Hi everyone, new forum member from Dorset

Hi everyone,

I just joined the forum and wanted to introduce myself.

I'm completely new to gardening apart from growing a few plants in containers on a balcony.

I have a little patch now in a communal garden which to so much work last year to dig up the brambles and ivy it was unreal. I am trying to create a cottage garden effect even though my patch isn't very big so help and advice from other members will be wonderful as I am totally lost.

I've learned one thing so far - there's a bush at the back side of my patch which is giving too much shade for my sweet peas to grow so thats my first lesson learnt!

 

Hello there and Welcome.

 

Welcome here CGL. I am sure you will get lots of advice!

 

Welcome TO GC cgl, if you can put a couple of pics up here it would help. It's quite easy.
You are in a beautiful county although I am slightly biased.:D

 

Hi

Well I had thought on putting a couple of pics on but the patch is a total mess. I am literally a beginner and had some really nice yellow 'plants' grow very fast and very tall. It was windy so me and my hubby went down and staked it up as the wind was about to take it over. There we were out in the wind and rain lovingly staking up these beautiful yellow flowers only to be told later they are weeds that will take over the whole place !!!!! We felt like total idiots but we learned about those yellow flowers very fast.

I think we went about it completely the wrong way. We bought a ton of bulbs and sowed packet upon packet of different seeds so when things were starting to grow, we didn't know which were weeds and which were plants. The only thing which has really succeeded was flax which grew from seeds and we have a couple of small californian poppies. I put some sweet peas at the back of the patch but the bush stopped the sun getting to them so they haven't done a lot.

We are going out to try to weed a bit today and will take a couple of pics of the mess.

We think we need to start from scratch again but put in plants rather than bulbs and seeds.

 

If you like it it's not a weed & it's quite trendy to grow "wild flowers". A tip for seeds is to mix them with sand and sprinkle them in a straight line, if something comes up outside the line you didn't plant it. Grow whatever you want & don't be put off by people who have different ideas, Some of my favourite flowers are weeds, poppys foxgloves, fox & cubs(& that has taken over) even bindweed is pretty when you look at it & nettles are great for butterflies (or should that be catterpillars) enjoy your garden.

 

It's great to be part of a community who are so friendly - thank you so much for making me feel welcome.

We went out and did a little bit of weeding but pains got too bad so had to stop. We've noticed a white flower come up but cant remember if it was something we planted. We are hoping it's not bind weed as it is white, faces upwards and is like a sort of bell.

We will take a picture of it and post it then perhaps someone can help?

 

Hi CGL, welcome to GC, Hmmm!! your white flower does indeed sound very much like bindweed but will reserve judgement till you post a photo. if it is bindweed you will
need to dig it out of the soil, try to avoid leaving any pieces of root behind or it will regrow.

Regards Pete