The Gardening thread...

[LoveCurryPies]

Just wondering how many people love gardening (after football of course). The older I become, the more I love my garden. Worked hard on it all through the winter and I'm now looking forward to sitting in my deckchair with butterflies, dragonflies and bees buzzing around my pint glass.

Is everything coming up Claret & Blue in your garden?

[CleggHall]

Just treated all the lawn moss with lawnsand, turning black nicely but should be OK in a couple of weeks. Fences creosoted, shrubs pruned, wife's bird feeder put away until next winter, roll on summer for test match special and the odd guinness.

[ablueclaret]

It's an early year down here in the South, most of my planting done other than the tender stuff, peas beans leeks carrots brassicas all showing their heads above soil, daffs tulips magnolia and cherries in full bloom but not many clear blue skies to really show them off.
Always find this time of year bitter sweet, lots of gaudy colour but still a largely dull back cloth. It's that first burst of electric greens which bring everything into focus, which give the garden and nature context. I can't wait until that first vivid fluorescent burn of the Lime trees and that gorgeous visceral clamour of the Beech and Hornbeam, suddenly even the dirty squalor of British roadsides becomes a place of beauty, and man's attempts to deflower this wonderful world thrown aside in one eruption of the green fuse.

[CnBtruntru]

It's an early year down here in the South, most of my planting done other than the tender stuff, peas beans leeks carrots brassicas all showing their heads above soil, daffs tulips magnolia and cherries in full bloom but not many clear blue skies to really show them off.
Always find this time of year bitter sweet, lots of gaudy colour but still a largely dull back cloth. It's that first burst of electric greens which bring everything into focus, which give the garden and nature context. I can't wait until that first vivid fluorescent burn of the Lime trees and that gorgeous visceral clamour of the Beech and Hornbeam, suddenly even the dirty squalor of British roadsides becomes a place of beauty, and man's attempts to deflower this wonderful world thrown aside in one eruption of the green fuse.

What's that a literature tutorial, you definitely didn't go to my school.

[ablueclaret]

We're all in the school of life, the eyes have it.

[Chobulous]

We have a garden fronted terraced house in Ightenhill so not a lot of green space available but I still manage to grow quite a bit of veg in pots and containers.
Last years crop was runner beans and french beans, strawberries of course, brussells sprouts, cherry tomatoes in a hanging basket, "Moneymaker" tomatoes and garden peas. I also planted a gooseberry bush in a tub which I will transplant into the garden this year.

Potatoes in a dustbin is another good one to try.

[edlass]

Just wondering how many people love gardening (after football of course). The older I become, the more I love my garden. Worked hard on it all through the winter and I'm now looking forward to sitting in my deckchair with butterflies, dragonflies and bees buzzing around my pint glass.

Is everything coming up Claret & Blue in your garden?

Maybe this is where I am going wrong? I am really new to gardening, or having a garden at all, so when you were working hard on yours in the winter, I ignored mine thinking there was nothing to do.

So other than clear out thousands of leaves last weekend I've done nothing. If I start planting things in spring I wont get the full benefit of it like you do.

As a side note I keep killing chilli plants each year too... I guess I just need to keep trying.

[ablueclaret]

Autumn is the time to garden, equable temperatures, September often dry, plants dying back. Plan for what you want to do in the summer then get on with it in the autumn and enjoy it in the Spring and Summer.
As Chobulous shows amazing what you can do even in a small place.
Garden isn't complicated unless you want it to be, just use a simple framework.

[Mala591]

If your garden is full of weeds and clay don't try and tart it up. Get a skip and dig it out. Order one or two of those giant bags of good quality top soil.

Plant lots of shrubs (pieris forest flame is on of my favourites), perennial flowers (regrow every year) and some annuals (only last one season).

Plant in full sun / semi shade / full shade as directed on the label.

Gardening in a Burnley climate a be very frustrating but it is well worth the effort. Good luck.

[chekhov]

I feel so fortunate to live where I do in south-eastern France, with the climate there are loads of possibilities in the gardening arena. Having said that this is the first year since I've been here that I've decided to grow some vegetables. A neighbour has loaned me a small plot with some good soil and I'll be getting started this weekend with carrots, potatoes, rocket, spinach greens things, and broad beans (bit late apparently), as well as some flowery nitrogen-fixing plants-phacilia and cloves I think.
Got to make the most of being here I say to myself, in two years time I'll probably be out on my ear.

[Hipper]

Maybe this is where I am going wrong? I am really new to gardening, or having a garden at all, so when you were working hard on yours in the winter, I ignored mine thinking there was nothing to do.

So other than clear out thousands of leaves last weekend I've done nothing. If I start planting things in spring I wont get the full benefit of it like you do.

As a side note I keep killing chilli plants each year too... I guess I just need to keep trying.

Depends what you want. You shouldn't be a slave to it. For example, some fuss about the lawn, others just cut it and be done with it - or remove it completely.

The start is to decide what you want: who uses it - children, pets, guests etc.; what do you want to grow - food, ornamental (you can of course do both). Then it gets a bit more complicated: how much sun do you get; is it sheltered or exposed to frosts, wind; soil type (acid, alkaline). These parameters will tell you what grows best in your circumstances. Some plants are fussy, others not. Often you can get a good idea of what is possible by looking in your neighbour's garden or better still, talking to keen local gardeners. Don't just look for fancy flowers but consider size, form (height, spread, shape), leaf colour and shape, evergreen or deciduous (keep or lose leaves in winter), all year round interest, and, I think, undervalued, scent (you could for example get scent all year round with the right plants, and some scents are stunning). You don't have to do it all at once. You could develop a five year plan for example, both to balance workload and costs.

