Great to see everyone's plans for the coming year I'm a novice gardener living in Norfolk and it's fascinating looking up your plant references, etc. I've been browsing the web during the winter months for inspiration and I think this is a site I shall return to again and again!
We have raised veg beds as well as (unraised) flower beds in our garden. We have a right ole mix as we have natural springs bubbling up, so one side of the garden is a bit soggy, the other side more dry; the bottom part is more shaded and the top half by the house gets a lot of light. We live in a very rural location with a woodland behind us and fields around us, so plenty of birds and wildlife (deer, pheasant and also rabbits that like to try to eat our veg when the dogs aren't in the garden!).
This year I would like to learn about companion planting for my veg plot - my brassicas suffered terribly with white fly last year - any advice? I'm trying to be as organic as possible. Also looking to add some summer/autumn colour to my front garden, it seemed so bare once the bulbs had gone over last year (btw, if I'm feeding the soil, do I still need to dig them up and move bulbs each year?)
@ funkywhiteboy don't forget the RHS 'Good for pollinators' list for bee/butterfly etc friendly planting. I'm sure many others will have good suggestions (and if you find something that works really well, please share, I love bees too.
Sorry it's taken so long to acknowledge you. I'm not technical at the best of times and have only just seen this. I shall have to try and scroll back and see what's been happening since I was last on, it's in my 'favourites' now so can find it straight away !
Only just managing to get back into garden, did a lot of tidying up last weekend. Yes, it is exciting and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes up without any input from me !!
Hope to have a mini meadow at the end of the garden so will need to start on that soon. I've made up a mammal nest/home with odd bits of wood and hopefully a few beasts will be impressed with my efforts and make themselves at home. Also, I've been feeding the birds and am managing to get some repeat visitors. The blackbird follow my trail of raisins and I are quite happy to come up to the top step and onto the patio. I even had a pheasant in the garden last month, bit of a surprise but a nice one.
All I can about white fly is that they get everywhere. They loved all the hiding places in our Cavelo Nero. (My sister and I share an allotment) Try some collars for the base of the plants to stop eggs being laid.
We moved into a new house a few years ago and discovered the fences all around painted a gaudy orangey colour! We purchased some twiggy fence panels to cover these and trained some chinese virginia creeper up them. They look great all year round. Good for somewhere for insects to hide and we always have an abundance of wrens and other small birds picking their way through the fencing. Highly recommended as a natural screen and wind filtering too.
Personally I would go for a structure of hostas, ferns and grasses with some summer interest in the form of perennial flowers or shade loving annuals such as busy lizzies.
There is a multitude of stuff out there. Personally I would stay away from periwinkle as they can be quite invasive. Try looking at some websites where they have plants for sale and you can whittle down which ones you come across depending on the criteria of when you want it to flower, how tall and what colour etc.
Another favourite foliage plant of mine to go with ferns and hostas is heuchera.
I have geranium mourning widow alongside a white one in full shade , hellebores, ferns, campanula, anemone , also pale pink clump geranium , shrub sabucca Niger and bamboo all together ...I then put cosmos in amongst to fill up gaps .
Posts
Great to see everyone's plans for the coming year
I'm a novice gardener living in Norfolk and it's fascinating looking up your plant references, etc. I've been browsing the web during the winter months for inspiration and I think this is a site I shall return to again and again!
We have raised veg beds as well as (unraised) flower beds in our garden. We have a right ole mix as we have natural springs bubbling up, so one side of the garden is a bit soggy, the other side more dry; the bottom part is more shaded and the top half by the house gets a lot of light. We live in a very rural location with a woodland behind us and fields around us, so plenty of birds and wildlife (deer, pheasant and also rabbits that like to try to eat our veg when the dogs aren't in the garden!).
This year I would like to learn about companion planting for my veg plot - my brassicas suffered terribly with white fly last year - any advice? I'm trying to be as organic as possible. Also looking to add some summer/autumn colour to my front garden, it seemed so bare once the bulbs had gone over last year (btw, if I'm feeding the soil, do I still need to dig them up and move bulbs each year?)
@ funkywhiteboy don't forget the RHS 'Good for pollinators' list for bee/butterfly etc friendly planting. I'm sure many others will have good suggestions (and if you find something that works really well, please share, I love bees too.
Thanks for reading - all suggestions welcome
hi evertone could you tell me is this the right link to ask a question as im new to gardeners world site thanks
Hello Homebird
Sorry it's taken so long to acknowledge you. I'm not technical at the best of times and have only just seen this. I shall have to try and scroll back and see what's been happening since I was last on, it's in my 'favourites' now so can find it straight away !
Only just managing to get back into garden, did a lot of tidying up last weekend. Yes, it is exciting and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes up without any input from me !!
Hope to have a mini meadow at the end of the garden so will need to start on that soon. I've made up a mammal nest/home with odd bits of wood and hopefully a few beasts will be impressed with my efforts and make themselves at home. Also, I've been feeding the birds and am managing to get some repeat visitors. The blackbird follow my trail of raisins and I are quite happy to come up to the top step and onto the patio. I even had a pheasant in the garden last month, bit of a surprise but a nice one.
Hi Ponkel
All I can about white fly is that they get everywhere. They loved all the hiding places in our Cavelo Nero. (My sister and I share an allotment) Try some collars for the base of the plants to stop eggs being laid.
Hi can any one give me planting plan for my 1m wide and 5m long semi shaded border thans
We moved into a new house a few years ago and discovered the fences all around painted a gaudy orangey colour! We purchased some twiggy fence panels to cover these and trained some chinese virginia creeper up them. They look great all year round. Good for somewhere for insects to hide and we always have an abundance of wrens and other small birds picking their way through the fencing. Highly recommended as a natural screen and wind filtering too.
Liaqat,
Personally I would go for a structure of hostas, ferns and grasses with some summer interest in the form of perennial flowers or shade loving annuals such as busy lizzies.
thank you Soze i'll try this combination,but i'm not sure which perennial should i grow.
There is a multitude of stuff out there. Personally I would stay away from periwinkle as they can be quite invasive. Try looking at some websites where they have plants for sale and you can whittle down which ones you come across depending on the criteria of when you want it to flower, how tall and what colour etc.
Another favourite foliage plant of mine to go with ferns and hostas is heuchera.