Today I did something in my Garden

uck51js9zml2yt · 05-05-2019 9:25am

longgonesilver wrote: »

I have seen pampas being burned, even when still wanted to reduce the size of the crown. Crowbar with a stone for a fulcrum would be my best option

Oh sh!te....I've to remove some as well..

Vicarious Function · 05-05-2019 12:57pm

Yesterday I saw two ladybird beetles on my raised bed. On the far wall where there are recurrant bushes I noticed the tips of the bushes over-run by greenfly. Wondered where the ladybirds had gotten to. :eek:

Harry Palmr · 13-05-2019 11:24pm

I made home for the bush tomatoes out of various bits and pieces I have cluttering up the shed. Never throw anything away!

Two bits of old poly sheeting, Lidl coldframe, an old folding airer frame, some bamboo cane, some corrugated plastic panels, plastic ties, tape and hope.

About an hours work.

blackbox · 06-02-2020 9:10pm

Planted bare-root Griselinia hedge today (well at least I got started on it).

It will define the back of the garden where the fence has rotted away.

First constructive garden action of the year.

scarepanda · 06-02-2020 9:34pm

I gave the back lawn it's first cut of the year today.

scarepanda · 02-03-2020 7:17pm

I finally dug up 2 rose bushes, 2 blueberry bushes and 3 currant bushes in prep for moving house. I'm leaving the raspberries and probably the strawberries, or at least most of them. Anything else I want to bring is already in buckets.

Tired Gardener · 02-03-2020 7:25pm

Moved into an old house back in November, finally had some time over the last week to get some work done in the garden.

Dug two flower beds, one is a simple strip with 18 primroses, nothing too brilliant, but adds a bit of colour.

The other is a circular flowerbed, put in a good mixture of Sea Holly, Lupin, Hot Pokers, and Globe Thistles. To add some low cover I sprinkled a box of butterfly attracting flower seeds. More of a test bed really to see how the soil is.

Hopefully I'll have time to make some raised flower beds where I can control the soil quality.

secman · 02-03-2020 7:54pm

Walked about 10 foot into the garden yesterday...squelchy as a bog ... retreated as that area is usually a good dry spot.... no idea as to when it will be ready for a cut, looks like a field fit for sheep.

Vicarious Function · 02-03-2020 8:45pm

Same here! Squelchy is the word. Luckily I had bought a couple of roofing sheets in Homebase, cut to half size, to put over my compost heap. I also had spread and old Christmas tree bag under the roofing. The pink worms came up to the surface to shelter under the Christmas tree bag as did about 50 slugs. Very appreciative they seem to be of their comfy home. Storm Jorge (Hore-Hay) actually blew off the roofing, but the Christmas tree bag stayed in place sheltering the residents.

blackbox · 03-03-2020 2:58pm

blackbox wrote: »

Planted bare-root Griselinia hedge today (well at least I got started on it).

It will define the back of the garden where the fence has rotted away.

First constructive garden action of the year.

I had to foot them all in again. The recent storms had rocked them on their roots. I would have liked to cut them to reduce height but the only advice I could find was that cutting them in winter might allow in fungus.

magicbastarder · 03-03-2020 6:23pm

bleached down the coop after coming out this morning to find a hole dug underneath it and both chickens gone except for a mass of feathers.

Tired Gardener · 03-03-2020 7:07pm

Put up 3 washing line poles, making most of the dry weather and being able to get some concrete down.

Also used the excess concrete to patch up a hole on the outside of the house, hopefully it'll stop rats getting in.

