Anyone for Gardening (again)?

tillytop

Wakey wakey all you gardeners out there! Spring is just round the corner (in theory anyway!) and tis time, I think to clean the mud off the wellies and trowels and get back out into the garden.

From my kitchen window I can see snowdrops and hellebores in bloom, and lots of daffs coming up, the honeysuckle is in full leaf and there are “things” coming up everywhere. Not sure what half of them are so won’t pull them out until I am sure, otherwise there will be no flowers come the summer!

Seed wise, I have started lettuces on a sunny windowsill which are looking a bit sorry for themselves because I planted them too soon when enthusiasm got the better of me, but I have higher hopes for those which I planted in the greenhouse at the beginning of the week. The sweet pea seeds I sowed last week are now just beginning to sprout, and the lobelia and bizzy lizzies which I started on the windowill in January are doing well. Oh, and I have seed potatoes chitting on the bedroom windowsill ready to plant out in a few weeks.

My lovely hubby is going to build me a small raised veg bed this year and I am VERY excited about that because I have only every grown container veg before because our garden soil is not good.

And, at this very moment, the team of hunky gardening guys is back, tidying our AC garden ready for us to sit out in the sun as soon as the opportunity arises. And once they have done the clearing, they will be available, as before, to help out with anyone else’s gardening and other assorted tasks. You should be aware though, that the guys have got a bit “porky” over the winter due to lack of activity and it will take them a while to regain their honed physiques so if you do invite them over, go easy on the beer and the bacon sarnies!

Look forward to sharing all things gardening again this year.

Tilly xxx

valval

can they come and sort my cherry tree please

tillytop

Of course they can Val! I will send them over!

Tilly xxx

valval

tillytop wrote:

Of course they can Val! I will send them over!

Tilly xxx

great will stop me lopping branches off here and there and doing my self so dammage (bet i do lol)

tillytop

Yes, best to let them do the hard work Val, rather than doing yourself an injury. Besides, they could definitely use the exercise!!!!!

Tilly xxx

coco67

as some of you know i moved house just before xmas, i have a small garden/lawn and would like some plants along my back fence but have no idea what i can plant now any ideas would be welcome

coco67

i dont know del, i will have to work it out and let you know.

coco x

mirabella

whats with all this deleting stuff,was hoping to pic up some tips on the gardening scene,as I love it,always appreciate other peoples ideas and knowledge,one can never learn enough :?: MIRABELLA

coco67

i think i will buy a few tubs and fill them to go on my patio and then once i know which way my garden is facing you can give me some ideas what i can put in it. i know its to late for daffs etc for this year but when should i plant the bulbs for next year? not had a garden in years so a bit out of touch with it all .

suncatcher

Hi tily lovely to read your post. I was having the urge to get some window sill proper gators to get some seeds in. I told my hubby and he said tooo early. One of his colleges has done this and the seeds are to leggy. not enough light. I will have to wait a bit but am itching to get in there.

I have a very large sycamore tree near our house in the back garden. It has dominated the garden too long. I have tree cutters coming to cut it down. I enjoyed watching my mother in laws tree come down. six men with nice six packs came and i watched with great interest. We took photos of the tree at different stages.
I plan to do the same with ours. Our neighbor has better access to get the logs out round the front. He has agreed we can get them through there. I am looking for ward to it. Different tree cutters to my mother in law. I don't think i will have such a good view this time
We are keeping the chipped bark for our chickens pen.
I hope to get in the garden to tidy up before they come.
Thanks for starting the garden thread up again i will look for ward to posting on it this year. good luck with your garden from joanne

coco67

Thank you rehab

coco67

i think my garden is facing some where between northwest and west will have to get a compass i think lol

coco67

anyone know any boy scouts?

thanks rehab that cracked me up

coco67

its facing south west. haha i was close before, ish lo

tonesp

We have just planted another 6 fruit trees bringing the total to 16 The wild boar ate one of the olives last year.With 100 sq metres of formal garden and 3000 of almondsand fruit trees going to be busy :roll: :roll: :roll:

dreamdaisy

Despite my best efforts we have snowdrops on the lawn (in the lawn?) and 'things' (which might be daffodils) sprouting in a small clump in the cat litter tray we like to call a border.

Tink? I hope you are feeling more at one with the world, you were quite right to delete anything a little too strong. DD

dreamdaisy

I totally ignore the garden. I cannot stand still long enough to do anything of any value, the blasted crutches get in the way when trying to cut, trim or weed, kneeling is a thing of the past, it's just all too awkward. Mind you, the winter jasmine has been pretty (it's on a wall where we can't see it from the house) and the wisteria is bursting into life (I can see that from the kitchen window.) I think I read in a Sunday supplement last week that now is the time for that to be cut right back. Dream on: I've been cut right back, never mind the plants. It's done OK in previous years, with no attention, I see no reason why this year should be any different!

