My Little Patch..

I wish I'd taken a couple of before photos so you could see what a jungle this was. Mind you, I've just been reading my other thread of the bomb site I cleared and this one was nowhere near that bad, lol. Anyway, this is what it looks like today. I have left plenty of growing room in the borders but of course, I'm not going to see much this year. I wish I'd set to in March like I did with the last garden.

I bought a new pair of gardening gloves today, but.........didn't want to get them dirty so never used them, ha ha. Also, it doesn't show on pic for some reason, but I'm very, very brown.



I planted all the plants today (except for the twiggy roses). Our local fruit/veg places grows their own plants and perennials are only £1.80. Bargain!







This top corner has ALL perennials in and I'm waiting on arrival of 6 clematis (2 species) to go along the fence. I'm also going to move the compost bin to the other side of the garden behind the fir tree.







This border is the one where all the roots are that are giving me grief. But, I'm making progress and have a fair bit dug over already. It only gets the morning sun, so where I was going to put some perennials in, I think I'm going to just get a couple of shrubs and be done with it. Definitely another buddleia methinks.



I've got some fuchsias in pots just growing too and will put a few annuals in to help fill all the open space. Anyway, just need them to grow now and for the grass to turn green too, lol.

Finally, here's my boy.

eeek your poor nails!!!!!



garden looking smashing ,cant wait to see pics of when they all in full bloom.

bailey looks nice and healthy ,his coat is so thick

forgot to say ...love the pink barrow

ohhh what a nice garden it will be and how nice to have all that scope, no wonder you are excited. You do look very brown by the way and Bailey looks lovely.

I look forward to seeing it all establish.

It's looking good Lou, remembering what it was like when you took over (and imagining how it had grown after) you have worked wonders. Once it's had some rain and greened up the lawn will make it look even better. Bet Bailey enjoys all the space. Hope the children don't do any damage next week - ban footballs etc lol.

It's looking great Lorraine and lovely you've had good weather to work in this last week. It wll be even lovelier next year too when everythingis inbloom. Love the pink wheelbarrow too.

Its looking great Lou and after all your hard work it will look even better net year.

Looking good Lorraine, I remember the photos from when you first moved in, shows how much work has been done to it.

I put some bedding plants in today. Nice and cool to work in.

I nearly bought myself that pink barrow last year but wouldn't pay the price. Couldn't resist this year though, lol.

Well, your hands look brown, even if the rest of you doesn't! Well done on all the hard work: perennials a real bargain, so at least you can fill the garden without spending as much as you might otherwise have to.

Lynda

I think you look brown, not too brown and not bottled either. your nails look ok to me too, I'm just not that bothered about the girly stuff. I like girly stuff of course just had 2 new nv's arrive from avon bu I'd not let it worry me when gardening. It's only weddingsand similar type do's I'd worry about my nails. They always break 3 days before an event anyway.
Enough rambling, a very tidy garden and it looks carde for and enjoyable alrady, will look better next year, but I'd be very happy with how it is. Well done, now pu your feet up in it.

I got my new gardening gloves dirty today.

I've moved the compost bin over behind the tree on the other side of the garden. Dug this over and added bonemeal. This bit is about 8' x 2' so will take 6 clematis nicely and a few plants at the front too. I'm waiting for 3 DR RUPPEL and 3 FLORIDA 'SIEBOLDII, only they're coming as plug plants.

I really wish I had been motivated back in March/April. I'm gutted I'm not going to see much this year.

Anyway, I've stuck a few pots on the patch for a while. There's lilies in the terracotta pots (again, won't see now) and the black pots have got 10 hardy fuchsias in growing a bit.



There's a lovely dwarf weigela in the pot on the left, but that'll stay there as Ziggy is buried underneath it.

I know it's lovely to see birds in the garden, but suddenly..they're a nuisance. They've crapped all over my pots, lol.

One of my lilies has burst through too. Of my 17 roses, I'm a little concerned about 3 of them. The others all have little shoots coming through.

Its all looking really good and you may be suprised how well some of them do this year. Give the last three roses time they may shoot yet. Still I'm glad its only three and not more of them.

Only worried about 2 of the roses now, so even if they are dead, that's not bad out of 17. All the lilies have broke the soil and I have some glads peeping through too. Also have a couple of Lupin blossoms...not a lot of leaves though, lol.

Lovely weather today. I got the grass mowed, the borders hoed, planted some black hollyhocks, potted on some clematis, got the edging tool out and tidied all round the border edges and put up my new little greenhouse.



I've always had the single depth ones before, but when I saw this for £30 including a free winter cover, I thought it was too good to miss. It's lovely to be able to actually stand inside it, with plenty of room too. It fits perfectly against a wall round the side of the extension and I've got an old little table out there for potting up on aswell.

Sounds like you're all sorted out now, Lorraine: greenhouse is a great idea, especially with the winter cover.

Maybe one day it will stop raining and we can do some work in the garden here!

Lynda

Wow, that's a bargain Lorraine, I have the remains of a single one and haven't got round to cleaning it up and using it this year, always tricky knowing how to anchor the thing too.
You did well there, your garden's really getting a makeover.

We have no problem anchoring down our tomato house (same type of construction): we just put a load of rocks we've dug up on the base part of the frame!

Lynda

I got one similar to that this yr too Lorraine, I love it. I keep thinking I'll go and sit inside with a book,lol.

Well, I managed to get a bit done before the rain came. I got 5 Clematis (still got one more, but it's not big enough yet) and 6 hardy fuchsias planted. The fuchsias aren't as close to the clematis canes as they look on the photo, so should be plenty of growing space.

I can't decide what to put along the front of that bit of border though. It needs filling with something not tall? Any suggestions?

I was hoping to get some deadheading and the rest of that large border weeded, but no luck.

That grass looks a bit wild and thick Lou! Must be hard going when you cut it. Your plants have come on well from what we can see.

The hardy fuschias will get quite bushy by this time of the year so you want something coming into it's own a bit earlier but will carry on through the summer. Maybe some low growing hardy geraniums.

Doesn't matter if the fuchsias are close to the clematis, Lorraine: clematis are happier when their roots are shaded by something.

Hardy geraniums would be nice, but some varieties flop about a bit and could get in the way if you are mowing the grass, so don't plant them right at the edge. They'd certainly go well with the other plants I can see.

Lynda

Yeah, desperate for a dry day Di, it's hard work that grass and there's soooooooooooooooo much of it, lol.

I planted them nice and deep Lynda. I thought of putting something round the bottom of the cane to shade them but couldn't find anything so yes, good point. The fuchsias will do the job.

Fingers crossed the clematis don't wilt on me, lol.

Ooooh, Johnson's Blue. Yeah!

pinks?

Looking good - makes me wish I could do gardening again.

Looks good Lorraine, but I agree that grass looks like meadow which is very hard work.
Lavenders are a good one as they come in so many colours.

Didn't mean Johnsons Blue lol, the lower growing variety was what I had in mind lol. Like this pink one

Oh, very nice, Di! We've got some low-growing ones in pots, waiting to be planted out - someday when we've dug out enough rocks to provide a bed to plant them in.

Lynda

Oh, yes. They're lovely Di.

Your garden is coming on a treat, you need to get a sit on lawn mower for your field,