Reckless Abandonment · 03-03-2020 7:53pm

Is it just me or do you find you can spend hours in the garden and appear to have done feck all.
I think I spend more time daydreaming of what i will do

Tired Gardener · 03-03-2020 8:01pm

Reckless Abandonment wrote: »

Is it just me or do you find you can spend hours in the garden and appear to have done feck all.
I think I spend more time daydreaming of what i will do

I put it down to getting older, time just ain't what it used to be. Now I err on the side of over-estimating the length of time needed on tasks.

macraignil · 03-03-2020 8:35pm

Reckless Abandonment wrote: »

Is it just me or do you find you can spend hours in the garden and appear to have done feck all.
I think I spend more time daydreaming of what i will do

Definitely not just you and am doing more of this myself as well. Reading up on and looking at a number of videos recently about the ideas of forest gardening and permaculture which seems to often be based on a more ecologically conscious approach to gardening and keeping the garden working on more nature and wildlife promoting principles. A number of the sources I've looked at seem to emphasise the value of observing how nature is working in the garden in order to make the right decisions on managing the area to work better for nature and wildlife and to improve it rather than just making change for the sake of it, so you are going in completely in the right direction according to the research I've done on the topic so far.

uck51js9zml2yt · 03-03-2020 8:44pm

Reckless Abandonment wrote: »

Is it just me or do you find you can spend hours in the garden and appear to have done feck all.
I think I spend more time daydreaming of what i will do

Just you.:)

Making a herb garden from pallets.

Just planned on putting them together but all it needs now are some plants.

I got 4 euro pallets, painted them and lined them( with silage plastic).

After screwing them into a square I filled it with branches and compost to pack it out. Then put in cardboard, leaves and seaweed. Topped with compost.
The runners are lined and filled with compost for flowers. Herbs will go in the main section on top.
I'm even using some stones from the beach for decoration.
Total cost without plants 10 euro for the compost. Everything else was free.

I'll post a picture when it's finished.

Will look something like this
https://pin.it/YZOXTVSGEEFDKK

Reckless Abandonment · 04-03-2020 7:00pm

Finally got started on my wildlife pond. My back won't be happy with me in the morning

but delighted to finally get at it

farmerval · 04-03-2020 10:34pm

please explain more about your pond

SnowyMuckish · 05-03-2020 12:26pm

Does any of the more seasoned gardeners know if a bag of manure that was left open since last year would still be effective?

Reckless Abandonment · 05-03-2020 5:42pm

SnowyMuckish wrote: »

Does any of the more seasoned gardeners know if a bag of manure that was left open since last year would still be effective?

Might be even better. I'd have no worries using it

magicbastarder · 05-03-2020 7:19pm

might be a bit whiffy, but i've used it before with no qualms.

Fleetwoodmac · 05-03-2020 7:21pm

macraignil wrote: »

Definitely not just you and am doing more of this myself as well. Reading up on and looking at a number of videos recently about the ideas of forest gardening and permaculture which seems to often be based on a more ecologically conscious approach to gardening and keeping the garden working on more nature and wildlife promoting principles. A number of the sources I've looked at seem to emphasise the value of observing how nature is working in the garden in order to make the right decisions on managing the area to work better for nature and wildlife and to improve it rather than just making change for the sake of it, so you are going in completely in the right direction according to the research I've done on the topic so far.

Have you seen bealtaine cottage, amazing what she has created over the years. Her videos on you tube are wonderful.

Fleetwoodmac · 05-03-2020 7:23pm

Reckless Abandonment wrote: »

Finally got started on my wildlife pond. My back won't be happy with me in the morning
but delighted to finally get at it

Looks like you've got great soil! I've wanted to do this for years but our soil is v heavy clay. Please post pics as you progress

Fleetwoodmac · 05-03-2020 7:25pm

Newbie here... started haybale towers for strawberries and trying growing spuds in old baths so prepping hay for that. Garden v soggy still. Working on window boxes from old pallets..

Anyone here with chickens.... are they worth it...

SnowyMuckish · 05-03-2020 9:26pm

Well I used it anyway, if nothing else it’ll mulch the flowers. Got a case of what I call ‘gardeners anxiety’ today, that moment when you step outside and realize the scale of what you have to do each spring!

