Just a wee note now and again on what’s going on in the garden!
May 10th 2022
Well, where has the time gone then?
Spring has definitely arrived in Aberdeen. I can see daffodils, grape hyacinths/muscari, tulips, Ribes, Skimmia even a couple of sneaky dandelions (good for the bees) in the ‘wild’ corner underneath the Kilmarnock willow. It’s looking wonderful again, a great, shaggy mess of new bright green leaves. Like our very own Muppet puppet. Beside it stands the Laurel with its dark green, shiny leaves and white flowers sticking out like those milk lollipops you buy for toddlers. For so long it had looked a bit scraggy but now, I could almost call it a hedge.
Totally delighted that the Erythonium (dog’s tooth violet) has come up again in our ‘woodland’ garden. I saw it growing in Hazelhead Woods and bought one. It’s so cheery. Thanks to Gardener’s World I learnt that it is a member of the lily family and the dog’s tooth refers to the shape of the tuber.
The greenhouse is washed and tidy-ish. Tomato and sunflower seeds have been planted and the seedlings potted on. Have done some spring pruning (Cornus) and feeding (Camellia, Rhododendrons) That’s about it for this year though. Lots of jobs on the list to do.
- Refresh compost at the top of the fruit trees in pots
- Plant rhubarb and raspberries into raised bed
- Remove comfrey from raised bed
- Plant flower seeds
- Clean pond
- Move Camellia
- Plant tree
- Bark around trees
- Plant new lavender and thyme
January 31st 2021
Well, this is a sporadic chat at times!
Taking part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend and I’ve made yoghurt pot fat balls to add to the normal fat balls and seed.
Each morning I’ve been filling the birdbath and breaking the ice in our wee pond – often freezing my fingers off trying to pull lumps of ice out. (-3.4C today!)
I ordered some seeds the other day – very exciting! Gardening is all about hope and looking forward. Two new ones for me are ‘Scabious’ and ‘Teasels’.
June 5th
So much has happened in the garden!
We’ve planted seeds, seeds and more seeds!
Tomatoes, beetroot, courgettes, parsnips (no luck yet as with the spring onions) coriander, basil, lobelia, cosmos.
Also potatoes and carrot and kale from the garden centre.
The strawberries in the hanging baskets are starting to ripen.
March 24th 2020
Around the trees I’ve weeded, fed, watered and mulched the bases.
Tulips, crocuses, primroses, cowslip, heather, snowdrops, hellebores all flowering.
Buds on the rowan, lilac and early cherry blossom trees.
Leeks and pak choi overwatered in the raised bed.
Potatoes chitting.
Pak choi in the greenhouse overwintered is doing well and being used for stir fries – so pleased with this. It’s the first vegetable I’ve managed to grow overwinter.
March 22nd 2020
Time for seed planting – yes, even in Aberdeen!
Cucumber, spring onion, radishes, coriander, cosmos, delphinium seeds planted inside on the heated propagator.
Sweet peas and sunflowers planted and inside on the windowsill.
Sweet pea, lupin and honesty seeds planted from gathered seeds.
Lettuce seeds planted in the greenhouse – with fleece.
March 2020
Greenhouse washed inside and out.
Pots washed ready to go!
September 6th 2019
The pond is in! Plants carefully placed at (hopefully) the correct depths and now fingers crossed.
May 23rd 2019
Ah, well, it’s been a wee while right enough!
Had a burst of enthusiasm and have lots on the go just now including cucamelons! Going to give them a try anyway.
Have been harvesting lettuce already, started it with seeds in the propagator and then grown on in the greenhouse. Am I brave enough to put it outside in Aberdeen in May?
May 6th 2018
Well, according to my notes, my Magnolia Stellata flowered in April this year so we are definitely a month behind. I’m with Beechgrove garden on that!
The clematis I mentioned last time is at last coming to life with tiny, tiny leaves so far!
Lots of time spent in the garden tidying and sorting – love it!
April 20th 2018
Greenhouse washed and tidied!
Potatoes beginning to show a little growth.
Seeds planted: cornflowers, nasturtiums, sunflowers, sweet peas – you can tell I love flowers!
Buds on the fruit trees – it’s an exciting time!
Bit worried about my clematis, it didn’t flower last year and this year well, frankly, I think it might be a goner. Still, I’ll leave it for a bit and if no luck, then it’s a chance to change it to an evergreen climber.
March 23rd 2018
Well, I have to admit, I am a fair weather gardener and the weather has not been so great recently! So yesterday, the blue skies, welcome sunshine and temperatures of fifteen degrees found me desperate to be outside.
Now, every year I feel the first warmth in the air and rush to plant, plant, plant however, I am slowly learning to rein myself in and take it gradually. Yesterday was therefore tidy up the garden rather than rush to plant.
I do have a confession to make on this though, I had a wee trip to the garden centre the other day and now have trays of bedding plants, dahlia corms, seeds and a little cowslip which somehow managed to sneak into my trolley. Happy days are on their way, I just need a wee bit of sunshine!
January 15th 2018
After almost a week of dark days, the sun was shining and the pull of the garden calling was too strong. I couldn’t resist. With the intention of spending half an hour outside I wrapped up really warmly (thermals!) and headed out.
An hour later the garden was looking a lot tidier, dead plants removed, plants I should have cut down perhaps at the end of last year, finally tidied up and a quick tidy of the greenhouse.
The added bonus, a happy me!
Switch the Kettle on, Love 