Follow the Yellow Brick Road 2023

KajiKita

@SandyShores, oh dear me, please don’t be looking at me for inspiration! 😂😂😉 I am happily floundering around in mud and taking an axe to my garden atm! 😂😂

KK

SandyShores

savingholmes I love fruit trees too.  We already have an apple and its lovely to see the blossom and exciting last year to have a whole heap of apples growing.  It was disappointing when they all dropped off as tiny little fruit - not sure what happened there but I have done a bit of pruning which may help.  Lets see what this year brings.  I've read that crab apples are good for wildlife, and that you won't get cherries off a a cherry tree as the birds will feast first - which I think is great.

Kajikita I haven't even done any gardening today, so I am very inspired by floundering in mud with an axe. 

In fact I've had a very lazy day, just doing a few minor chores including topping up my pouffe from an old bean bag - so of course I've had to test it out in front of the telly.

KajiKita

Just for you Sandy ….

I got it all out!! 💪👏

KK

savingholmes

I love persicaria KK - but it's like anything - and needs to be in the right place.

Enjoy your pouffe Sandy - sounds like a great craft project - making it more comfy.

SandyShores

Thank you @KajiKita - I was looking at the lovely picture of your pond area you posted too - it all looks amazing.  I have decided that we are going to be adding some bulbs to the garden ready for next spring.  I think we are a bit late for this year and its just so wet here that we are avoiding churning up the lawn at the moment.  I saw a post that said plant tulips as they flower first, as well as daffs which arrive a bit later, then something else (I forget) but may have been crocuses?  But we also want to plant some snowdrops, maybe a couple of hyacinths - and I have been looking at summer flowering plants too e.g. Alliums.  Ideally we would plant them all at the same time I guess and then hopefully the colours would just start appearing.  So, I have a plan for flowers - along with the fruit trees etc. - which for me is a good start.

Thanks @savingholmes, I'm really pleased how the pouffe turned out - its back to its original size - feels very satisfying.  I've still got half of the bean bag beads left so can do another top up later on when needed.  We've been hanging curtains and ordering blinds.  Plus I've been fb-ing some furniture ready to take delivery of the matching bedroom stuff.  Unfortunately the contents of the chest of drawers is in piles and will need a sort through before going into the new (slightly smaller) one when it arrives.  Its really satisfying putting in the finishing touches and is making our home feel more cosy.  I was looking at cushions online earlier, but I already have a couple of fabrics to make new covers so can't justify spending.  But I first need to finish off the craft space and that will be one of the last jobs (although won't be too much longer now).  I've realised there are two key spaces I need to finish - one is the bedroom and one is the garage storage - then the rest of the decluttering/tidying will slot into place in time.  

KajiKita

I’m not sure the advice on the bulbs is entirely accurate. 

Snowdrops typically come first - always better planted in the green - you might have missed it for this year, unless someone you has a clump they can split for you - you might just get them to take. 

Crocuses typically come next followed by daffodils and then tulips. All of this is dependent on variety however - my super, serious, gardener friend has a variety of daffodils that start flowering before Christmas - always feels a bit odd to me, but hey 🤷‍♀️😉

Tulips don’t reliably flower again in their second year unless they are a species variety (closer to their wild cousins) so serious gardeners like Monty use them as bedding and then replant them where it doesn’t matter if they do or don’t come again, e.g. under under trees or in wilder areas. 

I like to mix spring bulbs with primulas - if they like your ground they self seed everywhere. Once they start looking rough and raggedy in late spring you cut all the leaves off, they resprout and then sit there innocuously, giving quiet green until next spring. 

Another HUGE favourite of mine is chinodoxia - like little bits of spring, blue sky fallen to the ground 🤩

KK

savingholmes

I'd never heard of Chinodoxia. They look very pretty though. I cheated this year with ready planted bulbs from BnQ and BnM. But definitely brought a gorgeous splash of colour.

KajiKita

savingholmes said:

I'd never heard of Chinodoxia. They look very pretty though. I cheated this year with ready planted bulbs from BnQ and BnM. But definitely brought a gorgeous splash of colour.

I’ve loved them for years - I have left a trail of Chondoxia behind me in every garden I have passed through … 😉

KK

SandyShores

They all sound lovely @KajiKita, I feel like I have a bit of a plan.  I believe they are all planted in the autumn ready for next year.  I've never heard of Chodoxia too savingholmes but I agree they are very pretty.

SandyShores

I've just been looking at this website https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-chionodoxa/ - they look lovely and fairly easy to grow.  It does say well drained soil, but we can give them a go in our heavy clay (currently waterlogged) garden.  We've had a few things die but we are learning to buy more hardy stuff, or plant in pots.  I like that you can plant them below deciduous trees  as they flower early, and planting is in the autumn so gives me a little while to get sorted.