Gardening corner 2018 season!???

And the dear friends the slugs and snails are on the move! The PS broccoli at the allotment was awash with them. Be warned everyone !

Due to knee op, and late snow- only just started gardening now. Really busy at the week-end- weeded and turned 3 veggie raised plots, and a massive border. My lovely young physio came to get 2 big bucketful of perenial plants I divided for her, with her 2 little kids - and was tickeld pink as they have a new house with 2 large borders to fill.

Minou has turned out to be a great helper, or rather entertainer- he follows me everywhere- and every so often I go and sit on the swing seat and he comes to join me for a cuddle.

Planted new raspberries and a few new day lillies and a white peony.

Best bit, not really gardening I suppose- emptied the jakuzzi and cleaned it with vinegar and re-filled - ready to use tonight for the first time since knee op - hurrah.

It’s so good to hear how well you’re doing after the knee op jura. Mine is now six weeks away and I was getting the heebie jeebies about it and the recovery time. I’ve just come in from re-edging the grass paths (well, some of them. We’ve a lot) and come to the conclusion we’re rather over-bulbed. I’m thinking of doing some guerilla gardening with surplus mini daffy and snowdrops around the town signs but don’t know if I have the courage. I can’t throw them out!

Ah - good luck with the knee. Surgeon said to me both times- I can do the op, and do it well- but then it is up to you. If you are not prepared to do the hard work afterwards- you won't really get the benefit.

I knew that, because my mum was too old, and I know several people here who never got full movement- because they did not do the follow-up work. No square brackets on this computer- so sending virtual flowers.

I never ever throw gardening stuff away- I just could not. Sure somehow will be more than happy to take some bulbs from you- I would if I was nearer.

Will be much warmer tomorrow, 17- and then 21 from Wednesday- hurrah. Will have to leave garden to go foraging for morel mushrooms

Thanks Jura. This is the Other Knee and it’s collapsing rapidly. I just hope it hasn’t upset the first new one too much. I did the exercises religiously last time and you’re right it does pay off. I’ve wangled a top class surgeon by having the first done privately so hopefully all will be well. This one’s a BOGOF!

(Hijacking the thread. Sorry!). But it’s another lovely day here so I’ll be out edging and surreptitiously making the garden beds bigger this afternoon.

It’s dull, but warm here. Yesterday was great, but did too much, renovating big pots and weeding the courtyard. I’m paying for it today!
Also got some cheap Hollyhocks and Ranculas, courtesy of Homebase.
I can’t resist so I’ll be out there later.

More weeding today. Cleavers (goose grass) have taken advantage of the weather putting us a month behind.

The Jack Russells follow me round eating the stuff which then makes them sick!

Such fun.

The apparently dead looking stems of my gooseberry plants have suddenly covered themselves in leaves.
I thought they were gonners.

Rained solidly all morning. I had wanted to finish weeding the strawberry cage. Still , fine, warm weather forecast, so can crack on then. New lawn all seeded, and the rain has been opportune for that. Loooking forward to a few warm days.

What a beautiful day, i was at work from 8-1pm but as soon as i got home i got the lawn mower out and cut front, back and side lawns. A line full of washing done too.Any excuse to be out in the sun.

A few weeks ago I had some good advice on planting my tiny acers.
Here's one that seems happy with its primulas. I bought them from the 'casualty' dept at b&q and kept them indoors for while. 18 poor wee plants for £6 which are now flourishing and have masses of buds!
Window boxes and tubs are now sitting ready and just waiting a week or so for some sun.

Whoops. Here it is!

That looks so pretty! I love getting bargain from the sick plant shelf.
I hope your acer flourishes and gives you many years of pleasure.

J52 on the subject of bargains.
My sister is a very good plant doctor (currently trying to revive an orchid for me).
She phoned the other night to say she had found some lovely sinetti plants @ £2.99 each.
We were delighted with these last year (£9.99 from b&q) and are now looking forward to seeing if our bargains thrive!

Home Bargains sinetti!

We tried sinetti in some of the tubs in the market square last year. They did brilliantly, flowering all summer (with constant dead heading). They did attract black fly though - plus attendant ants.

Bought new lawnmower on Tuesday and cut grass on Wednesday. The lawn looks such a mess as it has a lot of weed grass spread into it after me not being able to look after it in the autumn. Still first cut done and I need to start raking and feeding it to see if it can look better. Trouble is the ground is now so uneven after the bad weather - compacted etc it's will take a lot of work but I d like nice green lawn. Am going to keep using the garden fork as I go up and down to help it along. Daff bulbs perking up in the pots too.

Morrison's had their Aubriteia on offer yesterday, 70p per plant, a saving of 30p i bought 6 and they look so beautiful near some red tulips I have that are in bloom. Hopefully i willget a couple of years out of them too before they need replacing.

Another beautiful day. I’m off to see brand new GD with a flower name. Then to the plant nursery.
Perfection, in my mind.? ??
Have a lovely day in the garden everyone.

Finished the strawberry cage. Nice neat rows with not a celandine in sight. Will I ever be able to stand up straight though. ?
Day off today as going shopping with DD. I am trying to find proper hazel bean poles as my runner beans are growing apace . We used bamboo last year but they collapsed.

I lost a few much loved plants this winter, wallflowers and hebes mainly. Have been cutting back the hebes as there seems to be life at the base (showing green when I scrape the bark) so will keep my fingers crossed.
The little wildlife pond is full of frogspawn and looking so pretty with marsh marigolds in full bloom but the grass is full of moss, the very worst I have seen it. So guess what my next job is?

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Lots of tulips out here now - these double ones are lovely - very blowsy! And lots of pretty Fritillaries ?: I can hardly walk today! Too much bending yesterday!

Up early, second load of washing on the line, greenhouse dampened down, one raised bed made ready for last year's strawberry runners, pots watered, DH has mowed the lawns.

I'm off to my favourite perennial nursery for some more drought tolerant plants.

DH is off to the pub!

Loads of things are sprouting, blooming and popping their heads above ground. Yay!
I’ve bought a white mop head hydrangea to put in a large pot and brighten up a dark corner. Tomatoes in 12 inch pots in the greenhouse.
Lunch was the first BBQ of the year with the family.