So, spring has sprung! What are you growing this year then?

Tomato plants are in a growbag in a nicely sunny part of the garden, as are the strawbs. Got some chillis I’m growing from seeds of last year’s crop on the kitchen windowsill at the moment, and they’re positively shooting up! Other stuff planned to grow will be some nice runner beans. Pondering what else to grow, so open to suggestions!

So, what’s growing and how’s it going?

I’ve spent the last couple of weekends decimating my garden. I’m taking a minimalist approach because I can’t be arsed don’t have the time to maintain it and its yields were crap anyway.
Gone are the raspberry bushes, strawberries, spring onions, mushrooms, herbs and other assorted remnants of the previous owner’s shennanigans including the composters which were full of all kinds of crap including animal bones, ‘organic’ packaging and bras.

I’m putting in a new shed, some bedding plants in pots and a sand pit for the young-un. gardening can **** off.

Hmmm…

Imagine a cross between Khe San, Passchendale, and Omaha Beach only with soil and fewer gun emplacements then add a few struggling brambles and one small patch of lavender. It’s a work in progress…

Last owner of my place turned the front garden into a block-paved wasteland. So I’ve just had a tonne of topsoil delivered to fill the two planters I’ve made. Filled them with flowering perennials bought as plugs. Could really do with making another two.

Need to plant out the second strawberry patch and I might bung in a few potatoes.

Tomato seeds have just gone in the greenhouse. Last years chillies (scotch bonnets) were too hot, so I need to find a milder variety.

Rampantly and chaotically. I’m gonna lose the kids in there before long. Napalm will be the only cure in some sections….

Tarmac

Too busy for gardening but pleased to report that the bluebell shoots are looking incredibly healthy. Am full of excitement and can’t wait til I can enjoy that heavenly scent. 😀

You’re obsessed, woman! 😀

Ain’t that the truth Cap’n. 😆 Soon I’ll be visiting by bike my favourite Hampshire bluebell woods, it’s an annual pilgrimage. 8)

Well, there are quite a few nice woods around my part of Hants as well….! 🙂 YGM…….

Slowly up here in Edinburgh, apart from the moss and weeds.
Fortunately the spring bulbs are coming through to brighten the place up.

Got some chocolate habaneros.
Not entirely confident they’ll grow, so it’s just wait-n-see.

Fortunately the spring bulbs are coming through to brighten the place up.

Our first set of Daffs are dying off!

Tulips are up and almost open.

I planted three roses last WE, two climbing, up the workshop and one bush. Also added a Crab Apple tree as part replacement for a Sycamore I took down. Going to add a Silver Birch as well.

Crab Apple by brf, on Flickr

Blackberry bushes are in abundance this year, also looking forward to chilled nettle and dandelion root tea in the summer sunshine. 8)
The pallet of mixed slabs look just as good on the pallet as lying flat on the garden in my opinion and i certainly won’t be ruining neighbours weekends by mowing, strimming and generally making a noisy bloody nuisance of myself.

Am full of excitement

I read that differently…

I’ve inherited 2 mahoosive, leaning, garden dominating apple trees. They will have this year, then sadly, chopped down when both gardens are levelled.

I believe they were gifts from old owner to his wife many years ago 🙁

Meh.

Just made a start on ours this weekend..
We only bought the hosue last year, so its all a bit of a blank canvas apparently.

The wife has been busy buying plants, and running around with a sketch pad.

I’m just there for labour..

Even the Eric helped out..

And yeah, I’ve seen the slipped tile… 😳

I like the monkey puzzle 😀

Do you really want a massive f-off tree in the middle of that garden in years to come?

We cleared our garden last week. Some seeds out in trays atm – might have to bring them in this weekend, frost is forecast.

Do you live next to Sherwood forest?

(Cool dog 😀 )

Do you really want a massive f-off tree in the middle of that garden in years to come?

Well at least you get the pleasure of cutting it down and creating an STW wood pile!

Wood store by brf, on Flickr

Just made a start on ours this weekend..
We only bought the hosue last year, so its all a bit of a blank canvas apparently.

The wife has been busy buying plants, and running around with a sketch pad.

I’m just there for labour..

Its already looking good. But you might want to relocate that Monkey Puzzle to the bottom of the garden.

been turning more of our garden over to fruit & veg. trampoline has gone, which helps. No immediate pics but last year, was potatoes, various brassicas, some fruit trees newly planted (after old plum tree died a death and had to be dug out), rhubarb, beetroot, strawberries (plenty of those), raspberries, and a greenhouse to house tomatoes, chillis (still got some jam made from last years), herbs… I like my garden..

oh and some flowers and shrubs and tings…

My big success last year was making the garden more Bee friendly. A lavender hedge was a great success:

Bees on Lavender by brf, on Flickr

and a load of Phacelia behind the workshop

Bee on Phacelia by brf, on Flickr

Grass, about an acre of it. Bit less this year, as building a shed for the mower. Oh, and weeds. The mrs’s has some veggies, and trying to get the kids to grow some, but they just like digging in dirt.

