my garden progress thread

just a small update:
I dared to plant out my catnip. I put the seedlings off the ground in wall hangers and one of my cats spotted them straightaway - i explained he could have one moments pleasure now or wait till they grow and i'll make a catnip tea - unfortunately he wanted it now so i've covered them in mesh, and they seem to be surviving.

I also bought a pink flying windmill thing - i thought it was cute!
I've also stencilled some bits of wood that need varnishing as a bit of decoration.

Next month I must buy some paint as I feel once I get the garage painted this is going to make a great difference to the overall look.

 

MORNING MGN
JUST TOOK A LOOK AT YOUR NIGHTMARE MY WORD YOU
HAVE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF YOU.
I'D LIKE TO SEE IT WHEN IT'S FINISHED
IT'S GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL

 

Hi David, it's beginning to not seem like so much hard work now - I think it's really coming together (or am I fooling myself haha ) maybe lol
And yes I hope it to be beautiful too, some day in anyways! I'm getting there at least - i think (can you see I am trying to talk myself into thinking it will be piece a cake?!! )

Have got new pics! taken yesterday.
I got my b/f to uplift 3 paving stones from the path and i wood mulched the lot - it looks alot more attractive now and natural. Got my herbs at the side and my lawn no.2 as come on really well.

And also put new compost on the raised bed bit and wood mulched over the ground - I also edged it with white painted stones - I think it kind of gives the impression that I have soil in the garden (which I am lacking) and again a more natural look in my view - I dont want to be looking at concrete if I can help it.

On Saturday I am getting more freebies -some white emulsion to paint the garage with, some compost bags and some plants (hopefully lots of catnip)




this site is really inspiring me through this 'task' which is turning into a 'pleasure'!!

Any ideas anyone may have feel free to say, as sometimes I feel I'm just a bit too regimented with what I'm doing.

untill next time - happy gardening!

 

just dumping some thoughts here:

have just been looking round site of other peoples gardens - i am impressed!
Everyone seems to have flair when doing their gardens - i seem to have none :(
Is it just because i have no flowers yet??
I am starting to feel a bit disheartened with it all at the moment.
i think i'm suffering with gardening anxiety!!
I've been enjoying it - i just wish i could get it all done double quick - i feel there is pressure on me to get it finished and it has to be great.
my b/f is not interested in gardening at all so i dont get any real input like ideas (he lifts heavy things though!) and it's all down to me to make the desicians and get on with it.
does everyone go through this??

:confused: :confused:

just venting

 

Hi mgn , don`t get disheartened , i was like you , don`t know a lot about gardening . we had our back paved last year , hubby did that , but he does`nt like gardening (no interest at all) so i`ve been getting lots of plants all in containers 49 last count :D . don`t know that i`ve got it right but i think its looking good now everything is starting to grow . even hubby goe`s out to have a look around . keep at it you`ll get there :D :D :D

 

OK mgn,

I figured out my digital camera yesterday and tomorrow I will take a picture of my "main mess" and post it for you. Trust me, it will make you feel better!!!

TO

 

awww thanks dancing queen, i think i was having a gardneing breakdown last night haha - i'm over it today though. I saw your thread last night with your twinkling lights! it's looking great i must say! i think you have got it right - it looks right in anyways!!! and isnt it funny how you get one half interested in gardening and one not? I'd love my b/f to have an interest in it - i am going to keep working on him

lol TO do you promise it'll make me feel better? i cant wait to see and not just to make me feel better either! you should open a photobucket account if you havnt posted pictures before then you can delete them if you need to.

Today I got out int he gardening and carried on with it - it made me feel better.
I wood mulched the next part of the right hand side area, hopefully will get another 2 bags tomorrow to finish that part off. Also planted some seeds in pots and my railway sleeper, put some pots on lawn 2 that will be for the cat nip do they can lie on the grass stoned! what else? weeded the patio and sated the cracks so that should be weed free for the next month, and planted the growing nasterniums in where the cat nip had been in the wall pots as 3 of the 4 cat nip pots had vanished!

the wood mulch area

the pots for cat nip on the grass (which is full of weeds btw!)

 

If this has worked mgn you will see what greets you at the entrance to my garden.

TO

 

Oh my God, it worked!!!!

Ok, that is the remains of an old shed with a concrete founation and that is what is stopping me from tackling this:

 

Apologies for posting different messages, I know I could probably get them all in one message - I will learn!

I refer to the above as my wildlife reserve and on a positive I saw my first hedgehog after being here for three years and the swallows love flying above it for insects.



This is the patio outside my bedroom which was a square of broken concrete when I moved in. Now covered with gravel and iron edging. 2 pots of lavender at the front, honeysuckle on the right, rhododendron on the left and you can just see the yellow broom on the left in front of the sweet peas which are going mad at the mo.



Getting carried away now, tried strawberries in a hanging basket this year, looks promising.

TO

 

hey tiggs, just call your gate mess a rockery - i think you could bluff it you know!!! Not looking too bad, get rid of the bricks and you could disguise the base i think - no? you want to start putting 1 brick in your bin on bin day if you need to get rid of them.

your wildlife reserve could pass as a jungle at a pinch - see how lucky you are? a rockery and a jungle!!
I love that whicker and iron fleur-de-lys little fence - very fancy. that areas looking very attractive. quite a suntrap too by the looks of it.
strawberries in a hanging basket - good idea! you've got lovely walls too - looks quite quaint all in all.
Did you grow everything from seed yourself?

There will be no stopping you now you've mastered the art of photobucket!!!
Thanks for sharing TO

 

thats something as well, i cant have hanging baskets as its just too windy a place :(

oh and didnt do much today, just moved some pots around and wood mulched the table slab thing. tomorrow planning on mowing the lawns if it is nice, which it is forcast to be. will be first cut for lawn 2 and will have to try and not get grass on wood mulch as i cant exactly sweep the path now.

 

Mgn,

My cats certainly think it is a jungle, they love it! My plan is to get the concrete foundation ripped up and also the paving which runs along the left edge of the garden. Then the old paving area will be made into a border and where the shed was will be the entry to the garden with a wrought iron trellis.

So I have the design figured out and I know I want fragant, wildlife attracting plants so like you it comes down to money and manpower, fingers crossed this year.

I am lucky to have the patio and it is a great sun trap, most of the plants were bought young but I do have two horse chestnut trees in their 3rd year that I grew from conkers doing rather well. Always nice to have someone compliment a bit of your garden :D

Oh and the house was built in 1850 so I have that gorgeous red stone you see in many parts of the Borders.

TO

 

Hi MGN, could you not put some ground covering plants between the rocks you have painted? they only need a little soil to grow!
They spread out as well and in no time you could have that area looking great!

 

Hi mef, directly underneathe it's concrete, and my lawn is only on a few centimetres of compost and then concrete underneathe that lol - it's all illusion. but i could do that kind of thing on the slope infront of the garage as thats got a nice big crack in it, so was something i was thinking of. would make it more interesting and 'gardeningy!' (i made that word up i think!)

lol yeh my cats would love that area too tigs, i would never get them in though!
money and manpower - tell me about it, maybe you should try the lottery like i am doing, just enough to get what i need would be enough (3 mill should do it, i aint greedy!)
growing from conkers - cool and free!
yeh the red stone is nice but dont you find it's very dusty? they use that up here, i've got bits of stones in it in my garden and i find you can brush it off pertty easy - but your home was built in 1880 so i shouldnt worry