The gardening thread

[ringo]

Bamboo etc ready to go in

 

[ringo]

Done. The robin who lives in the garden kept me company all afternoon, flitting about and following after me eating worms

 

[Treacle Toes]

Nice one Ringo...I have two robins that live in my garden and they always follow me around. They appear as soon as I start raking, sit on a low branch singing and then hop around behind me eating.

 

[aqua]

Is this the place I ask for help choosing plants? I have a small front garden that is almost always in the shade (except in the height of summer and then it's only morning sunshine for a bit). It has a couch grass problem, and another creeping thingy problem, which have got out of hand in the last couple of years. I've dug lots of it out and ditched the plants it was growing in most but I am not daft to think that's it. I hate that stuff

Anyway, it has a gorgeous hellebores in (need another two of those as I love them), some sea holly, a plant I can't remember the name of, the fern and the magnolia, which is a shit shape and I'm not convinced it won't come out BUT I've just dug in some allium bulbs (late I know, there are genuine reasons) and I was some lavender and rosemary, both I love in the summer.

Apart from walking past it we don't spend any time in it, and I would like to move in the next couple of years anyway so don't want to spend a fortune but can anyone recommend some nice flowering plants?

I've also planted some iris bulbs, no idea if they will work or not but hey, they were on offer

So any ideas? I was thinking of sticking to a colour scheme but fuck that frankly.

Will post photo when my Internet connection stops being a bag of shit

 

[geminisnake]

If you fancy cheap and cheerful I'd get a pack of mixed flowers from Lidl/Aldi for 39p or there abouts and scatter that and see what happens. There is usually some marigolds in the pack and they self seed. I can send poppy seeds if you like? And I have baby lambs lugs I could post(I can't remember the real name) Been out to check and I can't see any marigold seeds lying about but it is dark (was using the torch!)

 

[aqua]

all great except marigolds are probably 1 flower I can't stand

wtf is a baby lambs lug? I don't want lamb ears

 

[Sirena]

Pot marigolds are nice and they are very useful for making herbal preparations.

 

[Manter]

Is this the place I ask for help choosing plants? I have a small front garden that is almost always in the shade (except in the height of summer and then it's only morning sunshine for a bit). It has a couch grass problem, and another creeping thingy problem, which have got out of hand in the last couple of years. I've dug lots of it out and ditched the plants it was growing in most but I am not daft to think that's it. I hate that stuff

Anyway, it has a gorgeous hellebores in (need another two of those as I love them), some sea holly, a plant I can't remember the name of, the fern and the magnolia, which is a shit shape and I'm not convinced it won't come out BUT I've just dug in some allium bulbs (late I know, there are genuine reasons) and I was some lavender and rosemary, both I love in the summer.

Apart from walking past it we don't spend any time in it, and I would like to move in the next couple of years anyway so don't want to spend a fortune but can anyone recommend some nice flowering plants?

I've also planted some iris bulbs, no idea if they will work or not but hey, they were on offer

So any ideas? I was thinking of sticking to a colour scheme but fuck that frankly.

Will post photo when my Internet connection stops being a bag of shit

What I would do is plant some shrubs that flower but also have interesting leaves to give it some structure and year round colour. I like Daphne
and Gaultheria

Mahonia works well too, but if your garden is quite small the leaves and spikes can take over.

I'd then under plant it with a flowering ground cover, with bulbs/perennials to give pops of colour. Vinca is a really good value plant- it comes in purple, pink, lilac or white, forms a weed suppressant mat of dark green or variegated leaves with really pretty star shaped flowers. Its cheap as chips as it is so easy to take cuttings from and propagate. I have it in the really shady bit under the trees at the end of the garden, the shady wet bit at the side and in the shady dry (because I never water them) tubs in the alleyway and it does well in every location

Another good ground cover is epimedium- imo the leaves aren't as pretty as the vinca (they are ivy-ish shaped) but the flowers are gorgeous

Heuchera is another one to look at- its flowers are pretty enough, but very delicate spikes so a bit meh. The point though is the leaves- they form mats that help keep down weeds, and are in amazing colours- Any colour you fancy really! Again, really cheap, and split well, so you can buy one plant from the garden centre and split it into three or four for planting.
rs

Bulb/perennial wise, lily of the valley, cyclamen, snowdrops, anemone blanda, foxglove (poisonous if eaten, not sure whether Pickle is an eater of plants!), begonia all do really well in shade.

Rosemary, allium and lavender prefer sun so they may struggle. Cut them back really hard to focus their growing energy (technical term ) in their roots to give them the best chance, but if you have the option I'd transplant to the back where they'll be happier.

 

[Treacle Toes]

A bit too head ouch to garden today but have pro-craftinated my way through it doing indoor things.

