popular What have you done today in the Garden?

It was 15c this morning and not actually raining so, I “did a bit.”



First job was to check on the jukeboxes as I hadn't, “turned them over “ for a couple of weeks.

The turntable motors and spindles, got a bit of oil, before I played a dozen tracks on each. Their insulated covers, greenhouse heaters and their re-chargeable dehumidifiers had kept them free from damp, but a drop of oil does them no harm. Both were functioning well.

These two hebes that outgrew the troughs on the main patio, have been languishing at the end of “The Alley of Shame” (our drive that gets little sun and where unloved roses live).



So I've “promoted” them and put them in the little bed between the shed and the tea-house.

Where they are, they won't hide the blossom from the wisteria. I've wired them, so they won't spread out too far.



I've put two the two hedgehog houses out, with some fresh hay, which weren't occupied last year.

So they'll be “available.”

We've a few snowdrops out.



I had a check on the clematis in the garden. Several didn't come up last year, “after I'd given them a chance.” So I'll replace them with the new once that are presently in the shed. A couple of others haven't shown any life, so they may have to be replaced.

The ones along the side of the garage were very disappointing last year. So those will be replaced.

But they were quite cheap in Asda.

To do what I think is required, I need more “stock” so I've ordered another four from Parkers.

The two of the Parker's ones that are in the shed, that looked a bit suspect, seem to have appreciated the greenhouse heater and are showing signs that they might be OK.


I've turned the water back on, so I was able to use my new water heater and soap dispenser in the garage. I was able to wash my hands before I came in. You can't be too careful, “when working with “dirt.”

It started to rain in the afternoon, but it will be dry tomorrow, so I'll do a bit more.

This Amaryllis as a large bulb was bought for my wife for Christmas by one of her friends.



Until yesterday, it lived on the window sill in the kitchen, but it's now in our lounge.





As we're on their mailing list, I've received the usual catalogue they send out each year.

It is very well produced in A5 size.

So it should be. Shrub roses are £24 bare root, £35, potted.

Standard tree roses are £65, bare root, £80 potted.

They are offering 15% off, but I don't think I'll bother we've enough roses.

 

Beautiful Hippeastrum .

The sun came out about 3pm so I mowed the pastures in a few areas… checked for critters no evidence anywhere, and picked us debris from the last storm.
And used the leaf blower down the driveway.

 

Blue sky and 12c.
Gave all the roses a spray of Sulphur Rose.
Had a general tidy up.
Nothing more was worth staying out for longer.

 

The wind is wailing through the trees like a choir of banshees !! I got out and got the last 7 of my fruit trees fertilized with Jobe's stick fertilizer. It comes with plastic caps to put on the big fat sticks of fertilizer but, my ground is too compacted for that. I dig a spit's depth down the shovel, making a crease in the earth and put the fertilizer stick down on it's side @6" deep, then kick the crease back to.

Weeded out the beds around the fruit trees and pruned my orange tree. It had a few frosted branches that it didn't need anyway.

 

Good job Anniekay . I use those jobes stakes too when the plants were young then add a bit of a compost top layer. Once they are established never needed to be fertilized again. Now I’m trimming til the cows come home…

The horse dried manure steams up when covered with a tarp in summers heated up to 140F to eliminate all the weed seeds… usually made great compost for my plants. Friends, neighbors and anybody else I could off load the recycled hay were welcomed. Friends from the city come with buckets to gather their free load for their gardens.. even my next door neighbors come with their big tractors to use the front loader scooper to fill their pick-up trucks. Yeap three to four horses can make a lot of recycled hay in no time… uh umm … I mean compost.

 

When I had 3 horses, my mule, a mini , 2 heifers and a donkey I had a great garden. I never gave mine away because I needed it. I had a separate pile for watermelon growing and catalope growing and the rest went into my garden. The goats and equines fertilized the pastures so that I didn't have to.

 

yikes you had a lot of animals to care for… so wudda do or did in your spare time…? That’s a lot for one person to care for and hope you lived in an area with a temperate climate . Snow and ice up here in winters can really complicate things. Ever try to move a huge frozen layer of yellow ice? Keeps ya on your toes for finding solid ground for the horses. They aren’t too good at ice skating.

 

My mate brought me some pots round

 

North Florida @Pacnorwest . It does get cold so I had a catch of rugs for the equines but we had more difficulty with bugs. My Quarter horse with his fine hair and golden dun coloring seemed to attract a lot of bugs. He was in his fly sheet most of the year.

It wasn't that much work. I also had Guinea fowl I bred and sold and 23 Nanny goats that were pregnant twice a year .