The gardening thread

[TopCat]

I vowed I'd not have anything spikey in the garden but didn't want to uproot the hawthorns or roses and then bought a couple of pyracantha for berries for the birds but they don't seem to produce any.

Their fruit is thorns.

 

[og ogilby]

My pyracantha was one of my favourites in the garden this year. I planted it in the ground last autumn and it flowered beautifully this summer.

 

[campanula]

I love firethorns. Expect a spectacular show of berries, og ogilby. They are really amenable to close pruning - I have seen some terrific cloud-pruned specimens of pyracantha...especially when grown on wires held close to a wall. Along with cotoneasters, they are one of my most commonly used plants for berries. I totally love the autumn show of rose heps, hedgerow berries and changing leaves. I select roses on the basis of their heps, as much as the blooms and absolutely couldn't be without the rowan and crab families.

Monitor your hand, Calamity1971 - if you are still experiencing pain and swelling after 3-4 days, take yourself off to the doctor...and make sure you have information regarding the potential toxicity of firethorn as many GPs won't make a connection. Pyracantha and other thorns in the rosaceae family can be implicated in various nerve, lung and joint issues...although this is a rare reaction

 

[Calamity1971]

The throbbing has subsided a great deal campanula . Still a bit tender but I'd expect that the length of that bloody thorn.

 

[campanula]

O good news, Calamity1971. Beauty exacts a price though. I have decided to dig out at least 5 roses this year. 2 at home and 3 at the allotment as an absolute minimum. A horrible undertaking as they are vicious, massive and have slyly incubated brambles and nightmare skeins of suckering briars. I feel so beleaguered by this prospect, I have decided to put it out of my mind until after our bank holiday party.

 

[TopCat]

I dug some curved flower beds today. Break up the big rectangle shape of the garden. Good to see the grass coming back too.

 

[gentlegreen]

 

[gentlegreen]

That amaranth in the middle of the garden was self-sown and is the biggest, most solid one I've ever grown
I potted up some self-sown verbenas that were coming up in shaded spots so I will have them later...

And I brought through my smallest miscanthus grass to go alongside the eutrochium ...

 

[gentlegreen]

I wish a local shop would get in some New Guinea impatiens .. I need more pink things - I may have to cycle to a garden centre

 

[moonsi til]

Feel like my sunflowers have had to fight to get to this point & my tomatoes are mostly still green. Both were insane last year.

I have scattered some wild flower seeds in some troughs & hoping for some autumn prettiness.

 

[campanula]

O FFS, I have bloody box moth. My poor topiary box cubes are looking ragged. I picked off more than 100 larvae and have sent off for some BT. Shits. Also on the euonymous.

I have done quite a few long. thin gardens, TopCat. The most effective treatments have been to break the length up by the use of intersecting diagonals. Makes a kind of meandering central path and obscures the end of the garden by a sort of central, overlapping, triangular bed set up. The most notable one we built was 33m long and less than 4m wide but, with a bit of jiggery-pokery and breeze-block raised beds, we got rid of the not very nice 'lawn' but topped and tailed the area with a couple of decent sitting areas and 2 generous beds which were large enough to plant a couple of small trees (chitalpa and malus huphehensis). On a minuscule budget - the most spendy part was using timber copings for the beds...but this meant they could be used for sitting on and placing pots. Mostly, it completely disguised that whole long thin thing which often looks worse with additional long borders. Having a curved meander in yours has a similar effect...and when done on an exaggerated scale, it was a revelation.

All my tomatoes are still green, moonsi til...although they are in my greenhouse and not at the sunny and open allotment. They should ripen eventually...or at least I hope so since the allotment tomatoes have been much diminished by blight so I put all my hopes in half a dozen 30litre pots under glass. Loads and loads of tomatoes...and not a single red one.

 

[moonsi til]

Oh that’s encouraging it’s not just me with green tomatoes. Now I think of it I was getting tomatoes into Oct last year. The plants themselves look strong & sturdy.

