Gardening corner 2018 season!???

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

I have heavy clay so mine is still too wet to do anything. Once it's dry enough I shall cut back old growth, weed, fork over and add grit, compost, leaf mould, manure and then top dress with shredded wood from last year's tree pruning.
In flower at the moment, Tete a Tete daffodils, hellebore and surprisingly coming into flower an orange Geum! Hope it hasn't gone over by the time I get out there!

Ugh - hate gardening, but can't bear an untidy garden, so weeding the front beds is the first priority and then chopping some brushwood from last autumn for next winter's kindling.

Planting or sowing whatever I can afford that will, I hope, take up as much room as possible in the flower beds.

I am seriously considering putting down wood chips or the like in the flower beds.

Looking into the price of paving stones to pave path and driveway.

Hi mcem - I have a 13 year old acer palmatum which is in a very large pot on my south/east facing balcony/patio. It has thrived. Not sure that north exposure would work, and the west afternoon sun might be too harsh. I've repotted mine three times as the little tree got bigger. Its now well over 6 ft tall, and yesterday I saw the tiny little buds have appeared. My personal sign of spring!

Sorry Kacee that you’re feeling low, hopefully some time in the fresh air and sun(?) will be a tonic.
Start with small jobs so you can see the results quickly.
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My garden is small but I have had some bags of compost delivered and dug over the flower beds. I'm not going to plant anything in them until after this weekend in case it snows (as the forecast predicts)
I have a blue lace-cap hydrangea which is coming into bud after hard pruning last autumn and peach coloured roses which have a glorious perfume all summer long.
My winter Christmas rose is still blooming in a tub but everything else is on hold.
I did treat myself to a small greenhouse in the Autumn sales last year and plan to have tomatoes, raspberries, salad stuff and a few new potatoes in there.
I also have orange and lemon 'trees' which withstood the poor weather and have been repotted into larger planters.
Much to look forward to in 2018.

Planting 120 Freesia bulbs my daughter kindly sent me for Mother's Day.

Desperate here to get out into the garden, it is a walled city garden with mature trees, and as it has rained here since December resembles a swamp.
DD went out this afternoon but just sank into the 'grass'.
Even thinking of buying Wellies so I can do something.

sarah I bought some Cornus Midwinter Fire 2 years ago after I saw them in the winter garden at the Cambridge Botanical Gardens. They are spectacular aren’t they?
They are being a bit slow to get going & I’m hoping they will make a bit of an effort this year!
kacee I hope you find some nice little flowery surprises under the dead leaves and your garden is therapeutic for you ?