Month: March 2012
Hi , my garden faces north and is shaped in a V i just dont know what to do to make it look nice , if any one can help or has a garden like this i would like to here from you. Thank you…
My garden consists of a few daffs tulips lillies out the front. Rhubarb lawn apple trees out the back and five raised beds for veg one for asparagus in ‘ the little field ‘ of about a third of an acre.
Great plans for soft fruit and trees yet to come to fruition/ treeition.
Glad to report that at last we have replaced our ‘lost’ escallonia hedge with beech on the west side of the garden. Also have created a new mixed hedge of Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Hornbeam along the South fencing.
Have added a new raised bed in the veggie plot, it does’nt belong to me though,hubby has ‘plans’ for it and is going to grown courgettes and parsnips in it.
Also have been doing what everyone else has been up to as in weeding (never ending) moving plants around, sowed some ‘plugs’ too of trailing lobelia, geraniums and petunias. Will be sowing onion sets this week and getting a start on seed sowing.
Am really keen to remove myplex from flower beds and cover with good layer of good bark, I have heard that Kinbark is a good one to opt for. It’lll take some time and work but I think worth it in the end for sure…anything that improves growing has to be good. I have found that a lot of shrubs do not like the conditions myplex creates…and I dont blame them.
Lots more plans in the head and am trying not to buy any more plants until all this is sorted…..but cant promise eh?
We have acquired some lovely wooden planters and deciding what to plant in them for effect at the front of the house….there are three in all for the front and two more for the side of the house. Any suggestions would be appreciated, I found a site on the web that went with a cute rule…..Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers…
Take care all and happy gardening!
When I go to view members photos that long yellow ad for lawn feed on the right covers the buttons for next pic and X to exit. Is there a way to get them to change the ad or get rid altogether?? It is SOOOOO annoying!
I am sorry to tell you of the sad loss of my mother who passed away just after 8am on 13th March in hospital, she had not been well and was diagnosed with very aggressive bladder cancer, at least she is with dad and no longer suffering anymore. She had been very depressed since we lost dad at easter in 2004. I am devastated and the council have decided that I am not able to stay in our house as they want it for a family it only has two bedrooms but they are desparate for houses now and I am not a priority having no children. Most of the people moving in now are not british and sadly they are a priority over everyone else. I will sadly miss our lovely garden which I tended with my dad for over 25 years and I have found a nice flat with large communal gardens which the residents are developing it is only at the top of the next street to where I live now. I will dig up all my plants as I know the new tenants won’t have the passion for gardening as I do I have seen this down round the corner from me. Dad and myself spent many hours in the garden and I have tweeted the birds to let them know where I am. I enjoy all the journals and these have cheered me up.
I HAVE STARTED A WOODLAND GARDEN IT HAS 125 ASH 125 ALDER 150 WILLOW
THE WILLOW IS SHOWING NEW LEAFS ON THE 10 OF MARCH
this is so weird I have to tell you. Tonight i had to set a mouse trap in the boot of my car. For some time I have suspected there is a mouse in residence well I hope to heavens it is not a rat. Because the huge bags of peanuts are too heavy for me to lift out of the car they often have to stay for days until someone stronger calls by. Well the last time i did notice what seemed like chewed nuts with the filmy coat left behind. But the other day I needed to get another big bag and the very next day a hole had been chewed in the hessian bag so really no doubt now. I just hope it has not been chewing vital wires or the like. How it would get in is a mystery as the car is quite high off the ground now a rat could make it but if I have been driving around for weeks with one of them in the car I will have delayed shockl!! Meg is in the car every day and has not said a woof, but Maisie does get in when the boot is open and sniff around. It is the first time I set a trap living in the country has made me so brave!!
I’ve been out every chance I get to the garden these past few weeks – the weather has been just wonderful. Its great to see the new growth and after the rain today, the shoots have just popped up in a big way.
Hope you all have a wonderful St Patrick’s Day!
i thought i would have an open day this year but now i definetly think next year would be better as i hope to have my garden looking better and i will time it for the big plant sale at the claregalway castle so that anyone that wants to go can do so. hopefully as many as possible of you can come to my humble abode 2013
I know it’s not the end of the world but I was very disappointed yesterday when I went to Homebase to get some mulch I had spotted earlier to find it was all gone.
