Garden Options

[xbl]

Looking good Matt! My (much smaller) garden currently looks like:

I put all the basic logroll in last summer when I first started, so over the last two sundays I've weeded the whole lot out and built the flowerbeds up by several inches, with muchos compost. Right at the very back right corner (as you look at it), I figured it would be hard to get to, so I put another bit of edging there, and filled it with bark chips. I also put some new boards up to stop the higher beds from getting in the neighbours garden. Angle ground all the bushes to buggery, added a few solar lights, planted some heather in the bit by the door (front left corner) and put some bark chips down, and bought a wee greenhouse, which I've put some wee flowers in to prepare for planting in spring.

It looks awfully bare at the moment, but its all set and ready for spring, and its absolute light years better than the wasteland I started with last spring. The lawn is still scabby, but at least its mostly grass now, and its relatively even in its growth. Want to do some sort of further restoration work on it, considering most of it was actually seeded last summer in stages. Its not much, but its progress!

[Reynard]

On second thoughts, you might need to give it a couple of years to recover. I wouldnt be too hasty in throwing it out.

If you wanted you could move it to a pot (depending on the roots) and see if you can bring it on in that if you didnt want it spoiling the look of your garden.

I'll leave it and see how it goes this year. I'll be able to tell what sort of nick it's going to be in once the new growth comes on. I basically had to half it in size because a lot of it had died. It won't really spoil anything in the garden because it's an old well established garden anyway with plenty of stuff in it.

Most of which is being systematically ruined by the kids.

[Ziggy]

My friends and me spent an entire day in November planting over a 1000 hedges* around the field at the back of my house. I don't know how many of them will have been killed by the really cold weather.

*Well I say hedges but they were little more then twigs.

[HGG]

Crikey it's this time of year again isn't it! I really don't know if I have it in me to do anything out there this year. Last year was a complete flop as I was ill for a week and then too knackered for several weeks afterwards, right at the point when everything needed watering and consequently I buggered the lot up . I still haven't tidied up behind it. I didn't even pot the new plants my strawberries put out - I'm going to regret that!

Id also like to see about getting some proper garden lights and an automatic waterer for my greenhouse fitted.

Oooooh - automatic waterers! That's what I need. A proper irrigation system and a proper garden to put it in would be fab .

Love the photos Matt. Your garden's really changed since the first ones you uploaded! Blue tree thingy's kind of weird but cool and quirky .

[MattBairn]

I'll leave it and see how it goes this year. I'll be able to tell what sort of nick it's going to be in once the new growth comes on. I basically had to half it in size because a lot of it had died. It won't really spoil anything in the garden because it's an old well established garden anyway with plenty of stuff in it.

Most of which is being systematically ruined by the kids.

I was speaking to my mum and dad last night, theyre very keen gardeners which is great as I always have questions for them.

They were saying that you should never cut acers back due to windburn.

Apparently windburn is its own 'dieback' and they will recover from it naturally.

My mum also went on to say that although they look quite delecate, acers are quite hardy and it would recover if you gave it enough time.

Looking good Matt! My (much smaller) garden currently looks like:

I put all the basic logroll in last summer when I first started, so over the last two sundays I've weeded the whole lot out and built the flowerbeds up by several inches, with muchos compost. Right at the very back right corner (as you look at it), I figured it would be hard to get to, so I put another bit of edging there, and filled it with bark chips. I also put some new boards up to stop the higher beds from getting in the neighbours garden. Angle ground all the bushes to buggery, added a few solar lights, planted some heather in the bit by the door (front left corner) and put some bark chips down, and bought a wee greenhouse, which I've put some wee flowers in to prepare for planting in spring.

It looks awfully bare at the moment, but its all set and ready for spring, and its absolute light years better than the wasteland I started with last spring. The lawn is still scabby, but at least its mostly grass now, and its relatively even in its growth. Want to do some sort of further restoration work on it, considering most of it was actually seeded last summer in stages. Its not much, but its progress!

Looking good XBL! Gardens can be a bit of work but I always find a bit of satisfaction when the summer kicks in and all the colours appear. (Its just a shame the grass needs cut so often. )

Oooooh - automatic waterers! That's what I need. A proper irrigation system and a proper garden to put it in would be fab .

Love the photos Matt. Your garden's really changed since the first ones you uploaded! Blue tree thingy's kind of weird but cool and quirky .

Cheers. The gardens really coming on but this will only really be our second summer with the garden, so its slowly taking shape to what we want.

I need to do something about my monoblock round the back. I power washed it about a year ago and didnt put and kiln dried sand back down... BIG MISTAKE.. I now have loads of weeds coming through. Im going to have to find a company that deal with monoblock and get them to clean and seal it again. It was a nightmare at the end of the summer.

