I am going to make a huge effort to organise some help in the garden. I’m losing the battle to keep the weeds and overgrowing stuff under control. I do enjoy it, and will continue to spend time out there with my mini mattock, but I’m getting so slow and stiff that I’ll never keep up with the growing rate of the plants.
Interesting to hear how your gardens are evolving, though necessity as well as choice. I had visions of perfection that you would only need to tweak.
It's still rather daunting here, just so much I want to do to create 'a garden', rather than a piece of land with some plants dotted around. I'm on a bit of a shoestring budget so it's mostly from seed and cuttings, patience will be required! But the good news is that so far all the cuttings from this year appear to be alive still, more so than I'd expected (I'd not attempted cuttings before).
The front garden is not going to change much this year, other than widening one bed and changing the way the annuals go in (bigger groups, less scattered). The back of the house is this year's focus. The 'bog' (sewerage clean water run off) was badly planted, I completed missed how invasive Cyperus longus could be - 2 small plants turned into about 2.5m2 in a year - and the meadowsweet I ordered turned out to be pink instead of white, so all that has come out and it's start again. Planting leading to that area is changing to be less slug tempting, mostly herbs, garlic and celery, with various salvias.
Around the greenhouse will be a border that will be mostly native flowers and some of that will continue round the fence line to provide some continuity. The aim is to get the digging done over the coming weeks so it's ready for spring but if we get more heavy rain it'll be a push.
Sounds good @NormandyLiz. Do you have any hot, sunny areas where you could plant Gaura? (if you can buy it over there). It does well for me here, stands up well with minimal staking and comes in pink or white versions. It self seeds quite easily and then you can move the new clumps. I leave the tall stems over winter as they turn a very nice bronze colour. I'm moving over to non-fussy plants that want to grow!
Thanks, @Lizzie27. I already have a couple but since expanding the original planting area they are in completely the wrong place. I had understood they didn't care for being moved though? Because if they could cope I am tempted to let them be better seen somewhere else.
Very little done here since the knee op in July so planted beds full of weeds, new beds not created and treasures still languishing in pots. Next year's plans then - knees permitting - are to get the beds weeded and genrously mulched and the new beds cleared of grass and ready for planting out te treasures.
The veg plot needs a good clear out too and mulching with compost and any cardboard we can find. Trying to go no dig but you need rain to wet the cardboard so roots can get down.... No shortage of that since mid October but who knows next spring? Our compost bins are not yet ready for emptying out.
I started a wild meadow for pollinators between our new apple trees and that needs a good refereeing and more seeds sown to fill it and there'll be lots of sowing of new perennials along with veggies and, if I can find a solution for a thistle invasion, there are plans for a dry garden bed, also for pollnators.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
My hips are fine @Busy-Lizzie - so far. It's kneeling on the titanium knees taht's problematical but I'm fine on our mattress so I'll porbably make a big waterproof cushion cover for gardening and stuff it with old clothes and so on. Won't be any good for confined spaces between plants deeper in but it'll help with the outer edges and narrower beds.
@Fire - lots of wild mallow appeared, which is fine, but a tad too many docks and co.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Posts
It's still rather daunting here, just so much I want to do to create 'a garden', rather than a piece of land with some plants dotted around. I'm on a bit of a shoestring budget so it's mostly from seed and cuttings, patience will be required! But the good news is that so far all the cuttings from this year appear to be alive still, more so than I'd expected (I'd not attempted cuttings before).
The front garden is not going to change much this year, other than widening one bed and changing the way the annuals go in (bigger groups, less scattered). The back of the house is this year's focus. The 'bog' (sewerage clean water run off) was badly planted, I completed missed how invasive Cyperus longus could be - 2 small plants turned into about 2.5m2 in a year - and the meadowsweet I ordered turned out to be pink instead of white, so all that has come out and it's start again. Planting leading to that area is changing to be less slug tempting, mostly herbs, garlic and celery, with various salvias.
Around the greenhouse will be a border that will be mostly native flowers and some of that will continue round the fence line to provide some continuity. The aim is to get the digging done over the coming weeks so it's ready for spring but if we get more heavy rain it'll be a push.
I've left mine for the winter as well.
The veg plot needs a good clear out too and mulching with compost and any cardboard we can find. Trying to go no dig but you need rain to wet the cardboard so roots can get down.... No shortage of that since mid October but who knows next spring? Our compost bins are not yet ready for emptying out.
I started a wild meadow for pollinators between our new apple trees and that needs a good refereeing and more seeds sown to fill it and there'll be lots of sowing of new perennials along with veggies and, if I can find a solution for a thistle invasion, there are plans for a dry garden bed, also for pollnators.
I like the idea that meadows need a referee
@Fire - lots of wild mallow appeared, which is fine, but a tad too many docks and co.