Free's Baby Steps

Members adventures in the Vegetable Patch all year round
Freeranger
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

Post by Freeranger »

B*gger. You can't do right for doing wrong sometimes. Thanks again, LL, for your explantion. In my head they'd go into defence mode and create blooms to reproduce in the face of impending doom. Obviously not the case.
On the positive front, all the other things that I have pruned are showing signs of new growth much further down their previously dead-looking branches, and there's quite a lot of new leaf growth at their ends. Even flowers. Will have to give them a feed tomorrow.
I'm very worried about the bees. There are so few wild flowers this year and my garden was lacking post-spring planting - I'm trying to even leave buttercups to make more for them. Maybe a couple of warmer days might improve that.
More positivity is that plants I've been given have started to thrive and flower. Some ground cover things are becoming quite well established and I feel like the dots are starting to join up a bit. I'm going to have to move some things around to make better use of the space in places. I've just been given a load more plants and have more to come next week, so with a bit of digging I should have a few more feet of populated flower bed soon.
Freeranger
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

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I've just realised, reading back through here, that my diaries have stopped being about veggies. I morphed into a general gardening diary about half way through.
Apologies for not sticking to the spirit of the thing.
In my defence, the intention was always to try and get a quick veg patch going by planting into pallet beds, and mixing some edibles into the borders. I do have herbs planted in amongst and I will carry on with this kind of hybrid planting. I'm losing hope of getting much done by way of veggies for this year because everything is taking much longer than I thought, but will keep doing what I can.
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lancashire lass
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

Post by lancashire lass »

Freeranger wrote:I've just realised, reading back through here, that my diaries have stopped being about veggies. I morphed into a general gardening diary about half way through.
Apologies for not sticking to the spirit of the thing.


I wouldn't worry about it - I frequently go off at a tangent about garden rescue, hedge trimming, climate change, ponds, wildflower beds and somewhere amongst that you might find some veggies growing. I look at it more like a general garden diary - anyone can list what fruit & veg they are growing but it can be out of context with everything else going on in the garden that often need more attention than that given to the GYO. Besides which, flowers in veg beds are the new way of gardening )t'
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Mo
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

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Yes, as soon as you stick your nose outside there are things shouting for attention from all sides. No use having a perfect veg patch (some hopes!) if I can't get to it through the nettles.
Haven't things grown this season - seems even more than usual. Now I know why Jim was always pruning ruthlessly.
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Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
Freeranger
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

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Thanks, ladies. In that case I'll continue to bore/entertain with general gardening trivia.
The grass is now very high, and I'm about to plant some potatoes in a would-be flower bed to help knock the weeds on the head.
The wildfowers have returned. Yay! The catoneasta is also out and alive with the murmuring of inumerable bees (a poetry reference to ?? poem). I think the problem with the flowers was just lack of warmth, and perhaps some poorly-timed grass mowing last year by OH. He certainly can't be accused of that this year! The combination of buttercups, speedwell and clover is so very naturally beautiful. I've also got tons of ladies mantle, hens & chickens, pink campion, rose bay willow herb, fox gloves etc that look gorgeous and are being moved into flower beds and borders so they don't end up under gravel and pathways.
Anyway, off to do.
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Mo
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

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)like(
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Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
Freeranger
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

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I've just been watching a video of Gardeners' World, where Monty talks about the late summer change over from bright flowers to lush, velvety foliage... and they cut to wonderful panoramic views of artistically rambling and harmonious greenery, interspersed with the last of the summer blooms.
Well it looks nothing like that here.
Have just come back from a couple of weeks away and it looks a right old mess of thigh-high seeding grass and dock, with weeds all over my main new bed, masses of yellowing 'going over' foliage, and most of the flowers flat against the ground. The gravel drive is a sea of weeds.
I planted a climbing hop, hoping it would climb over the catoneasta and lighten up the green light coming in through the kitchen window. It's OK but badly munched. My cuttings sucked up all the water I'd left them in in the bath, waterlogged the soil, and have nearly all died.
The bits that were starting to look quite nice with all the various plants and heights just looks messy and straggly. Most of the foliage is dying away and the early flowerers aren't producing any colour.
The positives are that the shrub-pruning has worked a treat in stimulating growth, and as most of them have stopped flowering I can cut them back a bit more and start to shape them a little. That will give me the material for more cuttings, so hopefully I can generate a bit more structure and colour for next year. We have 8 little apples on our potted tree - this has never happened before! Putting it next to the catoneasta was a good move as the bees have been all over it. My yarrow is flowering. All the plants next to the house are doing well. There are masses of butterflies and an ever-increasing variety of wild flowers and grasses.
Seriously considering Agent Orange.
Freeranger
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

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I've just been watching a video of Gardeners' World, where Monty talks about the late summer change over from bright flowers to lush, velvety foliage... and they cut to wonderful panoramic views of artistically rambling and harmonious greenery, interspersed with the last of the summer blooms.
Well it looks nothing like that here.
Have just come back from a couple of weeks away and it looks a right old mess of thigh-high seeding grass and dock, with weeds all over my main new bed, masses of yellowing 'going over' foliage, and most of the flowers flat against the ground. The gravel drive is a sea of weeds.
I planted a climbing hop, hoping it would climb over the catoneasta and lighten up the green light coming in through the kitchen window. It's OK but badly munched. My cuttings sucked up all the water I'd left them in in the bath, waterlogged the soil, and have nearly all died.
The bits that were starting to look quite nice with all the various plants and heights just looks messy and straggly. Most of the foliage is dying away and the early flowerers aren't producing any colour.
The positives are that the shrub-pruning has worked a treat in stimulating growth, and as most of them have stopped flowering I can cut them back a bit more and start to shape them a little. That will give me the material for more cuttings, so hopefully I can generate a bit more structure and colour for next year. We have 8 little apples on our potted tree - this has never happened before! Putting it next to the catoneasta was a good move as the bees have been all over it. My yarrow is flowering. All the plants next to the house are doing well. There are masses of butterflies and an ever-increasing variety of wild flowers and grasses.
Seriously considering Agent Orange.
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lancashire lass
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

