Re: The gardening thread

[Fangirl Three]

I got a bramble thorn splinter in my finger thanks to Wilkinsons poor quality gardening gloves.

But I tweezed it out no problem

[The Call of the Wendigo]

[Fangirl Three]

I worked really hard in the garden today, for 2¾ hours. So long in fact that I had to stop for lunch in the middle.

I cleared all the weeds and leaf mould from the yard, cleared and edged the garden path, cut back the overhanging shrubs on the boundary and shredded the cuttings. And by the time I'd finished I was so kn*ckered I could barely put the garden tools away.

And I've got to go back to my actual paid-for work tomorrow

[Butterfield]

cleared and edged the garden path

I did that at the weekend too. Or at least about half of the garden path, which has now increased its width.

[Nightjar]

I got a bramble thorn splinter in my finger thanks to Wilkinsons poor quality gardening gloves.

But I tweezed it out no problem

You obviously didn't use Wilko tweezers, as if you had you'd obviously be dead by now.

[Fangirl Three]

cleared and edged the garden path

I did that at the weekend too.

Once again we eerily find ourselves performing identical garden tasks

[Fangirl Three]

I meant to get out at 9am and harvest the potatoes, but I somehow ended up wrangling spreadsheets to work out if I can afford to take early retirement if I'm made redundant next year (answer: no, not unless I get another job).

I'm going to have lunch early and then have a lawnmowing session instead.

[Fangirl Three]

I mowed the lawns and dug up the first potato patch, but I was so hot after that I had to retreat inside. This isn't the weather for heavy garden work. It's more weather for wandering round the garden with a nice basket, daintily picking flowers and/or berries.

[Nightjar]

I've had to thoroughly water the garden, blisteringly hot here.

32 degrees.

[Butterfield]

Another dead rat covered in flies.

Hopefully it'll be gone one way or the other by morning like last time.

[Nightjar]

Another dead rat covered in flies.

[Fangirl Three]

I took the afternoon off yesterday and caught up with all the tasks I neglected on Sunday (because I was in bed till 4pm sleeping off a monster hangover then).

Lawn-mowing, weeding, apple-gathering and potato-lifting.

I felt very virtuous afterwards.

[Fangirl Three]

I meant to get out at 9am and harvest the potatoes, but I somehow ended up wrangling spreadsheets to work out if I can afford to take early retirement if I'm made redundant next year (answer: no, not unless I get another job).

Interesting, I'd forgotten I was doing those calculations then. I thought I'd only started them when I decided to move to Scotland.

Anyway, today I cut up the buddleia branches that blew down in the wind earlier in the week. All the bits that were too big to go in the shredder went on the woodpile, and all the other bits got shredded and dumped on the beds as mulch.

[cosmictanya]

After a working morning, I took myself off to a garden centre to peruse terracotta pots and plants. I love garden centres - inspiring, relaxing and everyone is always in such a lovely mood.

I've got some lovely blue iris bulbs to go into one of my new square terracotta planters, and an apricot/whisky rose to go in the other.

Turquoise lagoon (I'd say lilac) sweet peas can go in the same terracotta as my already established candy stripe rose bush. I think they'll enhance each other well.

I'm going to have to take advice on my blue hydrangeas because when they were cut back last year they didn't come back until July/August, although they did last until December or so.

In two minds as to whether to try again with my favourite plumbago auriculata. If I buy an already blooming established one it should be alive until November or thereabouts, so as long as I accept it will die I could still enjoy it.

Being no good with shrubs, I invested in a fake topiary ball which looks excellent despite sounding horrific. Handily, it sits snugly on top of a terracotta pot where it doubles as a quickly open/close ashtray lid, so the ends underneath can simply be hidden underneath.

I put my fake banana tree into storage because I was sick of having to use furniture polish on the leaves but it looks marvellous so I think I'll bring it out again.

My terracotta memorial pot of deepest blue forget-me-nots is bursting into life as we speak. A few white lilies and some white jasmine will round off this years selection on Tanya's terrace.

[cosmictanya]

I'll have to get someone in to re-tile the terrace floor. A few years ago I had it jazzed up with all these multicoloured shards of Mexican patterned tiles I bought over there. I just want my simple terracotta tiling back.

[cosmictanya]

The best laid plans. Who'd have thought the above just earlier in the month would seem like a different lifetime? I forgot to say yesterday, a peach pink rhododendron in a pot that I have out there is absolutely thriving. Glossy dark green leaves and lots of promise. 

I wish we could grow bougainvillea in this country. It always looks so brilliant cascading down walls.

[cosmictanya]

Claude Monet candy stripe roses are also a treasure for the garden that I meant to share on here...

[cosmictanya]

I bought some black tulips as a gift for my mothers window boxes last time I was in Amsterdam. Apparently she got p*ssed and planted them upside down, so we've yet to see if any survivors will succeed in finding the sun this year.

[cosmictanya]

I'll have to get someone in to re-tile the terrace floor. A few years ago I had it jazzed up with all these multicoloured shards of Mexican patterned tiles I bought over there. I just want my simple terracotta tiling back.

I wonder if tiling is especially difficult. If B&Q is staying open, I could probably make doing that a worthwhile activity for myself.

[Fangirl Three]

I got out in the garden this afternoon for the first proper time this year. I cut up and shredded the fallen buddleia branches, and dug over the potato beds, ready to be planted tomorrow.

[Sponsored content]