Hello!

Hi all!

I actually joined the forum last year but only properly gardening and posting now. Complete novice (part from some expertise in battling brambles). Here are some before and in-progress photos of my garden. Obviously still a long way to go!

I'm hoping to plant rose bushes, small trees and bushes, and jasmine next year, and also pot herbs and small fruits/veg this spring. Also planning on revamping the patio and shed.

It's been a (back-breaking) blessing during lockdown.

Cheers,
Shy

 

:spring:Welcome Shy ... looks like you joined almost three years ago ... but glad you have found us again.
You have definitely done some impressive work on getting rid of your brambles. I look forward to seeing how you progress.

 

Thanks Victoria.

Having a great time gardening so far - spotted parrots, foxes, common toad, a cheeky robin and almost ate a weed I thought might be wild garlic! (I didn't, I'm okay, lol.)

At the moment I'm laying down cardboard and mulching!

 

Hi Shy. Where are you located that you spotted parrots and foxes?

Don't ever eats bulbs ... a real no, no unless you know for sure they are onions!

 

I'm in Enfield in London.

Apparently parrots are everywhere now - I remember seeing them in south London more than ten years ago.

Wrt to the foxes, we have a fairly large open space right behind the garden (and a couple of other parks nearby). I've seen them out on the streets in our neighbourhood as well.

And gosh, I didn't realise I and joined the forum that long ago. All this time I've wanted to sort out the backyard jungle

 

Welcome back Shy. This is probably what you are seeing, an Indian Ring Necked Parakeet. A number escaped many years ago and they have gradually increased their numbers.

 

Welcome back @Shyamalie Satkunanandan


Yes the Parakeets are a lovely sight but can be a bit of a nuisance. Our family originate from Hampton, Twickenham and the Richmond area and still live there and I always found it fascinating to see such vividly coloured birds in their gardens when visiting as a child. All our sons live up that way now too so we have become somewhat accustomed to these beauties now. When one of our sons was renting in the Canary Wharf area they were absolutely everywhere flocks of them in the trees and they swooped down in vast clusters to feed from the feeders!! Agree , very noisy indeed!!!!

 

Welcome back @Shyamalie Satkunanandan, Enfield has certainly changed since I lived there.
The Parakeets can now be found as far north as Liverpool and a few here in Dorset so they have spread a long way from London.

 

Hello again!

I thought it would be good to post about the progress I made with some photos. I had a lot of fun (and stress!) last year getting rid of all the brambles and other weeds, and trying to propagate and grow different cuttings and plants. After a some success and a lot of dead plants I'm keen to get stuck back in.

I hardly planted anything in the garden last year and kept most things in containers. I wanted to be able to focus on eliminating bramble weeds (and other buggers). But I took advantage of all that space over winter for lots of hardwood rose cuttings and to bury some plant pots to make sure they got water and light after I moved away from my parents' home.

I started composting (using a compost bin from my council) and it looks and smells LOVELY. Not ready yet, but I think it will be towards the end of summer.

This year I'll try growing roses from hip seeds, re-attempt to propagate camellias (failed miserably last year!) and plant rambling/climbing roses. Possibly might grow a few flowers in containers if I can figure out how to get them watered regularly in my abscence. (Anyone recommend a "smart" watering system???) I'll also be trying to restore our very neglected lawn (chock full of low lying weeds, Spanish bluebells and bramble) all summer, and if it's beyond help dig up and seed a new lawn in the autumn.

Of course I have to try and keep the current flowers/plants alive while tackling any leftover weeds. It looks like I've successfully propagated a few hybrid tea and English shrub hardwood rose cuttings, rosemary, and a plant that grew into my garden from the neighbours that I accidentally pulled up. I have no idea what it is, lol. I've also kept alive a couple of baby wild roses, a hydrangea cutting, hopefully a walnut sapling (that hasn't yet sprouted new leaves), peppermint, calingula, garlic chives, a pineberry patch and some jasmine cuttings.

Hopefully, if everything goes well, I'll be able to transplant everything in autumn and it will actually look like a garden! And a big part of that will be because of the help I've been getting from this forum.

THANK YOU!

P.s. RIP borridge, nasturtium, camellia cuttings, a lot of softwood rose cuttings, possibly a walnut sapling, tomato and aubergine plants, and a few others but I can't remember their names!

 

(I haven't spotted/heard the parakeets yet this year.)

 

You've made good progress Shyamalie and with the hard work all but done, you now have planting to look forward too.