Having bought our very first house last year, I have learnt all the basics of gardening this year. I now know that digging lots and lots of brambles out of clay soil is a nightmare (thank you previous owners!)
The other thing that I've learnt is that gardening is very addictive, and I spend way too much time thinking about future garden plans and spending lots of money!
I have learnt to take more notice of spacing plants correctly. Over the years I have crammed plants in my borders so I have spent the last 2 years digging up, splitting and replanting keeping my favorites like hardy geraniums, geums, perennial wallflowers and potentilla's ( my favorite shrub ). Next year I am also going to be extra ruthless with the chelsea chop on my inula's, I cut one patch back to the ground at the beginning of June and the others half way and much prefer them shorter ( no flopping or ugly brown leaves halfway down the stems.I am now looking for perennial evergreen ground cover with spring to autumn flower so any idea's wound be welcome.
That the garden will survive. I have not been well this summer and apart from cutting the grass(not by me) and a very few hours cutting back aquilegias, I have done nothing in the garden. And it still has managed to survive!
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
Not quite spring to autumn flower but I'm currently expanding my acreage of Bugle which I find a good, hard-working ground cover on my dry clay. I also have variegated London Pride and I don't remember the name of the other golden foliage spreader that I brought from the other house but it spreads sunnily and I'd rather see that than weeds - penny... something? I'm sure others will have more refined suggestions but I'm just looking for lower maintenance 'til I retire for now.
I've learnt that I know about 1% of what I 'NEED' to know and also that I am the kiss of death to vegetables ( except tomatoes)
For the third year running I tried cucumbers in the greenhouse. One plant promptly died so replaced it and that one died too. The other one grew two cucumbers in total with many little ones growing to an inch or so then shrivelling up.
Tried potatoes in bags...not a great success because the bags had to stand in a passageway and we couldnt get past when the leaves were at their peak.
Likewise Runner beans...one meal for two and the risk of strangulation when passing!
I've discovered that I can grow hostas and dahlias if I put them in pots and keep them in the front garden. Still not found out why I don't get slugs, snails and earwigs in the front. Might try with a lily next year !
I will not use petunias in my pots and baskets again. If not dead-headed and trimmed daily they grow long and straggly with flowers just on the ends. I'll stick with pelargoniums and those big blousy begonias in neon colours !
Your garden is for enjoyment not stressing you out trying to keep on top of everything.
That's why I have heucheras in a couple of hanging baskets, (that I see all year) chionadoxa in with them for the spring and three trailing, flowering plants for the summer.
I had a good head start in the garden this year. Started too many jobs, some I hesitated on and didn't finish. Bare roots shoved in buckets that I thought I'd plant out, but never got around to, should have just gone into a pot or got heeled in somewhere. All rather embarrassing. I had a section of hedging that I did not plant, because I was deliberating about a gate, that I still haven't put in. I should have just hedged, and later relocated plants.
I have learnt that sometimes less is more. I'm trying to curb some overgrowth, and expose two hidden trees, that really should be seen. I think previous gardeners had over-planted thinking they'd never grow big. The trees would have looked nice small. And I've repeated exactly the same mistake elsewhere, planting a couple of trees far too close to each other.
Sometimes I just think I need to get that plant in. And later regret where I've placed it. Even after much deliberation. I feel like I have a misaligned hedge! I was happy with it at planting time. Now, I'm not so sure!
I have lost plants this year because I couldn't keep up watering. Previous years I've grouped plants for watering, I've three young hedges to keep watered, and some young fruit trees. Watering them can take a good amount of time. I like watering, but it does require continued effort.
I've probably a better sense of planting in the right place.
I didn't do slug patrol this year, which was a big, big, mistake!
Another thing I learned was that our passion for pots, has become a bit of pain, moving around the garden is a massive game like a slide puzzle. Again, less is more.
Hopefully the successes will come later when the hedges get going.
Next year, get on top of veg - and grow more food. I left it too late and haven't many fruits for my labour.
I can't believe the year is closing in, I remember waiting for buds to burst. I so want a replay! And I'm not looking forward to January.
