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2019-2020's garden mistakes

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  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Maintaining a seven year old strawberry patch.  So many get eaten by voles each winter I never have to thin runners or take out old plants - they are larger and first eaten.  But all the plants have been yellow and unhealthy for years.. and what strawberries grew were eaten by our American Robins or California Quail at the first blush of pink.  I think we had a grand total of four from the whole bed.  Hours spent weeding (bind weed, horse tail, and quackgrass), feeding, watering, etc.. for naught.  This fall I am going to rip them all out and just mulch the entire area.. it's right next to my raspberries, they'll enjoy the free space.  
    Utah, USA.
  • SlumSlum Posts: 385
    I used some manure I’d had rotting for a year to bulk up the compost I had very little of in lockdown. All the tomatoes I used it for died 😪. I suspect a hormone weed killer residue in the manure. 
  • LatimerLatimer Posts: 1,068
    I haven't had plants in my garden long enough to regret any of them........ Yet!

    On the other hand, I've had plenty of sleepless nights about how I've hard landscaped and divided the garden...... Definitely some rushed and inexperienced decisions made there!!
    I’ve no idea what I’m doing. 
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    One word.... Nasturtiums! 
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    edited August 2020
    Another cock up, but rather minor - I planted persicaria 'Orange Field' together with the limey-green grass, sesleria autumnalis. They looked very good together until this weekend, but now the sesleria has burst into flower. Little white rockets that look great, but are exactly the same shape and size as the persicaria flowers. Not a great contrast.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • Shouldn't have kept so many teasel seedlings in my main border
    Not having enough stakes of the correct size
    Not netting blueberries and strawberrys for the second year running 

  • MrsinghMrsingh Posts: 4
    my garden mistake...my main border. Taller perennials snapped during end of spring/early summer when we had 2 days of very strong winds. Then with all the lockdown shenanigans I sowed my annuals late and plonked them in the ground late too. Didn't prune my roses properly for once, so had loads of twiggy growth, that just made them a mess. My first 'fail' year. Lesson learnt, to do a plant planner for next year and stick to it regardless, with reminders already in the phone calendar for seeds, planting, staking etc. Just thought I would share as I'm working from home in the conservatory continually staring at 'said' border. 
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I know your pain @Mrsingh
    Took out a big tree, had a bed about 10ft Square, lots of ideas for said bed, then lockdown. Made the mistake of using what was to hand, it now has runaway sweetpeas (can't reach them now to sort out, new free plants put in ( long leggy not my cup of tea) and overtaken by dormant seed from oriental poppies.🙄
  • EustaceEustace Posts: 2,290
    During lockdown the bulkbag of compost I got delivered was of such poor quality that most of the seeds didn't germinate and if they germinated, they died quickly. I've decided not to waste good seeds in bad compost.
    Oxford. The City of Dreaming Spires.
    And then my heart with pleasure fills,
    And dances with the daffodils (roses). Taking a bit of liberty with Wordsworth :)

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Use it for mulching where you don't want seeds to germinate :).
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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