What have you done on the plot today?

[SteveC]

Some years ago, my mother gave us some bluebells for the garden. They have done pretty well. Unfortunately they are the Spanish type, so I have spent most of the afternoon on my hands and knees removing them. When we're sure there are none left lurking (so not this winter) we will replace with proper English ones.

[Flite]

Spanish type

They are very difficult to get rid of. 
Whatever you do, don't put the bulbs in the compost bin or anywhere else they might survive.
As well as the bulbs, they set viable seed, and you don't notice the seedlings till several years later....
Putting the area down to grass and mowing for a decade or two does the trick.

[rafletcher]

I will be doing a significant amount of weeding later, but this morning I took a moment to admire one of our wisteriaa. It's about 5 years old, and has vever before hinted at flowering. This was it this morning.

Wisteria #1 by Richard Fletcher, on Flickr

[Mrs Pingu]

I was wondering if a wisteria would be suitable for growing up a fence? Or are they a bit too heavy?

[rafletcher]

No, they’d be fine - a rambling rose is a lot heavier. And we used to have a clematis armandii up our fence and that’s also more dense than the wisteria. In fact that one is being gradually trained along the fence behind it as well. We have a second, later flowering, over a pergola.

[rafletcher]

Well I cleared the raised beds of weeds, a couple of dozen foxgloves that had self set and chard that had gone to seed. The robins enjoyed that. However it filled to the brim our ‘in use’ compost bin, so then I hade to empty the oldest of the 3 and mulch the roses, honeysuckle and clematis plus the apple, cherry and pear. The quince can fend for itself.

Whilst in the front I noticed the cotoneaster we have as a low hedge under the front window. It’s just barely in flower but had several dozen honeybees on it.

Oh, and the swallows were back after yesterday’s washout.

[fimm]

Over the weekend I planted out the beans, and built a thing for them to climb, which was satisfying.
I also did some weeding and trimmed the lawn edges.

[The Family Cyclist]

A fair bit in the jungle that passes for my garden this morning

Finished potting on leaks and dropped rest round to a friend as ran out of space

Planted out beans that i started in toilet rolls

Weeded a load of pots that mostly hsd strawberries in, stupid error #2 emptying compost out of an weeded pot into one with strawberry plant in and forgot had rocks in bottom for drainage so plants took a battering

Mistake #1 was a few weeks back grabbed a bag of compost in B&Q and missed fact its ericaceous, not a big issue and some Heather I can pot up and rest will top up round raspberries and gooseberries.

Then just carried on tidying patio/courtyard area including cutting bag sage and mint which have swamped the herb bed and planted up some free tomatoe plants I picked up yesterday on dog walk

[mrcharly-YHT]

Planted two pear trees.

Dug two holes, each about 2 spade-holes wide and 1.5 deep.

Out of each hole I managed to get one bucket of soil. Completely filled barrow with rocks.

I needed a crowbar to smash and prise out rocks.

Bloody hell, the ground here is ridiculous.

[Mrs Pingu]

Potted up 10 (5 dwarf, 5 big) sunflowers, 4 lupins (the snails eat them but I keep trying) and sewed some echinacea which will probably be a fail again but I've got the seeds so...

[rafletcher]

Experimenting. Before I read Fimms recommendations re pest free composts I’d ordered some more Big Daddy seeds, and some Mr Fothergill’s coir based seed compost. It came compressed and dehydrated. Pour 4l of lukewarm water in, leave 5 mins then scrabble about to break up any lumps. And there it was ready to go. We will see. Planted 6 Big Daddy, 6 Merrygold - a proprietary blight resistant yellow baby tomato - and my last 7 sweetcorn as only about 10 out of 30 have germinated from my first batch - I blame the old multipurpose I used. 

[De Sisti]

Watered the recently-sown lawn again.

[Mrs Pingu]

Mowed the lawn for the first time this year and tested out the protector I made out of a coffee bean bag to stop the mowings from ending up in the pond.
20240511_182823-COLLAGE by The Pingus, on Flickr

[Regulator]

Herbs were planted yesterday.

Tonight, I've got to get the beans and peas planted out, and the strawberries covered.

[Flite]

Planted up 6 troughs with "neon pink" verbena.
They will go on the low wall next to the road, and provide a splash of colour for passing riders on the Rookhope Audaxes later this month.

