What a week of windy weather! Casualties have occurred but nothing too serious. A piece of the viburnum came down with Freya and Gareth took out a fence panel.
One
I was wondering if I could get six new things out of the garden this week. While the storms rage the garden is in a bit of a lull. Storm Gareth opened up a new vista for me. The fence panel is still in one piece and can be lifted back into place. It is my neigbour’s fence but reinstating it will probably be a joint effort. In the meantime I can enjoy an extended view. I am now doubly sure that the fence needs to be covered with some evergreen planting.
Two
Also being battered but still looking good is the front garden Magnolia. The buds opened just as the winds arrived and although some have been lost there are plenty remaining.
Three
The plum trees in the garden are slowly moving into blossom. Last year’s crop was very low but the year before was bumper. I am going to be rigorous in my thinning out to try and even out these ups and downs.
Four
Progress is being made on the lawn extension. The slabs have been moved to the compost area – you can see I didn’t do this, they are so neatly stacked! The hydrangea is going to be moved and the turf will be laid in the next couple of weeks. My job is to dig out the bindweed.
Five
Seed sowing has begun. The tomatoes sown a few weeks back are ready for potting on. This first batch will be planted in the greenhouse. I will sow a second batch for outdoor growing in a couple of weeks. I was much reassured by a tweet from Bob Flowerdew, who in response to the query when is the best time to do things in the garden said ‘it is always two weeks ago!’ I did get my lettuce and rocket seeds sown a while back and I’m now thinking about the hardy annuals. Thinking but not yet doing!
Six
Some spring daffodils to end on.
There are more gardening up-dates to be found on The Propagator’s site. I would be very grateful if anyone using the new block editor on WordPress can tell me how to rename links. Using the long form is driving me mad! https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2019/03/16/six-on-saturday-16-03-2019/
n20gardener 
For WP links: select a word(s), click on the padlock logo a little above the block and paste in the field the link that you first copied (I don’t know if that’s what you were looking for).
The photo of plum tree is very beautiful: remind me what kind of plum it is?
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I think that’s what I’m doing but I can’t seem to rename the link as before. I wish I knew what variety the plum is. It’s not a Victoria and I think fruit is too big to be a damson.
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Whilst you are extending the lawn, I am working on eliminating mine!! The storms are taking their toll aren’t they? The magnolia is magnificent.
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Thank you. Stealing bits of lawn is usually the way to go and I would like to put in a small pond. Just thinking about that. Hope your elimination goes well. I’ll stop by yr blog to have a look!
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I like your japanese umbrella pine – very much! I shall have to look into that one.
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Being on the East Coast I have been pretty lucky when it comes to Freya and Gareth. Although I nearly got cut in 2 by the cold wind when I took some Garden wast to the tip yesterday.
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We can forgive you not stacking those slabs as digging out bindweed is a thankless job. Good luck!
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Thanks. It is in amongst the hydrangea that I want to move so I’m going to have to be thorough!
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I had a look at the new editor, decided I hated it and went back to the classic editor. The original classic that is which can be accessed by clicking on My Sites (top left of your screen) scroll to the bottom to WP Admin and from there you can create new posts, copy posts etc. You can also get a shortlink for any post you write. I don’t know about links from the block editor. These new editors WP keep enforcing on us never have all the functionality one wants. I think they believe everyone uses a smart phone! Nice blossom btw – I am surprised you have any left on the trees!
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I’m really grateful for all the advice on getting back to classic editor. Everyone is so helpful. I’m also surprised I have blossom left. This garden catches the wind so much more than previous gdn and yesterday was horrible too. I hope Hannah doesn’t strike!
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Glad the fence panel was not too bad and love magnolia buds and flowers
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Thank you. I think the fence panel will stay down until we see if Hannah materialises!
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That’s a nice bit of slab stacking! It’s interesting when you get to see the neighbour’s garden, if a little disconcerting that they can also see yours. Lovely daffs and the plum blossom is beautiful up close.
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You know, I hadn’t thought of that!! I get the better view, they will be seeing my veg plot and old pallets!!
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1) Install the Classic Editor plugin (this is an official WordPress plugin). This restores the classic editor just as it used to be. Then, as it used to be, you just select the text you want to represent the link, click the link button and type in the “real” link. Or 2) Look at the Ultimate Nofollow plugin (not an official WordPress one but it works fine). This offers additional options such as “nofollow” where appropriate. Everyone I’ve asked has done this – the new Guttenberg editor is not popular with desktop bloggers.
Unrelated, I happened to be chatting to the former Director of Oxford Botanic Gardens today about the general subject of pruning and Christopher Lloyd. I mentioned your fig tree and how your pruner had been cutting back the hollow branches. He said that probably by the time the tree first bore fruit it had hollowness and that’s normal and nowt to worry about.
Plums, like apples, often alternate their good and less-good cropping years. And, of course, they will naturally drop un-pollinated flowers and later a quantity of fruits if there’s more than they can bear. Interference by humans is only necessary if there’s an exceptional year and you just know the tree hasn’t thinned itself out enough.
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Thank you for all your help! I’m going to sit down with wp today and sort it all out. Also v reassuring about fig tree. I passed your last comments on which were much appreciated. I had all and nothing for the last two years on the plums so I should have thinned more the first year. It will be interesting to see how it goes this year. Very much appreciate yr advice…and yr friends in high places!! 😀
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I have updated my wordpress but I have the classic editor plug in…..it’s so much easier!
Anyway, lovely 6. My garden is definitely a little behind many others; my Magnolia hasn’t flowered yet and I only have buds, no blossom but I kind of pleased with all these windy weather. Splendid photos though.
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My plum blossom suddenly appeared this week. It was a lovely surprise. I’ll have to spend some time with WordPress and get sorted out again. I spotted an option for classic editor yesterday but I was in the middle of the post and didn’t want to ruin everything!!
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I am enjoying all the Magnolia pictures as I don’t have one. Yours is lovely – do you know the variety?
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Sadly I don’t. It came with the house 🙂 lucky me. It’s a big one so I think it’s been here for sometime.
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I thought I had got away with no damage from Gareth but I made the mistake of leaving the greenhouse door open, a loose pane on the far side dropped and smashed. What a pane! 😀
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Yikes! Glad you were not about – but then if you had been the door might have got closed!
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Isn’t it getting late to move hydrangea? I just did it about two weeks ago, and they were already breaking dormancy. Fortunately, it rained quite a bit. How unfortunate that it should be moved while dormant, but the tulips will be so active. By the time the tulips are dormant, the hydrangea won’t be. Do tulips do well there? I do not grow them because they do not get enough chill here to bloom again.
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I think are right on all counts! But I don’t mind losing the hydrangea or the tulips so I am just going to go ahead and do it! Generally tulips have come back for me. This winter has not been too cold though – we shall see!
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