of my day finishing up e-learning for a course I am doing tomorrow. I have to give a presentation on Tuesday, but I really don't want to lose what remains of my weekend writing that. Think I'll just reuse an old presentation, though it's not 100% ideal for the planned audience. Still, I will just tweak it a bit and give myself time to get some sowing done this afternoon!