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

yellowdots

I felt I should make a post in this thread, if only to maybe spur myself on a bit more. Love seeing people's pics of their gardens. And wow those paper pots look wonderful.

I lost enthusiasm for gardening over the last few years when I moved to this house, leaving behind a garden which I had almost completed to my satisfaction and happiness (though yes a garden is never complete). The garden here itself has a lovely aspect, is quite a good size but was very, very neglected. For example, all the hard landscaping is crumbling away, weeds coming up all the time through the concrete path etc.

Over the past few years I just seem to have been trying to keep on top of the never ending weed growth, putting in cheap ground cover plants in areas I've managed to clear. Also I'm quite pleased I have managed to rejuvenate the old apple, pear and plum trees here, which now seem to bear fruit, not in huge amounts but adequate.

Soooooooo, over the past week or so I've chucked together the start of what will be the veg plot side of my garden. Made a first bed = stuck some random planks of wood in the ground.

In that first bed I've planted shallots, onions, garlic, spring onions (I refuse to call them salad onions), radish and rocket.

In pots on my windowsill I've planted butternut squash seeds and sweetpeas, absolutely adore sweetpeas! (not to eat of course )

Still to be planted when I have dug over another area, are the maris piper potatoes. Also swede seeds but I think they are ok to be planted up until mid summer in the Midlands.

Thats all, veggy-wise that I will be doing this year as I didn't want to overstretch myself or set myself up for failure if I couldn't keep on top of everything. I have to not overdo gardening activities due to a bad back.

Wanted to say thanks to those on this board for giving me the enthusiasm to do what I always previously loved doing, gardening! :j

Only thing I'm a bit disappointed in is the fact I offered my old double bed divan base (2 parts) on freecyle for maybe someone to use on their allotment and no takers

angie_loves_veg

madhouseof4 wrote: »

Lol Angie, I nicked those pretty colourful things from my eldest sons craft box ...... shhhhhh, don't tell him!!! i tried cutting up a plastic milk carton, but found the writing either wore off, washed off, or just got bleached out by the sun. Maybe I need to use a different cd pen. What do you write on yours with?

I won't tell him.... honest!

I use a pentel permenant marker with a fine point. After 5 minutes or so, I don't seem to get anything to shift it! I used to use a pencil - that seemed to work for quite a while too....

angelavdavis

My OH, brother and I spent Tuesday through to Monday last week working on the landscaping and we are shattered - its a relief to be back to work today:rotfl:

I didn't get time to take pics but will followup later with a link to the web site.

Still a bit more to do - we ran out of materials!

Potted on some tomatoes at the weekend - there are going to be loads to sell at the boot sale too this year! I have saved four from each variety and the rest are potted into plastic bag pots. Will do some more potting on next weekend and sow some flowers.

Hope everyone enjoyed the sun over the last few days.

lazy_girl

absolutely loving this thread, very inspirational. :j

myself and OH got ourselves an allotment on saturday - at the moment it's a huge strip of bare earth with brambles at one end. We did some clearing of all the rubbish that got rotavated in, but still half of it to go, will try and do that tonight.

lots of good ideas, going to have to attempt the paper pots i think

Plum_Pie

I did some gardening every day over the weekend.

-Cut down 3 small self-seeded sycamore trees (to be replaced with something nice and useful, probably apple and maybe a holly bush)
-Planted a lot of herb plants (Present from mum's garden - I'll probably kill em!)
-Tried to decide where to plant lavender bush (present from dad) and failed.
-Separated about 10 bluebell plants and moved some to a shady corner.
-Pruned the last of the ivy to discover 3 forget-me-not plants. (Hurrah!)
-Bought seeds: sweetpea, courgette, mixed salad.
-Did lots of digging, removed 4 buckets of clay and about 10 bricks (My neighbour said his garden was the same when he moved in!)
-Bought tons of compost and mixed it into the beds I've dug round the edge of the garden.
-Ordered a compost bin. (Foodwaste currently in a old bin with the lid gaffer -taped shut! Bleurgh!)
-Mowed the lawn, bought grass seed and researched lawn care. Have decided to experiment with overseeding and maintenance for a year and if it's too much hassle, I'll pave the lot.

This is my first garden and I still can't quite believe it's mine to do what I like!

I might post some photos when it starts to look...like someone cares!

Penelope_Penguin

Plum_Pie wrote: »

This is my first garden and I still can't quite believe it's mine to do what I like!

I might post some photos when it starts to look...like someone cares!

Looking good, Plum! Sure I'm not the only [STRIKE]nosey parker[/STRIKE] interested gardener who'd love a peep at your pics

Glorious day here. I've found a plentiful supply of free horse poo, and it's ready bagged :j I've been collecting it and making a pile behing my garage to rot. Some will go on the rhubarb, and some more into the compost heap.

Also got some top soil from Freecycle to fill the craters left when we removed the trees from our boundary.

Need to plant up my Freecycled strawberry runners noe, and water the polytunnel.

Penny. x

Funkyfarmgirl

madhouseof4 wrote: »

Hehehehe!! At least you asked sured! I have now realised that I planted mine upside down, but it appears (from a bit of digging) that the shoots are travelling up the side of the potatoe anyway. I plan on doing some more this week and will make sure I put them the right way uip and see which are better :rotfl:

I just planted a good half an acre so i didnt check weather i put them upside down or not !!

madhouseof4

Funkyfarmgirl wrote: »

I just planted a good half an acre so i didnt check weather i put them upside down or not !!

I don't think it matter in the long run! The 2 lots that I did first and upside down have all sprouted above the surface now, much to my excitment!

nodwah

Hi all, I haven't been keeping up enough lately here, hope you're all sprouting!
I had a weefright, my tom seddling are coming on and I realised they don't look a bit like toms eek, by deduction I've decided they must be peppers so I'll have to keep growing them on to see what happens.

Is anyone else addicted to buying plants? I promised that I'm not spending any more money but in the last couple of days i've bought more strwabs a lenten rose and a lovely white pulsatilla - I just can't stop myself!

skyepark

ive planted my sweet pea, some in hanging baskets some in the ground calandula, clarkia, matthiola. This wkd I will plant poppies, black mustard, linseed, aster, some more matthiola in newly made borders int eh front garden.. possibly try and and sprout my camellia cutting and nick a fuschia cutting from the next door neighbor.