What's your garden like at this time of year?

[rebornfree]

I used to grow herbs, and loved picking them to go straight into the pot.

Here the gladioli are just beginning to flower (planted by the previous occupants), in the one small bed. Otherwise it is a patio garden mainly with pots, but many of us have hanging baskets, and the whole area looks very pretty in summer.

 

[Bridgit]

I definitely don't possess a green thumb and my garden got some pesty weeds that need to be eradicated. This is not my favorite past time. Ugh!

 

[jannikitty]

Totally dead except for a few weeds yet..of course, it is late October now.I throw bird seed in it and the birds come every day to forage for food.

 

[keith99]

A bit depressing. Tomatoes pretty much done. Plants are OK but no fruit set anymore. A few peppers left.

But there is hope coming. The peas are just now germinating. Edible pod peas coming and I'll have them truly fresh, and in picked washed and cooked withing an hour at most.

 

[rebornfree]

That sounds good Keith. I used to love cooking veg straight from the garden.

Here the garden is looking a bit better than it did a day or so ago, now that it has been tidied up and planted with shrubs which will provide some colour over winter, as well as bulbs for spring.

 

[BrBob]

Frozen solid and covered with snow...

 

[rebornfree]

Years ago, that was how my garden looked best (when I didn't have time to do it, and my husband wasn't much of a gardener)! I trust yours is looking good now BrBob.

I've just seen my post of Nov 6 above. Well that was one of the biggest gardening mistakes I made! The bulbs were great but I totally overlooked the fact that the shrubs wouldn't grow at that time of year! The resultant bare earth attracted every cat in the neighbourhood (or so it seemed!) and I had a continual clean up problem!

Now I have new plants in there, and the pots which I've mentioned in another thread have really come on this year. I have lavender, fuchsias, antirrhinums and lobelia to name a few. A previous owner had planted a herb, which smells like thyme, but doesn't look like the usual culinary variety. Also previously planted is a climber, which I think is camellia, and which I thought had died in the cold spring two years ago, but is now doing well. I just love God's creation.

What do you have growing in your garden at the moment?

 

[davedajobauk]

Oh, today it is still wet from overnight rains
We have 'weeds' everywhere and it needs a good turning-over in the borders
We have tomato plants (in pots) awaiting bed room and another Honeysuckle
to join (another-type) on the bamboo trellis near the North Fence Rambler

The grass needs another cutting, but the grass is so-wet, the mower and the strimmer
would simply pull it all out of the ground
The redcurrants are ready to be picked
and already, the West Fence Rambler has begun budding again

"David" out the front needs attention to it's supporting trellis, which may need replacing altogether
We'll see, ~when the weather is, more encouraging
[I need to use 'electric powered' tools out there]

 

[rebornfree]

Hi Dave,

Tomatoes and redcurrants ; I used to enjoy growing edible produce. How long does it take for your tomatoes to ripen? Honeysuckle sounds beautiful. What is "David" , a type of rose perhaps?

Did you get the weather forecast tonight? I doubt you'll be able to get your lawn done for a few days. I think Thursday is due to be dry, but for the rest of the week it look likes rain!

Take care bro',

Sue

 

[davedajobauk]

"David" is indeed a named rose that Mary bought for me Sue Sis'
It has survived (well) the 'wettings' by the dogs

There is much to be done out at the back, while leaving plants in-situ
in the corner of the North and East fences
Some sheet metal I installed years ago to retain soil has given way
and I will need to excavate behind it, before I can reset it

(Photos later).....

While it is wet, I will find 'other things' to 'pastime'



dave

 

[rebornfree]

It's been wet most of this week; I expect it has for you too.
I need to do some tidying up in the garden, and possibly get a few more plants in.
I can't believe it's August already!

 

[davedajobauk]

I pruned back a few bushes (just tips) early today
but I haven't been out there (usefully) for more-than a week, now

I am not actually 'looking-forward to the 'mess' that will be involved
with the re-establishing of the soil-support ~under the Honeysuckle trellis
As I look (and look again) at the leaning of the sheet metal
I see, that I am going to have-to shift upwards of around half a ton of soil
~just to set it upright again

Oh well, it will see me 'WHEN' it sees me and that, is 'that'

Gracie, is to be neutered (spayed) tomorrow
So, we will be up after 6.00 am and have her at the hospital before 8am
and 'barring complications', we should have her back home before 5.00pm
I will be helping a neighbour lay some flooring boards after lunch and we should
get most of his living room completed, before, I go to pick Gracie up
and I have promised to return and help him complete the job on Friday

He only made the purchase of the boards, having received a promise
by a 'friend' to lay the flooring for him .... and then welched on his offer
leaving our neighbour (without a clue, to be honest)

