The gardening thread
- Thread starter ringo
- Start date
TopCat
Putin fanboy
Here is a better pic. I am getting quite chuffed with my efforts. I have been off work with mental and physical health issues and it’s been really good for me to exercise with hard work gardening.
The results are great and now I have stuff to go and check on and nurture and as I look after the plants they look after me.
My partner is quite pleased with the progress especially with clearing rubbish and crap.
I dug down three foot into the vegetable patch before the raised beds went on top. I found a really big cast iron water tank, several shotgun shells, and a biscuit tin from decades ago.
No gold though boo.
The results are great and now I have stuff to go and check on and nurture and as I look after the plants they look after me.
My partner is quite pleased with the progress especially with clearing rubbish and crap.
I dug down three foot into the vegetable patch before the raised beds went on top. I found a really big cast iron water tank, several shotgun shells, and a biscuit tin from decades ago.
No gold though boo.
TopCat
Putin fanboy
Do others get the fruit? Mice, neighbours, children, birds? Tell us?I've got strawberry plants all over the garden - never actually get strawberries off them though
TopCat
Putin fanboy
Well grow some in containers or a raised bed and net them. Growing in a big pot for the first year is good then planting them out. Air guns are useful too.mice I think and slugs blackbirds but they anyway never grow to any size. I've tried feeding them and adding straw and things but doesn't work
bimble
floofy
Primrose situation here currently, which is a bit extravagant really given that nobody has done a thing to encourage them and the ground is just basically a chalk cliff.
the next door neighbour said once that she thinks a previous occupant of her place a long while back planted a couple of them and this is the result.
the next door neighbour said once that she thinks a previous occupant of her place a long while back planted a couple of them and this is the result.
Callie
Pivoting
I did a load of little jobs this afternoon. Planted a bunch of seeds: herbs - basil (experimental!), thyme, marjoram, dill, parsley, sage. Veg - toms, courgettes, fennel, beans. Sweet peas, cosmos, freesia bulbs. Planted on some cuttings from last year: hebe, wallflowers, what I hope are foxgloves.
I think some of this has gone in a but early ? but hopefully some will survive.
More stuff will be sown next week. Exciting!
I think some of this has gone in a but early ? but hopefully some will survive.
More stuff will be sown next week. Exciting!
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
Next round of outdoor seeds went in this afternoon, actually made notes and sticks for what was going where too.
Hoping for some cabbage and broccoli the most.
Hoping for some cabbage and broccoli the most.
Leafster
.
There are loads of self-seeded plants in my garden but there do seem to be more of them than normal this year.
As I just went outside to take that photo, here's a couple more
These have been in the ground for several years but still put on a good show.
These are what greet me in the morning when I look out my window with my morning coffee at the moment.
I think it's been a good year for daffs too.
BoatieBird
Well-Known Member
Grrr, I had ordered an apricot (and other fruit) in August but Covid meant late deliveries. I asked the nursery if they would carry my order through to next year as a spring delivery is no good for me. Annoyingly, they delivered the plants anyway...and I have never seen such rubbish (from a supposedly specialist fruit nursery) in my life. Blackened branches (die-back), mangled pruning cuts, total lack of root system, which i8s probably why there is not a single live bud on the entire plant. Nursery has been impossible to reach by phone, text or email and I now have to return rubbish plants with no idea whether I will get my money back.
The fuckers have still been taking orders right through the pandemic. A couple of friends have ordered strawberries from them...and heardnothing (although they have no difficulty in taking payments.
So, Chris Bowers Whispering Trees nursery on the shit list. So cross because the blackcurrants look good and they are the only suppliers of 'Foxendown', a big-bud mite resistant variety. Seethe, fume, sulk!
Sterling work there, TopCat.
O bimble - I bloody love primroses. On chalk, have a lookout for another gorgeous Easter beauty - the lovely, lovely pulsatilla (aka Pasque flowers). They are local to your area - one of the last remaining places where this little native plant can be found in the wild...but they are beautiful garden plants, at all stages of growth...and easy from (fresh) seed. Around Easter, garden centres will be selling these (along with anemones and ranunculus...and often for a couple of quid each. Buy some. And have a look at the dianthus genus (pinks)...more chalk lovers.
The fuckers have still been taking orders right through the pandemic. A couple of friends have ordered strawberries from them...and heardnothing (although they have no difficulty in taking payments.
So, Chris Bowers Whispering Trees nursery on the shit list. So cross because the blackcurrants look good and they are the only suppliers of 'Foxendown', a big-bud mite resistant variety. Seethe, fume, sulk!
Sterling work there, TopCat.
