Bookertoo

Nightmare Garden To Design Around - Help Needed

Take time and patience - that slope offers all sorts of wonderful opportunities,lots of early little spring bulbs, primroses, clematis - ferns indeed - get some good books from the library and look at pictures, finding out what you think you will like to look at.  Don't even think of trying to do everything at once, just a bit at a time,  decide which - if any - of the current trees & shrubs you want to keep, remove the rest.  Think about where you want hard standing/sitting areas  -  do you know yet where the light and sunshine comes in?  Do you know what kind of soil you have, test it if not, because that will make a difference as to what you can grow well.   Do you want fruit/vegetables?  If so, where?  Grow the ones that remain expensive so you can enjoy them fresh if you want to do that.  Talk with gardening neighbours, gardeners love to share their stories (and often their plants, be careful what you accept!, or rather, what you actually use!)   What ever you do, and whenever you do it, take your time and enjoy it - there is no rush to do it all at once - that will discourage you and may end up with planting you really don't want.

Carnation/Pinks

Thanks for the reminder to do the cuttings ................

Paper pots versus what?

I usually just sow straight into seed compost, with added vermiculite, in the tray, cover with the lid, then pot on when the first true leaves appear, into 3 -4 inch pots with fine compost.  Only with big seeds like sweet peas, beans etc. do I sow into pots, then still use the 3 inch pots or a tray of plug shapes to get them started.  When  they are a decent size I pot on to 6 inch pots, harden off after a month or two, depending upon the weather,  then put outside either into the ground or a final pot if that is their destination - as it often is here.   I rarely sow much before April or May here, got caught too often with over enthusiasm when the sun shone in March or April, though I might start a few things then like tomatoes indoors in the cool greenhouse, but never earlier than that. 

B&M Bulbs

Sounds pretty good to me - assuming they are all in good condition without mould etc.  Too early for dahlias outdoors, but could plant in biggish pots if you wanted to.  Never had much luck with freesias, but at that price it is well worth a try.  The brodilaea and anemones will almost certaibly come back, and even if the rest don't, still a good buy - enjoy.

too much cottage garden self seeding!

How gloriously wonderful!! Wait awhile, you should the be able to see what is flowers and what is weeds, though they may be flowers as well, just not ones you want - pull out what you don't want. Let some of the ones in what seems to be strange places do their thing, you often get incredible results of beauty like that - you can always get them out later if you don't like the effect. Maybe ask some local gardeners/friends if they'd like what you don't want?  If they know they day you are doing the thinning, maybe they could take the baby plants and grow them on?

Overwintered failures

We don't have any luck with autumn sowing either, think it is too dark for far too  long this far north, early spring sowing in the greenhouse works a great deal better for me - oh the garlic has come up however, that's about it. 

nerine bowdenii

up against a wall, fence, large stone or something that holds the summer heat (assuming we get any this year), they just will not do in my garden, too rich and too moist - especially after last year. 

Fork Handles

It is a joy to ee that I am anything but alone in my detestation of dusting and such like - what a waste of time it is!! There are gardening books to read, catalogues to examine, anything except housework - and soon there will be real outdoor gardening to do (did get some outside at the weekend), and we need to nurture our energies for that - not waste it on dusting and other disgusting persuits!

poppy

There is a poppy with jagged edges like that alled Turkestania - or something a bit like that!  Maybe google red poppies and see if you recognise it among the offerings you get there? 

Bone meal or Fish bone and blood??

....  or for the rest of the planet!! Luckily there is room for us all, organic and otherwise.  I do know that since I stopped using any non-organic anything in my garden about 12 years ago, the difference in the numbers of insects, birds, & happy plants has to be seen to be belived.  That is not to say that the occasional use of something less delightful has not happened, it has, twice in the last 12 years, lily beetle gets excluded from all kindly thoughts, but natural must `i feel be best for nature. 

Solomon's seal

For whom do we garden .............

frosted lilies

out of season plants

bird feeders

Hazel nut queries

Flippin' pigeons