I got out today into the garden late.however I was quite industrious..
It seems strange preparing beds for next year now.I guess when i go back to work it will be less easy to get out.If i sort as much out now i can relax later.
The bulbs are not yet planted.I wanted to sort out the front window border for revamping.
The square border has been weeded and dug, and looks reasonable with hosta's, busy lizzies, and late blooming anemones.Im thinking of some winter pansys or primroses in here.When the frost strikes the border will be thinned out.The soil is nice now, cloddy but moist.Everything is growing well.This years lesson: Mulch!The sun dried out the top three inches of soil so it was more desert than yorkshire.
The front window border has been transformed.Out come the evening primrose, summer bulbs like glads but smaller, pink plant, and goodbye to the ratty snapdragons and Oxalis.The light faded so i left the digging and adding compost untill tomorrow.I think I will also layer the top with cardboard to stop the weeds getting in.I need to work out how to raise the level of the soil.The water must go straight down, leaving the clay soil hard and not very good.No matter what i put in there it has struggled.This will be the eight foot by four foot veggie border.I want something to stick in the ground so the soil is raised.It will have loads of organic matter mixed in to try to retain the moisture.Once the veg are planted and growing i could mulch it.I read in Blackberry wine the guy laid old carpet between veggie rows to keep the weeds out.
The Chaenomeles has been dug up and potted.I have not see one quince fruit.Other tree's i have seen have got loads on.I will replant it somewhere...
The space vacated by that has been dug up.I want to extend it sideways so i can have a herb garden by the fence, near to the kitchen.I will try uncle toms method to grow seedlings then plant them in the newly dug area.I found a huge BRICK which was embedded in the clay.This needs lots of organic matter to try to retain moisture.The quince tree has not done very well there at all.
The cactus have been repotted and brought inside.It was too wet, and i threw some away that had rotted.They are in the bedroom now.
I will take pics tomorrow.Pictured is my peach flowered Gladiolus before it keeled over in the rain.All my glads are at sixty degree angles to the soil.Will sort out more garden tomorrow.
4 comments:
My gladiolas are only just buds at the moment, blooming quite late this year!
Uncle Tom's method of planting? What's that? Did I miss something in an earlier blog?
You can use carpet as a mulch. I believe another good thing to mulch with are grass clippings if you collect them. Also if put around brassicas they can stop root fly getting to the roots.
Snappy, you have your cactus brought inside? Is it so cold in Yorkshire now? I can let my plants out to the end of October, than I put them in the garage ore in the living-room.
Sigrun
Salix tree,Uncle toms method of growing seeds is to wet them in coffee filter papers and keep them in a warm kitchen untill they start to germinate.They are then put into individual pots to grow on.I learnt it from a San Fransisco blog called uncle toms garden.I have found soil sowing of seeds has poor results in terms of germinated seeds.She grows so many beautiful herbs, veg, and flowers from that method.I will link her again for you..
UK Bob thanks for the advice.Once I have my veg rows I will use the grass clippings as i have those in abundance.Did you read my bulbs question on your blog?
Sigrun, my cactus got too wet,and some started to rot.Its not the temperature that is bad its the moisture.They are back inside now.I love them.They are my spikey companions,they let me play with their spines, whereas other people get stabbed.Cactus are responsive to people i think!!
Post a Comment