Gardening is enjoyable and therapeutic. Get to it!

[Hipper]

I feel so fortunate to live where I do in south-eastern France, with the climate there are loads of possibilities in the gardening arena. Having said that this is the first year since I've been here that I've decided to grow some vegetables. A neighbour has loaned me a small plot with some good soil and I'll be getting started this weekend with carrots, potatoes, rocket, spinach greens things, and broad beans (bit late apparently), as well as some flowery nitrogen-fixing plants-phacilia and cloves I think.
Got to make the most of being here I say to myself, in two years time I'll probably be out on my ear.

Legumes - beans, peas - are nitrogen fixing (as is clover).

[Chobulous]

If you are going to grow carrots chekhov my advice would be to put them in a raised bed and plant marigolds in between the rows. Carrot fly can really badly effect your crop but they fly close to the ground so can be discouraged by a raised bed, and marigolds seem to repel them.
Why don't you try a cherry orchard?

[tim_noone]

Dont do it, but like watching monty don and that sort of programme,Relaxing to watch. I mainly prune the bushes and hang bird feeders and the like on the branches.

[chekhov]

If you are going to grow carrots chekhov my advice would be to put them in a raised bed and plant marigolds in between the rows. Carrot fly can really badly effect your crop but they fly close to the ground so can be discouraged by a raised bed, and marigolds seem to repel them.
Why don't you try a cherry orchard?

I chopped it down, Choboulus, to make way for lots of lovely holiday appartments

[LoveCurryPies]

ablueclaret, Magnolia is out up here as well. Would have expected it around May.

Quite like Monty Don. My favourite gardener is Dan Pearson...a plantsman and very few gimmicks. He is currently doing more planting work at Broughton Hall.

[Bin Ont Turf]

I'm just growing the herbs this year. The chives that I planted about 8 years ago are as usual sprouting a treat.

Why doesn't my mint spread like wild fire, like it's meant to?

[edlass]

I'm just growing the herbs this year. The chives that I planted about 8 years ago are as usual sprouting a treat.

Why doesn't my mint spread like wild fire, like it's meant to?

I put a supermarket mint plant in a pot about three years ago and it comes back strong each year! Its in a very shady corner of my back yard out of the way.

I also planted lemon balm because I liked the smell at the garden centre. It is now taking over.

[ablueclaret]

The new RHS garden at Salford might be worth keeping an eye on, although a present in very early stages of regeneration. At least the north has two RHS gardens now, the Midlands none.

[ablueclaret]

Mint one of the great explorers spreads everywhere, lemon balm a good seeder, neither the greatest to look at but lovely smellers, and difficult to beat mint sauce fresh from the garden and vinegar bottle.

[minnieclaret]

Deleted

[Croydon Claret]

Just discovered gardening last year. Moved into a house a few years ago where the previous owner had completely paved over the garden, save for leaving a huge 30 year old climbing rose that grows all around the garage

Finally got a proper garden installed last Spring. Planted lots of stuff, mainly shrubs and bush type plants plus another few rose bushes. Spent ages pruning the roses a few weeks ago and they're already starting to bud. Bit of a mission pruning the climber as it's taller than the garage so big ladder required

Planted a few of those Alium bulbs last Autumn which are just starting to show life so will be interesting to see what they look like.

I generally plant my bulbs in October or November and then sit back and see what happens. Crocuses are out right now, as are the Tete a Tetes, and the tulips are just on the verge of opening up

Planted a couple of climatis last year, one gave lots of flowers the other none at all. Both showing signs of life already so I'm hopeful of something from both of them.

Been off work today and as it's been roasting here I spent the day cleaning the patio and replacing the water in the water feature. Thank goodness I won't have to do that again for a while!

Then I sat back for a while and listened to the birds and all was well in the world (until the cats start killing them again)

[starting_11]

I like to take care of my grass and thats about it.

The missus mucks around with flowers so... it's a bit bare but quite neat looking.

[ablueclaret]

If you're starting gardening grow the easy things, things that rarely fail, onions, leeks, beetroot, courgettes, parsnips, runner beans, French beans.

[Croydon Claret]

Tried growing tomatoes in pots a couple of years ago(no greenhouse)

Fed them with Tomorite and a few of them became enormous but then started to rot before actually turning red.

Not sure where I went wrong, maybe the lack of a greenhouse?

[Duffer_]

French beans??? Domestic runner beans might be more appropriate if you don't know what you're doing.

UTC!

[Chobulous]

Tomatoes are from the nightshade family the same as potatoes and are susceptible to blight if grown outside. That is probably what happened to yours. Did you see black spots on the leaves?

[Croydon Claret]

Tomatoes are from the nightshade family the same as potatoes and are susceptible to blight if grown outside. That is probably what happened to yours. Did you see black spots on the leaves?

Can't say that I recall any black spots but I wasn't paying them that much attention. Sounds like you're on the right lines though, just looked up blight and it describes what happened

[minnieclaret]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zszmMPTg4wY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not a gardener but trying this when I get home. New potatoes in a planter.