I have been on a quest for the perfect mulch for some time. Bark mulch is all right but is not recommended on bare soil, it is also expensive , manure and compost carry weed seeds, gravel doesn’t add any nutrients and can look out of place in the wrong setting. Weed membrane is OK in some areas but you can’t plant bulbs, ground cover etc and it doesn’t let the soil breathe so well.
I have been observing Rachel’s cocoa shell mulch with envy but haven’t been able to get any here. Periwinkle managed to club together with friends to get a delivery from Envirogrind near Pettigo.
Imagine how excited I was then when I spotted very fine bark mulch in Homebase Letterkenny for €2.99 for a fairly big bag (60 L I think!) It looked a bit like soil and I thought – PERFECT!
I have been renovating a front border – planting shrubs and I called into Homebase on Thursday to get the mulch to add the finishing touch – it was all gone – end of a line – marked down – someone spotted it and came in and bought the lot – 2 pallets! Homebase won’t have it in again.
Sob…..
will have Clematis for 5.99, which seems good value as I think these plants have got very expensive. Don’t know the varieties but may be worth a look.
Arrived back at about 11.30 p.m. The shamrock was given out and plenty left over. I won’t be doing any gardening to morrow. I will be watching the All Ireland Club Championship finals, hurling and football. A happy St. Patrick’s Day to all.
yes, someone here mentioned this programme and i watched it the last time on, oh MY what wonderful wild flower meadows! it was fantastic.
i know that part of the world too, as i used to fly into City when visiting the twin when she lived there.
not much in the garden of late…was seeing twin through the cancer surgery, she doing really well right now. i have to see my own surgeon end of next week i think, not looking forward to that!
marked out my intended pond and small stream, just the inner sanctum of water and the outer of pebble bed. i have decided on just a sort of small impression and a rock and pebble pond as i dont want to drown my two chihauhaus, a bit defeating the purpose of enjoyment i should think. someone then said was it in part shade and it isnt! so may need to direct it elsewhere.
felt a bit daft doing this as i hadnt a clue what i was doing but have been reading up quite a bit.
liked the garden design in the march mag as it too was long and narrow, my garden faces er..well not the same as the person in the mag!
i have a gallumping big shed just about the same position as her/him but mine is very near the bungalow and has to be moved really.
some of the veggie seeds are in and the ‘walk in’ plastic potting shed is up, that was fun putting it together, i erected the whole thing and saw that the medium lengths were where the shorter lengths should have been so it all had to be taken apart again.
my neighour was amused! the veggie patch has not been touched in days, waiting for the trip to the riding school to gather manure.
What a lovely day it was today. With the help of my better half and branna boo the veg patch has been dug up. We planted onions (struttgarter giant and karmen). Garlic (casablanca) carrots and spinach. Hoping to add beetroot later on.
We cleared another patch close to ditch.Was thinking of growing herbs in this area not sure yet. This area has a big oak tree and birch growing. Was hoping to grow herbs around here. Will be putting down a layer of bark mulch to stop weeds. Is it ok to grow herbs here? Any advice đŸ™‚
It was gorgeous here today, really warm. I mixed the nice jobs with the not so enjoyable and got a lot of work done. What amazed me was the huge number of Ladybirds in the garden, not just singles but groups of two and three. I wonder if Spring is in the air for them!! There were also Bees buzzing around so much activity. I took a break and brought Meg to the beach where people were swimming and saying the water was lovely! I just sat enjoying the sun and firing stones for her dogship. Hope you all had as pleasant a day.
I have just moved into my newly built house and the garden is a building site at the moment and it is very boggy because the top soil was removed before the building started, at least thats why I think the ground is holding the water. I need to know what to do to make it a lot less water sodden. being new to gardening I have not a clue.
We got a gift this weekend of Rhododendron Cosmopolitan – as an anniversary reminder.
Checking the rhs website, this will grow to 6m and also needs acid soil
i have alkali soil and the most logical place is at the very back which is part shaded.
Other than placing in a pot with acidic soil, what does one do with a rhododendron in alkali soil
Thanks
T
Hello everyone
Back again. Things are looking up in the glasshouse. Tomato plants up to 3 ins tall. Peas 4 ins. and both brussel sprout and cauliflour plants well up.Seed potatoes sprouting.