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{hug} I have often found that when I missed a weekend at the allotment (or if I'd been away camping), the garden or plot would look very different to how I'd left it and appear abandoned a long time ago. Weeds in particular seem to spring up from nowhere like some devious plan but more likely they were there already but as seedlings and 2 weeks growth can be quite substantial at this time of year.

Weeds in particular will spring up in new beds - weed seeds that have been dormant in the soil because of dense overgrowth or have been lifted up during digging are notorious for growing rapidly as they take advantage of the new light levels. Mulching (or covering with weed suppressant membrane) is one way to suppress those types of weeds from germinating - that's why my garden (previously lawn) was covered in membrane so that I could get on with other jobs in the garden until I am ready.

At least you have butterflies! Despite lots more flowers in my garden this year, butterflies round here are in short supply though I did come across a Peacock butterfly a few weeks back which is a rare thing here. Maybe once you get in the garden again it'll look very different in a very short space of time >fi<
Freeranger
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

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As most of the wildflowers have gone over, I've agreed to let OH scythe and strim. He's avoided patches of still flowering flowers, and actually it looks a whole lot better. He's also cut down a load of spurge which had been looking very tatty and was crowding other things out.
Note for next year - everything is tall and pointy and very quickly looks straggly. Ox-eye & michaelmass daisies, campions etc. so they flatten easily in the rain and just look ragged. My low-level plants are things like geranium and spurge which are also quite free-form. I need to get a) a bit more structure b) ground cover and c) a bit more late summer colour.
I found a beautiful hebe plant for £3.99 - not sure which variety but variegated leaf and profusion of purple flowers. I'm so pleased with it that I'm going to get another. A proper little shrub in a 2.5l pot. I put it down outside and within seconds there were bees on it. I think I should be able to divide them a little later on. And also an asiatic lily - again a beautiful, healthy several stemmed plant for £2.99. Probably a foolish buy for this spot but for now it will like the southern wall border and is a welcome dose of cheeriness. If you have a Howm Barginns near you, take a look.
This border is the best one by far this year. After we chopped the catoneasta I used it as temporary quarters for all donated plants, and everything's done really well there. Mint, thyme, chives, sweet william and polyanthas in particular are all wonderful and so much better than the other spot I had chives in. Lesson learned. The shrubs are also enjoying the extra light but didn't flower much. It does still look like a load of random plants plonked in a bit of earth, but at least they're healthy.
The new beds were formed by putting down thick newspaper and then aged manure on top. This was meant to crowd out the weeds. New ones are either existing docks, shallow invaders, or ones that I sowed from the seed box. I think their definition included some plantain type things I could have lived without, but I have had about half a dozen actual flowers.
I think the shrubs are looking tatty because they just are. We're in rescue mode for now, allowing uncontrolled leaf growth to strengthen the plants a bit but will do a tidy when the birds start migrating, and then a major chop in the spring before they get started.
I need to decide what to do with a big spikey berberis that's taking over and is in danger of undermining the stone porch. Suggestions appreciated.
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KarenE
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

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I could never have a garden like Gardners World gardens - I haven't got the time! Or a fortune to spend on flowers. Or much sense of style either, to be honest! I think the gardens have taken a beating this year - it's been either pouring rain or sweltering heat and not a lot in between, and the flowers in particular have struggled.

A patch of wildflowers much be wonderful to have!
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Freeranger
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

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I think the gardens have taken a beating this year

Yes, Karen, that must be what the problem is! :oops: :oops:
Freeranger
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

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Well all kinds of things got in the way of the gardening - holiday, house-sitting, minor surgery, a new work contract and now more surgery planned. That knocked most of the sunny months on the head.
I think this year I'm just going to have to work during the winter to tidy up and sort it out ready for next year.
I think if I admit defeat for now, cover most of it with cardboard, weed control fabric and mulch, that should help prepare for next year. I'll also concentrate on edging to create distinct spaces, and try to create footpaths, raised beds, cold frames and greenhouse.
Onwards up upwards.
Freeranger
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

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The surgery turned out to be more major than previously thought, so I haven't been able to do anything at all.
The positive is that there are loads of seed heads etc, that looks beautifully sculptural in the thick hoar frost that we've had for the last few years. Truly gorgeous.
I bought loads of bulbs cheaply that I'm hoping will do OK if I get them in this week - daffs, aliums and mixed spring bulb selection. I've spent the money now, so nothing to loose by putting them in.
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lancashire lass
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Re: Free's Baby Steps

Post by lancashire lass »

{hug} recovering from any surgery takes time, and gardening is quite manual work so take it easy and just do a little bit at a time. I like seed heads and are just as pretty as flowers - I can just imagine what they look like on a frosty day )t'
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