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Bulb planting weekend – Part II

I planted all 969 bulbs!! I’m exhausted! And I hurt myself – I have a big gash on my ankle from a clumsy fall. I hope its worth it. I’ll be gutted if I don’t have a garden full of flowers come spring. Right now I look and feel like this …

After planting 800+ bulbs!

Bulbs planted this weekend:

In the Bed under the Office Window (under and in between the Nandina’s):
At the back – Leucojum aestivum – 20Check
In front of them – Muscari – dainty white – 20Check

In the “Camellia bed”:
Alliums – 100 (I ordered 50, they gave me an extra 50 for free = 100)Check
Narcissus cantabricus – 4 (in “compots”, so I can move and plant later)Check

In the Front Garden “Gardenia bed”:
Sparaxis – 35 (planted in the sunniest corner away from the Gardenias)Check

In the “Rose Bed”:
Ranunculus white – 70Check
Ranunculus pink – 35Check
Ornithogalum white – 35Check

Back garden bed under the Birch Tree:
Dutch Iris pale blue and white – 75Check

Back garden bed at the front of the border:
Tritonias – 35Check

Back Garden Bed under the Pepper Tree area:
Freesias – 235Check

Outside the property, on the verge:
Anemones – 100Check(might get more – only a small part of the verge covered)

In various containers and pots:
Narcissus mixed – 75Check
Rare indigeneous bulbs – 46Check
Ixias – 35Check

Tulips – 48 – STILL TO DO! Have the container but ran out of potting soil … need to go and get one more bag of potting soil – yikes, we know how that turns out 🙂

The Dream …

[one_half]This is what I am hoping for …Bulb planting[/one_half]

[one_half_last]and dreaming of …Bulb planting[/one_half_last]

The Verdict:
With the bulb planting tool thingy it was actually very EASY! My soil is wonderfully friable, the bulb tool thingy (Dibber) went in easily creating the holes for bulbs that went straight into the soil and I was able to do many bulbs per minute! Make the holes, pop the bulbs in and cover. Easy! What a pleasure that was! What did take time was the containers. I had a plan I wanted to follow (that I had seen in a book) and it just didn’t work out for me, so in the end I just planted the bulbs in the containers the way I felt like doing it, changed my mind a few times and … well they are all planted somewhere now!

What did NOT work well:
The bulbs that went into the bulb baskets took a little longer and I feel they are a waste. I bought them to protect the bulbs from the mole rates – but the two solar mole repeller are doing their thing – they emit a buzzing sound every few seconds so hopefully the mole rats stay away. So far there are no new mole hills, so it might actually be working. I only used five of the trays in the end because I found it so much easier using the dibber. I have lots going spare now, I hope I can find some use for them. I might use them for the Tulips seeing as those bulbs need to be lifted and thrown out (so the books tell me – why not just leave them in the soil to rot and turn to compost I wonder?).

Finito!!

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Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Products

Bulb planting weekend – Part I

I’ve mentioned before that I want to have a spring garden filled with gorgeous blooms that smell heavenly and the last two months whilst visiting the blogs of our new gardening friends in the Northern Hemisphere, their wonderful gardens filled with daffodils, tulips, snowdrops, crocus, narcissus and irises have had me waiting patiently for the Easter Weekend to sink my bulbs into the ground.

New to gardening, bulb planting is something I’ve not done before so I needed books and tools and of course … BULBS! I’ve been buying and collecting bulbs now for about 6 weeks and as the books tell me to plant when the weather has changed –  usually by Easter, guess what I’m doing this weekend? Planting all +/-800 bulbs I’ve collected!

So this is part one of my Bulb Planting Weekend – The “Before” post!

[one_half]Dexter very excited about helping!Dexter looking forward to helping ...[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Delivery from HadecoThe Hadeco Delivery[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Free gift from Hadeco – Extra 175 Bulbs!An extra 175 Bulbs![/one_half]

[one_half_last]All the bulb paraphenaliaAll my "stuff"[/one_half_last]

So there you have it – Now you know what I’m doing today and tomorrow! I’ll be back on the blog once they have all been planted. If you don’t see me for a while … well then you will know that I’m up to my eyeballs in BULBS!!

Happy Gardening
xxx

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Bugs & Pests Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Products

A Solar Mole Repeller – Did they see me coming?

I have a problem with Moles! They burrow up my garden in search of earthworms and grubs (the former of which I have plenty, the latter, hopefully a few less). I’m fed up with their relentless pursuit of my earthworms and the never ending mounds of soil they kick up in search of them. I’ve tried organic control with some pungent smelling garlic liquid formulation you are supposed to pour down the holes – problem is I can never find the holes and when I do … well, it didn’t work! They keep coming and keep messing up my garden.

I have big plans to plant spring flowering bulbs in my garden – this weekend being the big “Bulb Planting Weekend”. I believe moles eat the bulbs. As I have no intention of allowing the moles to eat all my precious bulbs it was time to get serious about mole-prevention. Yes I’ve bought bulb planting trays to protect the bulbs and yes, I will continue to use the organic garlic mole repellent liquid as and when I see their “holes”, but what else can I do to stop them entering my garden? After all, I’m sure my neighbours have quite enough earthworms and grubs for them so … go to # 15 Moles!! They serve better grubs than we do here at #13!

Enter the Solar Mole Repeller (made in China!). Right – I’m not convinced this is going to work but I’m so fed up with the moles that I’m willing to try anything at this stage, so I purchased two of these devices and they’ve just been “planted” in the garden! The first one went in, no sound or vibrations but when I put the second one into it’s designated spot it started making a strange vibrating sort of sound – irritating enough for Dexter to bark at it! Had to calm him down and convince him we need this thing in the garden – lets hope he doesn’t dig it up!

[one_half]The Mole heapsThe Mole heaps[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Mole Repeller openedMole Repeller opened[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Connect the wiresConnect the wires[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Mole repeller in situMole repeller in situ[/one_half_last]

I really hope this works!

Happy gardening
xxx

PS: The blurb on the box says (spelling and grammar unaltered!): A kind of solar energy device making use of ultrasonic to expel moles. To expel rodents (applicable to such animals as moles and shrews), operated on solar energy. Transmitting ultrasonic via vibration, Garden Solar Pest Repeller is used to affect the acute hearing of underground rodents, with very effective preventive effect. The ultrasonic will deceive them, making them feel endangered, so as to force them away from the vibrating area. Transmitting ultrasonic every 30 seconds, Garden Solar Pest Repeller has an effective range of 650 square meters. Garden Solar Pest Repeller radiates in all directions. During radiation, there shall be no any obstruction to tamper with the ultrasonic. To achieve the best performance, we strongly recommend that 2 devices be installed every 30 meters for those areas frequented by rodents. Garden Solar Pest Repeller works on a solar cell, while the other rechargeable cell is charged for nocturnal use. When a cell is fully charged, it can supply power when light is unable to drive Garden Solar Pest Repeller, so as to ensure continuous 48-hour operation.

PPSS: “Did they see me coming?” in my post title refers to the people who sell these things. I’m not convinced these will work, sounds to good to be true but time will tell!