O bimble - I bloody love primroses. On chalk, have a lookout for another gorgeous Easter beauty - the lovely, lovely pulsatilla (aka Pasque flowers). They are local to your area - one of the last remaining places where this little native plant can be found in the wild...but they are beautiful garden plants, at all stages of growth...and easy from (fresh) seed. Around Easter, garden centres will be selling these (along with anemones and ranunculus...and often for a couple of quid each. Buy some. And have a look at the dianthus genus (pinks)...more chalk lovers.
two sheds
Least noticed poster 2007
I was a bit surprised at Peter Nyssen, I had some plants from them. The plants themselves were fine but they came in pots in cardboard protectors. The protectors were longer than the packing box was high so they had to be laid flat. They were clearly bounced around during delivery because a few (four or five) of the plants had come out of their pots and stems were broken.
I still left them a five-star review because they were very nice plants and e-mailed them to let them know and have heard nothing back which is a bit disappointing.
I still left them a five-star review because they were very nice plants and e-mailed them to let them know and have heard nothing back which is a bit disappointing.
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
All the plant guys are creaking at the seams over last year. Real Seeds had to do a "we'll open at a random time cos otherwise the website will melt" lottery.
I know, Artaxerxes. It has been a tough year. However, when websites are still taking orders (and money) for plants which are going to be months late, with very little transparency, this is not on...and I have also noticed an upsetting phenomenon of prices doubling or tripling after what was a bumper year for many plant merchants (last year)...as a whole bunch of people with more time on their hands, , discovered the pleasures of gardening.
I have never bought plants from Nyssen's,, two sheds but for a long time,they were my choice for spring bulbs. In fact, they were my first brush with wholesalers. Recall my joy at buying tulips by the 100. (you could buy them in units of 25)..without running the gauntlet of dried up specimens in bags of 10 (bloody Taylors, et al). I use Gedneys now - not a massive choice and the bulbs are much more modestly sized (grown for the cut flower market)...but I can buy 50 Queen of Night (for example) for less than 4pounds. I pick them by the armful and hand out vast bouquets of 25 tulips to friends.For a few weeks, the allotment is quite astonishing (20 years of adding to my tulip collection.
BoatieBird
Well-Known Member
I work with a lot of keen gardeners and I really missed our plant swap table in the office kitchen last year
No sign of us going back into the office so there won't be any swapping going on this year either.
I gave lots of plants/seeds away to neighbours though.
'Gardening' for us so far this year has been largely about the building/landscaping etc.
I've given up my (not very productive) veg patch for a huge shed for the boy. The menfolk argue constantly about garage use (Mr B wants to tinker with old motorbikes, the boy wants to do woodwork and the two don't mix) so we've gone halves with the boy on one of these as an 18th birthday present
dunsterhouse.co.uk
We figure it'll make excellent guest accommodation when he moves out, especially as he's planning on putting a woodburner in there.
No sign of us going back into the office so there won't be any swapping going on this year either.
I gave lots of plants/seeds away to neighbours though.
'Gardening' for us so far this year has been largely about the building/landscaping etc.
I've given up my (not very productive) veg patch for a huge shed for the boy. The menfolk argue constantly about garage use (Mr B wants to tinker with old motorbikes, the boy wants to do woodwork and the two don't mix) so we've gone halves with the boy on one of these as an 18th birthday present
Severn Log Cabin | Dunster House
Our log cabins include many features which you'll struggle to find anywhere else! From a tall walkthrough height of 5' 11" and high internal eaves to wide opening French doors. If that's not enough, we also include an industry-leading 4-point locking system and additional shootbolt locking...
dunsterhouse.co.uk
We figure it'll make excellent guest accommodation when he moves out, especially as he's planning on putting a woodburner in there.
TopCat
Putin fanboy
He will never move out now.I work with a lot of keen gardeners and I really missed our plant swap table in the office kitchen last year
No sign of us going back into the office so there won't be any swapping going on this year either.
I gave lots of plants/seeds away to neighbours though.
'Gardening' for us so far this year has been largely about the building/landscaping etc.
I've given up my (not very productive) veg patch for a huge shed for the boy. The menfolk argue constantly about garage use (Mr B wants to tinker with old motorbikes, the boy wants to do woodwork and the two don't mix) so we've gone halves with the boy on one of these as an 18th birthday present
Severn Log Cabin | Dunster House
Our log cabins include many features which you'll struggle to find anywhere else! From a tall walkthrough height of 5' 11" and high internal eaves to wide opening French doors. If that's not enough, we also include an industry-leading 4-point locking system and additional shootbolt locking...
We figure it'll make excellent guest accommodation when he moves out, especially as he's planning on putting a woodburner in there.
BoatieBird
Well-Known Member
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