What's happening in your garden today?

[Sheal]

If you mean the plant by the steps @Tetters, I think it's a Berberis. It has lethal thorns and at the moment a few orange flowers.

Edit: If I remember tomorrow I'll get some closer pics.

 

[Logan]

Nothing today it isn't raining just had other things to do.

 

[Sean Regan]

Both gardens got blitzed yesterday as it was dry and rain was forecasted for today.
Mowing, weeding, leaf collection.
These begonias are doing well. They are half the delivery I bought on-line as plug plants early in the year. The other half were received dried out so I was given a voucher by the supplier that covered the cost of the order.

One of the four heathers in the troughs on the patio had died. So I noticed these heathers in Homebase. Three for £8. So I thought they'd do for now. The other two won't flower for a couple of months. The third one is on the patio steps now.

The house next door was bought by a Chinese doctor over a year ago. They've left it empty since then. But three Chinese workmen turned up today, to blitz the interior of the house. They've filled a skip with old fitted wardrobes and kitchen units.
They also tackled the gardens, which were completely overgrown.
They obviously didn't want the big tree at the bottom of the back garden.

You can just see a bit of it, to the left of our fence.

Now if you're going to take down a tree you need to have the right protective gear and a chain saw.

But not if you're a young Chinese youth.
Just jeans, a sweatshirt, trainers and a small hand saw.

Getting through the trunk took them over an hour.

They've filled the garden with the branches they've cut down. They'll need another skip.

 

[Zigs]

Welcome back mr Regan

 

[Anniekay]

I extended my front garden so that I have somewhere to transplant my daylilies to.

And prepped two of my raised beds so that they're ready to plant my brassicas into in a few weeks.

I have a few lupines in the mix. They really don't grow here but if I get them to flower over winter, I'll be happy. I plan to put them in a pot so I can bring them in if it's going to frost.

 

[Tetters]

Both gardens got blitzed yesterday as it was dry and rain was forecasted for today.
Mowing, weeding, leaf collection.
These begonias are doing well. They are half the delivery I bought on-line as plug plants early in the year. The other half were received dried out so I was given a voucher by the supplier that covered the cost of the order.

One of the four heathers in the troughs on the patio had died. So I noticed these heathers in Homebase. Three for £8. So I thought they'd do for now. The other two won't flower for a couple of months. The third one is on the patio steps now.

The house next door was bought by a Chinese doctor over a year ago. They've left it empty since then. But three Chinese workmen turned up today, to blitz the interior of the house. They've filled a skip with old fitted wardrobes and kitchen units.
They also tackled the gardens, which were completely overgrown.
They obviously didn't want the big tree at the bottom of the back garden.

You can just see a bit of it, to the left of our fence.

Now if you're going to take down a tree you need to have the right protective gear and a chain saw.

But not if you're a young Chinese youth.
Just jeans, a sweatshirt, trainers and a small hand saw.

Getting through the trunk took them over an hour.

They've filled the garden with the branches they've cut down. They'll need another skip.

Well now, that reads like a magazine article. I think maybe you should consider a whole new career. I don't think I would want to employ those two to take down a tree for me. I daresay you were holding your breath for the sake of your fence!
How are the hedgehogs getting on now? We need to watch out for babies that might be underweight before the winter hibernation.

 

[Tetters]

I extended my front garden so that I have somewhere to transplant my daylilies to.
View attachment 1441
And prepped two of my raised beds so that they're ready to plant my brassicas into in a few weeks.
View attachment 1442
I have a few lupines in the mix. They really don't grow here but if I get them to flower over winter, I'll be happy. I plan to put them in a pot so I can bring them in if it's going to frost.

