Absolute shambles

[Bramble_killer]

if it helps anyone else feel better, we still have leaves from autumn as mulch in the garden

[Flummery]

Dedicated grapes are too busy sowing seeds, digging them up to see if they've rooted, worrying about whether they'll get leggy and finding excuses not to wash their plant pots so think about tidying their garden yet!

[piskieinboots]

...and finding excuses not to wash their plant pots

you speak for yourself young lady

[Brengirl]

I have a bespoke potting shed with glazed roof where I overwintered my strawberries/ strelitzia and other bibs and bobs. Today I swept down the cobwebs and found so many things I had been looking for.
I want it ready for growing on when the weather is warmer. I already have containers of dry and depleted compost so what do I boost them with. I will mainly be growing mini cucumber/gherkin/charentais melon and baby plum toms. Will tomorite suit them all and what about growmore/blood and bone and chicken pellet fertiliser.

Pauses for breath.......

[Tractor Boys]

Every year I plan and fail to do a big clear up in the autumn when I go to do clear up most things still look okish and I feel its a shame to cut them back or pull them in their final flurry so I leave them next thing you know you cant get into the garden because of rain sleet and snow and get to this time of year when all has been battered killed of gone to slime and the garden looks a mess. If we ever get some decent weather it will spur me on to get all things ship shape again. Its quite nice starting all over again.

[Incy]

if it helps anyone else feel better, we still have leaves from autumn as mulch in the garden

Sounds like my garden

[ammi]

My back garden is still prestine and white though I dread to think what it will look like when the snow melts.
My front garden is melting away quite nicely and I noticed this morning that some of my daffs are begining to bud up. My clump of snowdrops on the fronts look all silly poking through the real stuff though

[Flummery]

Ny theory (to which I'm sticking) is that if you tidy up too much in autumn the birds can't eat the seedheads and the new shoots get damaged in the frost. Sort it out in March, I say!

[ukmaggie45]

We only completed on new (to us) house mid December, so we obviously didn't get to do any autumn tidy up. OH has been digging out brambles and ivy (thank god for right angled forks!) on those few days when it hasn't been frozen solid, snowing or chucking it down, but most of the garden is still a mess. Mind you, the birds love it!

Snowdrops out now, and first crocuses, so I've been gently clearing the leaves up as lots of the crocuses were getting smothered by them. I'm so looking forward to Spring, we've only had a small back yard before. Though have managed to grow containers of tomatoes, beans and potatoes in it. Just waiting for it to warm up so I can tidy it up. (We're still living at home as the new house needs everything doing before we can move in. Fortunately new house is only a 2 minute drive away.)

I think mostly it's possible to catch up at least to a certain extent when the weather's better. Doesn't do the soil any good tromping over it and digging when it's as wet as it's been this year. So good luck to you Brengirl, I'm sure you'll have a gorgeous garden by summer!

[rustylady]

Thank goodness I am not alone. I only joined up with the Vine last October and felt I wasn't dedicated enough to be a true grape.

Dedicated? Who said we had to be dedicated? If we do then that lets me out. I think enthusiastic is a better word, and even that slides a bit in this weather.

[rustylady]

Ny theory (to which I'm sticking) is that if you tidy up too much in autumn the birds can't eat the seedheads and the new shoots get damaged in the frost. Sort it out in March, I say!

Totally agree, Flummery. Mind you, I have been doing a bit of tidying during the infrequent dry days and the bulbs are coming up lovely.

[Rabidbun]

Don't worry too much - mine was so bad my sprouting garlic had tried to use its roots to escape completely (worst was three inches out and hanging over the raised bed ) and the greenhouse looks like things had attempted to dig to reach water .

Not even touching on the leek/celery/parsley thing going on in one of the beds. As for the rest - can you even still eat potatoes that have been in the pots all winter?

[Snadger]

........................ As for the rest - can you even still eat potatoes that have been in the pots all winter?

Course you can........and damm fine tatties they are too if not frosted!

[Comfreyfan]

Any bits I don't get to in Spring (and every year there are plenty) I refer to as Wildlife Areas - it's not good to be too tidy!

[Rabidbun]

Course you can........and damm fine tatties they are too if not frosted!

Oh thank goodness - I was dreading digging those out incase they'd gone all squidgy!

I actually did have a wildlife area - the grass kinda died back and it looks even worse than the rest of the garden.