@Lizzie27 I was watching an old Gardening programme only yesterday called Real Gardens with a very young Monty Don. They were using a type of spade for clay but I couldn't catch the name. I have got some Burgeon and Ball trowels, will take a look. I can also see it would have a future use. Brilliant!
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
The last few days have been dry so I decided to take a sharp hoe [Thankyou Monty for the reminder to sharpen and clean tools on last Friday's Winter Special] to see what is going on. Good News it is draining, the soil is heavy but no longer a bog! This shows the importance of breaking through the 'pan'. I wasn't sure I had done enough but it does look promising. More soil conditioner could be added but no room at present in such a narrow border. It will drop but not sure it will be much it is still dense. I will have to get on with working the rest when I can, with a short visit outside now and then with a hoe on the areas I have already done.
With rain due it may be time for some arm chair gardening, need to revisit all my planting ideas. There are too many so I will need to be more strict and get organised. I have always used the winter months to make new garden plans. Sometimes getting ideas from a gardening book from the library. More often I like to revisit books by Dan Pearson and Christopher Lloyd who have written about seasonal planting. A good place to start I think. Will also look through my notebook at the plants that have been recommended both on here and the Garden Shows.
The winter months are never dull and boring if you have plants to invite you outside and you can spend those cold wet days putting together new creative ideas. Maybe just a few ideas for a pot or like me a new garden.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Today a small glimpse of the sun and a little warmth. It has been impossible to make any progress due to the weather. However I have been giving some thought to the overall skeletal shape of the garden. The winter months are a good time to visit a GC to see what looks good. I was greeted with some concerns for all the plants that had been outside in pots, many showed signs of stress due to the continuous rain. Even some of the tough shrubs looked unhappy. The pots were obviously draining but the continuous water from above had taken it's toll on many. We all need some drier weather don't we?
I love Corylus and Thuja, thanks to Christmas vouchers from more than one kind family member I purchased Thuja Whipcord which always did well in my old garden. Also Corylus avellana 'Twister' new to me. Both are tough but will place them in a sheltered corner when cold weather arrives. Think both had just arrived from the nursery lovely specimens.
I have grown both C maxima purpurea and Corylus avellana Contorta both of which were crown lifted. C Twister grows much smaller and I hope suitable in terms of size.
@Lizzie 27 a late Xmas gift from OH a new spade, Wilkinson Sword equivalent of yours I believe. It does have a ten year guarantee with a Gardener's World recommendation. I have been known to break spades over the years and often other people's so will see . However I look forward to using it when the garden is drier.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Iv'e been working on the border at the bottom of the garden today. It faces North and I have alot of plants for here from my old garden. I could just get on the soil it had drained [hooray!] over the last few days. I was concerned that there was a very light frost early am so had to wait a while before starting. I actually think it was a thin crust that had formed on the top and not frost I am pleased to say!
This border may not look any different than a photo shown earlier but this is what it looks like after the addition of 350 litres more of composted manure. I had expected the soil level to drop a little over the last few weeks but it has hardly changed. I assume the soil is still very dense due to rain and that this is the reason?
@Lizzie27 I am very pleased with the new spade. It is light weight so working the manure into the top of the soil was easy. Infact I could get down a spits depth with ease. I think I am making progress.
Planting this border is where I hope to start there will be some sun but it will be limited. Most of the plants I plan to use are from my old garden so a limited financial outlay at least until I begin to really understand the garden.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
New plants arrived today from Crocus, well packed and damp. Came overnight courier although I didn't request it. All are tough which they will need to be even with improved soil, I have kept the boxes should they need some protection overnight. If it gets very cold it will be in and out the garage.
I have three plants of Pyracantha Saphr Rouge for the border shown in the previous photo. They will be trained against the fence .Not sure if there will be many flowers or berries but to have some form of green will be a start it does face north. I did grow Pyracantha as an espelier in my old garden east facing lots of berries so will see. I am thinking of wiring the whole of the fence for climbers. Best to do at an early stage I think. Parthenocissus henryana, two of these for the garage wall. They do fix fairly readily when roots have settled but may put some small wires for these as well. Three two litre pots of Polystichum setiferum Plumosomultiobum[phew!] these will go in a small bed again at the bottom facing north. It is wet but having broken through the pan here it should start to drain. I plan to devote it to evergreen ferns that can be cut back early spring to reveal Galanthus Nivalis.
