Blank Canvass Garden - Design Inspiration Needed

Working_Mum

FreeBear said:

Working_Mum said: I am currently resisting the urge to buy tonnes of seeds but will re-consider once I've got the Perspex fitted (that's being ordered over the next week or so).

Be careful with Perspex and similar plastics - The stuff discolours and becomes brittle fairly quickly. Glass would be a better option, but it needs rubber gaskets between the frame & glass along with fiddly clips to hold it all in place.

Thanks FreeBear - it had polycarbonate panels in it which were all discoloured and brittle so I knew they needed replacing. I didn't feel I could chance glass as maybe the frame wouldn't take it so thought Perspex would be a good compromise. 

debtfreewannabe321

Your garden is a similar style to mine WM. Mine is on the back of a 30s semi and super long and narrow. I've bookmarked to follow along with your progress - very inspiring as you've done so much already!

Working_Mum

well I managed to spend some lovely time in my garden this past weekend getting it ready for its winter sleep.

I have two cherry trees which drop their leaves into my garden - one is next door and one is in my garden. I have simply brushed these leaves into the borders so they'll mulch down over the coming months.

I bought a couple of bags of horse manure in the summer and have used one of them in my borders around my roses and trees. I have also put some around the bases of the rhubarb, raspberry canes and trees I have in pots.

My salvias have done brilliantly this year so I took a few cuttings and they are going great guns. I've potted up some twisted willow saplings and congregated them together with the saplings I have in pots and placed them in the sunny part of my garden so hopefully they'll create a little micro climate and help each other survive the cold weather.

I have planted some onion sets and some garlic in pots and placed them in the sunniest part of my garden (which is the newly created growing area). I also planted some potatoes in September - they were meant to be harvested around Christmas so I popped them in a shady spot. Well they grew like topsy and then I noticed the leaves had died back so I poured them out and I had spuds!! They were absolutely delish



I reflect back on where this garden was this time last year and I am so pleased with what I've achieved this year. This is a pic of the end of my garden which was just a gravelled wasteland 4 months ago. I wanted a little forest vibe down here so I'm pleased with how this area looks.



I've planted up quite a few Spring bulbs in this area too as I love Spring flowers. I also planted up several pots wth bulbs galore so i can move them up the patio when the time is right. 

The bed closest to the camera is my cut flower bed and was only created this year. I've had a steady stream of cut flowers and now I've added manure, leaves and more soil to this area so I'm hoping it'll protect the plants over the winter. 

I have a love hate relationship with this time of year but getting outside early each day and raking the leaves gives me a little bit of joy.

I hope everyone is able to get into their garden whilst the weather is calm and dry.

Thank you for reading.

((WM))

wort

WM  it’s looking really good, you should be proud of all you’ve accomplished in a year. I’m not sure where you plan to put the twisted willow but it grows huge, but you may know this and plan to keep in pots . It’s a lovely tree though I wish I had kept mine in a pot, as I had to cut mine down.

-taff

What wort said ^

I like your log edging too, waste not etc...I see you're doing a lot of reusing yourself

I know what the beef is with japanese anmeones, but I still like them anyway...

Working_Mum

Thanks Wort and -Taff,
I'm pleased I've kept this diary as it helps me see how far I've come!

I much prefer to reuse stuff rather than buying new. I tend to keep an eye out for sticks whenever I am out walking my dog - not for him to chase as he's obsessed with his ball but for my garden edging! I thought they'll decompose down over time  and will add nutrients to the soil and will encourage insects, woodlice etc  - trying to help the ecology along after years of the soil being covered over by plastic grass. I'm amazed at how healthy things have been given the amount of sand was under the plastic grass.

I planted up a twisted willow in 2023 and it is going well. It is still a manageable size so he escapes the chop this year. These littler saplings have got friends names on them so will be given away over the coming weeks. I may try and grow a couple in pots for my patio but need to give some thought to the correct type of pot.

My challenge is to find suitable pots for my growing area next year - I planted up some raspberry canes this morning but had to use what I had available. I'll keep a look out over the next few weeks and months and see what presents itself. May go to a car boot sale at the weekend and see if there is anything suitable going cheaply.



I am thinking about next year and have got my folder out in readiness of planning. I don't want to experiment too wildly I think - I know I want to grow more fruit and veg in my growing area so that's going to be my priority. Will have a ruminate and pore through my folder and see what I can cobble together.

Thanks for reading and wishing you a smashing weekend.

((WM))

Slinky

Strawberries and rhubarb are really easy

FreeBear

Working_Mum said: I am thinking about next year and have got my folder out in readiness of planning. I don't want to experiment too wildly I think - I know I want to grow more fruit and veg in my growing area so that's going to be my priority.

I may have mentioned this elsewhere....  ordered a plumcot a couple of years ago, and it bore a single fruit this year. Quite surprised at that, unfortunately, the fruit was not a plumcot. The supplier quickly sent me a replacement tree that is now growing in a large tub. So I now have apricots and plumcots to look forward to as long as this new tree is what it says on the label.

spendaholic

I'm late to this party but, gosh, what a super transformation! You've done a great job. 

Working_Mum

spendaholic said:

I'm late to this party but, gosh, what a super transformation! You've done a great job. 

Thanks you spendaholic. I've really enjoyed spending the time and energy on it over the last few years. It's definitely a marathon and not a sprint.

Why don't you start your own thread about your garden - it's a great way to track progress and get advice from readers. I'd subscribe and support you where I could.

WM