Trowel and Error

[Disco]

So pretty! Both of mine are red like that. I would like a pale pink one like you.

Primulas are very cheerful.

[Mountain Goat]

Oh that's lovely. I have been vaguely looking into peonies for next year, I have a spot in mind.

Some of my beetroot are poking through now, and I THINK there is a tiny wisp of one (1) spring onion. No chard yet.

My vibernum roseum (snowball bush) has three big round flowers now. It's just a baby (it can grow to 2 metres, but it's about up to my knee now) and barely has the strength to hold its snowballs up but it is lovely. The thing that's frustrating me generally is that everything in my garden is immature, so there is no real height yet, and things that will be tall one day and are at the back are still babies, so it looks a bit thrown together. And patchy/gappy. And also, I don't know what everything is so some things may not actually get tall - at this point I want to just let everything do its thing for the season and I will rearrange where necessary next March.

[Disco]

I've realised I've been pulling out love in the mist - I scattered/ crushed some pod heads last year I remembered - as I thought it could be mare's tail.

[Derek Nimmo]

Well done on the peonies! Either the crawling beasts or my too-strong concentration of fairy liquid / water to get rid of them has killed all of mine

On the plus side, I have just bought one of these. Burn baby, burn.

[Margo]

That’s what I bought for J, Derek. And you all know how that went

[Disco]

Is that for weeds? I want one of those!

[Derek Nimmo]

That’s what I bought for J, Derek. And you all know how that went

You actually inspired me! Not to be used near any curtains though

It is Dics. The fuckers.

[Disco]

I'm tempted.

[Margo]

It’s blooming effective!

[baargain]

I have a peonie! It is in deep shade, so has never flowered. That's reminded me to move it now I've found it.

I earthed up all my potatoes today. In the rain

If I move the wheelbarrow and watering cans iut of the shed, I can open the my camp chair and hide in there for a rest on rainy days

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In other, very surprising, news - I have too many brassicas. Who'd have thunk it.

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This is some of them. Note the lack of gaps

Love the sound of your snowballs, goat. It's so difficult to tell how it will all look once it's established, and some fucker will die on the way

Easy does it there, Derek. Outdoor use only

[Squirrel]

On the plus side, I have just bought one of these. Burn baby, burn.

Which one did you get please? I need one too.

[Derek Nimmo]

There's a million (ish) to choose from on Amazon that all look identical - I went for one from the Green Haven store in the end. The main thing I wanted to avoid was having an electric one as I couldn't be doing with faffing around with cord extensions.

[Squirrel]

Yes I looked a couple of weeks ago, couldn’t tell between them and stuck my head firmly back in the sand.

I don’t want an electric one either. I’ll have a look at green haven, thank you.

Eta: I wonder if it will scorch the gravel though . Maybe I’ll do the tedious vinegaring again.

[Mountain Goat]

That’s what I bought for J, Derek. And you all know how that went

Look at all that brassica action! I'm making myself hungry. You can't beat a good brassica. I wish pests did not share my feelings on this.

[Margo]

We’ve used it in n weeds in between paving slabs which weren’t properly set in when they were laid, so it’s a weed heaven. There is no scorching on the slabs, if that helps?

[Mountain Goat]

I was excited to assemble a chunk of last night's dinner from the garden even though its still in its baby stages: salad of lettuce/beetroot/chard thinnings, rocket and two radishes (supplemented with some shop bought tomatoes), and a salsa verde which included nasturtium leaves, mint, basil and parsley from the garden (most of which are just big enough to contribute). I have about seven tiny courgettes and two tiny pea pods (tonnes of flowers).

Decoratively, my god everything is slow. 80% of my new plants* are growing nicely with no pest issues but they're taking their sweet time and are maybe a month behind where you'd expect. I know a lot of the nurseries are a month behind this year as they keep sending apologetic emails, but I see eg foxgloves cheerfully blooming in other people's gardens while mine are still plodding away at getting their leaves a bit bigger. I don't mind for the perennials that hopefully are putting good roots down and will shine next year, but come along, annuals. Also the nursery delays mean that I keep forgetting what I've ordered and that's how I have 23 zinnias and five dahlias (I don't recall ordering any dahlias, I was going for easy stuff for the first year, and last week I got three separate suprise dahlia packages).

* Slugs nabbed one micro area (I suspect it was more the weather at the time of tender leaves in that spot, as opposed to it being a no go area), and the pigeons like to stamp around another. Otherwise other than some greenfly on my baby buddleia yesterday (now gone) there hasn't been much pest action. Which is nice for my flowers but where are all the insects??

(side point: Baa, I have my kamado It is not yet lifted into position on its grill table that arrived at the weekend so I haven't done anything with it yet but I hope to just play with it a bit tonight or tomorrow).

[baargain]

Hurrah for the first meal! Yeah, everything is very slow. The nights are colder than usual, so it's all just stalling.

Enjoy the kamado!

[Squirrel]

That sounds great MG.

I’ve been given a gorgeous lily in an outdoor pot but I’m worried about it drying out if it’s hot when we go away.

Any ideas? I could bring it in, or stand it in a tray of water, or both?

[H1ppychick]

Goat, re foxgloves, I don't think they flower the first year. So unless your plants were already one year old when you put them in, you won't get a display this year, it'll be next year.

[Mountain Goat]

Oh yes of course, I know they're biennials yet somehow didn't make the tiiiiiny leap. Did I half think I bought them in their second year? Maybe?

I'm not sure about lilies squizz, I think I'd bring it in but hopefully someone actually knows...