At least I started the ball rolling, did a bit of spring weeding, tidying and mulching in a few boarders. Found my first winter casualty too, I have 2 climbing roses on a north facing wall ‘ zephirine Drouhin’ but it died a second year in a row in one area. They’re in self made containers almost 1m x 1/2m and over a foot deep. I suppose I have to accept that they don’t thrive in containers! I’ll give them one more shot this year with a different variety and if the fails I’ll change plants. Any idea what variety I could use instead, I’m after a climbing pink rose?

Reckless Abandonment · 06-03-2020 6:40pm

Fleetwoodmac wrote: »

Looks like you've got great soil! I've wanted to do this for years but our soil is v heavy clay. Please post pics as you progress

Yeah I'm very lucky. Have great soil. Hope to get back at it on Sunday. Couldn't face the spade today

SnowyMuckish · 27-03-2020 11:38am

Spring has finally sprung! I got the veg bed turned and manured yesterday. Gardening with a view, no better way to spend quarantine!

uck51js9zml2yt · 27-03-2020 6:08pm

Not quiet gardening. I'm in the middle of building a new chicken run

kylith · 27-03-2020 9:36pm

Planted some asparagus in a big pot. In 2-3 years i’ll Eat like a king!

looksee · 27-03-2020 9:46pm

I've just had two areas of the 'new to me' garden cleared by a digger and one area which was a horrible wilderness of brambles, ancient elders and rubbish was cleared out and some soil that was surplus to requirements in another area moved to it, so now I have two new areas to work on. Since this was gardening by digger, while he did a very good job, there is a lot of tidying up edges, removing stray brambles and other stuff and general smoothing out and tidying up to do.

Planted a whole lot of lonicera where there had previously been a lonicera hedge that was almost gone to brambles. All the new hedging was dug up suckers from other parts of the garden, about 20+, so that's a good start made.

I have bare root trees and shrubs coming from Future Forests (just squeeked in before they closed) and a load of other stuff, both purchased and gifts so I have a lot of planting to do.

Harry Palmr · 27-03-2020 9:56pm

This thread is about to get busy. I was fearing more intense restrictions.

magicbastarder · 27-03-2020 11:22pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

This thread is about to get busy. I was fearing more intense restrictions.

i suspect the reason it hasn't already been busy is that people have been too busy in the garden to post...
have done quite a bit of work in the garden in the last week, and that weather certainly helped.

macraignil · 27-03-2020 11:52pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

i suspect the reason it hasn't already been busy is that people have been too busy in the garden to post...
have done quite a bit of work in the garden in the last week, and that weather certainly helped.

Good amount done in the garden here as well last week and looks like there will be time for a good bit more over the next couple of weeks. Most of the essential weeding caught up with today. Still got a bit of tidying around the fruit trees and a few other small jobs to do but I think there's going to be another area of lawn that will be converted to something more useful fairly soon.

magicbastarder · 27-03-2020 11:55pm

i mulched the cherry tree which had been standing in my neighbour's front garden - it was diseased and had started to drop branches, not good when it was three foot from a busy footpath. al least i have a good supply of mulch, some firewood for a year or two away, and some wood for the lathe.

Cal04 · 28-03-2020 12:06am

Looking at some small hydrangeas, think they dmcoukd do with a feed of something, must Google what. Thank god we have gardens to take our mind off everything else

ShiverinEskimo · 28-03-2020 9:46am

magicbastarder wrote: »

i mulched the cherry tree which had been standing in my neighbour's front garden - it was diseased and had started to drop branches, not good when it was three foot from a busy footpath. al least i have a good supply of mulch, some firewood for a year or two away, and some wood for the lathe.

Is mulching plants with diseased wood a good idea?

paddylonglegs · 28-03-2020 9:53am

Have some heavy garden work to dcof removing and old deck and lifting slabs. Had planned to get a skip for that but doubtful I’ll be able to get a skip now. Shame with the extra bit of time now

magicbastarder · 28-03-2020 10:18am

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

Is mulching plants with diseased wood a good idea?

