The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

GreyQueen

I operate on the general principle that seeds are programmed to grow and will probably succeed unless you bury them so deeply that their little bundles of stored energy are exhausted before they can breach the surface.

I keeping with my habit of the past several years, I have thrown (literally thrown) handfuls of home-saved pot marigold and french marigold seeds, plus sunflowers and something called gazania. I raked them in lightly and that's as much cultivation as I do for my allotment flowerbed. When the weedlings are big enough to be identifable, I shall pull them out, anything I don't recognise as a weed/ nail/ piece of glass or pottery, I shall assume is a flower until it demonstrates otherwise.

Have also started the clipping-back of the allotment path. The allotment officer responded to my grump about the overspray after about a week by emailing to say they'll be inspecting the whole site next week and, although you're allowed to use chemicals, you're not supposed to allow overspray. Well, if he looks, he can clearly see that's what happened to my plot. Hopefully the other party will be advised to be more careful in future.

:cool: I've read several books on companion gardening and gardening for beneficial insects etc and have distilled them down to you can't go wrong with marigolds. Plus I like their cheery little faces and they're easy to grow, are prodigious producers of their seeds, which are easy to collect and save, and you can keep them forever. Marigolds rock.

Mind you, I went slightly off-piste with a handful of homesaved cornflower seeds so we'll see what we can get out of those.

nursemaggie

I agree with the marigolds GQ I used to have a bed of them under my kitchen window, south facing. They self seeded and more or less looked after themselves. They were covered in butterflies and bees in the summer.

Opposite was a huge perennial border that started with crocuses in February and finished with Michaelmas daisies in the Autumn. It was a blaze of colour in the summer making it a pleasure to wash up. The house was built about the same time as this one, turn of the 19th/20th century.

This house would fit in that one at least 5 times and the kitchen window was bigger than my bay window here.

Get well soon to all the poorlies and hugs to those who are struggling.

camelot1001

Love hearing all about your gardens, at the tender age of 53 this is the first garden I have that seems safe from animals - no hens, pheasants, squirrels or rabbits!

I have spinach coming up along with the peas that are showing their little green leaves, cabbage and potatoes that have been sown straight into the ground. Courgette, tomato, leek and french beans are all doing well in the greenhouse (a small plastic one). I am so excited to see them all, I hope they manage to make it.

I don't have any flowers but there is a little corner I have just sorted out that I may get a packet of mixed flower seeds and put them in.

There are plenty of bees here at the moment, nice to see them.

chickens11

MTSTM......Its good news for you if your neighbours have concrete gardens, hopefully you will get all the wildlife......

We have bees here on the nice sunny days ,my garden is very wildlife friendly , I find the best plants to attract bees and butterflies is , verbena boneriensis , salvias , cornflowers , vceronicas, lavender, heathers, nepeta , and I have quite a few evergreen shrubs , hebes are my favourite, and they come in different varieties , bees and butterflies love them , plus they dont need a lot of looking after as they dont grow too big and they grow nice and compact.......

Honeysuckles are all very good , the blackbirds like nesting in them .....And ivy , a lot of people wont entertain it , but its okay if its put in the right place and looked after , ive got an ivy arch , and the robins and wrens like it for nesting , and its a good food shelter and berries for the winter months .....

Hubby still have a chest infection and constant cough , drs gave him another 7 days anti biotics , its gonna take its time to go , as we all know when coughs wont leave us .......

I really dont know where this weekend as gone , its got so quick , ive had a lovely hot bubble bath and hair wash and now waiting for " countryfile " to come on ...Hope youve all had a good weekend ...Sheila

moneyistooshorttomention

The birds certainly like my garden:rotfl:. I frequently notice them hopping around the place making themselves thoroughly at home. I can have half a dozen hopping round the garden and no sign of any in the immediate neighbours' ones. Thankfully there are some trees in one neighbours garden (of the ordinary kind - not those blimmin' leylandii!) and there are often loads of birds singing away in them - but mine is the only neighbouring one they seem to visit. I've noticed with amusement too that they seem to regard one of my walls as a "bird catwalk" and I can be sitting there spotting them apparently marching up and down it.

