Gardening

[Stanley]

[Stanley]

I thought it was time for a sitrep on the garden. Everything is moving now and the mint is sprouting all over the garden. It looks as though the dark green variety has seen just about all the others off. No problem, it's good mint but I shall have to think about introducing a bit of variety! As usual I hacked the Ladslove down to the bottom and it is coming back nicely. The chives need splitting but are as resilient as the mint. I think the lilac has benefited from losing over half of it's branches in the gale and the clear up afterwards. Very healthy and no doubt benefiting from the fact it has the original root system.
Now I need a top dressing of FYM......

[Stanley]

I'll swear the mint grew 1/2" yesterday!

[Sue]

Probably. That is what happened last week in France. I have three fuschia plants on my bedroom window sill here that I am training into standards and they definitely grew.

[Stanley]

Cancel the 1/2" Sue. Substitute 2"! The last couple of warm days has supercharged the mint! It's growing like Jack's Beanstalk!

[Sue]

As is the fuschia, I have to move the ties up the cane about 1 inch per day.. Only another 18 inches to go before I nip out the growing point and encourage the side shoots instead of vice versa

[Stanley]

Amazing what a bit of warmth will do. Isn't nature wonderful! Now cross your fingers, we don't want a cold snap!

[Stanley]

I'm going to prune the Lilac bush into a more compact shape. It tends to kill anything underneath it if it's allowed to go berserk....



That's better, wrong time to do it I know and more a massacre than pruning but it will give the bare patch on this side a chance to regenerate. It will survive and be a more compact shape.... Too leggy before and that's why the gale got it!

[Stanley]

Had a look late last night and that bush is much better.... Now for a bit of rain?

[Stanley]

We are getting some rain, be ready for an explosion!



The garden yesterday.



29th of May last year. I think we might be a bit in front this year.

[Stanley]

The light showers of the last few days are having an effect. The garden is growing well. All I need now is a top dressing of FYM! (Are you listening David?)

[Sue]

Yes the rain has turned my garden emerald green and the soil is rapidly disappearing

[Stanley]

Rising soil temperatures and the absence of that pesky East wind are having their effect. I love Spring when everything wakes up after winter. Especially up here in the colder climes of the North! Like new born babies, a promise that there is a future.

[Marilyn]

I always love that first puff of warm air that is laden with scents that confirm the Summer is coming.

[Tizer]

This is off-topic, but talking about a `puff of warm air that is laden with scents', do those vaping artificial cigarettes have scents in them? I don't smoke or vape and know nothing about the gadgets but I wondered whether we are going to be surrounded by artificial scents from them in the future?

[Stanley]

Possibly, and lose the lovely scent of good pipe tobacco......

[Stanley]

I think I was right about us being further forward this year. This is my 29th of May pic, compare with last year above. Much more foliage.....

[Sue]

That's the manure working , as it will now have broken down considerably to useful nitrates and other minerals

[Stanley]

Dead right Sue. I must nag my man, I want to do another dressing this year.....

[David Whipp]

Nagged...

[Stanley]

[Wendyf]

This message contains GARLIC!! Turn away now Maz...

The poly tunnel has got very growy suddenly!



Bruce & I think it's time to lift the garlic which was planted in November.



Done...I may have over watered it a bit, but the skins will dry off.

[plaques]

For starters just a simple view of part of the back garden. (Marilyn's request). Don't start asking questions about plants, I just put them in with the green bits at the top.


Another view to remind everyone its not like this all the time.


Of the record I had to keep reducing the image size down to 850 x 638 = 117 Kb to get this last image into the gallery.

[PanBiker]

Nice garden Plaques and you have managed to master the Gallery and posting your pictures. Just a note the site does auto resize but it makes it a lot smoother if you resize before uploading, 800 x 600 is a good size. Irfanview program has a batch processing facility and is very easy to use, free download as well.

[Wendyf]

Lovely garden.