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Gardens and gardening

TheCatWoman

Does anyone else love their garden? I love mine although it's a bit of a mess, I've not been able to do as much as normal due to a bad shoulder. Earlier in the year, knowing I wouldn't be able to do so much, when I did a big spring clearing and weeding session I scattered loads of flower seeds, just to fill in any gaps, so now I have a slightly wild bed of established perenials and annuals that I hope will self seed, such as echiums, marigolds, love in a mist and verbena. I cleared out more weeds and stuff and am now waiting to plant some crocosmia's and a massive sedum I was given. Hopefully in the next couple of years I will have the bed as I want, with all year interest and plenty of forrage for polinators.

I want to re-invigorate by shrubs too, with more or new roses, lavender's, and ferns, I have geums floating through all of this as well as chives as they such a brilliant companion for roses, helping to keep black fly and aphids off them.

Come winter I will replant the old veg patch with more fruit, hopefully a couple of small fruit tree's and some raspberries and currants and maybe a raised bed for blueberries.

Parents

  • Yes. When I started here I had all sorts of ideas with beds thick with flowers. Some worked, some spread further than I wanted and some came to nothing.

    I have one or two perennials I started from seed during lockdown and I love the idea that I grew them. I also have one or two plants that have appeared that I didn't plant, so seeds must have blown in or been carried by birds. I have grown to like that idea.

    l also have an area with a tree that I have wild flowers growing and the grass stays long. I have given up longing for a neat and impressive garden and enjoy what comes. I find being in the garden brings relaxation and it is lovely when a robin or other bird pops in. I remember when we first moved here and I was sweeping the pile of leaves that the robin was the first visitor.

    Lavender is a good choice as the perfume is lovely when the wind blows and then gets covered with bees. I love perfumed roses too. 

    Some of my more traditional plants were from friends which brings happy memories.

  • in reply to Homebird

    So many plants won't grow here because of strong salty winds, they just shrivel up, but roses, hebe's and lavenders do well here. I can't grow tall plants very well because of the wind, even when staked they blow over, things like hollyhocks and delphiniums, but foxgloves do really well, strange! 

    I love the smell of roses, I want more, but they tend to be quite expensive, but then I do tend to buy them from David Austen as they have such a good range and the plants are so healthy.

    I've planted for polinators, I have several hover flies patrolling various bushes, I like it when they come and eyeball me, trying to work out who and what I am. We get several types of bee's and wasps, loads of moths and a hedgehog, the wildlife is really responding well to my efforts.

    I made a dead hedge too, although it's covered in bind weed at the moment, but I pile all of my woody cuttings, from things like budliea and some hazel branches, along a wall behind a tree, all sorts of things have started living there and more importantly overwintering there.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    My roses were all from David Austen too and I am pleased that they are as hardy as claimed, as my garden growing conditions aren’t great. I like the way the website makes it easy to find the right rose for your garden conditions. 

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    I have the ‘Sceptered Isle’ rose and would wholeheartedly recommend. It has given me so much joy to watch and tend to. I bought it for my little doggy who is no longer here so I can always think of her when I see it. A beautiful rose. Another one I would recommend is Jane Austen - the blooms look so flat & geometric. Stunning. 

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  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    I have the ‘Sceptered Isle’ rose and would wholeheartedly recommend. It has given me so much joy to watch and tend to. I bought it for my little doggy who is no longer here so I can always think of her when I see it. A beautiful rose. Another one I would recommend is Jane Austen - the blooms look so flat & geometric. Stunning. 

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