Anyone for Gardening (again)?

24567…14

Comments

  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Thanks for the tips Rehab on veg that will grow in a north-facing garden. I'm busy making a list of the things I want to grow so will refer back to your post.

    Hello Katie, I think many things will struggle under a large tree - spring bulbs are the first thing that come to mind - daffs, snowdrops etc but they won't fill your criteria of looking good all year. Had you thought about growing something in pots under the tree? I have some lovely Skimmias in big pots. They are happy in shade, are beautiful in the winter with red buds and then they have white flowers for much of the spring. They are evergreen so even when not in bud or in flower, the leaves are nice to look at. Many Skimmias prefer an acidic soil, so mine are planted in ericaceous compost and, apart from feeding them a couple of times a year with plant food intended for acid soil loving plants they are maintenance free.

    Welcome back Toni! Glad the hunks did a good job of cleaning the greenhouse, but sorry about the Windowlene! Will have to speak to them about that :roll: As soon as I make up my mind where best to put it, my wonderful garden helper will assemble the raised bed for me and we can then order the soil to fill it. Oh I am so excited!

    Tilly xxx
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hello, garden numpty here - wot are pea sticks? Are they like Pooh sticks but green? Show me a raised bed and I'd probably climb into it. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Oh you do make me chuckle DD! I shall refer to my pea sticks (long bamboo sticks for staking plants in case you really don't know!) as Pooh sticks from now on. And you are very welcome to curl up in my new raised bed anytime - just don't squash the lettuces :grin:

    Tilly xxx
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,374
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Green??

    Green??

    Honestly tilly what will we do with her??

    If she curls up in your raised beds she will have more in common with Daisycat than she'd like!!!he he!!

    Good news is the windowlene comes off fairly easily and the shine...well it's sparkling in the greenhouse now.

    Lucy (youngest) is planning on spending a fair bit of half term helping me get the garden going :grin:

    Love

    toni xx
  • caterina57
    caterina57 Member Posts: 1,424
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    I love it when it snows my garden looks as good as everyone elses!
    Cath
  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Well, I am now the proud owner of an 8ft X 4ft raised bed!!! We didn't intend to put it together today - we were just looking to decide where to put it and got carried away! No soil yet but it looks lovely and I can't wait to start planting (probably a good job no soil yet or I'd be planting too soon). :grin: I am a bit daunted to be honest, having all this nice veg growing space and I'm not really sure where to start. :roll: and would welcome advice from you seasoned raised-bed gardeners.


    Cath - know what you mean about the snow making the garden look lovely!

    Toni - he he indeed!!! Hope you and Lucy enjoy your half-term gardening and hope the weather is good to you.

    Tillyxxx
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,374
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Cath

    I take it you have snow then??

    Garden's all look so pretty don't they like that?

    Tilly I am so very very pleased for you...what are you going to fill it with?? I mean top soil or what? I filled mine with some top soil and the compost I made myself :grin: (That is a proud face)

