In my garden in March..........

hex2

PP - I am in the east midlands. No idea how to post photos, but am taking lots so I can see just what I have achieved.

It is lovely now but in an old fashioned way. Half of it is a big [STRIKE]moss pit[/STRIKE] lawn bordered by shrubby borders, backed by dry stone walls. Rhodos, azaleas, hyacinths, huge camelias, lots of spring bulbs. I think it has a late spring/early summer peak and then nothing. My plan is to watch for a year, with a view to deciding what to keep. I am pleased to see lots of pensetemon but not obviously many other perennials coming up. Lots of rejuvenating pruning and digging in of compost. I inherited two good sized well dug over but tired veg plots, and have taken out two huge conifers from a 70s style rockery which gives me enough to scope for planting for the time being.

cornishpirate - similar thoughts here, I think I am going to take the front lawns up and plant them instead. One side is nice dappled shade so could have a field day with woodland planting.

nodwah - the command post looks great. Mine are having a castle from garden buildings direct once I decide where I can bear to sacrifice some space.

nodwah

Hex2, I think we were looking at that castle and it was a tough descision but they plumped for the command post.
I don't know how to post photos either, mind you I only found out the other week how to put a sig on my posts!
Yesterday was an okay day so we did a bit in the garden: I cleared about a 1m square bit for putting to veg and used about half of what's left of my garden compost. Then helped DH with clearing the back where the command post will go but it's so wet right now it's awful! He dug out one of the rosa rugosas back there and honestly it took about an hour and my favourite stainless steel spade split in two right acorss the blade!
Dreich day today, so dropped by the garden centre and bought some seed potatoes, they had small packs of 10 for £1.99 which you'll all tell me is too much but my garden's too small to take any more and I don't have a local swappping scheme. I should find out about the local gardening society.
Also bougth some butternut squash seeds and teasel for the birds. They had a range of eden project seeds of really interesting looking edible things but I resited with a mighty will!

Penelope_Penguin

For those of you who'd like to give it a try (and there are definitely lots of us who'd like to have a [strike]nosey [/strike]look at your gardens :rolleyes: ) SRA's guide is here.

I use Photobucket to host my pictures, but there are several other hosting sites; all detailed in the guide.

You're welcome to send me a PM if you need more help.

HTH, Penny. x

Penelope_Penguin

We've had a lovely long weekend of gardening. The weather hold the whole time.

I divided my snowdrops. Some had grown into a patch of lawn which is destined to be removed, so I wanted them replanted before they got *lost in the move*. I deadheaded them, and planted them individually in an established flower bed.

The garlic is beginning to sprout. When we plant it, DH likes to read from the Vegetable Expert *it isn't worth growing unless you're a fan....use it sparingly, or you'll be put off forever....rub a wooden salad bowl with a clove before adding the ingredients*. Luckily the Complete Book of Self Sufficiency advises growing lots

We finished digging the bottom veg plot, removing as much of the residual roots of mare's tail as possible. We then planted some onions.

All my seeds have now arrived, I've sorted them into boxes for sowing times, and will be off later to plant some more in pots.

What's everyone else up to?

Penny. x

MimiF

I feel a bit of a fake coming on at the moment as over the weekend DH had to dig out all the beds in the front garden to put in the new fencing, so I currently have no plants in the front garden apart from a big rosemary which is currently in flower.

However I have planted the seeds for the lavender plants that will go into the beds in the front garden, in the meantime we will spend some time giving the soil some TLC, it was full of rubble (no wonder I've had trouble digging holes over the years), so we've taken a lot of that out and will dig in some fertilizer as well so hopefully it will be nicer soil to work with by the time the lavender goes in.

I planted some acquilegia seeds so they are in the fridge for two weeks (I think can't remember). I have lots more seeds to plant as I can't resist them. DH will paint the fencing today and clear the rubble mountain in the centre of the garden, then he will paint the front door and the step and then the fascia under the bay window roof.

Great news is we found blue paint for the back garden fencing!!!!!! :j I am so pleased as the alternatives weren't as nice. So I guess from next weekend we will be in the back garden. I shall have to list what will be going out there but as it's all containers, it's pretty flexible. Lots of tall plants I think and some green beans, little gems and tomatoes. I think I may have persuaded DH to grow a climber on the left hand side, which should provide some colour and interest there.

I rescued some old railway sleepers so will create some "shelves" too as it gets boring having all the containers on the same level.

My mothers day pressie will be a mini greenhouse as I am fast running out of windowsills, DH thinks I'm mad.

Weather here is just beautiful, I didn't want to leave today as just wanted to be in the garden.

Have a lovely day all. Happy Gardening.

PS. Pen-Pen I missed your pics, any chance you could post again?

MimiF

TKP_3

Hi, I have just taken some photos of our garden, as it is such a lovely day today. We have a very big garden that takes a lot of work to try and look after it. Mostly it's mature shrubs and old fruit trees (less work :rotfl: ), but the flower beds all need weeding, the lawn takes hours to mow every week in summer... still, it's theraputic working in the garden through the warmer months.

From the house looking down at the top and middle of the garden (the hedge across is the 1/2 way mark of the garden)



The apple trees (mid way down)



The bottom of the garden with the dance studio (the garden carries on a bit below the studio, with the "wild" area)



Standing at the 1/2 way hedge, looking back up a the house

lisa_cee

wow tkp your garden is lovely, very big !

nodwah

WHY OH WHY does every body in the world have fabulous big gardens?? ;D

hex2

Lovely TKP. I need to sort out joining photobucket and take some photos.....

We spent sunday and today stripping the turf off one of the front lawns with a view to making a cottage garden with a seated arbour over the next few weeks in place of the current moss pit. Been to get some manure and a few plants as well but my lovely and ever generous parents visited at the weekend and brought me 100+ plants including lots of hellebores and cyclamen to go in the dappled shade of the trees at the front. I must not buy any more plants until everything I have is dealt with.

I had another hoe over the veg plots - one is 3x8m, the other 4x6m - and I need to plan out what to plant. I had to wait till the lime had broken down before I could start planting so just some onions in at the moment. Should get some more work done on this tomorrow.

Churchmouse

Well, I've come over here searching for my old mate Pen-Pen. Guessed she'd be around somewhere!:rotfl: Love the piccies of your garden PP, and your hens look lovely. I have a very small, very boring, in desperate need of a tidy, garden. Bet it's the smallest of all (which I guess should make it the tidiest, but it's not!) However it's awash with lovely clumps of daffs, tulips crocus and other (can't remember what they are:rotfl: ) spring bulbs:D

Lovely to hear about your gardens, I might just pop back another day;)

CMx