Diaries of some garden!

Jemma01

New year new garden, eh! 🤥 Not sure how it got to this state despite the effort last year :/ .. I realise that the passage to the shed is very old and needs rework… a job for March.

I've been negotiating with self to get on with it since end of March, but... here to hold myself accountable.

Starting with the patio... my friend is visiting... <<< the real motivation 😁……

This is all work in progress, before and after

behind the patio, one side is done, the other is another day

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This is the passage to the shed, it's crumbling between the bricks, I can't be bothered to keep sorting it out, weeds will grow back in two weeks 😖 I'll need a strong chemical… for now, I was bleaching as I was working on it.

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This is the left side by the patio, lots of weed there

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This is the left side by the shed the shed

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This is the right side by the deck/shed…… I didn't touch the deck, a project for another day, I was meant to sort it out last year, but had problems elsewhere. Grass is chopped very roughly, I'm pleased my makita didn't give up halfway… I'll trim it again in a week.

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This is the end result, I didn't get a chance to finish the right side… but the day ended, and I'm exhausted… won't have time tomorrow… I'll pick it up another day

Thanks

middlewife

That's a lot of work. Are you planning to grow anything alongside the boundary wall, or in the wooden troughs on top of the patio brick wall?

Jemma01

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81977365#Comment_81977365

Thanks 🥰.

Not planning to grow anything along the wall, and still unsure what to do with the troughs. I need to paint them first, but would want hardy small plants that would survive cold and hot weather (low maintenance) like Sedum. I don't think Heuchera would survive the sunny weather nor the shallow troughs. Also not sure if they have drains 🤔

FreeBear

Strawberries and blueberries ?

Would need to be watered regularly, perhaps as often as once a day during the summer.

KajiKita

Have a look at alpines in a garden centre. If you mulch in between the plants with fine gravel it will help keep the weeds down. Don’t worry when you see the pot labels in the garden centre - the flowers of alpines are never as big in real life! 😉

KK

Jemma01

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81977467#Comment_81977467

I'm a bit lazy for maintenance to be honest 😅 would have thought these need a green house? To be fair my deck is unused, could turn it into one, the trees above it have lots of droppings and birds poo 🫩😒, though it won't get lots of sun because of the trees.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81977468#Comment_81977468

Yes, alpines look nice. And def will look into wood chips and bark, like the colour and feel. (Ah not sure that would work either, if I mow the grass, they'll get stuck or move around with the wind. I'm considering resin gravel instead.) lWould need to treat the area first as I know some tiny roots remained.

I'm wondering if I should have some weed control fabric there first (I def will, just need to study how I'll level the ground given that my neighbour's property is below mine and there's a bit of gap there 🤔).

ETA 27/04

twopenny

Strawberries are easy. Yes they will need a jug of water when you're going into the garden but think of the rewards.

Sitting out there and plucking a warm ripe strawberry 🍓

Jemma01

Oh, my lovely garden is still looking pretty; it just suffered through the heat quite a bit.

While I don't have fancy pics to share, I've done quite a bit of deweeding, and I'm very pleased with the progress I made.

I know it looks like it went to hell and came back; it did. It's been way too hot; even the weeds are dying voluntarily.

I keep promising myself to do the deck 😩

Jemma01

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81979468#Comment_81979468

I've not been successful in convincing myself to plant fruit and veggies, quite odd for someone obsessed with her salads and frozen fruit water 🙈 I reckon I could save a fortune doing this

FreeBear

I've not been successful in convincing myself to plant fruit and veggies, quite odd for someone obsessed with her salads and frozen fruit water 🙈 I reckon I could save a fortune doing this

I've been planting stuff up in buckets (£1 each from B&M) - Pineberries and tomatoes. Also have carrots (Manpukuji) growing in an old 80l bin. Potatoes are romping away in an old fibreglass water tank - Couldn't be bothered to dig them out last year, so probably overcrowded in there now.

Jemma01

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82025876#Comment_82025876

do you have a greenhouse or just in the open?