I am starting a new venture this year. I have leased about 1/3 of an acre from my neighbour for a veg garden. I am laying topsoil at the moment. I have six lorry loads on and about 15 more to come, a lot of preparing but looking forward to end product. I call it " preparing for retirement". I will be retiring next year, PG, after 40 years and I will need something to occupy the mind!!!!! . Just hoping it all works out.
had a brillant paddys day and mothers day, considering i managed both stone cold sober,:), too busy for booze,but happy at being out in the fresh air.
transplanted night phlox, cal poppies and parsley ans sewed lots more seeds. been digging, dividing and top dressing flower garden.meadow flower mix sewn broadcast in beds were up in 10 days, yipeee. no photos as i was so engrossed i forgot.had some lovely walks this week too as sun was out. headin to bed soon one tired but happy happy gardener.
You know all the gardening programmes where Monty or Alan or Carol etc show this magic stuff that slips through the fingers like silk and it always smells ‘sweet’ ? Well I don’t believe it, so there!! I picture a team of elves or cherubs wielding sieves and putting every last handful of the stuff through and eliminating even the smallest twig. Yes and then we are shown the end result and feel inadequate as we survey our twiggy , soddy product. Their stuff looks better than that which one buys in a Garden centre. Just not fair , wish they would own up and show us their REAL composted material before the elves and cherubs get at it.
I went to mine to day and excavated it from the bottom. I shovelled out a very wormy black mixture that smelled good but had remnants of sticks and twigs still present. This pile has been there about 3 years and I did follow the recipe so I reckon this is real, live Compost. I looked around for the mythical helpers to materialise carrying sieves of varying dimensions, but Maise was the only one to turn up and said she could not hold one of those things in her paws. So except for the largest woody pieces it will be used just as it is. Time those TV and Radio gardeners owned up and told us the truth. OR do you too make this wondrous TV compost and am I just making a mess of the process???
By the way I will say that Paddy and Mary’s , Gracedieu’s, compost area is probably the one Carlsberg would make if they made compost areas! I believe their product could beat any of those pretend TV composts .
What do you think about growing these together, would it work? One of the many bald spots in the garden could do with an evergreen planting scheme. I think it would be ok but would welcome opinions. I envisage about 6 of each. I cannot tell you the variety of Bergenia but it is not a very big one. Thanks
I don’t have anything rare or special in the garden, but if anyone wants any of these I can bring them.
Shrubs
Phygelius capensis "Coccineus"
Kerria.
Both of these spread by underground runners so can be a bit invasive.
Perennials
Centaurea montana, perennial Cornflower
Vinca minor
Lysimachia punctata, Yellow LOosestrife
Anaphalis (margaritacea I think)
2 different Geraniums, one may be endressii, with medium pink flowers; the other has small pinky-mauve flowers.
2 different Euphorbias, one may be cyparissias, the other may be robbiae. Both are a bit invasive.
Japanese anemone, white. also invasive.
Violets, ditto.
Hellebore seedlings, unknown how they will turn out.
An extremely invasive Lamium, has pretty silver variegated leaves and pale yellow flowers in spring. Seems to grow anywhere!
House plant
Iresine. I could bring pieces for propagation. Very easy , roots in water.
Yesterday I planted in some of the bulbs/tubers that I had received from Heritage Bulbs last week: Dodecatheons, Peonia "Dutchesse de Nemours" and Tritelia laxa "Queen Fabiola". I still have some Begonias and a Lily from H B to plant up.
Today, not much gardening done; just a bit of titivating and planning! Had to learn the lesson (AGAIN!!) that one should always stick to the original Plan!! A few weeks ago I altered the layout of part of the Lower Garden (Thankfully, a small area) but have never felt happy about it! Today I moved back to the original Design – now that is a rather fancy name for something in my head!!! But once I returned to ‘Plan A’ I knew it was the one I should stick with!
Oh dear! Will I ever learn????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!
An area, oh I have gone all Italicy, that is basically rubble with some poor soil. It is also shady. Already I have put in some Ferns , there are lots growing in the ditches around the place, and Foxgloves ( for next year) I suppose Hostas would do well too if I can improve their planting holes. Vinca is close by and in time will grow there. Any ideas what I could plant for some colour? Would Candleabra primulas survive in poor soil and shade? Ideas welcome. I have billions of Primroses I can plant for next year but need some colour for the Summer. OK I am looking for an instant Woodland type bed which is impossible but want to go as far as I can in rathe bad conditions.
It’s all happening – the truck has just arrived bright and early and the potting shed is going up. Thank goodness because the other shed is bursting at the seams!
