In my garden in April............

madhouseof4

I thought I would bring this thread back to the first page as it is almost time for the May thread :eek:

Yesterday I spent time repotting my tomatoes, beans and re-sowing some crops that I lost either to slugs/rabbits. Today was spent earthing up my potatoes, not that I have any idea if I am doing it right I also gave the garden a general tidy up and decided to move my pots around. Originally we planned on having one end of the patio dedicated to pots and bags, but as I have raised beds at either end of the patio and 2 borders with crops in as well, it made more sence to put the pots all along the patio, close to the wall to offer them some protection and shelter from the wind (it is very windy here today) and it will make watering easier I think. Plus I like looking out of both sets of patio doors and being able to see crops

I braved getting out on our single story roof today, in the wind, to get pics of my progress and I am quite pleased.

This side of the patio has potaotes on the patio, peas in the bed at the end by the fence and onions in the border:


Other side, with has a pot of carrots, pot of parsnips , 3 more tubs of potaotes, sprouts (or possibly boccoli!) in the border along with a few very sad looking strawberry plants and the garlic is in the end bed:


Middle of patio: On either side are the boys pear trees, one with perpetual spinach in the pot. Around the base of the big pots are 2 tomatoes and a broad bean plant on each side. On the bottom step is a courgette on the left, tumbling tom on the right and on the step above are my 2 gorgeous little strawberries. They need repotting so that is a job for me tomorrow. on top of the wall are pots of pansies that I rescued from out bunny, he had a good go at them and I wasn't sure they would make it!


My potaotes! I am so happy with these and can't wait to eat them! It is a good thing one of hubby's customers has loads of spare tyres going free!


Garlic:


Onions:

catznine

Well this weekend I have planted 1 pear tree (to pollunate the pear tree we were given) 1 apple tree which hopefully will pollunate with neighbours trees, bought a large wooden tub which I have lined and sectioned into 4 and planted fennel, coriander, parsley and oregano (already in pots and doing well), put 6 tomato plants in (free from neighbour:D ) made a frog pool which will be right opposite the runner beans when they go in should I do a sign "slugs this way"?:rotfl:

I need to find out how to earth up potatoes but as they have only just gone into pots, compost bags and an old bin last week, I still have time to find out!

I have also planted some hollyhocks any other prettys. Phew need a rest now!

Thanks for all the inspiration! What else can I plant up now in the eatable line? Will have to be in pots as I am running out of available ground!

knithappens

Hi all, i am loving my garden right now,i find it so distressing, especially after a day of teaching. The kids love it too, they are gettign so involved in watering and repotting.

I am going to have a go at some DIY, to make some raised beds over the band holiday weekend. But i need to do this as cheeply as possible, anyone any ideas???

The rest of the big stuff will have to wait, i want to put stones down over the part of the garden that is like a concrete tarmac, i dont know what it is , it is that old it is indescribable. I want to deck over it but dont have the funds right now. Maybe next year.

Oh yes, i want to get a mini greenhouse, does anyone know where there are still any of the 3 tier ones for 9.99. i can find the ones for 14.99, but the extra £5 would be better spent on my garden lol.

So today i am going to just clean up a bit in the garden , nothing major, and maybe head to the garden center for some inspiration.

Penelope_Penguin

Hello everyone!

Madhouse, your pics are lovely. I especially like the way you've planted your onions and garlic to use every last bit of space :T

We had a very pleasant barbeque on Saturday evening, then all day yesterday gardening. I've planted dwarf and climbing beans in trays, earthed up the outside potatoes, dug a bed to plant some Freecycled strawberry runners, and cleared where we're going to put a trellis. Also lots of weeding and watering. The soil is so dry.

Had some bad news last week - a fox got in and took all 4 of our hens. We now have 12 fertilised eggs in an incubator, but we miss the company of the hens in the garden when we're digging. They're also great for eating pests, weeds, and grass clippings, not to mention the eggs.

Was chatting to our neighbours on Friday morning, and they'd seen a pheasant in our garden. Never seen them in the town before.

Have a great day - last one of this month

Penny. x

Penelope_Penguin

lilmrsmullen wrote: »

I am going to have a go at some DIY, to make some raised beds over the band holiday weekend. But i need to do this as cheeply as possible, anyone any ideas???

You could try Freecycle. Timber often comes up on ours.

Alternatively, a builders' merchant will usually work out much cheaper than a DIY store.

Consider having the boards pressure treated with preservative - boards in contact with the soil don't last long otherwise.

Penny. x

Plum_Pie

I bought and planted a cooking cherry tree, Nabella, as when I were a nipper I loved stewed Morello cherries. Will need to buy some sort of netting though as my garden has many pigeon visitors.

I also finally came to a decision about how to cover my ugly wire fence and bought and planted a red, climbing rose 'Star of Holland' which is supposed to have a lovely fragrance and flower twice a year. I will buy another one of these and 2 spring-flowering evergreen clematis and hopefully that will cover everything and provide a good run of flowers. I might also buy a honeysuckle to grow up the boring tree.

I also finally got round to planting out the lavender bush my dad gave me. It wasn't looking very healthy after 2 weeks in the pot - I hope it lives!

My salad is coming up nicely and I planted a second row of seeds.

I have also decided where to move my gooseberry bush although that will require pruning of the skimmia.

Also excited that the Lunaria (aka: Honesty or Money Plant) in the front garden is going to seed beautifully! It's an really pretty variety - dark violet flowers with little white centres. I'm going to replant them in the front garden (which no one is caring for currently) and also some in the shady bit of my garden.

I also calculated how much I have spent on the garden since I moved in... Then I came up with many rationalisations as to why this was OK (I won't have to buy another spade for several years/I got the lawnmower for free/Gardening is preserving my sanity during a stressful period at work etcetc...!)

emmy2007

Hi all :hello:

Penelope- sorry about the chickens.

Madhouse - love the pics, your garden is looking really nice.

Well I spent most of the weekend in the garden, and I must say I am feeling very happy with it all now. I finally managed to finish digging out the veg patch, I was so happy with it all that this morning I got up early just so I could take pictures to post on here!!! :rotfl:



The right hand bay is for the lettuce, next to that is the spinich, you can almost see it! It's just started coming up. The next 3 bays are for sweetcorn, corgettes and pepper plants. I had to re-jig things after someone suggested sweetcorn would crop better if grown in a square thanks for the tip (sorry i forget who it was from :rolleyes: ). The in the last bay; you can just see the edge of it, are my onions.

But I must say the bit I most proud of is my tomato wigwam!!



It took my most of Sunday to build! The plan is that as they grow I can tie them to the poles and this will support the fruit as it grows

Finally I have to show you all this picture of my hanging basket, last month they where so miserable, but repotted them up and they are now very happy and enjoying the sunshine :j

nodwah

Lovely pansies emmy! And great pics everyone else, I must get pics sorted out. What a lovely day today (again) but I've been stuck inside studying -exam tomorrow - very difficult to concentrate when I'd much rather be outside pottering. Wish me luck please I need it!

emmy2007

good luck with the exam