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Any Advice for Theoretical Method for starting Gardening?

(9 Posts)
MercedesYang Sun 27-Jan-13 13:35:17

I have a secret garden on the field at the back of our yard.
I plant potatoes, cabbage etc. on the patch, some roses are still planted there, well, I do not take the soil conditions into consideration, just plant everything I like, and what surprised my most is that the majority of them would survive, but I still don't know how, perhaps the magical nature helps a lot!
I guess I should learn more related things to plant them with scientific methods, well, guys, is there any practical advice for me to have a good start on learning some theoretical method?

whenim64 Sun 27-Jan-13 14:04:43

Don't go all practical Mercedes! That's my advice, for what it's worth. I have a secret garden, too. I have to walk through the outhouse at the end of my kitchen garden to get to it. It can't be seen from my house, and is a magical place where new things spring up by themselves, thanks to the birds and animals that inhabit it. I just go in and tidy it up, knowing that foxes have given birth there, birds have nested in peace, hedgehogs are watching me as I move about, and the tawny owls who sit in one of the trees over this place want to ensure I don't banish the little creatures they feed on. My grandchildren love it - there are stepping stones covered in moss that I put there for each child, a small table and chairs if they want a little picnic, and they can play safely in the belief that they are the only ones who know about it. Plants thrive without my intervention - I just cut back the honeysuckle, do a bit of weeding, prune a few plants and strim a bit of rough grass.

hummingbird Sun 27-Jan-13 14:40:39

When can I come and live at your house, please!

whenim64 Sun 27-Jan-13 15:15:40

It's a great garden hummingbird. I disturbed the vixen one spring when I moved in here a few years ago, but she kept coming back. I've seen her dragging a cooked chicken carcass over my fence when she must have had cubs, but I couldn't see where she had hidden them. Mind you, she did p*ss me off when I planted 20 asparagus crowns in the kitchen garden and I came down one morning to find her digging them all out again! grin

merlotgran Sun 27-Jan-13 15:31:19

*Mercedes, One of the my favourite gardening books is the late Geoff Hamilton's 'Cottage Gardens'. Secret gardens are a joy and this book gives plenty of planting advice for keeping a natural look.

Nelliemoser Sun 27-Jan-13 15:59:55

Mercedes Its "Guerilla gardening!" Did you hear today's Gardeners Question Time on Radio 4 today. someone was talking about planting stuff in relation to the phases of the moon. The principle on which it supposed to work is that just as the moons phases affect the tides they can also affect the water levels in the soil.

I think a lot of gardening sucess depends on the type of soil and the local climate. Sandy soil can get far too dry, Clay soil can get far too wet. See what grows well and plant that if things fail miserably dont plant them again.
Have fun.

MercedesYang Mon 28-Jan-13 09:25:19

Wow~ Thanks When, description on your garden is so sweet that I have to admit life there is really close to nature, well, i need an environment like that, thanks for your advice, i would keep it in mind to not change it into some practical one, keep it in a free growth state! Thanks for your good advice again! smile

MercedesYang Mon 28-Jan-13 09:28:31

Thanks, Merlotgran, I would search Amazon to find teh book Geoff Hamilton's 'Cottage Gardens you recommend, I love ideas of secret garden since I am s child! smile Thanks for your advice! smile

MercedesYang Mon 28-Jan-13 09:33:59

Thanks Nelliemoser for your advice, first time to hear about the idea that planting stuff is in relation to the phases of the moon, it is total new idea for me, I would check it, and i would have some systematical learning on ideas of soil, climate, water, heat, temperature etc., which is related closely with their growth. Thanks for your advie! smile