Posts
I am addicted to gardening and spending a lot more time and money too. I find it very relaxing
I have learnt to take more notice of spacing plants correctly. Over the years I have crammed plants in my borders so I have spent the last 2 years digging up, splitting and replanting keeping my favorites like hardy geraniums, geums, perennial wallflowers and potentilla's ( my favorite shrub ). Next year I am also going to be extra ruthless with the chelsea chop on my inula's, I cut one patch back to the ground at the beginning of June and the others half way and much prefer them shorter ( no flopping or ugly brown leaves halfway down the stems.I am now looking for perennial evergreen ground cover with spring to autumn flower so any idea's wound be welcome.
That the garden will survive. I have not been well this summer and apart from cutting the grass(not by me) and a very few hours cutting back aquilegias, I have done nothing in the garden. And it still has managed to survive!
Not quite spring to autumn flower but I'm currently expanding my acreage of Bugle which I find a good, hard-working ground cover on my dry clay. I also have variegated London Pride and I don't remember the name of the other golden foliage spreader that I brought from the other house but it spreads sunnily and I'd rather see that than weeds - penny... something? I'm sure others will have more refined suggestions but I'm just looking for lower maintenance 'til I retire for now.
I've learnt that I know about 1% of what I 'NEED' to know and also that I am the kiss of death to vegetables ( except tomatoes)
For the third year running I tried cucumbers in the greenhouse. One plant promptly died so replaced it and that one died too. The other one grew two cucumbers in total with many little ones growing to an inch or so then shrivelling up.
Tried potatoes in bags...not a great success because the bags had to stand in a passageway and we couldnt get past when the leaves were at their peak.
Likewise Runner beans...one meal for two and the risk of strangulation when passing!
BUT...it was fun and thats the main thing
I've discovered that I can grow hostas and dahlias if I put them in pots and keep them in the front garden. Still not found out why I don't get slugs, snails and earwigs in the front. Might try with a lily next year !
I will not use petunias in my pots and baskets again. If not dead-headed and trimmed daily they grow long and straggly with flowers just on the ends. I'll stick with pelargoniums and those big blousy begonias in neon colours !
Very sensible RB
Your garden is for enjoyment not stressing you out trying to keep on top of everything.
That's why I have heucheras in a couple of hanging baskets, (that I see all year) chionadoxa in with them for the spring and three trailing, flowering plants for the summer.
I'm a grass novice with one year's experience but I've learnt one thing:
Unless you feel nostalgia for the days of nitty Nora flea explorer, never plant a grass under a plant that sheds petals or needs regular deadheading
I had a good head start in the garden this year. Started too many jobs, some I hesitated on and didn't finish. Bare roots shoved in buckets that I thought I'd plant out, but never got around to, should have just gone into a pot or got heeled in somewhere. All rather embarrassing. I had a section of hedging that I did not plant, because I was deliberating about a gate, that I still haven't put in. I should have just hedged, and later relocated plants.
I have learnt that sometimes less is more. I'm trying to curb some overgrowth, and expose two hidden trees, that really should be seen. I think previous gardeners had over-planted thinking they'd never grow big. The trees would have looked nice small. And I've repeated exactly the same mistake elsewhere, planting a couple of trees far too close to each other.
Sometimes I just think I need to get that plant in. And later regret where I've placed it. Even after much deliberation. I feel like I have a misaligned hedge! I was happy with it at planting time. Now, I'm not so sure!
I have lost plants this year because I couldn't keep up watering. Previous years I've grouped plants for watering, I've three young hedges to keep watered, and some young fruit trees. Watering them can take a good amount of time. I like watering, but it does require continued effort.
I've probably a better sense of planting in the right place.
I didn't do slug patrol this year, which was a big, big, mistake!
Another thing I learned was that our passion for pots, has become a bit of pain, moving around the garden is a massive game like a slide puzzle. Again, less is more.
Hopefully the successes will come later when the hedges get going.
Next year, get on top of veg - and grow more food. I left it too late and haven't many fruits for my labour.
I can't believe the year is closing in, I remember waiting for buds to burst. I so want a replay! And I'm not looking forward to January.