Soil, Sun, and Survival: A Gardener's Mid-May Dispatch

Today was about adapting — to new materials, to tough conditions, and to whatever state my mind and body were in. It started with careful potting and drought management. It ended with frustration-fueled HIIT. Somewhere in between, I cut back my Verbenas, snipped my Foxgloves, and kept one eye on the weather and the other on the Chelsea Flower Show.

Potting With Intention

I planted four of my dahlia seedlings — one into the freshly prepared border, and three into large containers. Still no Blood, Fish, and Bonemeal in sight, so I shifted gears and gave chicken manure pellets a go. High in nitrogen, slow release — a new material in my rotation.

Potting plants always reminds me of cooking or mixing cement. You’re looking for a particular consistency — not too heavy, not too airy. My go-to recipe is:

• 4 parts compost

• 1 part grit or sand

• A top-up of nutrients near the surface

Today, I added garden soil for extra minerals and worked the pellets throughout, knowing the container roots will explore every corner. Each pot became a small experiment in soil logic.

 A look at the freshly prepared bed for one of the dahlias

Potted dahlia seedlings — sown from saved seed, ready for planting

The Garden is Thirsty

We’re in a serious dry spell here in southeast Ireland. No rain to speak of, and my captured reserves are running low. I collect rainwater off the roof into three butts (660L total), and then transfer it to an IBC tank that holds 1000L — 1660 litres altogether. As of today, I’m down to 200 litres.

With so many new plantings this spring, watering is constant. They’re still putting down roots, and they need consistency. Containers are even more fragile — drying out fast, especially under full sun.

Today, I found my Globe Thistles totally collapsed in their pot. Leaves curled, flopped, drained. I gave them 5 litres of rainwater and checked back a few hours later — the turnaround was instant.

Globe Thistles stressed from the droughty conditions

After a few hours, the Globe Thistles showing the power of water in a drought

I avoid mains water whenever I can. Instead, I’m collecting gray water from the sink — rinses, dishwater — and pouring it into dry patches on the lawn. I’ve even started looking into using shower or bathwater, something I heard on a podcast. In weather like this, you adapt or lose plants.

The Chelsea Chop & Foxglove Tactics

It’s nearly time for the Chelsea Flower Show, which means in real-world gardens, it’s time for the Chelsea Chop — a pruning method used to delay flowering and reduce floppiness in late-season perennials. You cut back about a third to half the growth, usually around late May. It encourages bushier plants and more compact growth.

Last year, my Verbena bonariensis got a bit leggy and flopped. Today, I gave my two plants a good cutback. Hopefully they’ll stay more upright and still put out strong flowers.

And then there are the Foxgloves. I’ve got 65 of them growing this year, all at different stages. A while ago, I started snipping off the developing flower heads — not quite a Chelsea Chop, but a similar principle. It forces the plant to send up multiple flowering stems, rather than one tall spike. I’ll be snipping them steadily well into June, keeping them in check and maximizing blooms.

It’s methodical, hands-on work — the kind of quiet shaping that makes you feel more like a sculptor than a gardener.

A few Foxgloves at different stages of growth

Heat, Frustration, and HIIT

By late afternoon, something shifted in me. I got pissed off — not about anything specific, just everything. That kind of shapeless frustration that simmers for no clear reason. I’d planned to go for a slow jog, maybe a chilled 5K to clear my head, but my mood said otherwise.

So I hit the garden again — this time for HIIT.

No warmup, no pretense. Just straight into it:

• Weighted step-ups

• Kettlebell swings

• Sumo squats with the 12kg bell

• Regular squats

• Running on the spot — knees up

• Running on the spot — heels to butt

• Romanian deadlifts

Skipped the dancing today. Didn’t feel like it. But I kept the deep house tracks in my ears — loud, pounding, grounding.

I didn't train to feel better. I trained because I was already in it — the tension, the heat, the weight of the day. But by the end, my chest was heaving, my legs were burning, and the anger had moved somewhere else.

Why I Do This

Whether it’s snipping Foxgloves, lifting kettlebells, or hauling gray water across the lawn — it all comes from the same place. A need to keep things moving. To stay connected. To keep myself from sinking into stillness.

This year is full of trials: untested fertilizers, improvised water strategies, unpredictable moods. But the dahlias are in, the thistles bounced back, and the Verbenas are trimmed and ready for round two.

Something’s always taking root. Sometimes it’s a plant. Sometimes it’s a mindset. Either way, I’m staying with it.