Of course you should be on GQ. 12 snowdrops? Strewth woman, a veritable crop. DD

tillytop

Hello Val, Rehab, Tinkerbelle, DD, Coco, Mirabella, Joanne and Tonesp (sorry if I've missed anyone)!

Thanks for posting - it's so nice to get the garden thread up and running again.

So Tinkerbelle, when can we expect to hear you on GQT? Or perhaps you could volunteer as a guest presenter on the new series of Gardeners' World? You do make me chuckle!

Coco - just a thought about bulbs - as Rehab says autumn is the time to plant them but, in past years, I have bought pots of bulbs already in bloom from the garden centre and planted them out into the garden or into containers just as they are. That way you get to enjoy them this year even though you were too late for bulb planting. I have done this successfully with daffs, snowdrops and winter aconites. Also my garden soil is very heavy clay and I think the pots of bulbs do better than if I just planted bulbs in autumn.

Joanne- you mentioned buying propagators for the windowsill but I have found that even seeds which need quite high temperatures germinate on my south facing bedroom windowsill, without any need for the propagator. In fact when I have put them in the propagotor, even without any heat, it has got too hot for them. My best investment was a soil thermometer. I just stick it in one of the pots of seeds when I plant them so I can see what temp the compost is. Like you I am always a bit keen and tend to sow seeds to early and then I end up with leggy triffids which have to stay inside until it's warm enough to put them out.

Happy gardening!

Tilly xxx

caterina57

Hi everyone
Oh dear - Gardening time..... I have a garden which measures 46ft x46ft it is mainly lawn, when I moved here it was just like a football pitch, no plants at all. I now have some bushes planted and a centre circle with ornamental conifers. At the moment my garden is in desperate need of a good weed and tidy, but it phases me because it is hard work and I fear the pain that it will bring.
However I am inspired by you all, and I think that the only way around this is for me to do little and often- I am on my own so its the way it has to be.
My next door neighbour has a beautiful garden and he obviously belongs to the green fingered lucky brigade.
I will watch the posts for advice and inspiration and you never know, my garden this year may look reasonable
Cath

coco67

thank you tilly thats an excelant idea, i will have a look around and see if i can find some bulbs which are already potted,

so what is this about fun behind the compost heap :eek:

tillytop

My raised bed kit arrived today and I am sooo excited! Can't wait to get it up and running.

Good tips Rehab!

Coco, I think you will find that most garden centres sell potted bulbs this time of year. And I see that Tinkerbelle has already enlightened you as to last year's goings on behind the compost heap!!!

Cath, like Rehab, says, little and often is the best way. And the AC hunky garden guys can come and help you out - anytime! They sure could use the exercise at the moment.

Tinkerbelle - I've added "remove the lichen from the Adonis" to the guys' "to do" list. They'll be back in shape before we know it!

Tilly xxx

suncatcher

Hubby bought me some pansys to plant out for my valentines gift. He left em by the front door. I found em when i took son to school. Hope everyones well all the best Joanne

katie5

hi all

just want to share with you all that my tulips are starting to show - i'm so excited as this is the first attempt at gardening and i'm so proud of my little self

Also had a bird checking out my new bird house this morning so hopefully he'll bring his Mrs round to have a look - fingers crossed.

May be asking plenty of advice this summer as I'm determined to make my garden more colourful.

Katie x

tillytop

Hello Katie and Joanne!

Hope it's as sunny where you are as it is here today.

What a lovely valentine's present Joanne!

Congratulations on your tulips Katie! No wonder you are proud of yourself! And hopefully Mr Bird will settle into your new bird house!

I've been out in the garden this morning moving pea sticks around trying to determine the best place for my new raised bed to go. Our garden is not very big and it faces pretty much north so lack of sunlight is a problem both early and late in the year.

Tilly xxx

katie5

evening all.

can someone recommend plants for a small corner of my garden thats near to a very big birch tree. last year I filled it with bedding plants but I want something that will last all year round and is low maintenance as I'm really not very good at gardening and also struggle quite a bit with bending. - not asking for much am I

hope you're all well.

Katie x

frogmorton

Hello to ALL of you

what a sight for sore eyes is THIS thread for sure

How wonderful to come home from my holiday and see teh crocus are peeping out here and an early jasmine is in flower too

Great to see all the stalworts are here too with their trowe4ls at the ready, Joanne and Tilly, Rehab and the gang...who is missing and Tinkerbell so glad you are a fellow gardener too

Tilly may I thnak you for the help of the hunks in my greenhouse - it is fair sparkling!! (should they have used windowlene though???) my trays are in neat piles and theer is not a weed to be seen! Not that i can say teh same for my raised beds :oops:

When will yours be being done??

Love to you all

Toni xx