    Lovely!! Toni xx
  • caterina57
    caterina57 Member Posts: 1,424
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Morning Toni
    The snow has gone, it didn't stay around very long - got washed away with the rain that followed it! This morning it is dark and gloomy, I have a feeling that the lamp will be on all day.
    Hope that you are well this morning. I have woke this morning with terrible pain in my right hip - As far as I know I dont have OA there! I have also had probs with my left knee this week too!
    Anyway have a good day
    Cath
  • caterina57
    caterina57 Member Posts: 1,424
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    What drink? where? I can't find it! Help!!!!!!
    I am lucky that my garden is south facing so when the sun (eventually) comes out I have the benefit of it all day, Three years ago my freind got married, there were only four of us at the "do" the bride and groom and me and my sister who were the witnesses. it was in June and it was a lovely day, all the wedding photos were taken here before we went out for a meal and the garden looked lovely, so what little I do must be just enough!
    Cath
  • coco67
    coco67 Member Posts: 2,374
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    look behind the compost heap, vodka, gin, beer everything you can think of is there,(just added to the stock pile)
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Oh boy oh boy your going to think I’m such an anorak but it had to be done!, I have now got a heated propagator and have a large selection of chilli plants on the go right now, I have Diablo ring of fire plumb chocolate pepper and two types of sweet peppers, and the big guns in the form of two types of ghost chilli’s growing, these are hotter than the Dorset Naga, I also have tomatoes and a few other veg all doing well but here’s the reason!, I have made myself a light box, it’s 3,5 feet long 2 wide and 2.5 feet high, it’s a converted cupboard with a 125watt compact fluorescent tube and reflector.
    I have it on a timer and have a small PC cooling fan linked up to the same timer, as of now they are on a summer cycle so get more time under light and more light in general so nothing is bolting, they will stay in there for another month and a half then will be out in the greenhouse with any luck, the temp in there is also around 20 deg C so is a mild summer temperature they are all growing really well and the cost is minimal as the light unit only cost me around £40 and the timers I already had same for the cupboard, oh cooling fan was £5.
  • valval
    valval Member Posts: 14,911
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    garden looks a mess as have not got out there yet this year but just picked some leeks for dinner they doing ok so far lol
    val
  • suncatcher
    suncatcher Member Posts: 2,174
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi just an update on what Ive been doing today in the garden. I poked me head out this morning and thought no too cold. I walked down the road and after my son asked to help me out side so i got ready.
    I did some leaf clearing with my leaf vacuum for half hour my bag was full and heavy. Hubby emptied that when he came home. I then planted pansies i grew from seed with the ones hubby got me for valentines.
    I went back in as my son still had not come out to find him watching TV. I didn't mind as he got me motivated anyway.
    I went back out and planted 25 ANEMONE,30 IXIA and some extra large FREESIA bulbs
    Then went in and fell asleep as i was tired and in pain but happy. :smile:
    I have more to do bit by bit will get there. x to you all Joanne
    Joanne
  • suncatcher
    suncatcher Member Posts: 2,174
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Tinker bell - You could put a Yankee candle on a table on a summer evening in your garden that a drop of wine nice treat :grin:.

    More from my garden---

    I have ordered 6 Blueberry plants and 3 grow in a bag potatoes

    I tried Blue berries with some blackberry natural yogurt, currants, pineapple and melon and some natural whole grain breakfast cereal like alpen of supermarket alternative made a delicious alternative cereal.
    I have decided to also get some blackberry bushes and raspberry bushes to grow my own to keep cost down. x jOanne
    Joanne
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,374
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi All

    Joanne

    I got three extra potato bags myself yesterday!!

    Now Daisy is sniffing the seed potatoes.....

    I still intend to get out there today myself - even if it IS raining :grin:

    Hey Mell - I am well impressed with your heater thingy....get over here and make me one too :wink:

    Just nipping behind teh compost...or is it too early??

    Love

    toni xx
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,374
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Tink we have rain here today - no sign of anything like snow or sleet :sad:

    Still i have failed to get one bit of gardening done so far today.

    Kids to tehb hairdressers this morning then supermarket this afters :sad:

    Can see my seed spuds from here....

    coem on let's nip round and 'check' the compost eh?!
  • coco67
    coco67 Member Posts: 2,374
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi all, im definatly going to have to concider hiding in someones raised bed , all the rain we have had has turned my little garden in to bog, any more and i will have my own duck pond :wink:

    now whats that noise from the compost heap, ummm i think a bottle or two are at work there :eek: must go and see :wink: so you all know where to find me
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,374
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Been down to the compost heap ( much smaller as I have had the hunks digging some in to the veggies patches) and there is a fair bit of reclcling to be done today.....

    and aloud snoring sound coming from the summer house....
  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hello Coco, Toni and DaisyCat, Cath, Tinks, Joanne, Valval, Rehab and Mel (apologies if I’ve missed anyone)!

