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Gardening corner 2018 season!???

(193 Posts)
J52 Tue 13-Mar-18 14:32:03

Just thought I’d start a new thread for this year. What’s everyone up to in the garden?
Just had a happy hour or two tidying up, sowing a few seeds and listening to the birds sing.

tessagee Wed 14-Mar-18 16:11:15

Kacee, it's YOUR garden now so just work at it little and often and you'll be surprised at how it develops. Every weed you pull out is a trouble dumped.

Enjoy and my very best wishes to you.

hereshoping Wed 14-Mar-18 16:21:26

At present we have a building site at the back of our garden, This afternoon they cut down the trees at the back which we had hoped that they would leave. So very noisy and the view has completely changed, but on the plus side there is a lot more light in the garden, though not for long as there will be a new house very close.
The frogs are very active in the pond and we should see frog spawn soon. Funny how you never see frogs at any other time of the year.
I'm a bit of a fair weather gardener so far too cold for me as yet.

Luckygirl Wed 14-Mar-18 16:22:55

Kacee - one step at a time. I am sure as the spring creeps up on us some little surprises will peep through the soil to gladden your heart.

blue60 Wed 14-Mar-18 17:50:40

Sowing seeds is my priority, and looking at the garden to see what needs to be improved, moved or dug out!

I have also taken an allotment since February and yesterday we erected a small toolshed and a runner bean wigwam.

I am lucky because the previous tenant left it in a really good state, so minimal digging and no clearing required!

Jalima1108 Wed 14-Mar-18 17:55:29

The snow 2 weeks ago & freezing rain have killed all the new buds on my hardy (perennial) fuchsias.
I usually chop them right back in March Legs55 (it makes DH very nervous)

This year the weather hasn't been fit for me to do it so I intend to get out there with my loppers asap.

Jalima1108 Wed 14-Mar-18 17:56:58

I've just read the rest of your post - I pruned the roses right back just before the snow - hoping they will be OK now.

Happysexagenarian Wed 14-Mar-18 21:51:27

I've spent the last two days attacking - I mean pruning - a tall windbreak hedge at one side of our garden. It overshadows the border in front of it, so I've been trying to thin it out a bit to let more light through. Now I have an absolute mountain of debris for chipping. And I also need to sharpen my clippers and loppers. We also have a lot of dead material to clear away after the winter, and a few shrubs have been earmarked for relocation or removal. The Daffodils and Narcissus are beginning to flower in abundance soon to be joined by the Grape Hyacinths and Tulips. I love this time of year.

Jalima1108 Your Rozanne Geranium will be fine. Mine look like that every winter and then they recover and flower spectacularly throughout the summer & autumn.

merlotgran Wed 14-Mar-18 22:12:38

Who was giving the talk, Jalima? I'm a huge fan of no dig (Charles Dowding) and some flower farmers are now doing the same.

We're half and half here. I have completely gone over to no dig in the vegetable garden - last year's produce was very successful but DH will never give up his rotovator so I leave him with the potatoes! Once a farmer, always a farmer. grin

Kacee Thu 15-Mar-18 08:23:08

Thanks for your kind comments. I have been on my own a while now but somehow the state of the garden has got to me this year. Getting the lawn to look half decent is my priority

ClaraB Thu 15-Mar-18 09:51:40

Keep looking at the wet and soggy garden but have had a few health problems lately and it will have to wait. Bought two lovely new pots yesterday though so that when I can get out there I can plant up my new standard rose (birthday present). Have so enjoyed reading all your comments and sorry to hear you are having to tackle your garden on your own Kacee. Although not on my own, my husband has no interest at all in the garden but does tell me if he thinks something needs cutting back or is untidy which is very annoying.

henetha Thu 15-Mar-18 10:10:24

I tried begonias last year for the first time and they were lovely, so I've just planted some new tubers in pots. Not sure how hardy they are so am lugging them into the porch every night. I'm tidying pots ready for summer plants and generally sorting things out. Managed to cope with buying a new bag of compost, dragging it in and out of the car boot.
Every sympathy Kacee. It's not easy is it. My lawn is a huge problem too. It's full of moss and very patchy.

Luckygirl Thu 15-Mar-18 10:50:18

My lawn might better be defined as a green space! Thankfully I have no desire to have an immaculate lawn - just as well.

merlotgran Thu 15-Mar-18 11:02:18

The molehills have been so bad on our lawn this year that I've managed to fill two new raised beds with the beautifully sieved soil they've given me.

The grass is a sorry looking mess now with so many flattened brown patches and we're due more horrible weather so we're going to be even more behind.

Ho Hum.

J52 Thu 15-Mar-18 11:19:39

henetha it is really too early for the Begonias to be put out. Each year, I save the tubers in a dark dry place (garage) and then put them in big pots around now. They then need to stay in a cool light place, greenhouse, porch, or conservatory until about May, when the frost is over.
They can be susceptible to vine weevil, I put nematodes to destroy them on the soil.

goldengirl Thu 15-Mar-18 11:27:26

DH bought me a raised covered planting box and I've bought some veggie type seeds to plant. But I've yet to push myself to get out and do something about them!!! My excuse being the cold weather. Hopefully reading the posts on this thread will act as encouragement grin

Greengage Thu 15-Mar-18 11:52:36

I love my green space (garden) and always feel happy when I spend time working out there. I don't like digging and weeding so my garden is lawn, bushes, trees and some pots. I share my garden with nature so it is not smart and manicured but the lawns and hedges get cut, trees and rose bushes etc. get pruned when necessary. It is a small green lung in suburbia and I love it, as do the birds, foxes and squirrels.

farview Thu 15-Mar-18 13:08:51

ClaraB think your H and mine may be long lost two s grin

farview Thu 15-Mar-18 13:09:25

Twins not twos blasted phone!!!

Tilly1234 Tue 20-Mar-18 10:41:11

Yay! Frogspawn in our little pond ???

J52 Tue 20-Mar-18 10:49:45

Great to see the frogspawn. The frogs in my pond have been enjoying themselves. Not yet seen the results, I think it’s in the depths!
I’d almost forgotten the warm spring days watching the tadpoles!

Tilly1234 Tue 20-Mar-18 11:19:00

I know, I’m so pleased to see the frogspawn. We’ve had it previous years - but oddly, last year, there wasn’t any.

whitewave Tue 20-Mar-18 11:33:39

Just fed the soft fruit.

Have potted up some alpine dianthus to grow on for my gravel garden

Also potted up some plug plants for summer pots. They’ve gone up!! Last year I think they were something like £7 for 8 this year £10!! That is a huge rise.

Waiting for the ground to warm up to plant out stuff, like a rose, clematis etc.

MaizieD Tue 20-Mar-18 11:59:44

My largeish pond is usually heaving with amorous frogs by this time of year. To date I've seen about half a dozen and we have one clump of frogspawn. I'm just hoping that they've been waiting for better weather...

Jalima1108 Tue 20-Mar-18 17:13:38

Perhaps they know what's coming at Easter ...

Cherrytree59 Tue 20-Mar-18 17:44:12

Jalima what is coming after easter?shock
Please say its good news

Its sooo cold we still have bits of snow in our garden.
I had a gift of pansies, yet to be planted also some primulas.
Bulbs and seeds to be planted
Grandsons have seeds that they wish to plant with a little help.
They are having a little plastic greenhouse for Easter?