[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…pits/pots…?…we have them slightly raised in the lawn, they went meant to be raised but that’s another story……we did research all of the drainage/mix to give them a good foundation so I think that’s all ok but they can get shocked in their new environment for a bit before they settle as well, can’t they…we have a very sunny/south facing garden so it’s perfect really for their Mediterranean upbringing …we bought them from a specialist specimen tree place that we have locally, he doesn’t just have olives but Italy/Sicily is where he travels mostly to find his plants so he does know his olives…

You know what I mean

But yeah, they can take a while to settle in the new environment and our winters. Have yours flowered yet?

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

You know what I mean

But yeah, they can take a while to settle in the new environment and our winters. Have yours flowered yet?

…they’re actually just flowering now, I noticed yesterday evening…I stupidly didn’t even realise that olives did flower….they're probably not going to flower as much as they might have because I did trim them not too long ago…they’re cloud olives…?…and Google said to trim them all through the spring/summer/growing season…but strangely …(…and after I’d trimmed them…)…my olive man said no, not until after the growing season so I’m still confused about that one…

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…they’re actually just flowering now, I noticed yesterday evening…I stupidly didn’t even realise that olives did flower….they're probably not going to flower as much as they might have because I did trim them not too long ago…they’re cloud olives…?…and Google said to trim them all through the spring/summer/growing season…but strangely …(…and after I’d trimmed them…)…my olive man said no, not until after the growing season so I’m still confused about that one…

Yeah I’ve been told to either prune very early spring or after growing season but not during growing season.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

Yeah I’ve been told to either prune very early spring or after growing season but not during growing season.

…I think they’ll be fine and it’ll just reduce the flowering a bit this season… and I did mainly just take off the new shoots to keep the cloud shapes that had been formed …I’m not going to go off Google anymore, I just didn’t want to keep mithering olive guy…hello, it’s me again…….I'm like Columbo, just one more question, excuse me…!!…

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

It’s all starting to bloom now. Jasmine in full swing and filling the warm air with its heavenly smell. Lily’s about to burst open. Tomatoes growing well. Olive trees flowering.

We have some lovely orange and red lilies that have all popped open, I love those.

Most of the fruit and veg is looking good, the carrots seem slow but we've never planted them before so maybe that's normal

[Ammi]

…anyway, moving on to winter gardening …we got some nice warm winter coats for the olive trees to protect from the frost …they’re not wearing them yet but we did have a frost one day last week so maybe it’s time to put them on now…

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…anyway, moving on to winter gardening …we got some nice warm winter coats for the olive trees to protect from the frost …they’re not wearing them yet but we did have a frost one day last week so maybe it’s time to put them on now…

I’ve just had a tidy up in the garden. Trimmed back what needed to be trimmed ready for the spring (ornamental grasses, lily’s etc).

Olive trees will get tended to in February, bit of feed and a prune ready for the next season.

I’ve decided next year I’m not bothering with veg too much - want to try my hand at some more difficult flowers. Will still plant a couple of tomatoes and butternut squash, but think that’ll be it.

[Benjamin]

Also my new fat ball feeder arrived. To stop larger birds eating it all - by that I mean the Carrion crows. Buggers pillage it in seconds so nothing for the sparrows and robins.

It’s not like I don’t provide them lots of other food, they just pillage fat balls too quickly.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by The Human Santapede

I’ve just had a tidy up in the garden. Trimmed back what needed to be trimmed ready for the spring (ornamental grasses, lily’s etc).

Olive trees will get tended to in February, bit of feed and a prune ready for the next season.

I’ve decided next year I’m not bothering with veg too much - want to try my hand at some more difficult flowers. Will still plant a couple of tomatoes and butternut squash, but think that’ll be it.

…what flowers are you thinking…?…my fingers really aren’t green at all but I’m an enthusiast and I get very excited when plants thrive and don’t immediately whither…the two olive trees we have are flourishing so well atm……how wonderful to grow difficult/less native flowers though and then maybe provide them for special functions etc…that would be such a lovely business to think of…..

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by The Human Santapede

Also my new fat ball feeder arrived. To stop larger birds eating it all - by that I mean the Carrion crows. Buggers pillage it in seconds so nothing for the sparrows and robins.

It’s not like I don’t provide them lots of other food, they just pillage fat balls too quickly.

…yeah, just a little way from us/on a green next to us, there is a huge willow tree which is absolutely gorgeous……and it’s a home to many, many pigeons and they have pigeon gangs and bully off all of the small birds from our garden, which is a shame…

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…what flowers are you thinking…?…my fingers really aren’t green at all but I’m an enthusiast and I get very excited when plants thrive and don’t immediately whither…the two olive trees we have are flourishing so well atm……how wonderful to grow difficult/less native flowers though and then maybe provide them for special functions etc…that would be such a lovely business to think of…..

Not 100% certain yet.

I’m using here to start research as we’re in hardiness zone 8.

https://www.gardenia.net/guide/european-hardiness-zones

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by The Human Santapede

Not 100% certain yet.

I’m using here to start research as we’re in hardiness zone 8.

https://www.gardenia.net/guide/european-hardiness-zones

….oh some great choices in your weather zone…the Okra flowers are very elegant and orchid-like, or maybe they are from the orchid family/I'm not up on my plants and flowers…I especially also absolutely love the Blue Emperor Korean fir with those incredible vivid blue pine cones..wow…..

[Maru]

Our winters are short here but this year it is exceptionally short. We had multiple weeks in 80s\high 20s. In fact the trees that shed for winter are only now just starting to shed. Wasp nests are still active.

Our Live Oaks shed a bit early but it doesn't shed every lead and it sheds twice a year. This year it seemed to do it 3x... we also had a mast year.

I am looking at getting lawncare stuff for the spreader in advance because I know I'm going to blink and it'll be time for preemergent, so want it ready. That will be early to late Feb I think for us. The holiday season just blew on by like nothing...

[Ammi]

…I bought some warm winter coats for the the two olive trees and have put them on today but they seem to be too small and the trees are bulging out at the back…a bit of an after-Christmas, can’t get into the LBD look…I’ve measured around and I think even if I get the larger size, they’ll still be a bad fit so might just balloon and blow off and our garden can be a bit of a wind tunnel…anyway, most of them are covered and the rest, I might have to improvise and do a patchwork on them…the high maintenance olives…

[Benjamin]

Going to take a trip to the garden centre at weekend for some flowers/trees inspiration.

[Zizu]

Isn’t it a little early to be buying plants or shrubs !


The frost and Icy conditions will kill some stuff off

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

Going to take a trip to the garden centre at weekend for some flowers/trees inspiration.

…I’m looking forward to seeing what your final choices are when you get to that stage…