2026 - What I did today.

Did some weeding in Veg Plot 2. Chopped brambles in Middle Earth. Cut back raspberries and a jostaberry. Stuck the josta cuttings in the ground to grow. Pulled up ivy that was twining and climbing around an apple tree.
A good day to play in the garden.

I filled some pots for tomato seedlings. Warming by the heater in the caravan as the sun has packed its bags and left. Hopefully pot them up tomorrow.

Planted the overwintered strawberry runners wherever I saw a gap.

Planted the mixed lettuce in clumps in a big pot for young picking.

Mowed the lawn - first of the year, plenty of clippings for mulching.

Sowed french marigolds to grow with the tomatoes - all dwarf ones this year after last summer's mistake of growing tall ones which smothered everything.

Cut back a few fruit bushes - jostaberry, black & redcurrants.
Sieved some Hotbin compost. Relocated some worms that had made a home in it.
Another good day for the garden.

Potted on tomato seedlings, watered tunnel, nothing else garden related

Nothing in the garden. Reassembled the ride on with much difficulty. Carb seems OK. P has to suss the electrics. I discovered Head and Shoulders shampoo cleans oily grubby hands very well.

Potted on lettuce, emptied H/propagator moved seedlings to windowsills.

Had a dentist appointment today which is one of my least favourite activities. Fear not, the dentist office is practically across the street from the garden centre. I bought too many dahlias but at quite a reasonable price so...

Put them in shallow containers of coir in the house with the hope of actually taking some cuttings this year. Put some little purchased annuals that have been hanging around into pots outside.

Sowed some alyssum outside in the little gh. Think I spotted some new gemination among the larkspur which would be exciting as I've never managed to grow it before.

Did some weeding in the cottage garden. Replace a couple of edging stones that had fall out of place. Walked down to the polytunnel at the old place. Picked up the metal dustbin and all the contents of the plastic dustbin (long story, let’s not). Got back put contents of plastic bin back in it and washed out the metal one. Which dried out in time for the arrival of the wild bird food. Filled up bird feeders.

Cut down an ash tree sapling, in the wrong place and chopped it up for the garden waste bin. Cut back more fruit bushes (can't call it pruning as it sounds as if I know what I'm doing!). Following the trail of the fruit bushes led me into a dead end corner which is swamped by trailing loganberries (could be tayberries) that root wherever the tips hit the ground. There are gooseberries and blackcurrants in there as well as lots of bramble and periwinkle! With a bit of hardwork I could bring it under control. Maybe a project in the near future!
I also sieved some more hotbin compost and planted some chitted "Jessy" dwarf suparsnaps in a pot in GH1.