Bark mulch will be broken down by fungus anyway. And the fungus in the tree had been fruiting for a year or two anyway, probably already had been plenty of spores floating about.

Tired Gardener · 28-03-2020 11:40am

Spent yesterday putting in a 3rd flower bed at the front of the house. I got a good deal on Hellebore, Dahlia, Grape Hyacinth, Tulip, Primrose, and Daffodil. A bit late in the year for some, but next year should be quite spectacular.

Sadly I haven't any more plants to put in during the lockdown.

looksee · 28-03-2020 7:20pm

I'll just pop in a tree just here, says I. Digs fork into ground. An inch in there is a rocky clang. Ok, prise out rock. Try again, another rock. Hm, more digging, more rocks. Ah well I wanted rocks for a little wall nearby. Several more rocks and, hang on a minute this is not rock, its a lump of concrete. Light slowly dawns, if you look at Google images for ten years ago there was an old building along here, guess what, we are digging up a pigsty...

magicbastarder · 28-03-2020 7:35pm

looks like you've got your plans for the next two weeks of lockdown sorted, so...

uck51js9zml2yt · 28-03-2020 10:12pm

kylith wrote: »

Planted some asparagus in a big pot. In 2-3 years i’ll Eat like a king!

Where did you get the crowns from.

scarepanda · 28-03-2020 10:34pm

I took a good long walk around the garden in our new house! We finally closed yesterday and got the keys with hours to spare before lockdown!

Reckless Abandonment · 28-03-2020 10:49pm

scarepanda wrote: »

I took a good long walk around the garden in our new house! We finally closed yesterday and got the keys with hours to spare before lockdown!

That's good to hear. New or old garden?

scarepanda · 28-03-2020 10:56pm

Reckless Abandonment wrote: »

That's good to hear. New or old garden?

Old. In decent nick though. Lots of mature trees and a little pond. Can't wait to get my hands stuck into it and build a veg garden. Although I think It will be a year for flowers as we haven't a notion when we'll get to move with this lockdown and there's a couple flower beds/rockeries already built

kylith · 29-03-2020 12:11am

Adelynn Whining Windowpane wrote: »

Where did you get the crowns from.

A place in Gorey called Spice. No idea I they’ll be any good, but they had wee sprouts in the bag so i took it as a good sign.

SAM SO NITE · 29-03-2020 12:36am

I planted Rhodedendrons and Sunflowers in my studio raised garden bed (bizarre combo I know) but they were my late mothers favourite plants.

Mad how the free time afforded to us by the virus gets us up off our arses to start into projects we have had on the long finger for ages.

beggars_bush · 29-03-2020 12:51am

Polytunnel cleared out, manure added and ready to go
Was going to hire a rotavator to help with preparing half our newly cleared garden for lawn seed and the other half just redigging for veg
Went at it with a pick instead. Should keep me going for 5 days at least

magicbastarder · 29-03-2020 12:57am

SAM SO NITE wrote: »

I planted Rhodedendrons and Sunflowers in my studio raised garden bed (bizarre combo I know) but they were my late mothers favourite plants.

years ago, i lived in a small house in phibsboro. on a whim one day, i grabbed a couple of handfuls of sunflower seeds i had (human food grade ones, for eating, not 'seeds'), and scattered them over the soil in the small front garden, which had recently been replaced. i ended up with a forest of sunflowers that summer, some probably 10 foot tall. i think there were actually one or two neighbours who didn't like them, but the vast majority of people who expressed an opinion loved them.

PCeeeee · 29-03-2020 1:04am

SAM SO NITE wrote: »

I planted Rhodedendrons and Sunflowers in my studio raised garden bed (bizarre combo I know) but they were my late mothers favourite plants.

Mad how the free time afforded to us by the virus gets us up off our arses to start into projects we have had on the long finger for ages.

As good a reason to have them as any I've ever heard.

Today I did something in my Garden

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