Keeping busy here

Have a good remainder of the week

dave

 

[eleyah]

It has been a patience trying year for gardening. We got 15 in. Of rain in June so never got to plant my sweet corn or green beans. Late may I dug 80 holes along one side of my driveway and planted some dwarf nasturtiums that more or less were drowned out...
God is good and most of my border plantings of blanket flowers, delphiniums, flox and zinnias were gorgeous. My garden spot is dry enough now that I may till it up and plant some kale, red beets, spinach etc... Also would love to plant some garlic bulbs if I can find some. I love gardening and feeding the bird's and just puttering around outside

 

[davedajobauk]

Gracie was spayed today.... and seems well-enough for that experience
We have a real JOB on our hands, because 'slowing-her-down' is simply not possible
not-without closing her into her carrier and then
her cries to be released are so-pitiful, we just want to cuddle her

I didn't realize that I would be laying that floor ALONE for our neighbour
He had asked for help, but I worked alone while he sat and chatted to me distractingly
Oi Vey!!!
I managed to get about half of the flooring laid
before the pet-hospital called me on my mobile, to say
that Gracie was then READY to go home

I have a really busy day tomorrow....
so-busy, that I might get here for an hour or so before bed
and that, is not certain

:sniff:

dave

 

[davedajobauk]

The hill lawn is still wet, from last night's rain
If it doesn't rain tonight, I may strim it all tomorrow...
Gardening, is not 'labour' (to me) it is a pleasure-giving 'pastime'

It's stewardship, enables me to share it's blessings with others

\o/

 

[davedajobauk]

Images from a Salford Garden
(see Exif data for details) (i)
and use wheelmouse to zoom-in

http://1drv.ms/1h7dUg1

 

[rebornfree]

Lovely pictures of the butterfly Dave. Is the bush a buddleia or lilac (or something else, I'm not very good at naming plants. LOL!)?

My garden is showing some late flowers. I've used a feed, to enhance the amount of blooms, and to provide nutrients, but it's also caused some flowers to grow very large. I have fuchsia with some small leaves and flowers and one branch which is about twice the size of everything else! LOL!

 

[davedajobauk]

You got it right first-time Sue Sis'

Buddleia.... aka "The Butterfly Bush"
I cut off a branch and stuffed it in the ground a couple or three years ago
at the northeast corner of the east fence \o/ and now, we have TWO

I have from time to time used Miracle-Gro to feed the uphill lawn, after
I did that humungous upheaval in my second year here
The slope, used to extend downwards from the north fence to the garden path
My works included levelling the first eight feet from the path and throwing the waste
from that back up the hill, which provided us with, a more-useable FLAT area
out there in the back garden, more recently, I have begun separating the borders from the lawn area
with timber, an ongoing process
I also need to remake a soil barrier/ retainer that has long been collapsing toward the east fence
Everything has 'it's time'....

Yes we still have roses in bloom and many buds, which may or, may not bloom

Pictures here shortly¬


_





http://1drv.ms/1QUd7v9

 

[rebornfree]

I thought I'd recognised the buddleia correctly Dave. I planted one years ago in another garden. I loved your description of cutting off a branch and stuffing it in the ground. I've never tried propagation, but maybe it isn't as hard as I feared!

You have been busy and I enjoyed the photos. I don't know about you, but it seems as if everything has been slightly late this year. In the early summer I didn't really have much flowering, but now it looks more summer-like than autumnal. I have a cape daisy, which is thrusting forth flowers with great enthusiasm. The sedums, which we talked about a year or so ago, are all in flower, and some of my bedding plants are still providing colour. And the fuchsia is full of blooms. I have no means of taking photos at the moment, so I can't share. The camera has broken and the mobile is a basic, non singing and dancing model! lol!

Today I bought a trough in which to plant bulbs, for some spring colour.

 

[davedajobauk]

Oh, I probably managed to set that 2nd Buddleia off in prepared soil
having added about 20 bags of compost to the soils of the borders over some 4-5 months
during my early days here. Mushrooms and toadstools, lent the lie to it being properly sterilised material
I remember our chat about 'groundcover' over 'patches' below a tree /bush

Yes, it is a shame you are unable to provide photos....
I remember (once, upon a time) years ago, having set my desktop up (outdoors)
to capture photos with my webcam, SUCCESS!!!
Hurdles, are there to be surmounted, of-course \o/ >> Where there is a will ......

Re: propagation
I have found that GREEN cuttings, (this-years growth)
hardly have .05 to .001 of a chance, without 'rooting compound'
But, that BROWN cuttings (last year's growth) is happy to try to 'stay-alive'
with more success, when you plant a former joint (branching-off section)
ie: just below a bud

I will try, to display this via photos, later, I must go eat soon