popular What have you done today in the Garden?

Cut back some of the brambles that are slowly taking over around the side of the house, managed to pull some of the roots up, but will have to dig the rest out.

 

I did a lot of looking.

 

Burnt a load of rose bushes today

 

We still have lots of snow and cold... It was -2F a few mornings this week, and 13 this morning.

Just taking care of pets for now.

 

After installing my new water heater this morning, I got into the rockery.
There was a lot of moss on the rocks, which was spreading into the phlox.



It was easy enough to scrape away, by hand where necessary ,with garden gloves.
I also removed a few weeds and little clumps of grass. Only took about half an hour.




I got into this Amber clematis, it tends to get out of hand during the summer, so I stripped it back to its main branches, it's already showing signs of life.



There's a jasmine to the left of it, amongst all the cyclamen in this little bed, this will grow taller than the eight-foot fence, even when I cut it this far back each year and thin it out.



Around all this I did four lots of laundry, towels, bedding bath and toilet mats and a bag of my wife's clothes, all washed and tumble dried.

Just dinner to cook tonight, our usual Thursday meal, sirloin steak, asparagus and chips.

I tried top find Taylor's website, as I expect to have to replace some clematis. half are showing signs of life, but it's early days. I won't make the decision until March.
Apparently, Taylor's, which dealt mostly with clematis has been taken over by the Sarah Raven Group. That's bad news, in my opinion.
I had the misfortune to buy something from them three years ago. It took me six months to unsubscribe, as they took no notice, sending an email every week with offers.
Taylor's would send you a printed catalogue, if you requested one. I couldn't find this facility on Sarah Raven.
Taylor's prices weren't cheap but the variety and quality were always good.
Sarah Raven's prices are ridiculous.
I'll probably go to Bents if I decide to buy some more.

 

Sarah raven is too pricey for what it is. I've ordered plants and bulbs from jparkers and they're good and a good price.

 

I finally got around to planting out the trees I've had in pots for a few years.



Birch and Rowan that a mate gave me, a Scot's Pine seedling and a possible plum that I hoiked out of the fruit garden as it wasn't happy there

 

Probably because I was a bit bored this morning, I went on Parkers' website and ordered a few clematis.
We've a branch of theirs about three miles away, but I always find if I go there, there's never anyone around you can ask questions about a plant, or even where to find them.
I bought six. They will be quite small, in 9cm pots. They'll be here in a month. I'll put them on the shelf below the shed window for a few weeks, where they'll get plenty of sun with no drafts.
The prices range from about seven pounds to fourteen.


2 Clematis Armandii Apple Blossom




Clematis Josephine



2 Clematis montana 'Broughton Star'




2 Clematis Piilu

 

That apple blossom clematis is very pretty... I have had my eye on a lavender one but forgot its name. I have tried to grow them a few times, and they all died.

It got into the 40s today, so some of that snow is melting. DS took me for a few errands, and I got some straw. I cleaned out the chicken crate, and put clean straw in there for them. They like that. I cleaned up all the dog poo I could find also. I also put 2 store sweet potatoes into jars of water to make slips for planting later. I have some little tiny sweet potatoes from the garden to grow come spring also.

I need to see if I can find some elderberry bushes to dig up for sharing. I might make some cuttings to root also.

At least the snow puts snow in the ground.

 

Nothing today it's still raining.

 

It's been mostly dry for a couple of days, but there's nothing that needs doing at the moment.

 

That’s always a good thing… #me two… ya never know what’s lurking around … I’m rooting for you.

 

It's dry today but i haven't done much just watching the seedlings grow.

 

Today was mostly maintenance on garden tools and both tractors.

Cleaned up the hand and pole battery op chain saws . Added fresh oil and new chains. Changed small hand saw blades and sharpened. Cleaned and sharpened some hand & battery op clippers.

Cleaned and sharpened the batter op hedgers. Changed the string roll and cleaned the weed wacker.

Shovels and rakes were power washed with the power hose nozzel.

Changed the oil on the garden tractor & flipped out the air carb and oil filters.

The company came out to fill the OIL tank for the furnace & Gas was filled in the gas barrels . Added a product called HEET to each of the 55 gal drums of gas - to prevent water build up inside the barrels.

Also filled up the Compact Utility tractor with diesel and the diesel barrel added HEET. Also added engine oil . Power washed it and cleaned the engine .

Sprayed the perimeter of the house with ant guard. Ants are everywhere since the weather has been so warm.

So movin on to the next …..

 

Since it was nice this morning I pruned bushes, roses, and my Fig tree along with the Abelias, firethorn and Azaleas. They just needed dead branches and tips cut sothey get bushier. Then the wheelbarrow was still not quite heaping full so I collected up all the deadfall from the trees and dumped it all in the ditch. Not an hour later the truck was there clearing it away.