Gardening corner 2018 season!???

I'm with you on this one J52. Just spent a happy hour or two cutting back the buddleias, digging up, splitting and transplanting some grape hyacinths that were multiplying wildly in a place where they weren't really being appreciated, also attempting to decide which of those sticks are going to develop buds and which are just that - sticks. Great to get mud under the nails and so glad I bought those very stylish gardening clogs the other week.
Come on Springtime, I'm ready for you now.
Next step - a visit to the Garden Centre to feel like the worst gardener ever to see what I can plant to give me a gorgeous Spring garden - instantly.

DH is having a tidy up in our garden. He's already put out the flying owl and the tall spinny thing which were in the shed for the winter. I see he has the secateurs in his barrow, so he must be ready to do some pruning. I'm afraid I'm not much of a gardener but I do appreciate his efforts. Our Hellebores are not as good this year, but I'll give them another week or two. We have snowdrops, and mini daffodils flowering and the tulips are well up.
I've just come back from a walk and the first signs of spring are appearing in the hedgerows. Catkins, and Hawthorne buds bursting. The birds are starting to sing. Isn't nature wonderful.

I have just spent an hour in the garden tying things back, then just sitting on the patio admiring the view and listening to the bids - oh, and getting some Vit D!

Crocus clumps are looking good, and we have been out doing some pruning and general tidying up.Growing chillies this year (inside, naturally) and they have all germinated now and doing well.
All the primroses in pots and hanging baskets are looking good, even after the snow of last week.
Dogwood in bud and also climbing hydrangeas.Birds carrying twigs for nests, looking forward to Spring and seeing if all the bulbs we planted last year ( we went a bit mad) will come up well.

I'm 50/50 about my garden at the moment.
Looks lovely from the window or the conservatory.
However close up is not so good.
The snow seems to have taken its toll on the garden.
The patio and others paved areas are in need of a jet wash.
The outdoor furniture requires a lick of paint

However we are in the midst of indoor decorating so unfortunately it will be a little while before we can tackle the outdoor jobs.

On the plus side all our trees were pruned last year.
The primulas are lovely and the Magnolia, Camellias and Apricot are all in bud.
The garden is gradually awaking from its long winter sleep.
The days are getting longer and the birds are singing their little beaks off???

I have mixed feelings about the garden atm. Parts of it are looking OK but it's still winter untidy. The primulas, crocuses, snowdrops, little daffs either in flower or well on the way. The hellebore is only small but has a flower on it. I bought it mid winter from the poorly plant section in a garden centre so one flower is a bonus this year. The pink bush (no idea what it is) is also flowering. Sadly I think the perennial fuchsias have died but I'll leave the sticks a bit longer to see if they come back to life.

It’s been a bit sunny today and we could really smell the daphne, maybe we should plant a few more.

I think it’s a bit early for perennial Fuchsias to be showing buds. My quite new ones are also just sticks. Fingers crossed they’ll survive!

My first job is to patch my pond liner..pond now half empty but teeming with frogspawn! Everything else looks good.colour appearing, daffodils,primroses, snowdrops , camelia full of buds,some TLC needed on shrubs damaged by frost and snow love spring, great expectations of beauty ?????

I've just spent a very relaxed and happy hour walking the garden and making a mental list of jobs to do . Love this time of year when I can get excited about gardening.

Spent two hours digging up some large clumps of snowdrops and dividing them into smaller clumps to replant in the borders for next year. DH pruned the twisted hazel and removed the suckers which will be ideal for staking perennials.

So much to do now!

I’ve just finished cleaning all the plant pots that got covered in sand when MrA powerwashed the patio a couple of weeks ago and replacing them in their rightful positions.
Everything is very late here. Two daffodils out, lots of crocuses and snowdrops but I felt desperate for some colour elsewhere in the garden so bought a lovely Polyanthus at Waitrose this afternoon and put it in the shady border where it already looks at home.
I find Waitrose plants very good quality so didn’t feel too guilty.

My garden is still so wet I can’t do anything! Have seen the forecast for the weekend too...it’s time for spring not more snow

Spent a good couple of hours this morning digging up the climbing rose which has been a complete nightmare the past few years - uncontrollable rust and dwindling flowers; also some thuggy, unproductive perennials, a shrub or two, moving a clumps of leopards bane and tidying up Mrs Bradshaw who is getting very big around the hips (me too)! I now have a bit of a blank canvas to work on. My camellia is also full of buds, farview, but they all seem to be at the back this year! Also have a bakers dozen of lavender plants that DH raised from seed last year (it was a bet - I owe him a couple of quid!) and haven’t the faintest idea what to do with them.

Oh midgey. Just saw the forecast?beast from the East part two!!! groan!!!!?

Vq I would be very surprised if your perennial fuschia is dead. I’ve been trying to kill them in two gardens for years and they just don’t die whatever you do to them! I have just cut mine right down to the ground. It will be back as usual!

Greyduster lavender is great in pots near the washing line, it scents the clothes. Also pots by the back door keeps flies away, but will encourage bees!

I had a lot of rubbish in my garden, left over from the snow and gales a week or so ago and so have spent a couple of hours just sweeping paths and raking all the rubbish together. I've noticed how many snowdrops and crocuses are still in full flower but none of my daffodils or narcissi are in bloom yet. Everything seems to be rather late here this year. The camelia has buds on but I think it will be a while before that blooms. However, a lovely sign that Spring is definitely on the way was when a huge, beautiful bumble bee settled on a yellow crocus. It didn't stay long but I was smiling for hours!

Thanks *J52. If it keeps flies at bay, that would be useful!

I went out and inspected everything then came in again to check on the internet because my Rozanne geranium looked dead but I am reassured that it will shoot up again when the soil warms up.

Everything is rather behind this year, the daffodils are not really out yet.

I’ve just finished cleaning all the plant pots that got covered in sand
That reminded me of the time that DH power washed the Belfast sink in the garden because it looked 'rather mucky'. I explained that I had scratched the surface then carefully coated it in a mixture of earth and yogurt to try to develop an 'aged' coating on it.

Well it's cold but dry so today's the day, waterproofs on,pond repairing! A dirty,wet job haha hope do it successfully!

Around September I bought online 3 tiny acers. The DGCs were upset when visiting a couple of weeks later and finding three little sticks! Opportunity to discuss deciduous and evergreen trees.
Acers spent the winter on the kitchen windowsill and are now three beautiful wee trees ready to be planted up in their new pots soon.
Just deciding where to place the pots so comments would be welcome.

jalima It was only a fairly cursory clean. I removed the sand deposits but left some of the lichen & moss that give them that ‘lived in’ look

DH is the real gardener but when he was out yesterday as it was such a nice day I emptied all the pots out into the compost and cleaned them ready for some planting in a few weeks. I planted to small pots of winter pansies by the front door to make a welcome. Lots of bulbs up in the garden and buds on everything. Good to hear about the perennial fuchsia. I hope mine comes back.