Yesterday and tomorrow's work in the garden are all about Mount Shat, which is basically at the back right hand corner.

My investigations have found that the giant mound around the base of the tree is made up of old bricks, compost and superficial/above ground roots...it is a crappy job but I want to reclaim that corner and liberate the tree...I have been digging into the mound, recycling the compost elsewhere in the garden and will use as many of the bricks as posible to build something fab, probably a bbq or an oven

The only good thing about doing this job is I get to use an axe too, cut, cut, cut, dig, dig dig.

 

[campanula]

I was a bit surprised at how much it can cost, so ended up doing a lot of research into the price as well as the species, size, colour, tendency to spread etc. In the end I only went for clumping species, and as it happens they are all Phyllostachys of different types, but that wasn't a prerequisite.

The local garden centre was doing them half price at £30 or £60 a plant, which I thought was a bit shocking seeing as they grow fast, but then realised they're tricky to grow from seed and are not commercial until a year or two old so I spose I'll let them off, just not going to buy them.

Anyway, for the bamboo hedge along my back wall I've gone for:

4 plants from the same place (on Ebay), total with postage £45:
2 of Phyllostachys 'Spectabilis' - Yellow Groove Bamboo
2 of Phyllostachys bissetii - Green Bamboo
1 Black Bamboo Plant, , 1 5litre pot, 100cm+ (Phyllostachys nigra) about £30 off Ebay
Giant Green Japanese - Phyllostachys nigra Henonis. Comes 10 litre 180cm high £37.50 inc postage.
http://www.junglegiants.co.uk/acatalog/Phyllostachys_nigra_Henonis.html
And a colourful specimen yellow giant bamboo to block the view of some neighbours:
1 Yellow Phyllostachys Vivax Aureocaulis 40% OFF - Yellow Timber Bamboo, is already 9 feet high, with postage GBP 29.89 from
http://www.scottishbamboo.com/Clearance_Phyllostachys_Vivax_Aureocaulis.htm

So 7 plants, two of which are giants and another a quite expensive black specimen type for £142.39. That's as cheap as I could manage it for the large quantity and coverage I wanted.

Bloody Hell, braver than me. Phyllostachys are not clumping types. My ex had a neighbourly dispute and planted a row of various phyllostachys (aurea, maybe bisetii) along the fence line (as you do) and they have invaded his entire lawn, lifted the concrete path and are now assaulting his pond. Concrete slabs - they laugh at them. Flame throwers, mmmmm, basking.

If you do go for these, absolutely do not skimp on a really good barrier (corrugated metal, sunk in at least 2.5 feet (the rhizomes are not terribly deep, just fierce).

Also, suspect your cherry is a flowering ornamental (maybe subhirtella autumnalis if it is flowering now) because generally, edible cherries have white flowers. Couldn't possibly be an almond, could it?

 

[Manter]

Someone wanted more photos….

this is the garden when we moved inn

huge trees, no light, rotting 'stuff' everywhere, insects, wasps nests, slugs infestation, nettles in flowerbeds, crumbling brick structures. And an outside toilet in the sunniest spot

So, we attacked it! coal shed demolished, half the trees out, the others cut back hard, we used recovered bricks to make a raised bed down the right hand side and planted everything we rescued from other bits of the garden in it, sorted out the levels, built a shed, painted rotten trellis we found under a pile of rubble and reused it, and broke up a fuck of a lot of crazy paving.

By the end of the summer we had bult a trellis screen in front of the shed, and planted some interesting trees to replace the manly leyllandi <<spits>> we'd removed. They'll take a while to grow, but are already more attractive, better for wildlife and give a lovely dappled light, rather than the black cave effect we had. And yes, that wall is my bricklaying

this year we'll do patio, fencing at the other side of the garden, re lay the lawn, and build beds at the other side (we still have loads of bricks we've recovered). I also need to sort out the plants as the bed is a dumping ground of what we rescued, cuttings etc and I need to move, thin, sort out colours etc etc etc

Not bad considering I gave birth 8th September

 

[Treacle Toes]

WOW, great work there Manter !

 

[TruXta]

I'm gonna make a start on the garden tomorrow. Promise.

 

[Manter]

And the front garden: when we moved in:

More concrete crazy paving (why?????) moss, diseased conifers and slug havens.

So we got the matlock out again:

gravelled the whole lot and planted a choisya hedge. (there was a big choisya at the front by the step, but we've planted three different sorts so it'll be a bit mixed when it grows up). Those little plants are doing fabulous;y- they are at the height of the wall already, so in 2 years I reckon we'll be able to level the established and new plants.