Lets just hope those birds aren't planning on helping themselves to my fruit once it gets going properly (think I shall have to net it to keep it safe).

There's a pigeon (haven't figured out if its the same one every time) that likes to come and sit on the garden wall in front of my kitchen window and look in at me meaningfully - with a look on its little face that seems to me to spell out "Where's dinner Mrs?" and I'm guessing my house has been a "bird restaurant" when the previous owner was here.:rotfl:.

I was hoping for visits from hedgehogs - but think that unlikely as I cant see any suitable entrance point for them. I went a bit eeek! a couple of times when I spotted what I thought was snakes in my garden - only to find people telling me they are slow-worms and I'm supposed to be happy to have them around - errrrm.....gulp....not entirely convinced on that...

I would have thought I might spot some squirrels, but haven't clapped eyes on one to date. I find their antics quite amusing if watching them bombing around...but maybe some will turn up.

alfsmum

Mtstm thanks for the yoghurt reminder, I only ever eat the plain unsweetened stuff and will make sure I stay well stocked with biolive as I'm sure it will help, especially as the meds aren't agreeing with me. If I wasn't so alarmed by the red leg, I'd give up on them but don't fancy ending up on a drip with septicaemia!! Thanks for all the good wishes Fencers

A much cooler day here, very chilly watching the race instead of running. I only took up jogging a couple of years ago in my mid fifties (!!) at the local parkrun but try to go out regularly now and love the satisfaction of covering a few miles at a steady (very) pace. I realise I am lucky to be able to do it 'at my age' and will keep going as long as I can. Most runners are very friendly and supportive and it's wonderful to run with DH and Dds.

Hope everyone has had a good weekend and the gardens are coming on. Sheila a hebe or two might be a good idea for my new border as I want something that will keep its shape without too much intervention. I can second and third the use of marigolds as companion plants, always had them amongst the veg in the polytunnel.

mardatha

I don't like orange as a colour at all but I wanted to get the marigolds I remember my dad had in the garden. But there seems to be two kinds and I get the wrong ones every year - the ones I want are big and pure orange with big petals and a sunflower shaped head. But what keeps growing is wee darker flowers that I don't like.

FairyPrincessk

Morning all,

Mar I think you may be remembering English marigolds and buying French marigolds. The French variety are shaped a lot like chrysanthemums and the English variety more like sunflowers. ETA--I've just looked it up, what I'm referring to as English is Calendula. The one I'm referring to as French is Tagetes. Both are sold under the name 'marigold.' For anyone wondering, Calendula are usually edible, Tagetes are usually not but Tagetes are usually better for companion planting.

OH woke up with little to no voice today, but he also realized he made a mistake and his trips aren't until next week, so that is something.

Lots of exam prep today, a gym visit and some laundry. If I have a bit of time this afternoon I'll sit with some knitting and watch a bit more Jane Eyre on catchup. LL wasn't able to come yesterday because of the marathon so he is coming Sunday, which is just as well since I help OH with the weeds and only did some of the windows. Will try to get to the rest of them this week.

Tea tonight is supposed to be bacon and leek quiche, but may swap it for something else. Bit of sunshine on the way later this week.:T

FairyPrincessk

p.s. I don't like orange either. Obnoxious colour, but my memory of marigolds and time in the garden with mum helps me make an exception. The burnt orange carpet and curtains in the bedroom, however, are another story.

I'm not sure I would have survived the 70s.

Toomuchdebt

Morning all-just popped on quickly before school run/work etc. I finally finished in the old house. Repainted the whole house.Some parts came out a little patchy so I hope they don't hassle me about that. Washed all the skirting boards and windowsills and door frames. Had to repaint 2 doors and a windowsill. So glad to be handing the keys back today(well my Dad is as I will be at work).I'm taking today off from any unpacking etc but will do some ironing instead and put some clothes away.Money is going to be incredibly tight this week as I ended up spending £75 on the paint.I'm glad we moved though-this house is so much more cosy and welcoming. The garden is better too-I have rhubarb growing which is pretty cool. And some things in pots-one of them is strawberries but not a clue what the others are.I will take pics later I think. The garden needs some work-all the bushes need cutting back...sigh...I'm not a natural gardener as you can tell LOL