Tuesday saw me out clearing the crud and autumn debris LB5-7. The three different pulmonarias from Edrom nursery that I split and planted last autumn were discovered to be alive and well after I cleared all the leaf-litter. Also the half a dozen that I got from dividing my own large one have pulled through and are flowering - just had to remove a lot of dead leaves to get to the healthy new ones. I have also noticed lots of little pulmonaria seedlings growing in the trellis bed. Hmm - I guess they will be a staple of the long bank extension...
There was a short break early afternoon - Jean had invited us over to walk the dogs with hers. We had pre-muzzled them and Poncho had his harness on - but we needn't have bothered. See another dog around here or at the park and Poncho goes haywire...but at Jean's nothing...perfect little angel.
Yesterday I pruned the fruit bushes. It took all day. This is because it also involved lopping a dead conifer, a stand of something else that I have no idea what it was but I didn't want, and quite a few branches of another unknown tree/shrub that was fighting for space with my overgrown redcurrant bush. I could then get around the back of the currants. Now that I can see where the stems are coming from there is only one bush that I am not sure of - red or black? I am guessing red...
I was quite vicious with the blackcurrants - a lot of branches growing horizontally through the gooseberry bushes were cut right out as I could see a lot of well-behaved vertical growth further back. A couple had rooted where they were touching the ground and I have cut them off as new plants. Need to find somewhere to plant them.
Got scratched all over my hands and ankles pruning the gooseberry bushes. Vicious blighters. Discovered another couple at the back that were previously hidden by the blackcurrants. Also found a small self-layered gooseberry plant which I rehomed today. Must be up to about twenty now...
Today I pruned the rose bushes. Well, I removed the dead wood and where I could see a bud cut back to it - but several of the bushes are still quite tall as I couldn't see any buds low down on the stems. I am not cut out for pruning - excuse the pun. It breaks my heart chopping off very healthy looking growth when I am not convinced anything new will take its place. I dug out two dead bushes and planted two new ones from Aldi's. I then did a tidy up and weeding of the fruit bush area and pulled out yet more brambles.
Tired but happy. And tomorrow is another (gardening) day :)
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