We've planted a white wisteria by the front door, and we've got two clusters of pots on the front step with white, purple and blue plants in them (I posted their current incarnation further up the thread)

 

[Manter]

WOW, great work there Manter !

Looking at those two posts I think we did quite well Inspired to get started on the next bits now….

 

[Manter]

Bamboo etc ready to go in

lovely wall…..

 

[TruXta]

I'm impressed.

 

[Manter]

I'm impressed.

the Northerner works well when I crack the whip hard enough

 

[aqua]

What I would do is plant some shrubs that flower but also have interesting leaves to give it some structure and year round colour.

I know you're right, but I have yet to find ones I like

I'd then under plant it with a flowering ground cover, with bulbs/perennials to give pops of colour. Vinca is a really good value plant- it comes in purple, pink, lilac or white, forms a weed suppressant mat of dark green or variegated leaves with really pretty star shaped flowers. Its cheap as chips as it is so easy to take cuttings from and propagate. I have it in the really shady bit under the trees at the end of the garden, the shady wet bit at the side and in the shady dry (because I never water them) tubs in the alleyway and it does well in every location

love this! Thanks!

Another good ground cover is epimedium- imo the leaves aren't as pretty as the vinca (they are ivy-ish shaped) but the flowers are gorgeous

think I need to see more of this, off to google.

Heuchera is another one to look at- its flowers are pretty enough, but very delicate spikes so a bit meh. The point though is the leaves- they form mats that help keep down weeds, and are in amazing colours- Any colour you fancy really! Again, really cheap, and split well, so you can buy one plant from the garden centre and split it into three or four for planting.
rs

i have this! This is the one I couldn't remember! Yes need another couple of different types, they're pretty

Bulb/perennial wise, lily of the valley, cyclamen, snowdrops, anemone blanda, foxglove (poisonous if eaten, not sure whether Pickle is an eater of plants!), begonia all do really well in shade.

Rosemary, allium and lavender prefer sun so they may struggle. Cut them back really hard to focus their growing energy (technical term ) in their roots to give them the best chance, but if you have the option I'd transplant to the back where they'll be happier.

i do have an allium or two that have worked well! and I did have lavender too that I just didn't prune and it became vile woody nastiness so I dug it up. The spot I have in mind for those is the sunniest in the garden

I adore anemones, if I had not missed so much winter I would have planted some

 

[Manter]

I know you're right, but I have yet to find ones I like

love this! Thanks!
think I need to see more of this, off to google.

i have this! This is the one I couldn't remember! Yes need another couple of different types, they're pretty
i do have an allium or two that have worked well! and I did have lavender too that I just didn't prune and it became vile woody nastiness so I dug it up. The spot I have in mind for those is the sunniest in the garden

I adore anemones, if I had not missed so much winter I would have planted some

shrub wise, how about a eunymous? They are a bit boring but dead easy to grow and the variegated ones come in lovely colours. And google Daphne carol makie- that's a pretty one…. Kerria japonica (Japanese rose) is stunning but its deciduous…. um. I'm struggling with my shade plants.

Pachysandra? flowers are delicate spikes of white, in sort of clusters. And it is incredibly easy to grow
Acanthus is too- it has foxglove type spikes but in subtle colours- the leaves are evergreen, and the spikes last till v late in the year- they dry to seed heads and they are almost as attractive as the flowers. Its the spike with white and purple flowers right in the middle of the picture of my border.

But yeah, lots of the shade shrubs aren't great. I have conifer- aversion, which doesn't help

 

[Manter]

incidentally, you can plant anemones now, though you may not get flowers this year- they will be well established and flower better next year though. Soak them in a bucket of water overnight if you're planting them at this time of year, as they are usually a bit dried out

 

[gaijingirl]

grrrrr look at the Northerner with his enormous man-tools..

ok.. I really enjoyed doing a bit of gardening last year (although I am shit at it). I went out to the garden today and took a look around.
Should I be doing something now?

ringo.. what happens with the bamboo - are you basically having it in pots around the place? i'd love a bit of bamboo..

 

[Manter]

Now is the time for clearing, and the absolute earliest you can plant (and only because we've had such a mild winter- frozen ground is not your friend.) as soon as you're sure the last frost has happened (I don't think we've had any this year slug and bug heaven ) get out there with your secateurs and a garden waste bag. Anything woody, winter flowering shrubs, overwinter fushias, climbing plants (esp wisteria and clematis) need pruning- don't be too cautious, things thrive with quite severe haircuts. General rule, count one or two shoots from the main stem or branch and cut to there, though herbs and lavender and ornamental grass can be cut off to a few inches and will regrow. Plant some if your summer colour- summer flowering bulbs or hardy perennials. Worth starting to look after the lawn- really firm rake and treat moss and weed patches. And if your soil is a bit crap, some blood fish and bone and a mulch (wood chippings are good) will help it out.

