Well not much done in the garden this weekend, just some tidying up as it is a bit too hot...also I have no money to do anything. But I've chucked out a load of Raspberry plants that I had growing in plastic tubs...they never produced much fruit anyway so they have gone for composting. This has cleared the paving slap area in the back garden. And allowed me to move some of my flower tubs about.
I also laid a couple of half paving slabs by the garden gate so I now don't have to strim this bit...just run the lawn mower over it.
Also while I was out some young Bluetits were having a paddle in the birdbath so a couple of shots of them
I'm impressed by your handiwork and your zeal for upcycling. I hope you use Freecycle? If not, give it a go. It's a locally-based online swap shop. Though in my experience, anything garden-related is snapped up eagerly so you have to respond quickly.
I'm impressed by your handiwork and your zeal for upcycling. I hope you use Freecycle? If not, give it a go. It's a locally-based online swap shop. Though in my experience, anything garden-related is snapped up eagerly so you have to respond quickly.
Thanks for the commet josusa47, and glad you liked the pics. Always into upcycling, especially as I have loads of wood at work, from scrap pallets, that would otherwise be chucked out. I have plans for bird tables & nest boxes, butterfly boxes and various planters. I have used freecycle in the past and got a few things from there but most of the local stuff seems to be kids & baby stuff so I have given up on it a bit.
Well the raised bed is now 99% complete. Just need to get some large hand sized stones to go around and some into the wildlife pond. and just need to finish off the small stones around the edge. Then it's get on with the planting. Wildlife pond first...though that will have to wait until next payday in July. Don't know yet if I should paint the capping or leave it the colour it is.
Now I can get on with building the new step across the garden and make an extra planting area. I've abandoned the idea of putting in shelves up the side of the bed for window box planters for the moment. I'll put some planters just along the top to add extra planting space.
That beautiful planter wouldnt look out of place in many gardens, well done that's brilliant.? And I know how hard that will have been to achieve as I garden on heavy clay too. Am looking forward to seeing that one planted up. It should be an inspiration to anyone to achieve something like that. ?
That beautiful planter wouldnt look out of place in many gardens, well done that's brilliant.? And I know how hard that will have been to achieve as I garden on heavy clay too. Am looking forward to seeing that one planted up. It should be an inspiration to anyone to achieve something like that. ?
Thanks for the comments Daffy. I'm really clueless about making planting schemes etc etc apart from tall plants at the back and smaller at the front. Although watching Gardeners World & Beechgrove you can mix and match sometimes. I have some ideas but will have to place pots around the bed and see what things look like. My problem is not being able to visualize what plants will look like when they get to full size.
Noticed your comment re peat free compost - it's not the plant that minds whether or peat free it's the gardener.
Some of us, like Monty, do not use peat based composts as we don't agree with natural peat habitats been destroyed to provide us gardeners with a particular type of product.
Your lavenders won't care a bit so if money is tight don't use it replacing any more compost but I would encourage you to buy peat-free in future : )
Hello ChrissieB and thanks for the comment. I had originally started out with the plan to not use peat based composts as, like you and Monty, I don't like the idea of the peat habitat being destroyed just for us gardeners. And I think it's up to us to push more for peat composts being taken off the market by simply not buying them. This time was a chalk mark up to experience...my upstairs neighbours were raving about this particular brand and I did some checking on the internet as well with the same result. It wasn't until I got them back home that I noticed what I'd actually bought...well you live and learn!!!
Lavenders seem to be doing fine and I'll have to get them into bigger pots at some point. Not sure what I'm going to do with all of them though...I haven't got a garden big enough for them. I do have some more large planters on order though.
Oh and I certainly do plan to buy peat free in the future as I want to grow as organically as possible, but rather difficult with the way my upstairs neighbours garden
looking forward to seeing what you do with the pond. I've got that same tub but I've drilled holes in it so no use but I fancy dropping a couple of pots into my new island bed .... when I make one!