 

[BoatieBird]

I have done quite a few long. thin gardens, TopCat. The most effective treatments have been to break the length up by the use of intersecting diagonals. Makes a kind of meandering central path and obscures the end of the garden by a sort of central, overlapping, triangular bed set up.

This is what we've done with our long, thin garden
It's approx. 200 ft long and you can't see the end of the garden until the last 20 ft and there are lots of meanderings and diversions along the way.

Sorry about the box moth l

 

[Idaho]

We have a flowering banana!

 

[bimble]

I've been rubbish, got a bit discouraged for a while with the depredations of the slugs and deer and the general dampness but, some pics of a few of the survivors , these are all from campanula 's seed parcel.

 

[two sheds]

Do love mallows what are the others?

I (think I've) established a couple of tree mallows - they've done really well and I'm hoping to get seeds from them.

 

[bimble]

left one is a kind of a nicotinia and the one on the right, which i love and theres quite a few survivors of, is called tithonia.

 

[campanula]

I have been a bit rubbish too, bimble. I have decided to forgive myself (at least a bit) for this because there have been some lovely flowers passing through my life, this year, as every other year...but mostly without much intervention from myself. The writing has been on the wall (well, actually, in the soil) for a few years but I have mostly ignored it. I have been generally using my allotment as a sort of holding area for plants I get a little craving for and either raise from seeds or cuttings or buy from nurseries, roadside stalls, swaps and so so...and after a couple of decades of this untramelled hoarding, there are parts of my plot which are impassable at this time of year (and where opportunistic weeds and garden hooligans run amok in undisturbed ferment (fucking mallows and centranthus, I am naming as the current worst threats, closely followed by the usual bindweed, couch and fat hen triumvirate of grief). Consequently, since getting there involves a shortish bike ride, it is fairly easy to spend many days idling in a state of undress, faffing about with kitchen crafts.

I nipped in to pick up one of the strimmers (to take to the wood, also somewhat out of control), in the rain, so it was almost lovely, in its uncouth exuberance, but nobody enjoys crawling around under trees growing sideways or collapsed wild roses and traipsing up and down the length (some 70 metres or so) in an obstacle course of thorn and snaking ankle height vines is not conducive to enjoyment or inspiration. Plus, I cannot ignore the feeble vegetables (which I grow as a sort of guilt remover but have little love or interest there). Anyway, as I have been telling myself for the last 4 years or so, I need to be brave and get a plan of action and some assistance together to deal with the fabulous, but ludicrously vicious and gigantic roses and trees (which seemed cute and harmless in their seedling stages, but are now behemoths, tangling together in rampant disarray. The only solution involves spades and chainsaws (which, tbh, fill me with dismay)...and is easily dismissed during the spring months when paths are usable and beds have some delineation.

I admit to feeling a sort of existential dread, not helped by the state of the horsebox in the wood. I get this horrible sense that everything is just falling into decay (including myself) and really lack the fortitude to keep holding off the effects of age and weather, without either money or strength. My daughter has a new squeeze who is definitely making her really happy (so obviously, so am I) but can't help feeling my job in life is done (all 3 of the offspring are out in the world, competent and independent) so I can just fall into decreptitude. Gods, this is some grim shit. Hope I can talk myself out of this soon (but grey skies do not help one bit).

I also lost my yarn while getting out at a petrol station to examine some gnarly Scots Pines...which is even more enraging as I had just hauled this knitting project out of a multi-year hibernation. I am 2/3rds of the way through an endless project involving beautiful (and spendy) wool which can now not be found anywhere.

I do think I am off the hook for the bank holiday party though as issues with generators, transport and such are causing a rethink. Not sure whether to be relieved or dismayed. And also feeling faint tendrils of fear as this impending talk I am supposed to do, gets nearer. O FFS.

Apols for rambling and tedious posting.

 

[two sheds]

Sounds harsh campanula I hope it all sorts itself out.

