Trowel and Error

[ParisGal]

That looks very much like an iris, but it's odd that it's flowered now, they're usually out in May (there's a festival here to celebrate them!)

[Demelza]

That's beautiful Demelza! Some sort of iris??

Ouch, I weeded the drive a few weeks ago, it's the worst job. While I was doing it, a small boy asked his mum what I was doing, she explained and he said " Oh like Nana?" . On their way back round he exclaimed "
She's STILL there!" Yes thanks, I'm elderly and stuck doing a job that takes forever.

That is exactly how I felt!

The leaves look iris (or even gladioli) like, but yes, it's strange it's flowering now! The mini blue iris bulbs I planted in the same bed came out in the early summer.

[Mountain Goat]

It is! Yes, surely May for most irises? I know reticulata irises are early spring but it doesn't look like one I don't think? (awareness of what they look like limited to a couple I've seen, maybe there are ones that look totally different). I guess it's something that's got very confused with the weird weather, it looks very exotic so probably even more confused.

An iris festival sounds lovely.

[FiveO'Clock]

That looks like a Mexican Tiger flower, they bloom in the late summer.

[Mountain Goat]

Brilliant Five!! :zirk:

[absley]

Beautiful flowers Demelza.

I left my dahlias in the ground, Nana Goat...

I am never going to be sort of person who digs things up for winter, so maybe their days were always numbered. I'm not sure about the gaura and over wintering though - I think mine may have got swamped by other stuff, not sure what the issue would have been for my friend, but hers was not new.

I meant to say before, the other colour we've got is SO MANY autumn flowering cyclamen, scattered all over the place, which is really odd as don't remember any flowering last year. I'm not really a fan (and find their curly tendrils icky when i dig them up) but my Mum has a soft spot and associates them with my Dad, so they'll stay.

[Mountain Goat]

I don't know that there's any best way really with dahlias, they could rot if you lifted them and didn't store them properly too, and I think they have a solid chance of being fine in the ground. In the front/side garden my guiding principle is that if something isn't tough enough to cope without a lot of faff, it doesn't belong there* and I'd apply that to the back too if it were larger. And with the climate changing I don't think we can predict what will survive and what won't very accurately anyway. I bet the gaura didn't cope with the damp spring or something like that.

* in theory. In practice I'm out there pandering to every slightly sulking flower.

That's nice that your Mum associates them with your Dad and yes, makes it quite hard for you to dig them up. I thought I wasn't a fan but saw some naturalised under a tree the other day that looked really lovely en masse. Oh, I am planning to dig up some more lawn for a new bed soon, primarily for a tree (probably a Red Falstaff apple on semi dwarfing rootstock but my research is not complete). I think I'll have another rose at the other end of it though (ie not under the shade of the tree). The tree will block the delightful sight of the compost bin.

[absley]

Tough enough to cope is absolutely my criteria.

Your new bed sounds nice - good to have plans for new spaces already! Is the tree research just focused on apples? I keep pondering a damson, but can't work out where. I've even thought about whether I can replace a feeble gingko the council planned just outside our gate! #guerrillagardening

[Mountain Goat]

Not just apples, my only base critieria are "tree" and "not too massive". But I'd quite like an apple tree (J eats a lot of apples and does not eat pears or plums much) and this one has good blossom and good autumn colour. I am also considering an cornus kousa chinensis, so nothing like an apple tree. And will quite likely end up with something else entirely. I am also wondering about a cooking apple tree instead, I don't really eat desserts BUT I will make an exception for a bramble and apple pie and there are brambles all along the hedge that lines the back of the estate.

Guerilla the street! I've had to control myself and NOT tie in some baby trees/shrubs that they planted just before a storm that subsequently went sideways. Your own damsons would be lovely! Do they look nice too? I'm not sure what they look like.

[ParisGal]

I always wanted one of those multi-fruit apple trees, but if there's not corresponding varieties around then they won't get pollinated

[absley]

Damsons have white spring blossom - my plum is lovely, and the blossom is always early so really welcome. Do you (or J) like jam? Plum jam is fabulous! That cornus is so lovely as well.

PG, is a multi-fruit tree where more than one type of apple is grafted onto the root stock? Or something entrely different!

[ParisGal]

Yes, that's what I mean, but I have no idea if that's what they're actually called

[Mountain Goat]

I've never heard of those! I have a fruit tree catalogue on my bedside table ( ) so I'm going to have a look in a bit.

I don't have much of a sweet tooth at all so jams etc just don't get used: I do like them but it never occurs to me to want/think about having something sweet really, unless it's served to me. I've just had a chutney/jam/jelly clear out: one of my friends ALWAYS brings cheese and a jar of something to go with it so I ended up with jars and jars of them. Again they're lovely but I just don't think to eat them. It's been going on too long for me to say anything by this point.

We had a Victoria plum tree when I was growing up, I used to climb up it to be by myself (and no-one could ever find me up there) and eat plums until I was sick.

[Mountain Goat]

I found these! Family fruit trees apparently, and these ones are self fertile:

https://www.blackmoor.co.uk/family-frui ... tre-p15998

Semi vigorous root stock only though.

[ParisGal]

Ooh cunning!

[absley]

I had a similar chutney stash! And those apple trees are so clever!

I've had a day in the garden, replanting and mulching some raspberries which I dug out when I moved the rhubarb they'd swamped, and making a path through the middle of them for easier picking. The rhubarb is now on the RHS of the back bed and in most of the front bed (where I also have the jostaberry my neighbour gave us a a house warming gift). It all feels v different, not least as the hedge at the back is over metre shorter than it was on Monday - there's suddenly so much more light!

I also cleared out and (re)planted small spring bulbs in a small bed that needed redoing due to excess moss and weeds. It has been on the list since last winter, so I'm thrilled to have it done.

[Starry]

I have just given my vibe a reprieve - I was going to dig it up because it has done sod all in the past three years. But I have a small bunch of grapes!

Today’s job is planting the box of bulbs that arrived last week and cutting back a few things. I have a salvia (hot lips) that has lots of flowers so I don’t want to touch it yet but it needs trimming before it gets leggy.

[absley]

How exciting, Starry! Are they ready now?

[Mountain Goat]

That looks great abs! All tidy and ready for winter. Very satisfying. I did some of mine but ran out of mulch, out of the bark I was using to make paths round the raised beds AND all composts. So not very satisfying.

Grapes! That is exciting. I just picked radishes, carrots and tomatoes ( the tomatoes are still going strong in November??! Including ones not in the greenhouse).

I did some more bulbs yesterday, still loads to go...

[absley]

How's the bulb planting going? Does anyone have any of those devices that are meant to help, and if so, do they?!

We have finally ordered ours - I made D plant various bulbs the other week, in an attempt to rein him in by showing what a PITA it is. Plus we talked about where they would go and how many we should order... you know where this is going, don't you... target was 75, he's ordered 180, plus 65 other small bulbs. And there's a free gift of many narcissi.

That idea I had last year, for using one of my veg raised beds for flowers may get dusted off!

Otherwise, leaves continue to fall and I continue to relocate foxgloves from the veg beds.