Well I'm afraid there hasn't been anything much going on with the raised bed except for getting some of the plants in the. I haven't been able to finish off the wildlife pond as my washing machine went bang a few weekends back so that cost £210 to replace which took up the little spare cash I do have, my new pay rise (first for 20 years) and also some of my savings.
But despite the cold and wet weather we've been having I have had some visitors to the garden that I've not seen before.
Posts
Well not much done in the garden this weekend, just some tidying up as it is a bit too hot...also I have no money to do anything. But I've chucked out a load of Raspberry plants that I had growing in plastic tubs...they never produced much fruit anyway so they have gone for composting. This has cleared the paving slap area in the back garden. And allowed me to move some of my flower tubs about.
I also laid a couple of half paving slabs by the garden gate so I now don't have to strim this bit...just run the lawn mower over it.
Also while I was out some young Bluetits were having a paddle in the birdbath so a couple of shots of them
I'm impressed by your handiwork and your zeal for upcycling. I hope you use Freecycle? If not, give it a go. It's a locally-based online swap shop. Though in my experience, anything garden-related is snapped up eagerly so you have to respond quickly.
Thanks for the commet josusa47, and glad you liked the pics. Always into upcycling, especially as I have loads of wood at work, from scrap pallets, that would otherwise be chucked out. I have plans for bird tables & nest boxes, butterfly boxes and various planters. I have used freecycle in the past and got a few things from there but most of the local stuff seems to be kids & baby stuff so I have given up on it a bit.
Very impressed with all your hard work and your inventiveness ! Just reading about it in this heat makes me tired!
Well the raised bed is now 99% complete. Just need to get some large hand sized stones to go around and some into the wildlife pond. and just need to finish off the small stones around the edge. Then it's get on with the planting. Wildlife pond first...though that will have to wait until next payday in July. Don't know yet if I should paint the capping or leave it the colour it is.
Now I can get on with building the new step across the garden and make an extra planting area. I've abandoned the idea of putting in shelves up the side of the bed for window box planters for the moment. I'll put some planters just along the top to add extra planting space.
That beautiful planter wouldnt look out of place in many gardens, well done that's brilliant.? And I know how hard that will have been to achieve as I garden on heavy clay too. Am looking forward to seeing that one planted up. It should be an inspiration to anyone to achieve something like that. ?
Thanks for the comments Daffy. I'm really clueless about making planting schemes etc etc apart from tall plants at the back and smaller at the front. Although watching Gardeners World & Beechgrove you can mix and match sometimes. I have some ideas but will have to place pots around the bed and see what things look like. My problem is not being able to visualize what plants will look like when they get to full size.
Hello ChrissieB and thanks for the comment. I had originally started out with the plan to not use peat based composts as, like you and Monty, I don't like the idea of the peat habitat being destroyed just for us gardeners. And I think it's up to us to push more for peat composts being taken off the market by simply not buying them. This time was a chalk mark up to experience...my upstairs neighbours were raving about this particular brand and I did some checking on the internet as well with the same result. It wasn't until I got them back home that I noticed what I'd actually bought...well you live and learn!!!
Lavenders seem to be doing fine and I'll have to get them into bigger pots at some point. Not sure what I'm going to do with all of them though...I haven't got a garden big enough for them. I do have some more large planters on order though.
Oh and I certainly do plan to buy peat free in the future as I want to grow as organically as possible, but rather difficult with the way my upstairs neighbours garden
looking forward to seeing what you do with the pond. I've got that same tub but I've drilled holes in it so no use but I fancy dropping a couple of pots into my new island bed .... when I make one!
Well I'm afraid there hasn't been anything much going on with the raised bed except for getting some of the plants in the. I haven't been able to finish off the wildlife pond as my washing machine went bang a few weekends back so that cost £210 to replace which took up the little spare cash I do have, my new pay rise (first for 20 years) and also some of my savings.
But despite the cold and wet weather we've been having I have had some visitors to the garden that I've not seen before.
Meadow Brown on the Spirea
Red Admiral
Peacock on the Buddleja Buzz