Somehow I missed this post Annie. The way you have extended your front garden will make life much easier when it comes to cutting the grass. The shape is much more pleasing in my opinion.
When it comes to lupins, there's no need to worry about frost as they are as tough as old boots. Once you have them established in the ground they are fine. I think the problem however, is that the best time for them to go in is springtime. That's when we usually do it. They die off then on the tops after flowering, and shoot up all new next year. We find they attract aphids big time

 

[Anniekay]

Somehow I missed this post Annie. The way you have extended your front garden will make life much easier when it comes to cutting the grass. The shape is much more pleasing in my opinion.
When it comes to lupins, there's no need to worry about frost as they are as tough as old boots. Once you have them established in the ground they are fine. I think the problem however, is that the best time for them to go in is springtime. That's when we usually do it. They die off then on the tops after flowering, and shoot up all new next year. We find they attract aphids big time

I'm trying them for fall and winter because it gets too hot here in Spring. By April it's already in the 80's and the sun is very strong. We have to grow most spring, cool weather crops here in fall and winter or, for instance, brassicas would bolt before they got big enough to eat. I have a lettuce enjoying one of my raised beds right now. It self seeded from last falls crop that I collected seed from. Heck, when we had the hurricane last November I had lettuce growing all over the yard in December and January, coming up in the grass. The hurricane planted them.

I have a plethera of lady bugs every year and the lupines will be out front, hopefull far enough away from my veg.

 

[Tetters]

I'm trying them for fall and winter because it gets too hot here in Spring. By April it's already in the 80's and the sun is very strong. We have to grow most spring, cool weather crops here in fall and winter or, for instance, brassicas would bolt before they got big enough to eat. I have a lettuce enjoying one of my raised beds right now. It self seeded from last falls crop that I collected seed from. Heck, when we had the hurricane last November I had lettuce growing all over the yard in December and January, coming up in the grass. The hurricane planted them.

I have a plethera of lady bugs every year and the lupines will be out front, hopefull far enough away from my veg.

Learning all the time! If I tried to set out stuff just before the frost, I'd probably lose it! I think we have been finding out about stuff bolting here before we can use it - due of course to the topsy turvy weather conditions these days.
In the last couple of years, and especially with my health problems, I've lost practically all my dahlias due to frost and neglect.
I'm happy to report though that I've caught up with the weeding a bit
Lupin aphids do tend to remain on the Lupins, and in my view they could act to help brassicas by being more attractive to the aphids, therefore they would choose to keep off one plant in favour of the other..... (just a thought)

 

[Anniekay]

Learning all the time! If I tried to set out stuff just before the frost, I'd probably lose it! I think we have been finding out about stuff bolting here before we can use it - due of course to the topsy turvy weather conditions these days.
In the last couple of years, and especially with my health problems, I've lost practically all my dahlias due to frost and neglect.
I'm happy to report though that I've caught up with the weeding a bit
Lupin aphids do tend to remain on the Lupins, and in my view they could act to help brassicas by being more attractive to the aphids, therefore they would choose to keep off one plant in favour of the other..... (just a thought)

Here all you really need are some row covers if the temps go too low but the frosty temps don't usually last for more than a few hours and most winter veg appreciates it.

I also have an orange tree ( I think a Seville) grown from the seed of a large tree growing 4 blocks away. I covered that the first couple years with a heavy box and wrapped that in heavy nylon tarp. It's an aphid trap in spring but just walk towards it and it has so many lady bugs on it that they'll come check you out as well !!

So, since the orange tree is in the front yard, the lady bugs will be feasting with the addition of the lupines. I'm excited to see if I can pull off the lupines as I'm sure nobody around here will know what they are !!

 

[Tetters]

As a matter of interest, I note that you call these flowers Lupine, which in English means wolf like. It is pronounced Loo pen, and although both spellings are acceptable, in England they are always spelt without an e on the end.
Strangely though both spellings are derived from the Latin name for Wolf

 

[Anniekay]

As a matter of interest, I note that you call these flowers Lupine, which in English means wolf like. It is pronounced Loo pen, and although both spellings are acceptable, in England they are always spelt without an e on the end.
Strangely though both spellings are derived from the Latin name for Wolf
View attachment 1453

Wolf's tails would be a better descriptor, I think.

What I giggle at is that, if I'm not hearing it wrong, you Brits say: Anenome insted of Anemone.

 

[Tetters]

Wolf's tails would be a better descriptor, I think.

What I giggle at is that, if I'm not hearing it wrong, you Brits say: Anenome insted of Anemone.