 

[two sheds]

there have been some lovely flowers passing through my life, this year, as every other year...but mostly without much intervention from myself.

best sort

(and where opportunistic weeds and garden hooligans run amok in undisturbed ferment (fucking mallows and centranthus,..)

Mallows? the ones with the lovely purple flowers?

It's been brambles for me, not on your scale though. I have one of those weed burner things I'm thinking of taking to them after I've cut them closer to ground.

IConsequently, since getting there involves a shortish bike ride, it is fairly easy to spend many days idling in a state of undress, faffing about with kitchen crafts.

I've said it before but I'm really impressed at anyone who can keep up an allotment. I'd never have the dedication.

And also feeling faint tendrils of fear as this impending talk I am supposed to do, gets nearer. O FFS.

Where are you at with it?

 

[TopCat]

I have been a bit rubbish too, bimble. I have decided to forgive myself (at least a bit) for this because there have been some lovely flowers passing through my life, this year, as every other year...but mostly without much intervention from myself. The writing has been on the wall (well, actually, in the soil) for a few years but I have mostly ignored it. I have been generally using my allotment as a sort of holding area for plants I get a little craving for and either raise from seeds or cuttings or buy from nurseries, roadside stalls, swaps and so so...and after a couple of decades of this untramelled hoarding, there are parts of my plot which are impassable at this time of year (and where opportunistic weeds and garden hooligans run amok in undisturbed ferment (fucking mallows and centranthus, I am naming as the current worst threats, closely followed by the usual bindweed, couch and fat hen triumvirate of grief). Consequently, since getting there involves a shortish bike ride, it is fairly easy to spend many days idling in a state of undress, faffing about with kitchen crafts.

I nipped in to pick up one of the strimmers (to take to the wood, also somewhat out of control), in the rain, so it was almost lovely, in its uncouth exuberance, but nobody enjoys crawling around under trees growing sideways or collapsed wild roses and traipsing up and down the length (some 70 metres or so) in an obstacle course of thorn and snaking ankle height vines is not conducive to enjoyment or inspiration. Plus, I cannot ignore the feeble vegetables (which I grow as a sort of guilt remover but have little love or interest there). Anyway, as I have been telling myself for the last 4 years or so, I need to be brave and get a plan of action and some assistance together to deal with the fabulous, but ludicrously vicious and gigantic roses and trees (which seemed cute and harmless in their seedling stages, but are now behemoths, tangling together in rampant disarray. The only solution involves spades and chainsaws (which, tbh, fill me with dismay)...and is easily dismissed during the spring months when paths are usable and beds have some delineation.

I admit to feeling a sort of existential dread, not helped by the state of the horsebox in the wood. I get this horrible sense that everything is just falling into decay (including myself) and really lack the fortitude to keep holding off the effects of age and weather, without either money or strength. My daughter has a new squeeze who is definitely making her really happy (so obviously, so am I) but can't help feeling my job in life is done (all 3 of the offspring are out in the world, competent and independent) so I can just fall into decreptitude. Gods, this is some grim shit. Hope I can talk myself out of this soon (but grey skies do not help one bit).

I also lost my yarn while getting out at a petrol station to examine some gnarly Scots Pines...which is even more enraging as I had just hauled this knitting project out of a multi-year hibernation. I am 2/3rds of the way through an endless project involving beautiful (and spendy) wool which can now not be found anywhere.

I do think I am off the hook for the bank holiday party though as issues with generators, transport and such are causing a rethink. Not sure whether to be relieved or dismayed. And also feeling faint tendrils of fear as this impending talk I am supposed to do, gets nearer. O FFS.

Apols for rambling and tedious posting.

I feel your pain and existential grief. Xx

 

[Tankus]

Getting a punnets worth every week or so now. The ripening is nicely spread out

 

[smmudge]

Planters are painted and lined. I only did the pattern round the top, my wife did absolutely everything else!

Not sure what to put in it soil wise. It has some gravel at the bottom for drainage and a bit of general garden soil someone was giving away for free. Any tips on what else we should put in them, just compost?

