The Sun

I think I'll be fine in a couple of months when the sun gets around to visiting my garden. 1st winter here so we had no idea that we would have no sun at this time of the year. Bulbs still looking good and green but still no flowers.

 

Johnny, my front garden is south facing and my back garden is north facing. I have done very well these past 2 years since I moved here. pond life is doing fine and I so is my veg patch and flowers. I also grow bananas in the north facing garden and dont bother to take them in and they do very well in the summer.

 

All these posts are making me feel better, just need to see those bulbs flower though for confirmation. It's like watching paint dry, I keep looking out each morning from my kitchen window in hope. LOL Also put in a bird table with various feeders and no birds yet either, probably thinking to cold and dark in that garden we'll go to the sunny spot opposite :D

 

Its still a tad early for bulbs other than snowdrops to flower - my daffs are only just in bud. However as all the goodness they need is in the bulb, there will be no trouble flowering this year, irrespective of light - however ensure you leave the leaves to die back naturally. They fatten the bulb for next year.

 

Thanks Fran The bulbs are snowdrops and still looking good and green, I can tell they want to flower they're just waiting till I'm not looking

 

My snowdrops are only just beginning to open and I'm a long way south of you, Johnny. They will be fine and a joy to behold! Birds can take a while to get used to new feeders. They like to check out the area for possible predators etc and a neighour may already be feeding them. A great book is Tony Soper's Bird Table Book. A variety of foods is best - suet balls and sunflower hearts score tops with my bird visitors

 

Thanks Hornbeam , will try the sunflower hearts. We have suet balls, bird seed and nut feeders for them at the moment and water but they just turn their noses up, to dark and cold for them in our overcast plot

 

Well they should be showing signs of flower buds, if the leaves are green and up. When did you plant them?

 

Late summer or autumn. Look healthyish.

 

And unless my eyes deceive me some flower buds showing.

 

Had a close look and one or two look promising. Some of the bulbs to the left are from the last owners, so could be a few nice surprises as well.

 

Always a good idea to wait and see what you have inherited from previous owners. Then you might want to look at some ideas for garden designs in magazines and books. Leaving aside trendy tosh, you might find a move away from a rectagonal lawn and narrow borders more exciting and will give you more room for plants :D

 

Tiny amount of sunlight after 3:15 pm today 5 foot up the fence so another month may even get to ground level :rolleyes: When plant descriptions say partially shaded would that be a good description of this garden, as even if no full sunlight at the moment it is still very light?

 

Looking good! I like the curved bed on the left and the graveled one on the right. It looks bright and many plants will do well. Looking forward to seeing how it developes. The sun is going to get much higher in summer. Don't worry.

The fences are very high, but as they are in good condition you will want to keep them. Presumably they were put at that height to give privacy

 

Thanks Hornbeam, yes the fences where already there and they do provide a lot of privacy. It's hard to see from the picture but the gravel to the back is also full of plants that will become a hedge of Firethorn, Holly, Skimmia and a few little plants as well.

One of the snowdrops definitely has a white flower ready to open now, though it looks a little straggly, but even better news, the birds have started using the bird table. A massive pigeon cam for breakfast with his friend stood on the fence watching so hopefully other birds will follow.