Re: The Gardening Year 2014

Spent a lovely couple of hours in the garden
Not in a tee shirt though Mags a light jumper.
Tidied up geraniums in the old greenhouse and got some weeding and hoeing done - not much though, 'cos my back was killing me.
Hubby had to saw off the padlock on the garden shed, mumbling and moaning about cheap **** I bought . WD40 wouldn't shift it!
So nice to see little daffodils and primroses in flower and all the new shoots on the roses and clematis.
New growth everywhere, including pansies and primulas that I grew from seed early autumn.

Re: The Gardening Year 2014

Spent the whole morning trying to do something with the soil in the garden, The incessant rain has panned it down to a slime covered hard crust. Managed to get it forked over and dug in 4 bags of Puckamuck, looks like I need 4 more.

Re: The Gardening Year 2014

I managed to get an hour in the garden yesterday and gave the back lawn a first high cut. I also tidied the troughs holding the new perpetual strawberries.

I was shocked to see that although I cut off some ivy with a hacksaw in the autumn separating the stem and roots from the top, the top has opened its leaves and appears to be still growing I guess it must have retained some nourishment and should now die back .
The garlic is doing really well.

Re: The Gardening Year 2014

The ivy is probably surviving on aerial roots Meg
We finished our lawn too. Doesn't it make the garden look better? Just the edging to do tomorrow.
Our magnolia tree looks beautiful, this wet winter must have suited it.

Re: The Gardening Year 2014

I guessed it was something like that Janela
Yes the gardens do look better when the lawn has had a bit of a trim .

Re: The Gardening Year 2014

This may sound criminal to some, but I spent yesterday digging out huge old fuschia bushes which have grown like triffids. In this part of Ireland fuschia grows like weeds and tends to take over everything. Nice to have reclaimed the flowerbed! Bonfire time today

Re: The Gardening Year 2014

Nothing criminal in that but considering I've lost some this winter and all the cuttings I took

Joking apart, it's nice to clear away old stuff, have you any idea what you are going to plant?

Re: The Gardening Year 2014

Well I put in a small black elder and acer yesterday, and I left the very healthy bluebells which were there. That's a start!

Re: The Gardening Year 2014

I'm trying sweet corn this year, after last years disaster with the runner beans, they are going in their place. I'm wondering if they need companion planting? Does anyone grow corn?

Re: The Gardening Year 2014

Had a lovely bonfire yesterday, and if I can repeat the performance today I'll have done a good lot of clearing Even managed a first lawn cut too. I love spring!