I suppose that depends who you want to listen to. I call them anemone because that's their name. People I talk to here also call them anemone ..except perhaps Zigs, and I think he calls them annie moan !

 

[Anniekay]

I suppose that depends who you want to listen to. I call them anemone because that's their name. People I talk to here also call them anemone ..except perhaps Zigs, and I think he calls them annie moan !

The whole crew on Monty Don's Gardener's World say Anenome. It's like the first time I went to Germany and saw a big sign on the highway that said "Aus Fahrt" .
I just giggle !!

 

[Logan]

I watch a lady from the US on YouTube and she says Darlias for dahlias. Nothing in the garden today, it's rainy weather.

 

[Anniekay]

I watch a lady from the US on YouTube and she says Darlias for dahlias. Nothing in the garden today, it's rainy.

I pronounce the "h" in Dahlia and I notice, on British TV, you don't pronounce it. There's lots of botanical names that we, in the States, pronounce differently.

 

[Sean Regan]

I was concerned that with all the activity of the house renovation and the clearing of the garden next door, it would frighten off the hedgehogs.
Particularly because the old shed behind the garage with the door hanging off had been taken away, there was a possibility that they had a home under it. But this wasn't the case, as they turned up at their usual times. They may not even have a home next door, as they can access that garden via the drive from anywhere in the area then come through the doorway in our fence into our garden.

One has been checking out the interior of the house at the bottom of the garden, in which they hadn't shown any interest all summer. So maybe one will move in for the winter.
I'll move the camera on the patio that covers that feeder to cover the house under the azaleas to the side of the patio, to see if any interest is shown in it.

There's been some progress next door.
From the house up to as far as the end of the garage, is being paved.
There's still all the bits of the big tree in the other half of the garden, but these will be removed I expect later in the week.
The area to be paved has been cleared of grass and weeds and a membrane put down. A big truck arrived this morning with a lot of big bags of sand and pallets of paving slabs. The paving is good news, as the convolvulus that creeps under the fence into our garden will have been removed.

 

[Tetters]

I was concerned that with all the activity of the house renovation and the clearing of the garden next door, it would frighten off the hedgehogs.
Particularly because the old shed behind the garage with the door hanging off had been taken away, there was a possibility that they had a home under it. But this wasn't the case, as they turned up at their usual times. They may not even have a home next door, as they can access that garden via the drive from anywhere in the area then come through the doorway in our fence into our garden.

One has been checking out the interior of the house at the bottom of the garden, in which they hadn't shown any interest all summer. So maybe one will move in for the winter.
I'll move the camera on the patio that covers that feeder to cover the house under the azaleas to the side of the patio, to see if any interest is shown in it.

There's been some progress next door.
From the house up to as far as the end of the garage, is being paved.
There's still all the bits of the big tree in the other half of the garden, but these will be removed I expect later in the week.
The area to be paved has been cleared of grass and weeds and a membrane put down. A big truck arrived this morning with a lot of big bags of sand and pallets of paving slabs. The paving is good news, as the convolvulus that creeps under the fence into our garden will have been removed.

Is all the activity next door between you and the hedgehogs? I hope the hogs have come to no harm!!
It would be good to see on the camera - could you post it if you're successful please? I know hedge hogs are fast runners when they want to be, and they can manage to climb lowish fences, but I don't think they'd get over your fence - not only that, I expect you tell the kids that the little door is also for the use of the fairies

 

[Sean Regan]

The owner of the house next door has planning permission for a huge extension. This was granted at the beginning of the year. This appears now not to be happening. I think they are just "doing it up" either to sell, but more likely to rent it. It will be good new for the hedgehogs as previously, the grass in that garden had been very high.

I've no idea where is their home, it is unlikely now that it's in the garden next door. They can travel several miles at night.

When we found the first hedgehog collapsed in the front garden a few years ago, we kept him in our garden as we didn't think he was a "full shilling." I drilled a big enough hole in a concrete base panel of the side fence, but my wife persuaded me to put a door on it.




But it's always open now and is used every night.

 

[Zigs]

We don't have a Horse Chestnut Tree