2025 - What I did today

Trimmed the FREE rosemary and turned them into cuttings. I'll have so much rosemary if they all take that I may have to give some away!
Cut down the overwintered dead stems of lemon balm, apple mint and sweet rocket - scattered the latter in the hope that there are still seeds in the seedheads.
Raked lots of dead grass out of various "beds".
Attacked dead brambles in the ditch by bashing them with a rake until they snapped.
Spent most of the afternoon in the garden but very little to show for it!

Oh Veggie, you reminded me! I also cut back all the dead from my mint, lavender & thyme today.

Again I found vine weevil grubs in my strawberry tubs and the plants loose on the top of the soil where their roots had been eaten. After all my work last year to get rid, I'm really disappointed. Robin had a hot dinner though. I'm looking into whether nematodes might be he answer, but they're quite expensive every year. I fear I might just have to accept that strawbs will have to be a border plant. I can always grow spuds in the strawberry planter. At least I didn't dig out the border strawberrie,s as I had planned to late season last year and took runners in pots, so I've plenty of stock.

Again I found vine weevil grubs in my strawberry tubs   and the plants loose on the top of the soil where their roots had been eaten. After all my work last year to get rid, I'm really disappointed.  Robin had a hot dinner though. I'm looking into whether nematodes might be he answer, but they're quite expensive every year.  I fear I might just have to accept that strawbs will have to be a  border plant. I can always grow spuds in the strawberry planter. At least I didn't dig out the border strawberrie,s as I had planned to late season last year and took runners in pots, so I've plenty of stock.

That's why I gave up growing strawberries in containers. I suppose hanging baskets would make it more difficult for the weevils to find the plants, but they're harder to keep well watered. I did use tree glue around the legs of my planters one year, but it kills other insects too.

Not gardening, but today,after some time at these excercises, I have progressed through 10k kettlebells, to 12k, 14k,16k and now swing clean and press 20Kg on each arm. I alsi press 16k left & 20k right together numerous times.(Left arm is not as strong as my right!)

Last week I managed to deadlift my bodyweight of 195 Kilogram afeter working my way up to it and would like to lift 200 kilo soon?

I know this sounds like I am bragging,and probably doesn't make sense to you all, but I had to tell someone!

Not gardening, but today,after some time at these excercises, I have progressed through 10k kettlebells, to 12k, 14k,16k and now swing clean and press 20Kg on each arm. I alsi press 16k left & 20k right together numerous times.(Left arm is not as strong as my right!)

Last week I managed to deadlift my bodyweight of 195 Kilogram afeter working my way up to it and would like to lift 200 kilo soon?

I know this sounds like I am bragging,and probably doesn't make sense to you all, but I had to tell someone!

Nope, doesn't make much sense to me -  195kilos is more than 30stone - Is that how heavy you are, Vinny?

Spent most of the day outdoors, cut back blackberries tied in new growth, weeded and mixed compost ready for my containers.
We have our grandaughters dog for the weekend so he’s been entertaining.

Not gardening, but today,after some time at these excercises, I have progressed through 10k kettlebells, to 12k, 14k,16k and now swing clean and press 20Kg on each arm. I alsi press 16k left & 20k right together numerous times.(Left arm is not as strong as my right!)

Last week I managed to deadlift my bodyweight of 195 Kilogram afeter working my way up to it and would like to lift 200 kilo soon?

I know this sounds like I am bragging,and probably doesn't make sense to you all, but I had to tell someone!

Nope, doesn't make much sense to me -  195kilos is more than 30stone - Is that how heavy you are, Vinny?

Sorry Veggie, it should have been 95 kilo not 195..............or 15 stone and a bit, my bodyweight! Well spotted!

To put this into perspective though, Eddie Hall lifted 500 kilo (1/2 a metric tonne, for a world record!)

Not gardening, but today,after some time at these excercises, I have progressed through 10k kettlebells, to 12k, 14k,16k and now swing clean and press 20Kg on each arm. I alsi press 16k left & 20k right together numerous times.(Left arm is not as strong as my right!)

Last week I managed to deadlift my bodyweight of 195 Kilogram afeter working my way up to it and would like to lift 200 kilo soon?

I know this sounds like I am bragging,and probably doesn't make sense to you all, but I had to tell someone!

Nope, doesn't make much sense to me -  195kilos is more than 30stone - Is that how heavy you are, Vinny?

Sorry Veggie, it should have been 95 kilo not 195..............or 15 stone and a bit, my bodyweight! Well spotted!

To put this into perspective though, Eddie Hall lifted 500 kilo (1/2 a metric tonne, for a world record!)

Correct me if I'm wrong,,,,,,,,,,so you deadlifted 95 kilos but you'd like to lift 200 kilos soon??  Just checking........

Planted some rooted rosemary cuttings and bunged the unrooted ones in with the others in a big crate of old compost.
Did some weeding in VPs 6&7.
Took the perennial cauliflowers for a walk around the garden and failed to find the perfect spot to plant any of them. Hope its not too windy tonight as I've left them balanced on top of a compost bin!
Added some worm compost to the seed sowing/potting up mix.
Had a brainwave as I'm tired of sieving hotbin compost - I won't bother with sieving but just put it in the bottom of the big tubs which I'll top up with old compost for planting into. By the end of the year, it may have composted down enough to be able to mix the two lots together.