At last I've been able to get on and get the raised bed and wildlife pond nearly finished. I went out to the garden centre today to get some grasses and the plants for the wildlife pond and although I couldn't get what I wanted I made a start.
First up were the stones to finish off the pond edge and also for the pond itself to act as shelter for pond life and an escape for any animals that fall in. I've already had one sparrow drown in the pond.
First job was to bailout the water in the pond as that had a film of oil on the surface. Next was to wash the stones as they had a layer of dust on them. Then it was finish off placing some of them around the edge to give a bit of shade and also place a few into the pond along with some sand and pebbles.
Next was to get the grass (Stipa Tenuissima) into the raised bed. I had hoped to get a Stipa Arundinacea as well but they garden centre had run out of stock. I wanted to get something to add some different colour.
Lastly it was place the Equisetum into the pond, drop the oxygenator weed I'd been able to get and fill it up. I have had to use tap water to fill it up and over the next few days any chemicals should evaporate off. I will order the extra plants waterstar wort & horn wort, greater pond sedge and a dwarf lily online once the damage is known on my bank balance.
Well after thinking I had lost the Camelia It looks like it's making a comeback. I had dug it out of the border and put it in a tub as the plant never flowered very much at all where it was in the clay soil and it was right under a bush and got no sunlight whatsoever (see posting Camelia problem pest). So into a tub with soil and ericaceous compost and things seemed ok until we had a load of windy weather and it got blown about and the roots started working loose. Even after supporting it the weather kept giving it a kick. Weeds had also grown up in the tub so I thought I'd get the whole lot out and do something different. Clearing out the weeds and grasses I noticed buds forming and leaves starting to sprout.
So it was grab a small bag of ericaceous compost when I was getting the bits for finishing off the raised bed/wildlife pond and give it a good mulching with that and see how things go. i still have the problem of something eating the leaves but I will try some of the suggestions that I received in my Camelia problem pest posting.
Well there hasn't been much going on in the garden for the past few months now the raised bed & wildlife pond has been finished, except tidying up of course. But we have recently had some trees cut down behind the flats and the timber made available to the locals for firewood. However I came up with a better use for some of the logs and built 3 low level bird feeder tables. Already had it's first visitor...a Greenfinch and that is the first one I've seen in the garden.
Well it has been a long while since I made an update on the goings on. This is mostly because I haven't had much in the way of money to do anything and not much to get on with anyway. But the heart attack also put it's own spanner in the works. But I have made some progress back off square 1.
Firstly the raised flower bed is having it's first flowering. Couple of issues with it though. Mostly because a forget me not has self sown in it and it's pushing and shading out some of the other plants so once that has finished flowering that will be out.
Secondly the pond is looking a bit bare and has a bit of an algae problem at the moment which appears to have strangled the Starwort I originally put in it.
So been down to the garden centre and bought myself a miniature lily
And a grass oxytgenator along with a barley straw pouch
So we will see how that gets on. I do want to get a small shrub to plant in the soil that will give some shade to the pond to help with reducing the amount of algae.
On the upside I did have to help a dragonfly or damselfly out of my bedroom window so crossed fingers the pond is starting to attract the wildlife.
Posts
At last I've been able to get on and get the raised bed and wildlife pond nearly finished. I went out to the garden centre today to get some grasses and the plants for the wildlife pond and although I couldn't get what I wanted I made a start.
First up were the stones to finish off the pond edge and also for the pond itself to act as shelter for pond life and an escape for any animals that fall in. I've already had one sparrow drown in the pond.
First job was to bailout the water in the pond as that had a film of oil on the surface. Next was to wash the stones as they had a layer of dust on them. Then it was finish off placing some of them around the edge to give a bit of shade and also place a few into the pond along with some sand and pebbles.
Next was to get the grass (Stipa Tenuissima) into the raised bed. I had hoped to get a Stipa Arundinacea as well but they garden centre had run out of stock. I wanted to get something to add some different colour.
Lastly it was place the Equisetum into the pond, drop the oxygenator weed I'd been able to get and fill it up. I have had to use tap water to fill it up and over the next few days any chemicals should evaporate off. I will order the extra plants waterstar wort & horn wort, greater pond sedge and a dwarf lily online once the damage is known on my bank balance.
Well after thinking I had lost the Camelia It looks like it's making a comeback. I had dug it out of the border and put it in a tub as the plant never flowered very much at all where it was in the clay soil and it was right under a bush and got no sunlight whatsoever (see posting Camelia problem pest). So into a tub with soil and ericaceous compost and things seemed ok until we had a load of windy weather and it got blown about and the roots started working loose. Even after supporting it the weather kept giving it a kick. Weeds had also grown up in the tub so I thought I'd get the whole lot out and do something different. Clearing out the weeds and grasses I noticed buds forming and leaves starting to sprout.
So it was grab a small bag of ericaceous compost when I was getting the bits for finishing off the raised bed/wildlife pond and give it a good mulching with that and see how things go. i still have the problem of something eating the leaves but I will try some of the suggestions that I received in my Camelia problem pest posting.
Well there hasn't been much going on in the garden for the past few months now the raised bed & wildlife pond has been finished, except tidying up of course. But we have recently had some trees cut down behind the flats and the timber made available to the locals for firewood. However I came up with a better use for some of the logs and built 3 low level bird feeder tables. Already had it's first visitor...a Greenfinch and that is the first one I've seen in the garden.
Firstly the raised flower bed is having it's first flowering. Couple of issues with it though. Mostly because a forget me not has self sown in it and it's pushing and shading out some of the other plants so once that has finished flowering that will be out.
Secondly the pond is looking a bit bare and has a bit of an algae problem at the moment which appears to have strangled the Starwort I originally put in it.
So been down to the garden centre and bought myself a miniature lily
And a grass oxytgenator along with a barley straw pouch
So we will see how that gets on. I do want to get a small shrub to plant in the soil that will give some shade to the pond to help with reducing the amount of algae.
On the upside I did have to help a dragonfly or damselfly out of my bedroom window so crossed fingers the pond is starting to attract the wildlife.
A glow worm's never glum
Cos how can you be grumpy
When the sun shines out your bum!