 

[gaijingirl]

Manter.. well this is helpful because actually I had someone come over to de-disaster the garden at the end of last summer and he was absolutely ruthless. I went out today and I was worried he might have actually killed a few bushes (I once killed a beautiful mature Lavender bush with overpruning).. so hopefully your words will ring true.

the planting - we were lucky, the previous woman here was a gardener.. every month is a new and beautiful surprise. I'd only fuck it up!

I'd love to sort out the front though which is a bit crap.

 

[Manter]

Manter.. well this is helpful because actually I had someone come over to de-disaster the garden at the end of last summer and he was absolutely ruthless. I went out today and I was worried he might have actually killed a few bushes (I once killed a beautiful mature Lavender bush with overpruning).. so hopefully your words will ring true.

the planting - we were lucky, the previous woman here was a gardener.. every month is a new and beautiful surprise. I'd only fuck it up!

I'd love to sort out the front though which is a bit crap.

IMHO the only way to learn with gardens is to get out there. This time of year is lovely as things are starting to stir- shoots pushing up through leaf mould, fat buds appearing, the little green dimples on woody stems. It is fabulous to potter and look at stuff and just feel all that promise of spring. I sound a proper hippy, but my mood just lifts so much when I start getting out there.

If you know someone who knows plant identification get them to come and tell you what you've got so you can start figuring out what's what- lovely plants suffer from neglect as some of the brutes take over, or they get distracted trying to grow bigger and forget to flower as they move into a different bit of their life cycle. Have you ever seen gardens with enormous all enveloping buddlieas swamping everything, almost as tall as the house? They make me sad as someone obviously loved that garden once...planted a pretty, flowering, butterfly attracting bush, then neglected it

Things like lavender you can overprune, but that's mostly if you go beyond what you've done in the past. They concentrate growth on the outside of the plant, so if it's got big and woody and you cut back to that wood, you can have bald patches. The two shoot rule largely avoids that though.

 

[gaijingirl]

IMHO the only way to learn with gardens is to get out there. This time of year is lovely as things are starting to stir- shoots pushing up through leaf mould, fat buds appearing, the little green dimples on woody stems. It is fabulous to potter and look at stuff and just feel all that promise of spring. I sound a proper hippy, but my mood just lifts so much when I start getting out there.

If you know someone who knows plant identification get them to come and tell you what you've got so you can start figuring out what's what- lovely plants suffer from neglect as some of the brutes take over, or they get distracted trying to grow bigger and forget to flower as they move into a different bit of their life cycle. Have you ever seen gardens with enormous all enveloping buddlieas swamping everything, almost as tall as the house? They make me sad as someone obviously loved that garden once...planted a pretty, flowering, butterfly attracting bush, then neglected it

Things like lavender you can overprune, but that's mostly if you go beyond what you've done in the past. They concentrate growth on the outside of the plant, so if it's got big and woody and you cut back to that wood, you can have bald patches. The two shoot rule largely avoids that though.

I've done the plant identification thing, when we first moved in - in case there was anything to worry about with the kids. I also put in a lot of effort last summer - but that was my first real summer to have a garden (the previous summer I had just had E). O and I grew veg together last summer and I have in the past been successful with tomatoes etc with a balcony.

I know what you mean though about the mood lifting.. O has been saying to me recently.. "i want to go into the garden -we've not been in ages" and in the good months we LIVE in the garden... Today was nice to have a wander. Tbh.. having taken a quick look, I can't see there's much to do after this guy went scissor happy...

I wish I could just "retire" between now and November and do garden/house things and then teach again over Winter.

Gove wouldn't mind would he?

 

[geminisnake]

all great except marigolds are probably 1 flower I can't stand

wtf is a baby lambs lug? I don't want lamb ears

Mrs M would know what they're called!

And I could send some of this(sorry for massive picture)

 

[Manter]

Mrs M would know what they're called!

And I could send some of this(sorry for massive picture)

I love that stuff! Bleeding heart- can't remember it's proper name. I have a white one- it's gorgeous

 

[Boudicca]

Here's my tiny garden. It's north facing, surrounded by trees, gets very little sunlight and the tree behind stops the back bed getting any water. I've planted many things in the back bed, but nothing has survived. And the grass may look nice and green, but most of it is moss.

This year I might try for a wild flower garden in my unsuccessful vegetable bed (on the left), which currently has strawberry plants which don't produce any strawberries. If anyone with more sunlight wants strawberry plants, please come and take them away.

 

[aqua]

Boudicca did you paint your table and chairs as I think we have the same one and yours looks lovely!!!