Unfortunately, as the weather gets better, I have to commit every other Sunday to garden duties, so less time for riding.

Well at least you get the pleasure of cutting it down and creating an STW wood pile!

Yeah, I only have a little log store at the minute…
Holds about 2 cubic meters of wood…

The garden isn’t my domain, my wife does whatever she wants in it, which generally involves short lived things with flowers on.

I have an allotment, which I have hops, gooseberries, strawberries, black currants, white currants and raspberries on a permanent basis, and currently have growing 2 types of broads (early and main crop) purple sprouting broccoli and the tail end of some Kale from last year, just lifted the last parsnips, first sowing of turnips, carrots and radish went in at the weekend, with 2 week sowings from now on. Planning for more parsnips, more carrots, bean and peas and some cabbage, planning to add a brassica cage to fight of the birds next winter.

My big success last year was making the garden more Bee friendly

I’ve got plenty of lavender, but that Phacelia looks nice.

My “lawn” is mainly moss in winter and clover in summer. So last summer I let the clover flower, which was great for attracting bees. Made walking around barefoot a bit of a gamble though 🙁

I’ve just ordered two mahoosive bamboo plants that will just get bigger but will fit nicely in the corner of the garden, I’ve been calling it my japanese garden for two years and finally will have something vaguely oriental in it, they’ll go with the stone buddha, stone bench under a large old apple tree. I’ve ordered clumping varieties to help them stay single specimens but before I plant them I will need to dig a hole and line it with the bamboo barrier plastic to make sure… these are bamboos that end up with 3 inch wide canes inside a couple of years. fab.

The “lawn” currently consists of moss, clover, chives, dandelions, ragwort, some grass and other, unknown plants. At least it’s green.

I do gardens for a living and don’t have the energy to really look after my own properly, but I do have 4 veg beds at the back and there are strawberries and herbs going from previous years. This year I’m going to be sowing peas, french beans, a couple of pumpkins for the wife, lettuces, radish, rocket, carrots, potatoes and parsley, filling in gaps around the garden with little patches of berhs here and there. I simply can’t be bothered with indoor propogation, and as I don’t currently have a greenhouse I have to choose things that can be sown direct. I admit the pumpkins will need started indoors but that should be it.

I also want a few more small shrubs and perennials in the front garden as that really should be an advert for the business! Hoping that the plum tree gives fruit this year (it didn’t last year as it had been moved in the autumn before). The apple tree fruits fairly well and this year should be even more productive. I do enjoy having some fresh stuff to eat, esp. herbs. I am going to grow big batches of parsley and freeze them this year too.

I do enjoy having some fresh stuff to eat, esp. herbs. I am going to grow big batches of parsley and freeze them this year too.

Oh yes! Plenty of ‘erbs growing for me as well. Currently made up of chives, basil, bay, thyme, sage and parsley. Need to get some coriander in there as well, I think.

Raised beds went in last year

Raised beds and path by ebygomm, on Flickr

We had a pretty good year considering the late start although won’t bother with celeriac again. Pumpkins being put somewhere else as they took over last year. Otherwise we are doing peas, beans, carrots, parsnips, potatoes and leeks.

rocket (obv) tomatoes, potatoes, onions, carrots, cucumbers, enough Scotch Bonnets to feed the world, runner beans (nom nom), catnip, beetroot, strawberries, blueberries, coriander, radishes, cabbage

Random herbs esp basil, thyme, mint

I actually mowed the lawn on Sunday.

Got plenty of strawberries, so will be making hanging baskets from several plants and making them into presents.
Rhubarb
purple flowering broccoli is yummy atm
spinach
raspberry canes were cut back a few weeks ago and showing signs of growth
small apple tree.

In the next few weeks is sowing time for tomatoes, cucumber, leeks, peas, beans and maybe some pakchoi.

Not growing potatoes this year as I can buy them cheaply.

Herbs are growing well, must tackle the runaway mint though.

maybe some pakchoi.

is that easy to grow? I love pakchoi.

I haven’t grown it myself, however a friend did and she said it was really easy.

Raised beds?
Yeah, I’ve built some of them too…

Just need to paint the house now.. 😳

Even Esme was impressed.

We can’t seem to grow strawberries in out garden. Too wet I think.

We can’t seem to grow strawberries in out garden. Too wet I think.

Pop the plants into pots, planters or hanging baskets.