'supporting each other through really tough times'

mardatha

I put in some pinks, alyssum purple & white, thyme purple & golden, red lupins, chamomile (hope it lives this time, usually doesn't) then threw blood fish and bone all over the garden, then threw compost over that, then turned the hose on it for ten mins. Our frost-free date is 1st June so can get more bedding plants in now as well.

[Deleted User]

Sounds grand MAR that should give you a really colourful show, just been up and watered the polytunnel, the garden veg, the bedding plants in the flower borders and all the window boxes and hanging baskets, phew!!!!! thank goodness the greenhouse waters itself, Cheers Lyn xxx.

kezlou

That's even worse, those poor ladies
Bet she knows that and will take advantage of them.

Your flowers sound wonderful mar, can't till next month so I can buy some hanging baskets.

[Deleted User]

Not while I'm still breathing and NOT if she knows what's good for her!!!!!

mardatha

I need to take a pic - garden looking really good. I aimed for the cottage garden look and it's coming on well. The aquilegia is gorgeous and all over the place, I love it. The lilac is coming into leaf, the bluebells are out, the lemon balm is starting to grow, lupins growing well, sweet violet starting to bud, snow in summer growing well, and the Aldi roses getting leaves. Am happy - just want a fragrant climbing rose for beside the steps now.

Mrs_Chip

mardatha wrote: »

I need to take a pic - garden looking really good. I aimed for the cottage garden look and it's coming on well. The aquilegia is gorgeous and all over the place, I love it. The lilac is coming into leaf, the bluebells are out, the lemon balm is starting to grow, lupins growing well, sweet violet starting to bud, snow in summer growing well, and the Aldi roses getting leaves. Am happy - just want a fragrant climbing rose for beside the steps now.

How strange MAR - I was just browsing through a selection of climbing roses for here - I bought an arch from Aldi for the bottom of our garden steps, and we are going to treat ourselves for our anniversary.

This site is quite good for ideas - and I like the look of this one (I love the smell of roses, so want one with a good scent)
http://www.countrygardenroses.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=Jasminahttp://

savingqueen

Love the roses idea Mrs Chip and you have given me an idea too. Our 10th wedding anniversary is next month and I want to do something special but not waste money on things we don't really need. Already thought I would have a go at making a card based on our wedding invites (which were homemade - my first and last attempt as I spent many hours making them all!), I still have some left over materials being a hoarder. I might incorporate our wedding poem "A red, red rose" (Robert Burns) and I was thinking of just buying a red rose but a rose bush would be much better wouldn't it?!

eeek DH is just walking in the door so will go before he sees this!

back later folks
take care
sq:)

savingqueen

gardening newbie Q

Ok toughies, I need to add another OS string to my bow so to speak. Need to sort our garden and want to grow some veggies maybe with a few flowers/plants or ideally some veggies/herbs that look pretty. I am a gardening novice. Only bought easy to care for bedding plants before and stuck in the flower beds and/or pots.

Our garden is not much to look at, it's small with a lawn which a trampoline takes up a good chuck of. The lawned area is for the kids so that has to stay.

We have a couple of concrete areas with a few pots on and some flower beds down one side of the lawn. We have a rosemary bush, loads of ivy, a couple of tomato plants and a couple of unidentifiable (to me) plants. The soil seems poor (not that I know anything about soil but I can tell it's not good) and the garden has a lot of shade and I think is north facing as we get most of the sun at the front. We have 2 cats and so do lots of our neighbours. Our garden slopes upwards a little too.

We also have a tiny space in our front garden (partly shaded by a hedge) to the side of our drive which I could do something with.

Really we want to completely rip out the garden and start again but realistically with money, time and energy in limited amounts, better to do something with what we have.

We have a few empty pots, some compost and basic tools at least and I have a few packs of different seeds that kids have been given or various freebies. I'm thinking I should just sow them (will check when in the year I can sow first) and hope for the best.

So just some really basic advice, tips, books or websites, anything - even just tell me to go for it! I'm not show what will grow in our garden with the lack of sun, cats etc but want to give it a go and try and save some money. Also the kids are desparate to grow stuff.

sq feeling

shegar

mardatha wrote: »

I need to take a pic - garden looking really good. I aimed for the cottage garden look and it's coming on well. The aquilegia is gorgeous and all over the place, I love it. The lilac is coming into leaf, the bluebells are out, the lemon balm is starting to grow, lupins growing well, sweet violet starting to bud, snow in summer growing well, and the Aldi roses getting leaves. Am happy - just want a fragrant climbing rose for beside the steps now.

Mar you say your lilac is now coming into leaf, you mean flower dont you?....Loads of lilac about here and its flowering.....

Also you say rose getting leaves , my buds will be open in a couple of days....

I probaly think your about a month behind us down here cos we are nowhere near as cold as you have it.........

Sounds as if you have been enjoying your garden this year, and you have planted some nice plants out............

Temp hit 16 degrees today, nice sunny and no chilly wind , suppose to be the same at the weekend and into next week, that will make the garden grow.......Sheila:)

lisakay_2

SQ, carrots and parsnips tend to do well in poor soil. sow seeds asap either in rows straight in the soil or in loo roll tubes to plant out when they start to come up. chives do well in pots and the flowers are lovely on salads. bluebells normally do well in the shade, but i'm not sure when they would need to go in, probably ready for next year.

kidcat. did you make it out today?

mum, you're not allowed to read this bit :P
kezlou, reading about you and your OH reminded me of us so much. We still joke now that it's the longest one night stand we'd ever had. By the time we had been together a year I had been pregnant for half of it. Nearly 9 years, two gorgeous daughters and a wedding later we are very happy together.

belated birthday wishes to pops.

spent the day on the lotty again today. covered us all in factor 50 and the kids are fine, but I've managed to burn the backs of my legs and my shoulders. planted out parsnips, little gems, chives, sage, sowed more beetroot, earthed up the spuds and removed a dustbin full of non compostable weeds.
this half term week has flown by, littlies have another week off but i'm back to work on Monday