Whats your plans for the garden this year? - Page 3

I'm considering a rice paddy at the moment!

Apart from that, I have onion sets and garlic planted. The onions are shooting.

Hello goldionthelevels

Maybe a rice paddy sounds good or even watercress but your allotment might dry up yet. Try and add compost - orangic matter helps with clay soil or you can buy clay breaker pellets.

Sam, I think I should sit and look at my garden more don't do that enough always busy doing bits of gardening.

Is that just me or do others not sit in the garden enough?

The fairy dell looks great Everyone seems to have a project this year which is great. Im looking forward to seeing the pictures as they progress

I will get my new pics up later once I can get them off my phone lol

goldionthelevels, welcome and I hope the allotment dries out soon. Have you thought of using a cheap mobile phone as a camera? That is what I use as a numpty friend sent me 'photofun' some silly programme and now all my camera photos go into that and I can't access them to upload. But the mobile phone ones are easy and use less pixels so are faster to upload.

I can take pictures with my phone, but the quality is rubbish and I'm a bit keen on my photography. I'm happy to wait to get my photos and using film makes one more careful about one's pictures - quality rather than quantity! I shall have to send them off by post now that Jessops has closed though. Wish I could afford a digital SLR - it's on my wishlist.

I used to do the photography for a motorbike magazine years ago. Loved it. Now I just do it for myself, pics of bikes still but alot of up north, plants, animals and landscapes

Used to do a lot of B&W photography and developing. Hated the colours from colour processing. When digital came along i thought wow! Got cheap one, pretty good pics really, but I miss the control you get with SLR. The cheap digital is like an instamatic with better colours

Verdun wrote (see)

I try to sit in the garden but I'm soon doing something in it. But, gardengirl, I think it's good to look at the garden at times to decide what you dont like, do like, want to change, etc. Although not always wise, I will move things in full flower if I think they look better elsewhere. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, I guess, and always trying to improve. Even now, you could walk around your garden, maybe sit in it if not too cold, and plan some changes or anticipate new plantIngs. Not too keen on annuals .....but envious of those who can use them to brilliant affect....preferring perennials, shrubs, etc.. What do others think? Annuals or perennials?

Hello Verdun

Will try sitting in the garden some when, I think I like both -  perennials are good to have so not to have too much bare ground, and annuals to make areas look different and also like the evergreen plants - did one time go though a phase of bulbs thinking they were best then but sometimes bare soil not so good - so I think I like all plants - need bedding plants to add bit of colour - evergreen plants to stay in winter, shubs, annuals and perennials and bulbs, and I do like growing from seeds

Verdun, like gardengirl I think I like both perennials and annuals. Some years I just want to have loads of orange or try out blues and whites; with annuals you can do that whilst the 'stucture' of the perennials still remains.

Want to plant back fence border with red and gold perennials. Just planted last of shrubs for there, now perennials to fill in gaps till they have matured. In other places - Fairy Dell - mix of annuals for their blousiness and perennials for longevity. 

Bjay

I'm quite lucky and have french doors that look out onto my garden so I can sit in the warmth of the house and daydream, although when its not too cold I'm always outside.  I have made so many mistakes being impatient I have decided to take a step back this year and plan rather than just doing it.

Verdun what a good question, I think maybe a balance, the structure and longevity of perennials and shrubs, but I also like to profussion of colour and variety with annuals, although I onlly use annuals in my baskets and tubs.

I like my perennials I have to say. I am thinking of some annuals this year as never really bothered with them before 

I've got a larger allottment for this year that has been diveded into 19 beds, each double dug and de-stoned.  The chap who had it from the outset about two years ago, spent alll last year doing the preparation and has sadly had to give it up due to health issues. I've a shed to put up and then it'sdown to planting, I'm really looking forward to the year.

How's that for a spot of luck? 

I've bought myself a rotary petrol mower and developed a planting scheme that is on: http://www.growveg.com/garden-plan.aspx?p=319563

What a super looking allotment Doug. My veg garden is a similar size but laid out differently and it has a greenhouse in the middle of it. I looked at your growing plan. I hope it all goes well for you.

Thank you Busy-Lizzie, It's lovely to get a positive response. thanks again.  I had a single plot and wanted an adjoining one that had been neglected but for which the rent had been paid.  At about the same time as it did become available I got a call from the secretary Diane, to say that it was available, but that in the circumstance this triple would be a better bet for me, the circumstances being that I had a hip replacement in early November.  I'm mobile but have to be careful.

I took it immediately, my wife ws not too enthusiatic initially, as I had seen Dennis and his wife put in hours and hours of work in the preparation, even down to riddling the soil in each bed.  It's a shame that they had to give it up it up.  My original plot is only a couple of allotments from them and I used to rib them about the work they were putting in.

I have a small greenhouse in the house garden and the seeds arrived yesterday, so once the weather improves I'll be up and at it - with heavy stuff being delegated to the family for the next few months, if they want to eat the stuff, they can help grow it.

Hello all

I must say can't do much in the garden at the minute - even though I wanted too here's a picture of the garden

DougB what a nice allotment you have to start with, good plans - I use that website but not done mine yet for this year.

Busy-Lizzie your allotment looks like you grow a nice lot of veg well done.

I do not have an allotment just grow veg and flowers right at the bottom of the garden as have made some raised beds to grow it all in. 

Thats a great website DougB, and your allotment and plan look like they'll keep you busy this year, lllets hope we have a better growing year than last.

Busy Lizzie, your picture brings the sunshine and makes me itch more for spring, what a lovely plot.

Gardengirl my garden looks pretty similar to your at the mo, we had about 9" of snow yesterday and its coming down this morning too but its funny watching the blackbird s romping around in it, glad I filled my feeds yesterday =)