Last of all I have Sambucus Nigra Eva. I grew a dark leaved Sambucus in the sunniest part of my old garden and managed to keep it for many years. It will be planted in the bed in the photo. Probably where the cornus is at present which is only temporary whist I continue dealing with the pan. South East facing I think it will be hot.
If anyone can offer advise on vine eyes for these plants I would be grateful. Thanks Suze
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
How exciting, @GardenerSuze. Lovely to have new plants to think about in January! I have heard of the Gripple Trellising System but have never used it. Will your plants be growing against fences only or walls as well? I think https://www.rivelinglenproducts.com/gripple-trellising-system-19-c.asp can be fixed to various structures, but have never tried it (probably should). Sorry if this is of no help. By the way, what a mouthful: Polystichum setiferum Plumosomultiobum....☺️
Sorry to witness the demise of the forum. 😥😥😥😡😡😡I am Spartacus
@clematisdorset Spent a good half hour at the Garden Centre yesterday looking at tension screws, wires etc. Spoke to a member of staff who had suggestions for Roses and Honeysuckle but both of these could be heavier plants to hold back? Thankyou that is exactly the sort of product I need to investigate. The Pyracantha is for the fence and the Parthenocissus the wall.
I do have some plant labels but I don't think Polystichum setiferum Plumosomutiobum will fit!
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Good to read about your progress @GardenerSuze. The plants you bought from Crocus look nice and healthy, are you pleased with the sizes and quality? I was disappointed with my last order but am tempted by some of the current offers!
@Plantminded I have never ordered from Crocus before. I had read differing reports on the forum. I really wanted the Sambucus as a starting point for one for the new borders as mentioned. I had looked for it in the GC's last Autumn but I couldn't find one. Smaller Sambucus plants can be strange shapes. I tried to think of something elsebut months later my thoughts hadn't changed, I decided to purchase it on line, expensive but I need a few key plants to start the garden and give the structure.
The rest of the plants were add on's, I know exactly where they are going. They arrived promptly were well packaged with an area cut out of a false bottom in the box for each pot. Then paper tape was used to anchor them. They arrived in three boxes weighed 30 kilos, perfectly damp. One box was a little too wet an the cardboard could have fallen apart if it had been any wetter. A few leaves no damage an no spilt compost. Over all I am very pleased, one of the three Pyracanthas wasn't such a good shape as the other two but I am pleased with what I have recieved.
I had seen most of these plants over the months at GC's and I did price them up. Crocus were possibly more expensive even with sale reductions but the standard is good. Postage for all these plants was £5.99. As mentioned I didn't pay for an overnight service but that is what happened. Dispatched friday arrived saturday, not a busy time of year perhaps.
I think it is always difficult to make online recommendations. I do think Crocus did everything possible to ensure they reached their destination in good order. Ordering plants on line can be hit and miss, weather conditions and overnight courier can make a difference. I have just ordered five two litre pots of Ophiopogon from Farmyard Nurseries the postage is £11.00 and no info on dispatch at present other than in the next seven days.
I think there is some luck involved with purchasing on line, gardeners should also think through what they are buying, is it a good idea to purchase a plant that could be in full bloom for instance. There has to be an excepted element of risk. The courier did spill paint on the path outside whilst looking for my delivery. Luckily it has come off but it does go to show that accidents can happen with transportation and that is out of the control of the seller.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Posts
Good News it is draining, the soil is heavy but no longer a bog! This shows the importance of breaking through the 'pan'. I wasn't sure I had done enough but it does look promising. More soil conditioner could be added but no room at present in such a narrow border. It will drop but not sure it will be much it is still dense.
I will have to get on with working the rest when I can, with a short visit outside now and then with a hoe on the areas I have already done.
With rain due it may be time for some arm chair gardening, need to revisit all my planting ideas. There are too many so I will need to be more strict and get organised.
I have always used the winter months to make new garden plans. Sometimes getting ideas from a gardening book from the library. More often I like to revisit books by Dan Pearson and Christopher Lloyd who have written about seasonal planting. A good place to start I think. Will also look through my notebook at the plants that have been recommended both on here and the Garden Shows.
The winter months are never dull and boring if you have plants to invite you outside and you can spend those cold wet days putting together new creative ideas. Maybe just a few ideas for a pot or like me a new garden.
