I have learned this year that if I want to grow shrubs I need to prune them every year to some extent and not wait until they are far too big for their space. I am now reaping the fact that I have not pruned any of my shrubs for the previous 5 years! I know it is the wrong time to prune them but I cannot live with the disarray any longer! The only two things escaping the chop this month is my hardy fuschia and a multi stemmed rowan tree.
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
I have read this post and been reminded of what I often think when on here and thats what a lovely lot you all are and however much the garden gets me down when it goes wrong it lifts me up by thrice as much or I just look on here for the little hope that gets me going again.
Patience will never learn that fiddling is to tempting I agree. keep trying even when you fail over and over yes thats another one of mine.
And a couple more learns this week for me always look in other peoples skips.
I asked a builder who was filling a skip at the local pub if he was really skipping the half oak barrels he was throwing in and he said do you want them. Yes I said, knowing the pub only got them last summer from the brewery.
I borrowed a trolly from Marks and wheeled them home all three for free. Another learn Marks Trollys are unstable with two Oak Barrels in: trolley tipped and i chased a rolling barrell down the road; reloaded and off I went.
Planted up and oh they look lovely, will paint the metal bands and put preservative on the wood come the end of the summer to keep in tip top condition. Wanted a barrel for ages but so expensive now I have three,
Hefting soil / compost and trying to keep them upright! And watering - they are beyond the reach of my hose so have to use watering cans. Then when it comes to harvesting, I need help to lift them onto a wheelbarrow. It's such a faff. I have decided to extend my veg patch to include a few rows of potatoes and will try the conventional way. That means making my rabbit fence bigger. Or I might not bother but I do love my own potatoes...
As a beginner gardener my lesson has been "just chuck the seeds in the bed and be done with the faffing". This winter I lovingly attempted to nurture verbena bonaris seeds. I managed to plant out 8 of the seedlings which keep being nibbled. They haven't really taken off.
I had some seeds left over so about a month ago I thought what the hey, I'll just scatter then in the bed next to the seedlings. These produced many more plantlets that look stronger than mine and are catching up!
Chrissie B, I confess to going out some nights about 10.00pm with a bucket with 3 inches of very salty water, wearing rubber gloves, I pick up every snail and slug and CAST THEM onto the bucket where they DIE. I'm not normally a violent person, honestly.
I didn't know sunflowers basically face east and I planted them in a location where they're all standing with their backs to us, smiling cheerfully at our neighbors when they're out on their deck.
I learned that pennyroyal does NOT make a good ground cover for a small area beside a border full of lovely pebbles... I have been out there every few days with my florist's shears snipping and snipping and snipping. And snipping and snipping and snipping. We paid waaaaay too much money for those pebbles to lose them to the pennyroyal. Now I have to dig it all up and plant it somewhere else.
I learned that when a seed packet gives directions for planting it's probably a good idea to follow those directions rather than thinking I know better. Not one poppy came up, only one lavender plant made it out of 3 or 4 packets of seeds, I've been secretly hoping I would see some pyrethrum daisies, but I think I'm gonna have to give up the ghost. I will have to plant them all over again next spring, and this time when they say cover them with plastic wrap I'm going to do that!
I learned that you can't plant seeds and expect to see flowers or pick veggies in a few days, not even a few weeks. It's been over 2 months now and I'm still waiting. When that wise man said "nature never hurries" he wasn't kidding!
I could go on but it's probably best if I stop right here.
Posts
I have learned this year that if I want to grow shrubs I need to prune them every year to some extent and not wait until they are far too big for their space. I am now reaping the fact that I have not pruned any of my shrubs for the previous 5 years! I know it is the wrong time to prune them but I cannot live with the disarray any longer! The only two things escaping the chop this month is my hardy fuschia and a multi stemmed rowan tree.
I have read this post and been reminded of what I often think when on here and thats what a lovely lot you all are and however much the garden gets me down when it goes wrong it lifts me up by thrice as much or I just look on here for the little hope that gets me going again.
Patience will never learn that fiddling is to tempting I agree. keep trying even when you fail over and over yes thats another one of mine.
And a couple more learns this week for me always look in other peoples skips.
I asked a builder who was filling a skip at the local pub if he was really skipping the half oak barrels he was throwing in and he said do you want them. Yes I said, knowing the pub only got them last summer from the brewery.
I borrowed a trolly from Marks and wheeled them home all three for free. Another learn Marks Trollys are unstable with two Oak Barrels in: trolley tipped and i chased a rolling barrell down the road; reloaded and off I went.
Planted up and oh they look lovely, will paint the metal bands and put preservative on the wood come the end of the summer to keep in tip top condition. Wanted a barrel for ages but so expensive now I have three,
nin, isn't frustrating when a borrowed trolly is pants?
Outdoor girl, what problems have you been having with spuds in bags?
Hefting soil / compost and trying to keep them upright! And watering - they are beyond the reach of my hose so have to use watering cans. Then when it comes to harvesting, I need help to lift them onto a wheelbarrow. It's such a faff. I have decided to extend my veg patch to include a few rows of potatoes and will try the conventional way. That means making my rabbit fence bigger. Or I might not bother but I do love my own potatoes...
As a beginner gardener my lesson has been "just chuck the seeds in the bed and be done with the faffing". This winter I lovingly attempted to nurture verbena bonaris seeds. I managed to plant out 8 of the seedlings which keep being nibbled. They haven't really taken off.
I had some seeds left over so about a month ago I thought what the hey, I'll just scatter then in the bed next to the seedlings. These produced many more plantlets that look stronger than mine and are catching up!
ah yes outdoor girl, must stake next year, also, sowing direct has not worked for me at all, every seed/ling disappeared
Chrissie B, I confess to going out some nights about 10.00pm with a bucket with 3 inches of very salty water, wearing rubber gloves, I pick up every snail and slug and CAST THEM onto the bucket where they DIE.
I'm not normally a violent person, honestly.
I didn't know sunflowers basically face east and I planted them in a location where they're all standing with their backs to us, smiling cheerfully at our neighbors when they're out on their deck.
I learned that pennyroyal does NOT make a good ground cover for a small area beside a border full of lovely pebbles... I have been out there every few days with my florist's shears snipping and snipping and snipping. And snipping and snipping and snipping. We paid waaaaay too much money for those pebbles to lose them to the pennyroyal. Now I have to dig it all up and plant it somewhere else.
I learned that when a seed packet gives directions for planting it's probably a good idea to follow those directions rather than thinking I know better. Not one poppy came up, only one lavender plant made it out of 3 or 4 packets of seeds, I've been secretly hoping I would see some pyrethrum daisies, but I think I'm gonna have to give up the ghost. I will have to plant them all over again next spring, and this time when they say cover them with plastic wrap I'm going to do that!
I learned that you can't plant seeds and expect to see flowers or pick veggies in a few days, not even a few weeks. It's been over 2 months now and I'm still waiting. When that wise man said "nature never hurries" he wasn't kidding!
I could go on but it's probably best if I stop right here.