Help MBE grow his dinner 2012

TallGirl

furballmad wrote: »

Started landscaping the small back garden on Monday. Filled a skip, taken grass off down to the soil. Lifted raised beds that were waterlogged(long story). Lifted the path. Levelled lawn and relaid path. I am now in need of help (and a new back). Planning the borders and it's north facing. Plants only at this side. What cottage garden style plants grow north facing. Have googled but prefer peoples successes. I have taken a before pic so i can post before and after.

North facing in heavy stones clay I have grown Autumn Joy with succes. Ivy grows well too and some variegated evergreens yellow and white sorry don't know the names. Good luck with the design it's great when all th hard work is done and the planting can begin.

mrbadexample

shala_moo wrote: »

Hmmm interesting site there.. not sure i'll be using my rhubarb for hair colouring though :eek:

Aw go on! Before and after pics please! :rotfl:

emiff6

mrbadexample wrote: »

A picture speaks a thousand words...

Batteries replenished I set the dried stalks back from the edge a bit so the rain hopefully (if we get any this year) won't get in.




And my gooseberry cuttings are sprouting! :T

emiff6

furballmad wrote: »

... Planning the borders and it's north facing. Plants only at this side. What cottage garden style plants grow north facing. Have googled but prefer peoples successes. I have taken a before pic so i can post before and after.

My small garden is north facing. It gets a bit of late afternoon sun in summer and I have grown: ceonothus, garrya elliptica, daphne, peony, bush lilac, clematis, delphinium, lupin, primula, polyanthus, foxglove, rudbeckia, wallflower (annual and perennial), michaelmas daisy, cyclamen (neapolitan I think, they've been in years and multiplied and seeded all over), sage, rosemary, lavender, honeysuckle, pulmonaria, fleabane, jacob's ladder, erythronium, hardy fuchsia, sunflowers, musk mallow, lavatera.... and loads more.

My theory is, if I like it, I try it. It's amazing what will be quite happy without a lot of direct sunlight. All the spring bulbs do well, except daffs, which grow a bit tall and leggy.

furballmad

Please can you tell me which is the best site to use to post pics on here. Thankyou

furballmad

Thankyou for the flower replies, i am so excited now as there are more than i thought. Was beginning to get a bit disheartened. Will try to post the before pic (be warned, its bad) but don't hold your breath. The last time i tried to post pics it took 3 hours.

mrbadexample

emiff6 wrote: »

Batteries replenished I set the dried stalks back from the edge a bit so the rain hopefully (if we get any this year) won't get in.

I was quite inspired from your description, so have been making progress on the same, after finding myself stood next to some hollow-stemmed dead plants yesterday. Some bloke looked at me like I was a loony as I started chucking them into the boot of my car. I've cut to length and built a box - it'll be finished soon. I'm going to use a little dab of glue to hold them in place.

To be critical of your efforts (in what I hope is a good way!), have you got any smaller stems? I've read that there are species out there that like a hole about 2mm across.

mrbadexample

furballmad wrote: »

Please can you tell me which is the best site to use to post pics on here. Thankyou

I use photobucket. It's fairly straightforward. It's the " alt="code that you need to paste into your post. " />

furballmad

Thankyou, only frozen laptop up once and crashed it once. This is before, I did warn you. AAArgh as a new user i am not allowed to post links:eek:, Bum, it took ages, Oh well i will have to chat more and post later.

emiff6

mrbadexample wrote: »

To be critical of your efforts (in what I hope is a good way!), have you got any smaller stems? I've read that there are species out there that like a hole about 2mm across.

When I spot some suitable stems I'll make another for the little bees, although I think the ones small enough for a 2mm hole only feed on harebells, and the nearest wild harebells to me are about a mile away, so not likely to get any tenants. Still, nothing venture nothing gain.