New Year gardening plans.

Try Hellebores, Granmaretto? They like the shade. You can get beautiful double ones now.

lovebeigecardigans1955 yes I think they would. I looked at it today while I took the photo and noticed a valerian coming up through the grass. They are thugs in my garden.
There were perhaps 2 lonely tulips and a daffodil earlier this year.
I thought I should put netting over the bulbs to prevent squirrel attack.
I'll prepare the ground and keep you updated.

I'm by no means an expert Grammaretto but would shade-lovers like woodland plants be happy there? Maybe violets, bluebells, little daffodils, bugloss, ajuga are some of my suggestions.

A Happy New Year to all GN s.
Yesterday I went to look inside the greenhouse, which is tidy and waiting for spring, but I soon closed the door again and decided to look again in March, I live in Sweden,no gardening until late March or April, but I can still look forward to it.

I'm also enjoying this thread. What luxury to read and see your beautiful gardens while I recline on my sofa nursing my sciatica.
I'm now going to spoil the effect by posting the plot I need help/advice with.
Last spring I waited for the crocus/fritillary/tiny narcissis and other bulbs, which I'd planted, to appear. They didn't. I think squirrels ate the bulbs.
Can you suggest anything I could do to create a flowery bank this year?
It is not brilliant soil, under a yew tree, so it is dry but I thought Spring bulbs at least, would thrive.

Oh what lovely pics, Lisa

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Got me rootling through last years pics of the garden now

This is such a lovely thread, I’m reading it as I get over the lurgy and it’s making me want to be out in the garden!
Soon be seed sowing time. Hurrah!
I’m hoping my last year’s cuttings and seedlings from perennials will get through the next bit of winter. They’re in a cold frame and tucked into corners, but often the bad weather arrives in January and February.
I will definitely post a picture of the Begonia cascade! I’m now challenged to make it happen. ?

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There’s an article in “the simple things” magazine, which I’ve been reading at my daughters, by Lucy Bellamy / editor of “Gardens Illustrated” magazine and author of a new book “A garden from scratch in a year”. Some good ideas for a new garden.

I’m a nurturer, and striver after the cottage garden effect. But we moved in Aug and ‘new’ garden had many thuggish overgrown shrubs in borders together with spindly old lilac and laburnum. Hard heartedly got rid of the lot so now have a clean canvas to fill. Great pleasure to find the beginnings of a carpet of snowdrops revealed Lily of the valley will never grow for me, hard as I try.

Lisagran
It looks lovely. I could see myself sitting on that chair, bees humming and the sun warming my face...and a nice cuppa to drink whilst I relax.

dirgni
It looks much more settled than one just 3.5 years old and I like the curved path. Also, seeing the allium reminds me that I could use them as height in a small corner bed.

littleflo
Would you kindly tell me the name of the acer in the photo and can it be planted in a tin?
Thank you.

Changed what looked like a prison yard when I first rented this flat into a chequerboard planting with gold/green foliage (evergreen) and 120 crocus/bluebells, fritillaria now planted (and coming up already!). In the tiny border that can only be seen from the back and not from indoors, removed all the horrible slate, introduced some worms (!), liriope muscari, jap anemones, echinacea and lots of ferns and grasses. Look forward to it all coming to fruition this year! Can't wait! (And made a 'seat' from the spare paving slabs and three lengths of decking timber!

My garden is only 3.5 years old! Looking out at it this winter l have plans to remove and replant a lacklustre clematis and take out a bamboo to give my acer more room!

I am getting a "grow table" as a late Xmas present, although at this stage, in my novice state, I know not quite what to do with them! I am hoping I might be able to cultivate my own seeds for plants for the garden this year - especially sweet peas. I have no idea when or how to proceed with this, but I am hoping to learn as I go along.

Any brilliant suggestions very gratefully received!!!

Perhaps one of your new year resolutions could be to get Lucky growing some plants from seed for the first time!

Up to now my trailing geraniums are flourishing. Wall to wall sunshine here in Wirral a fine day for tidying the garden and stripping the brown spears from the agapanthus.