I love Corylus and Thuja, thanks to Christmas vouchers from more than one kind family member I purchased Thuja Whipcord which always did well in my old garden. Also Corylus avellana 'Twister' new to me. Both are tough but will place them in a sheltered corner when cold weather arrives. Think both had just arrived from the nursery lovely specimens.
I have grown both C maxima purpurea and Corylus avellana Contorta both of which were crown lifted. C Twister grows much smaller and I hope suitable in terms of size.
@Lizzie 27 a late Xmas gift from OH a new spade, Wilkinson Sword equivalent of yours I believe. It does have a ten year guarantee with a Gardener's World recommendation. I have been known to break spades over the years and often other people's so will see . However I look forward to using it when the garden is drier.
I could just get on the soil it had drained [hooray!] over the last few days. I was concerned that there was a very light frost early am so had to wait a while before starting. I actually think it was a thin crust that had formed on the top and not frost I am pleased to say!
This border may not look any different than a photo shown earlier but this is what it looks like after the addition of 350 litres more of composted manure.
I had expected the soil level to drop a little over the last few weeks but it has hardly changed. I assume the soil is still very dense due to rain and that this is the reason?
@Lizzie27 I am very pleased with the new spade. It is light weight so working the manure into the top of the soil was easy. Infact I could get down a spits depth with ease.
I think I am making progress.
Planting this border is where I hope to start there will be some sun but it will be limited.
Most of the plants I plan to use are from my old garden so a limited financial outlay at least until I begin to really understand the garden.
All are tough which they will need to be even with improved soil, I have kept the boxes should they need some protection overnight. If it gets very cold it will be in and out the garage.
I have three plants of Pyracantha Saphr Rouge for the border shown in the previous photo. They will be trained against the fence .Not sure if there will be many flowers or berries but to have some form of green will be a start it does face north. I did grow Pyracantha as an espelier in my old garden east facing lots of berries so will see.
I am thinking of wiring the whole of the fence for climbers. Best to do at an early stage I think.
Parthenocissus henryana, two of these for the garage wall. They do fix fairly readily when roots have settled but may put some small wires for these as well.
Three two litre pots of Polystichum setiferum Plumosomultiobum[phew!] these will go in a small bed again at the bottom facing north. It is wet but having broken through the pan here it should start to drain. I plan to devote it to evergreen ferns that can be cut back early spring to reveal Galanthus Nivalis.
Last of all I have Sambucus Nigra Eva. I grew a dark leaved Sambucus in the sunniest part of my old garden and managed to keep it for many years. It will be planted in the bed in the photo. Probably where the cornus is at present which is only temporary whist I continue dealing with the pan. South East facing I think it will be hot.
If anyone can offer advise on vine eyes for these plants I would be grateful. Thanks Suze
can be fixed to various structures, but have never tried it (probably should). Sorry if this is of no help.
By the way, what a mouthful: Polystichum setiferum Plumosomultiobum....☺️
I do have some plant labels but I don't think Polystichum setiferum Plumosomutiobum will fit!
The rest of the plants were add on's, I know exactly where they are going. They arrived promptly were well packaged with an area cut out of a false bottom in the box for each pot. Then paper tape was used to anchor them. They arrived in three boxes weighed 30 kilos, perfectly damp. One box was a little too wet an the cardboard could have fallen apart if it had been any wetter. A few leaves no damage an no spilt compost. Over all I am very pleased, one of the three Pyracanthas wasn't such a good shape as the other two but I am pleased with what I have recieved.
I had seen most of these plants over the months at GC's and I did price them up.
Crocus were possibly more expensive even with sale reductions but the standard is good. Postage for all these plants was £5.99. As mentioned I didn't pay for an overnight service but that is what happened. Dispatched friday arrived saturday, not a busy time of year perhaps.
I think it is always difficult to make online recommendations. I do think Crocus did everything possible to ensure they reached their destination in good order. Ordering plants on line can be hit and miss, weather conditions and overnight courier can make a difference. I have just ordered five two litre pots of Ophiopogon from Farmyard Nurseries the postage is £11.00 and no info on dispatch at present other than in the next seven days.
I think there is some luck involved with purchasing on line, gardeners should also think through what they are buying, is it a good idea to purchase a plant that could be in full bloom for instance. There has to be an excepted element of risk.
The courier did spill paint on the path outside whilst looking for my delivery. Luckily it has come off but it does go to show that accidents can happen with transportation and that is out of the control of the seller.