We've got some Portuguese laurels as you can see, and someone is dropping off some bamboo tomorrow. And I want a rose in one. And some herbs, and some trailing plants.

 

[TopCat]

View attachment 284931

Planters are painted and lined. I only did the pattern round the top, my wife did absolutely everything else!

Not sure what to put in it soil wise. It has some gravel at the bottom for drainage and a bit of general garden soil someone was giving away for free. Any tips on what else we should put in them, just compost?

We've got some Portuguese laurels as you can see, and someone is dropping off some bamboo tomorrow. And I want a rose in one. And some herbs, and some trailing plants.

Borrow a pressure washer!

 

[campanula]

Ha, a few more days of ignoring the allotment but including a trip to the woods plus a day of paid work and all is well again. I ordered some more yarn which is a fairly decent match - and in hand-knitted stuff, these little inconsistencies are (ahem) charming rather than unsightly. Party is back on. Have bought some new fairy lights to dangle in the trees, plus a million brown paper bags and 8hour tealights (we do a thing of putting sand in the bottom of the bags and lighting tealights. Placed along the rides and lit at night, they look really lovely in the wood. Making tie-dyed bunting w ith grand-daughters tomorrow to hang across the rides too. . Sweetheart has finally made an appt to see the GP and I have also booked tickets for a Rare Plant Fair at Helmingham Hall. Agapanthus has finally thrown up a few spathes, and I sprayed the box before total devastation was incurred. Back to holding off age and entropy.

Ah, the Talk. I have split it into half a dozen discrete sections and have made notes. I will bring my rare plant fair haul and a heap of seeds. Altogethjer, feeling much perkier despite mauling my cosmos while vigorously tugging at the hose. Potentillas blooming (I grew a bunch of these, along with a vast trawl of nicotianas), so, although the garden is somewhat green and overwrought, lots of little jewelly flowers are peeking through the undergrowth (and overgrowth).

 

[two sheds]

Yes it struck me that you must have a large number of high-value plants there. Worth marking the ones you want to keep and telling people they can have any others they remove? Or someone help you pot up the choicest ones and sell them?

 

[campanula]

A few years ago, I might have gotten away with this sort of strategy, two sheds but many of my choicer plants (such as daphne bholua and various tree paeonies) are enormous things which involve full scale excavation. Before the allotments, I was used to growing in my teeny home garden where I grew many, many equally tiny plants (such as lewisias, saxifrages, tiny geophytes and the like)...but when I got yardage, I immediately expanded into massive roses, giant salvias, spreading piles of geraniums and hemerocallis, and vast perennials such as Macleaya and rudbeckias...and trees. I think I am just going to bite the bullet and fully remove some of the worst offenders (hazels, rowans, roses and apples for example) so I can see some vistas and paths. For a decade at least, I had been planting extra stuff in the woods...but honestly, the amount of predation makes this a risky business (although there are some wicked hellebore and aconitum colonies, along with various paeonies and lilies). Both of my boys and their partners are keen gardeners so with half a dozen of us having at it over a weekend, we may manage to get some clarity. If not, I will. no doubt, be writing the exact same posts as now, only next August...with extra despair.

 

[iona]

Shame you're not closer campanula, I've been digging up unwanted stuff from my other work gardens to replant in the big forest garden I've just taken on.

 

[davesgcr]

Shame you're not closer campanula, I've been digging up unwanted stuff from my other work gardens to replant in the big forest garden I've just taken on.

You mentioned some railway station planters - how did you get on ..

Locally got involved in a Thameslink project and we spent an enjoyable morning planting them out and they have survived well , we got decent coffee and buns for our efforts. Watering has never been a problem as there are enthusiastic local staff who keep an eye on them.

 

[Idaho]

Harvesting the apples. Probably rejecting 1 in 3 where the coddling moth have done too much damage. Got a new fruit press so it's all destined to be cider.