Happy New Year to all.
When we first moved to Wales 12 years ago we were thrilled to have 1/3rd acre to play with and went mostly self-sufficient in fruit and veg. Even considered getting a bit more land to space the fruit trees out better but that didn't, fortunately, happen.
Now we are finding all the care needed to maintain the produce side of things (I have done reasonably well in one of the local shows over the years) and trying to keep on top of the flowerbed side of things is getting to be too much. So this autumn we have abandoned the topmost section, hidden behind a shed, to another gigantic compost heap area and moved all the fruits that were up there, and their cage, down into the main part of the back garden. No more homegrown spuds for us, not worth the effort.Fruit is much more self sufficient we've found.
Out the front will be more 'lawn' (easier to mow than to weed) and fewer beds. More shrubs and fewer fiddly flowers (except in the myriad of tubs and pots that keep me busy every spring and autumn.
Ah, the joys of getting older.

We've a brand-new home with a (small) brand-new garden, all around it. Our aim is to create an easy-maintenance and wildlife-friendly garden. There's turf, and we've just had mixed hedging planted (hawthorn/holly) plus some shrubs and two small Rowan trees. Plus a couple of raised beds: one for herbs and the other for bee/butterfly friendly flowers. Roll on spring!

Happy New Year to you GabriellaG and all other Gransnetters, hope you all have good year. Looking forward to lighter nights, the arrival of Spring, and the promise of plenty to do in the garden.

Thanks for sharing your plans
I planted a large wooden tub with dozens of lillies last year and only one bulb flowered. Unfortunately it got waterlogged as, although I filled it with new compost, I forgot to raise it on bricks so that it could drain and it became a swimming pool after all the rain we had
I have a small 'greenhouse' (4 deep shelves with a plastic cover in which my herbs and mini orange and lemon 'trees' have sheltered and ideally, I'd like to grow cherry tomatoes and a small number of veg, carrots, pots and onions. I have no real idea what I'm doing and rely on Google and YouTube regarding the when to buy and plant.
J52
The étagère sounds very Downtown Abbey. I hope you post a photo of the cascading begonias later in the year.
lemongrove
Lucky you having a tree.
Acres? I wish. It's small, no lawn, only gravel, a couple of beds and lots of tubs. Easy to maintain and, as it's a rented property, the gravel is maintained at a good depth and exterior paintwork and lighting was renewed last year was was the guttering.
Niobe
Camellias and Magnolia sound lovely...er..bindweed and dandelions...not so much.
MissAdventure
What a beautiful idea. What colours did your daughter like? Perhaps you could have a little statuette or tiny water bowl for birds in the middle surrounded by whatever plants you choose. Aldi and Lidl sell reasonably priced garden ornaments, it depends on your taste and size of tub. Let me know how you get on. It will be a year round reminder of the love you shared.
Greyduster
Rock gardens. My mum had one and spent many happy hours tending the plants in and around it. I can still see it in my minds eye from where I used to sit under the veranda...now that's not something you see many of nowadays, a metal and glass veranda.
That's a fine objective kittylester
I do attend as many open garden days as I possibly can, even travelling some distance if it's possible to marry it up with an afternoon tea.
To the ladies who are moving pots about and waiting to see what surprises bloom this spring, that's the beauty of nature. The wind carries seeds, birds drop seeds and bees pollinate flowers so a few surprises can be a good thing.
It's a warm day here in SWSurrey. Blue skies, sunshine, just the ticket for getting out n about...after another coffee and maybe a biscuit.

We downsized (house and garden) a few years ago. Smallish garden now - but we’re right on the edge of town, so “borrow the landscape”. I love the cottage garden effect. Hope to find good replacements this year for 2 plants that have died off - a Photinia and a Ceonothus.
Happy New Year to all

I tend to nurture what I've got but in future I'd really like to get rid of the lawn and replace it with nice cobbles and trellis with climbing plants and low growing cover for much of the rest - things which look nice but don't need to much fussing over. This will have to wait though as it's not a priority just yet.

Lily of the valley a must this year, in a tub rather than randomly planted. I like strong-smelling fragrant plants and shrubs.

Am afraid that although I would love a plan, I often see a plant or some bulbs and MUST have it or them! Am trying to stick with pink, white and blue, but am easily tempted away from my plans. ?