[MattBairn]

The Blue Tree is a California Lillac (ceanothus)

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/plantfinder/ceanothus-california-lilac_1.asp

[MattBairn]

Ive been out in the garden most of the day today (with hangover too)

I managed to get out the last of the bamboo roots from the bottom of the garden, so hopefully thats the last Ill see of it.

Planted a load of veg in the veg patch.

Lettuce, Spinach, Rocket, Parsnips, Cabbage, Onions, Leeks, Radishes, Beetroot, Sprouts, Broccoli etc.

Need to get carrots and tatties to put in too.

Hopefully the birds wont get at the seeds and Ill see some growth in the next month

Put some herbs right at the back door in a pot too so hopefully they'll manage to survive.

The Good Life indeed

[xbl]

Ive been out in the garden most of the day today (with hangover too)

I managed to get out the last of the bamboo roots from the bottom of the garden, so hopefully thats the last Ill see of it.

....

The Good Life indeed

Well bumped, I'm not long showered off from my day in the garden, its the weather for it alright!

Its been a busy couple days! I planted a load of my pansies from the wee greenhouse, more plants are coming through in the seed trays, so they'll be ready to be planted soon enough, filled in the last remaining bit of scabby flower bed and planted some heather, bought a load more solar lights, and generally weeded and tidied. Its all coming to life now, and I'm quite pleased! Did a load round the back too, built a big box, filled it with soil, and have planted carrots and spring onions, and tatties. Just a few mind. What a difference spring makes though, it finally means all my work doesn't look in vain.

[MattBairn]

Well bumped, I'm not long showered off from my day in the garden, its the weather for it alright!

Its been a busy couple days! I planted a load of my pansies from the wee greenhouse, more plants are coming through in the seed trays, so they'll be ready to be planted soon enough, filled in the last remaining bit of scabby flower bed and planted some heather, bought a load more solar lights, and generally weeded and tidied. Its all coming to life now, and I'm quite pleased! Did a load round the back too, built a big box, filled it with soil, and have planted carrots and spring onions, and tatties. Just a few mind. What a difference spring makes though, it finally means all my work doesn't look in vain.

Looks good xbl!

You're right about the difference that spring makes. The colours start to appear in the garden and it makes the whole effort worthwhile

[xbl]

Looks good xbl!

You're right about the difference that spring makes. The colours start to appear in the garden and it makes the whole effort worthwhile

Cheers! Are you still keeping a photo log so you can see it all spring to life? I've decided to keep one, one of my biggest regrets is that I don't have a photo from 2 years ago, when there were hardly any defined flowerbeds (and those that were there were just covered in plastic sheeting), the trees were never pruned and were out of control, and the grass just turned to weeds and then bare patches. It looks so much better now! The only disappointment for me is the lawn.

I spent last summer treating it, and it is a million times better, I cut and weeded it regularly, reseeded pretty much the whole thing (in stages), and stopped using the horrendous strimmer on it. In fact, I cut it manually with shears. I've now bought a wee flymo to give it a more even cut, but its still a bit too bare! I just can't seem to get a proper thick, green lawn. It might be better now its had some time to reestablish itself, but I don't have much hope.

Aside from that, now loads of flowers are planted, I guess it'll be time to do battle with the slugs again soon. I try to keep it natureal, so I don't like using pellets. Last summer, I spent a fortune on flowers (I bought wee seedlings this year and grew them in my greenhouse saving money), and so many of them were eaten by slugs. Initially, I tried buried jars full of beer, and although they were kind of working, they weren't justifying the effort. So I ended up going out at midnight with a torch and a small gas flame thrower. That worked. This year though, I want more birds in the garden, and hopefully they can do some early morning/late evening dive bombing. So I've got a couple bird feeders, and I'm going to put a bird table up. Those slugs are going down!!

[Lisa Cuddy]

xbl, your lawn won't have had time yet this year to really get going. Give it another month and see how it is then. You'll probably find that regular trimming will help it along as well. If it gets too dry and doesn't rain for a while (unlikely, I know) watering will help too.

[savagecabbage]

Been in the garden most of today. Ive got a greenhouse coming so had to make space by moving the veg patch.Took out a coupls of tonnes of clay and many trips to coup. Its getting there, levelled the site for the greenhouse so got the base to make and some slabbing to do.

fed all the plants and planted some sweetcorn, celery,carrrots,parsnips,pumpkin,butternut squash and a few others. Put some in the soil under two kinda mini greenhouse covers, some in the portBLE GREENHOUSE IVE HAD FOR AGES AND SOME ON THE WINDOW SILL. iDAMN THE CAPS LOCK

Its still a bit early to put some bedding plants and young veg out without putting them under cover of glass or a cloche. Its to be a bit nippet the night. Later in the week is to get colder as well. Best thing to do is put them out during the day when warm and take the young plants back in at night for a couple of weeks to harden them off.

slugs are a pure nightmare. ive got some beer in jars in the ground but its mice we get. last year i caught about 18 of the buggars. They live under the sheds roundabout but the old snap traps are great.they destroy the seedlings just as quick as slugs.

spent a shit load at the garden centre today but nithing beats eating your own stuff.

