How Does our Garden Grow?

Teigr

I wouldn't be too happy with that either @WelshBlue,our spaniel did a fair bit of damage when she was a puppy but nothing like that.

Steve_in_The_City

Hi everyone. I hope all is well with you and your gardens. It is nice when everyone makes their garden look good. I am going to have a go this summer and try to grow some herbs, but I feel kind of defeated before I even begin.

But I am going to give it a shot and see what happens!

Sandy_123

Look faward to the pics @Steve_in_The_City
Oh @WelshBlue I'm sure you can get it looking colourful again

Steve_in_The_City

Ok. I am going to have a go. We all know I am staring disaster in the face, but if you don't try boy you just don't win.

@Sandy_123 If the day should dawn that I can send a pic of a pot of herbs I have grown then I will, but it isn't likely!

Sandy_123

Well give it a go Steve you never know 

Rosie_Scope

Always worth a try @Steve_in_The_City! I'm sure you'll do better than you think you will

Such a shame about your garden @WelshBlue! I'd be so upset too, looks like a lot of hard work and dedication went into it. Hope you're able to rebuild some of it eventually.

I've got the first little seedlings poking through from my baby corn seeds this morning, so that's exciting!

Albus_Scope

Our dogs like to wander into the flowerbeds, I'm so sorry all your hard work has been set back so much @WelshBlue maybe see this as a good excuse to do a new and improved layout?  

I've got 14 varieties of chill waiting for better weather so I can move them outside and a tonne of sweetpeas ready to go in the ground over the weekend.

JW77

Biblioklept said:

They're so beautiful @JW77!! I'd love such a bright colourful garden!

Thank you. It looks a bit less colourful right now. A few remaining daffodils, faded hellebores, and primulas. I have Honeyberry, edible honeysuckle which I'm hoping I might get some fruit off this year!

Oh and some stray forget me nots are out too.

JW77

@Albus_Scope  apparently you can pickle magnolia flowers for eating.  Found that out the other day! 

I'm not kidding

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/aug/21/pickled-magnolias-springs-first-flowers-are-edible-with-a-potent-spicy-kick

JW77

I'm curious as to what peoples gardening methods are. Obviously it depends on skills and ability.  I tend to go for a little wild, No Dig methods, with a lot of seed sowing, cuttings, and heading for the discount crate/area in garden centres. As well as seed & plant swaps/sales.

 When we moved into the property (rental/HA) it was a blank slate, just lawn at the front & back. This year, hopefully the back will get done to make the garden more accessible for the missus.

Albus_Scope

I guess I'll be eating pickled magnolia later then @JW77

I always try to keep an area wild, just for wildlife to do their thing. But we keep most of it fairly tidy and are slowly winning our battle against the weed-like tormantil. It's taken us 3 years so far, it's terrible and spreads from the tiniest bit of root!  I do like swapping with friends and neighbours when possible.

JW77

Teigr said:

My next door neighbour's been trying to grow a passionflower @JW77,but she's the kiss of death to everything she plants.

They need quite harsh conditions when it comes to drainage .  National Collection holder John Vanderplank mentions they can grow in builders rubble!  http://www.passiflora-uk.co.uk/cultivation.shtml

I had the pleasure of meeting him when I was a lot younger and a bit crazy about passiflora.

I always make sure mine are in pretty rough well drained compost, with bits of brick/large stone etc.  Most of the ones in the shops are, I think either 

Passiflora caerulea

 or crosses of some of the tougher types.

Albus_Scope

That would make sense, our passionflower was growing out of gaps between the walls, in a few cms of dirt if it was lucky. 

onedayatatime

I go for more low maintenance gardening with the flowers. Ox eye daisy are good as they form large clumps, are perennial and stay green all year. Also penstemon and elephant ears. Nasturtium grow anywhere and Poached egg plants. They all self seed which is a bonus. Cosmos fill a garden and attract the butterflies. I started my herb garden off from reduced plants at the supermarket! Whatever I grow, I always make a point of collecting seeds from the flowers for the following year. I get a bit carried away and end up with large amounts so I can do the scatter and hope for the best approach now. 

Albus_Scope

I'm the same with collecting the previous years seeds! I'll try and de-weed as best I can, then scatter the seeds where I can.  It's always a bit hit or miss. But I usually end up with lots of fragrant sweet peas.  

Teigr

I like to let the garden do it's own thing(if that makes sense),I'm not one for planting everything in straight rows and making sure there's 36.5 centimetres of bare soil between each plant.

Teigr

A former neighbour had a passionflower growing out of a crack in their patio,it's gone now because the nitwit who bought their house has destroyed the garden.

The only things growing there now are brambles and weeds.

Biblioklept

Teigr said:

I like to let the garden do it's own thing(if that makes sense),I'm not one for planting everything in straight rows and making sure there's 36.5 centimetres of bare soil between each plant.

I think the wild look is so nice! Nature knows best

Teigr

I let the primroses,forget me nots and violets do their worst @Biblioklept,although I often transplant the primroses that pop up in parts of the garden where there's too much sun.

Sandy_123

I'm surprised the gardener hasn't offered to do my lawn after pestering all winter.