2015 Gardening Thread

[bitsnknots]

Just thought that I'd start a gardening thread.  What's everyone growing this year?  

[chickengrandma-2008]

I don't think so capt.  I'll have a look and see if there's a label tomorrow.

We had one cherry tree and it had no fruit, so autumn before last he bought another three or four trees.  Last summer we still didn't have any cherries!!  

[wskneil]

Having had a quick look at the garden today we are mainly growing weeds

[2017clearout]

May I respectfully ask that you lucky people with gardens continue to post pictures of your wonderful plots?  (And windowsills, of coure!)  I know I don't post often, as I'm not about all that often, but I do love seeing people's gardens as the year goes on - I am sure I would like my neighbourhood far more if I had a garden 🙂  

Thanking you all kindly in advance: I have slugs, but no garden.  I have no idea why, but I'd rather it was the other way round!

[captainbovine]

gawd!!! I altered a piccy, it's disappeared into my computer somewhere, now I can't find it.....

[bitsnknots]

I hate it when the computer does that CB.  

Hefzi,  I will photograph our front garden when the weather improves a bit.

[bitsnknots]

As promised, a photo of my front garden.

[ilove2patch]

Very pretty Chris.:) Mine is a mess at the moment!

[bitsnknots]

Thanks Maggie.  It will look better still when all the tulips come in to flower.

[1311rose]

I have a few raised beds in my back garden - saves on cutting some grass!  for the last couple of  years I've had a lot of success with pumpkins so they will be going in again this year.  Will also grow courgettes, tomatos, spuds, peas and beans.  I also have some large (ie huge) pots with fruit trees so round the base of the trees I put in some cavolo nero kale which was very succesful last year. 

I've not started sowing seeds yet - far too cold up in this neck of the woods.  I've got the week after Easter off work so I'll get started then. 

[ilove2patch]

I think it's too cold in Dorset let alone Scotland! lol

[captainbovine]

my foxglove babies are growing nicely, I'm very chuffed!!!

I have two hugamungus pots now to put my crab apple tree in one and the acer in the other. I'm just placing them in with the pots they are already in, which are old and look yukky.

[bitsnknots]

I'd love an acer.  I think they're lovely.  I think that we might invest in one.

We've got all of our seeds in either my mum's bedroom or on the kitchen windowsill.  

[ed_blackadder_1]

We had 2 gorgeous acers in big pots one died one is still going strong.

[2017clearout]

Ooh, gorgeous, books - so colorful and spring-like: thank you!

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@bitsnknots wrote:

As promised, a photo of my front garden.

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[bitsnknots]

Thanks Hefzi.  It will be more colourful when all the tulips start flowering.  It's a lot of hard work but it's worth it.

[2017clearout]

I love tulips - I always treat myself to a big bunch whenever I'm changing planes in Amsterdam on the way home 🙂  I have two lots I am hoping will flower in pots: none of mine came up last year (bought from B and Q though) so fingers' crossed for this year.  I'll look forward to seeing yours when they come up.

Gardening is a huge amount of work: but when it all comes together, it does look wonderful.  I had a stint as a housekeeper at a farm, and when they discovered I liked gardening, I got to do theirs too - I like weeding and pruning and planting, but I *hate* cutting hedges or mowing the lawn...

[bitsnknots]

The majority of our tulips are from one of the pound shops.  My mum bought me 25 tulip bulbs for Christmas last year so I'm looking forward to them coming up.

Luckily, we don't have hedges.  We have a small lawn at the back but it's an awkward shape.  It doesn't bother me mowing it but I'm shattered when it's done.

There's a lot of hard work goes into gardening but it's well worth the effort.

[2017clearout]

My pound shop hyacinths are amazing this year - I'm well chuffed with how well they've turned out. The muscari I bought at the same time, though, are rubbish: only 3 have come out, out of a packetful - I guess it's just hit and miss, as the crocuses have been great. I also bought some bulbs from some catalogue that came with my Gardener's World magazine. and those have been really mixed in terms of results too. I've always used the pound shop in the past for the bulk of my buys, and I'll be going back to that again this year, I think - I've had about a quid's worth of poor stuff from them this year, versus about half of a £30 order from the bulb people. I have only a tiny area outside the backdoor, so I like to cram in as many pots as possible, and it makes me grumpy when the blooming bubs don't come up! On another note - has anyone noticed how late the daffs seem to be this year? My folks in the SE usually have their first ones out by Valentine's Day, and up here, I usually make it to this time of the year by enjoying the ones on the way to work: but most of those opposite the Women's Hospital (my favourite spot from the bus route!) are still in bud and nowhere near open.

[ed_blackadder_1]

Dont worry about the muscari, those three will turn into 33 in no time they spread like wildfire.