The Potting Shed

[dogsmum]

nothing eating them.  small pots in the  greenhouse as usual.  A dig around shows intact seeds. No growth.

Yep, exactly the same here

[Tâf]

Pricked out seedlings: tomato, tagetes, chrysanthemums, butternut squash.

Moved some of the beans into the open chilliarium to harden them off.

I think it's going to be a poor chilli year as they are hardly moving despite the heat. 

[Tâf]

Mowed the lawn
Edged the lawn
Transplanted beans to their final positon outside (3 varieties)
Ditto courgettes
Ditto violas
Tied back the Kiwi over the shed front

[Tâf]

More Chrysanthemums and Aubretia transplanted.

The main Kiwi has started to flower, as has the Jasmine around the front porch.

LOADS of bunches of grape flowers have formed this year. I gave up counting at 50, so we need a sunny summer!!!

[Tâf]

Pumpkin (New England) planted out. I'll send them up bunched bamboo to the fencetop and let them run along it. It worked last year, and saves a lot of space!

Beans to pass onto a neighbour later when he gets home. He's only ever grown spuds... in a bucket, so this could be the spark to get him more interested.

[Tâf]

A neighbour asked for help in germinating some tomato seeds his kids were given. They've just been repotted, so they can take them off my hands soon.

Tagetes, 'mums and toms repotted, a few pumpkins added to the outside beds, final potting compost mix made up for the chillis and peppers.

[Tâf]

Peppers and chillis repotted in the greenhouse... the rain can't get me in there! 

[Nana of 9]

Despite the weather, our garden's starting to look good now.

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[Nana of 9]

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[Tâf]

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Hostas with no snail damage... I am jealous.

I just noticed snail damage all over the garden this morning, despite the poison bait and slug pubs. 

[dogsmum]

Same here 'Taf', no matter that I'm putting pellets out they're still munching on what's growing in the garden

Ohh your garden looks lovely 'Nana' 

Ok my Dwarf Broad Beans got flattened down in yesterdays wind & rain so I've tied them to stakes today. Lot's of little pods on them which is good, but also lots of blackfly. So what's the best/safest way to get rid of them

[Tâf]

You get stuck there DM:

Spray them with soapy water

or

Leave them and hope the ladybirds/hoverfly larvae get them

You may notice ants carrying them to the tender shoots, then "milking" them, so get rid of the ants and reduce the problem. The trouble is that ant poison also kills ladybirds. 

[Nana of 9]

Thanks DM!

Taf, we had to start the caring for the garden thing early this year, because of the house sale. The slugs have been (mostly!) annihilated by the slug pellets I put down this year. Organic gardening

Most other years we've used beer traps etc, but I wanted the hostas to look good this year, and it's worked!

[dogsmum]

You get stuck there DM:

Spray them with soapy water

or

Leave them and hope the ladybirds/hoverfly larvae get them

You may notice ants carrying them to the tender shoots, then "milking" them, so get rid of the ants and reduce the problem. The trouble is that ant poison also kills ladybirds. 

Hmmm guess I'll try the soapy water then. I've not seen any ants at all this year

[Tâf]

I have cleared out SEVEN nests in the back garden, TWO in the front garden, and they keep coming back! I opened the compost bin yesterday and found hundreds of ant eggs on top..... so I collected most of them and fed them to the fish (who love them).