[xbl]

xbl, your lawn won't have had time yet this year to really get going. Give it another month and see how it is then. You'll probably find that regular trimming will help it along as well. If it gets too dry and doesn't rain for a while (unlikely, I know) watering will help too.

Yeah, maybe I am being a bit impatient with it. I gave it all last summer and I guess I was just hoping for magical thick growth straight off the bat, like everyone elses seem to do. But much like my penis, its disappointed me. I'll keep trying though!

[savagecabbage]

The Blue Tree is a California Lillac (ceanothus)

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/plantfinder/ceanothus-california-lilac_1.asp

ive got one of them as well the grow at some amount and look great.

[savagecabbage]

Yeah, maybe I am being a bit impatient with it. I gave it all last summer and I guess I was just hoping for magical thick growth straight off the bat, like everyone elses seem to do. But much like my penis, its disappointed me. I'll keep trying though!

give it a good rake with a leaf rake to get all the dead grass out and lift the young shoots. Get a fork or aerator and give the lawn a good airing, put lawn sand in the holes it makes and give it a good watering.Now is a good time to treat a lawn and have it looking plush. gave mine the first cut today and a bit of a rake.It knocks feck out your back but it makes it easier later on as you get less weeds.Givce it a good feed.

[xbl]

give it a good rake with a leaf rake to get all the dead grass out and lift the young shoots. Get a fork or aerator and give the lawn a good airing, put lawn sand in the holes it makes and give it a good watering.Now is a good time to treat a lawn and have it looking plush. gave mine the first cut today and a bit of a rake.It knocks feck out your back but it makes it easier later on as you get less weeds.Givce it a good feed.

Yeah, I cut mine manually yesterday (with a set of shears), and gave it a good raking as you said there, it sounds like I'm doing most of the right things! By airing, do you just mean stabbing it with a fork at random? And "lawn sand"? Whats that and what does it do? I've avoided all of those "lawn treatment" things as I like to do things naturally, and as I said, while it is looking loads better, its just not good enough yet!

[savagecabbage]

Yeah, I cut mine manually yesterday (with a set of shears), and gave it a good raking as you said there, it sounds like I'm doing most of the right things! By airing, do you just mean stabbing it with a fork at random? And "lawn sand"? Whats that and what does it do? I've avoided all of those "lawn treatment" things as I like to do things naturally, and as I said, while it is looking loads better, its just not good enough yet!

you can buy an aerator which just makes wee holes and it is easier to use than a fork but i stab it with the fork about every 6". you get lawn sand from garden centres its about 5 or 6 quid a bag/box not cheap but it does work. Ive used the evergreen complete and it seems to do the trick but watch not get it on your feet and trail it in the hoose as it stains carpet

[MattBairn]

ive got one of them as well the grow at some amount and look great.

I think mine is dead.

Apparently lot of them have died off due to the weather. My mums and dads mate is a professional gardener and he was telling them.

I might need to buy a new one if it doesnt recover as it looked great when I originally bought it.

Looks like even keeping it in my garage over the frosty months hasnt saved it

[MattBairn]

I bought another Bamboo today from B&Q.

I removed most of the bamboo from the bottom of my garden last year and put it into pots.

Unfortunately 2 of the 4 pots of bamboo died off due to water logging (I think) and Ive been leaving them too see if they would recover.

After seeing no improvement (or new shoots) I decided to get another Bamboo to replace one of the dead ones.

Ill eventually get round to getting another one to replace the 4th but will probably wait for the sales at the end of the year as theyre quite expensive.

Also got some grow bags and a rake more herbs.

I have Mint, Parsley, Basil, Water cress and Corriander in one pot and when I pot the new ones Ill also have Thyme, Golden Thyme, Sage, Oregano and Rosemary in another pot.

No doubt Ill add to that as I get a chance.

Edit- I also planted a few bushes on Sunday that I forgot to mention (that was the reason I had to go back and check for stray bamboo roots as I wouldnt be able to dig the area up once the bushes had settled.) I put in Blackberry, Gooseberry, Raspberry and Red currant (I think ) Oh and I also planted a peach tree. Its tiny though and till take years to fruit (Id imagine)

Edited April 12, 2010 by MattBairn

[savagecabbage]

I think mine is dead.

Apparently lot of them have died off due to the weather. My mums and dads mate is a professional gardener and he was telling them.

I might need to buy a new one if it doesnt recover as it looked great when I originally bought it.

Looks like even keeping it in my garage over the frosty months hasnt saved it

Mines was in the ground and although the top was dead there are loads of new shoots at the base.Bearing in mind were in stenny and its a bit milder down here. Put it outside and give it a few weeks. If you do put things like that in the garage you should still spray them with water every now and again and they really stilll need a bit light.