    Righty-ho, you lot hiding in a drunken stupor behind the compost heap and in the summer house! I am truly ASHAMED of you – and Toni, before 8 in the morning too! :grin:

    Mel, I think your diy lightbox sounds fantastic. Have you ever thought of applying to go on “Dragons Den”?!

    Thanks Rehab and Toni for tips on what soil to use to fill my new raised bed. Unfortunately, here, despite being charged for a wheelie bin to take the garden waste away, we can’t buy the resulting compost back which is a real shame. But we are going to do as you suggest Rehab and order a big bag of topsoil.

    And Toni you should be very chuffed with your home made compost. I am very envious!

    It’s been so wet here today – far too wet to be out in the garden, although I did go out early and remove some slugs which were eating the flowers on the new winter aconites which my Mum and Dad brought for us the other day. :roll:

    Hope those of you who have managed to get out into your gardens today have enjoyed it.

    Tilly xxx
  • coco67
    coco67 Member Posts: 2,374
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    now home made compost has been mentioned, i have a plastic compost barrel/bin in my back garden but no instructions on what to do or what to put in it, can some one please enlighten me.
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,374
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Ok Coco

    You need to place it over some soil so the wormies and the like can get in....make sure it is kinda dug in a little and start shoving the leftovers and the grass cuttings etc in!! Upi will eb amazeed how quick it gets going and how HOt it gets in there in the summer when it is all braeking down.

    Ideally you should kind of fork it over evey now and then and try to mix your stuff up a bit....some quicker composting stuff like grass cuttings then some slower stuff like twigs. You can buy stuff to put i to speed it up too....I have never needed to. eggs shells and teabags (I dont put meat stuff in myself)

    Oh and site it where you can get to it fairly easily so you dont get put of using it. Top tip from a lazy one :oops:

    I have had some really smashing compost from mine and intend to get another this year so I can do even MORE!!!

    Love that muck and the best thing is....it smells lovely and not at all yukky.

    and you can keep your plonk behind it too.

    Tilly I am so very sorry - some of us had had bad days..... :oops:

    Love

    Toni xx
  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hello Rehab, Coco and Toni

    Well done with all your hard work today Rehab! And thanks for the veg growing encouragement!

    Good luck with your compost Coco!

    Rehab and Toni - I so want to do my own compost but I have seen rats in the garden from time to time and, given that we only have a small-ish garden, anywhere I put a compost bin is going to be quite close to the house. Have either of you ever encountered rats around your compost? I have had some success with worm composting but would like to be able to compost more stuff.

    Toni - I fully undersand about the need for an early trip behing the compost heap! And, as the saying goes "it's 5 O'clock somewhere"!!!! :grin::grin::grin:

    Tilly xxx
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,374
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Tilly

    I am with Rehab on that one...no rats for me, but i dont eat meat and so only really veggie peeelings go out there for me and my garden refuse and the fluff from the tumble dryer.

    It's easier than you think isn't it Rehab?

    Love

    toni xx
  • valval
    valval Member Posts: 14,911
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    got a cherry tree that needs a trim next door trim there side it tends to grow over there fence and as they sell cars they not happy if cherrys drop on them lol so it lobsided how and when best to sort it do i have to pay someone or can just lop off odd branch (well get lads to )
    val
  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Thanks Rehab and Toni for the composting tips! I am definitely going to give it a go. Thanks for the encouragement!

    Valval I have just read an article about how to prune a lopsided weeping cherry tree (not sure if yours is a weeping one but I guess the principle is the same). Article said that weeping cherries are often luneven and suggests that you cut back any branches which have become dominant in summer and then prune the sparser side of the tree too to stimulate more growth and even it out a bit. The article also suggested that any trees overhanging the cherry should also be cut back because shade can cause uneven growth.

    Let me know if you need me to send the hunks round to do the pruning!

    Tilly xxx

Categories