Beware planting ivy & conifers.

Hi,

Many thanks Logan; I hope so; I need to do as much as possible in the garden today because for the next three days we're in for another splash of rain;



Typical Yorkshire weather at its best. It does the weeds a power of good.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Yes we're due for some rain the rest of the week.

 

Hi,

Your newly planted borders will appreciate the rain Logan saving you watering.

At last I'm having a minute; I was out early this morning to resume hostilities against the ivy and what a morning; knocking off for dinner at at midday I'd filled another nine bin bags with ivy and assorted shrubs/plants; what an horrible job this was.


Filling bin bags.

This ivy is horrible and there's a lot of it.

I've cleared a lot down to ground level but I'm in trouble when I start to dig because of the stumps and roots; this ivy covered everything above ground level and is just as bad with its root system beneath the surface; I also removed some big shrubs so their roots will have to come out too. Laurels next to attack.

After dinner get my lovely wife settled with glass of water; mug of tea and hot water bottle; do the dishes then it was another trip to the tip to dump this morning debris before the heavy rain arrives later today; from the tip to the pharmacy to collect a prescription; from the pharmacy go to the petrol station; fuel the car with diesel and also fill a gallon container with petrol for the garden machines and back home; I'm working flat out and can't work harder or faster; it never lets up but I don't have time to be bored; it all keeps me fit and active.

English Cottage Garden Border

Has anyone tried the above supplier; I'm looking at what to plant once I've cleared everything; I want a cottage garden border; our front garden is excellent but we don't see it hence I'm now creating new borders in the rear garden so my wife can enjoy them from our kitchen window. I'm sure you'd love tackling this job Logan given the amount of hard work you put in with your own borders.

The new digital cordless phone arrived together with extension phone lead also the Ethernet cable; I need to run both these under the bungalow allowing the phone to be located in our front room also to connect my computer to the newly installed BT gear then fingers crossed I'll be online with BT for the next two years pleased to get rid of Virgin Media; I'll do the cables tomorrow when I'm fully charged. Tea time soon then after tea perhaps a violin practice; whoopee.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi Colin
Yes we have the rain and it's heavy.

Good work with the ivy, when it's trailing on the ground in my garden i pull it and a lot comes up. Still haven't got it all out, i think just have to have it under control.

I haven't heard of English Cottage Garden Border.

 

Hi Colin 9 plants for £125 and only 1 l pots. Sounds expensive for what are very basic unspecified plants. Try Farmyard nurseries - I can actually visit them, but they do mail order and I find them reasonable - especially for standard cottage garden things

 

Actually even places like Morrison and Lidl stock those sorts of things in the spring - dirt cheap

 

Hi,

Thanks @Logan ; yes give ivy a good pull and it comes out like rope; you'll get all your ivy out if you keep at it.

Many thanks @CarolineL for your useful information; I just noticed the site whilst browsing English garden borders for ideas; we have a large garden center nearby called Hampson's;

Hampsons Plantworld

I can copy the names of border plants then pop over to Hampson's; I think I'm more of a lumberjack than a gardeners but I'm keen to create some beautiful borders for my wonderful wife to look at from our patio & kitchen window; she's unable to enjoy the wildflower meadows up the rear garden and looking down on the front garden is blocked by honeysuckle; during flowering I do drive her to the lane adjacent to the top of our rear garden to let her see the wildflowers.

This morning it was rain and the forecast stated lots more rain to come but after dinner the rain quit and the sun put in an appearance; this was all I needed to put my short wellies on and get stuck into more clearing this time laurels and shrubs; I've just returned from the tip having taken a full load; stumps & roots next which I'm eagerly looking forward to; eventually I'll see actual soil.


Ivy; laurels & shrubs to attack this afternoon.

View from above.

Shrubs including yet another self seeded holly.

I can't believe how quickly I flattened them and run them to the tip; I can now concentrate on getting the ground ready for planting which won't be a light job considering the laurel roots; still lots of ivy to clear too.

I can install the computer and phone cables when it's raining; I thought it more important to get stuck into clearing this area of garden; winter will soon be upon us hence trying to get on top of this garden job. I stopped sleeping years ago I just drop into a coma each night. No gym membership for me.

Kind regards, Colin.