[rafletcher]

Potted up the 7 Big Daddies into freshly acquired multipurpose, and the same for the 7 sweetcorn that germinated (oit of 30!),  Checked on the newly sown stuf, on fresh peat free coir seed compost. Hmm, 2 out of 7 sweetcorn. But 4 out of 7 each Big Daddies and a yellow freebie tomator we got at the same time.  Cut he grass.

And thoight I'd post this - our second later flowering wisteria. The scent is amazing too.

Untitled by Richard Fletcher, on Flickr

[Mrs Pingu]

I've been pondering getting a wisteria to grow up the fence but now the neighbour is talking about getting work done on the fence, that's on hold.

[rafletcher]

I've been pondering getting a wisteria to grow up the fence but now the neighbour is talking about getting work done on the fence, that's on hold.

We’re adding a honeysuckle to the fence after our Claire Austin rose turned up its toes. This one (though not from that seller) https://www.thorncroftclematis.co.uk/lonicera-periclymenum-graham-thomas-8751-p

It’s not really a problem if there will be fence works. If they’re imminent ok, hold off, but otherwise just go ahead. You can always take the plant off the fence and lay it down during the works then reattach afterwards. We did that with our Maid of Kent rose with no issues.

[Mrs Pingu]

It's less about the fence itself and more about the posts, which they will have to dig a big hole for (and potential for trades people trampling everything). Trying to be patient, for a change.

[ElyDave]

Still not got my courgettes in the ground, had to re-sow the lot of them with the pish weather. The new ones are just not quite looking ready to go out before I go to Turkey next week.

Tomatoes will go into the greenhouse bed today, but the outside ones will not. The greens and lettuces, unsurprisingly have done well so far, although this damp weather has necessitated a nightly slug patrol and Rwanda policy. The runner beans are going nuts.

Ride this morning, then a lot of weeding this afternoon

[SteveC]

I have finally moved the garden to its summer configuration, with the cold frames put away and the tomatoes (indoor and outdoor) finally in place.
To do this I had to dispose of all this winter's failures, the sweet peas which came on too soon and didn't get planted out when they needed to be, the dahlias which, despite all the rain we've had, managed to dry out (the cold frame, even open, providing too much shelter), and some other plants which my wife bought, where the variety name is the same as one of our ex-cats. It doesn't seem much, a bit of tidying and planting fifteen tomato plants, but it seems to have taken most of the day.
And I've lost my favourite snips.

[ElyDave]

Managing stuff has been far more tricky this year than in previous years. I've only just got courgettes and tomatoes out in the ground, but I've had over a kilo of strawberries and the runner beans are already head high on their wigwams.

Greens and lettuces seem to be the overall winners so far with wet but not too cold weather

[The Family Cyclist]

Back in lockdown I raised the kids playhouse onto pallets. Obviously the kids have grown a lot since then so it's not been used for ages and was swamped in brambles. In preparation for  moving the playhouse on moved that up the garden which due to our narrow garden being further narrowed by shed and apple tree involved it going into neighbours garden and then back over fence further along

With this gone the pallets were removed and repurposed into a compost bin, the contents of existing compost bin was moved into that and then a second bin was made.

This did leave several crap pallets which were loaded into car eoth other garden waste and old fence panels I'd broken down.

I then stripped leaves off and sorted and bundled some cuttings from the willow with the intention of making stuff at Christmas from them.

Further hacked back brambles and cleared a bit round the wild life pond. Its a balance of keeping it wild and actually being able to see it

Bonus was finding loads of figs growing over from neighbours garden and have gained loads of space down the garden.

[rafletcher]

Potted on some rather sickly tomatoes. Planted out French beans. Planted out Coriander. Emptied the water butt watering sweet peas, sweetcorn, tomatoes, lettuces, parsley and chives. Cut right down 3/4 of the chives to get some fresh growth.

[rafletcher]

The potted on tomatoes still look sickly - I really really don’t like peat free composts (might try some of our own compost in a 50/50 mix next time). Somethings eating the coriander seedlings. Have to try potting some in in the aforementioned mix. Sweet peas are pretty anaemic, and we’ve lost a newish clematis to clematis wilt this past week. Sweetcorn at 50cm is producing a tassel  . What a weird season. Big Daddies are just getting into their stride.

Cut the lawn and strimmer around the raised beds and slabs for the first time in 3 weeks. So glad I eventually got a strimmer, only took me 30 years!  Cut down a dead Spirea. Chopped another lump off the dying Choicia. Sprayed the Coltsfoot from next door with Roundup (I know, but digging it out of our borders is impractical, likewise the bindweed from the same location).

Sat and enjoyed a cup of coffee.