Sue's garden

Day 8 & 9:

Couldn't do anything out in the garden yesterday as it was raining really badly and we had a strong wind up here aswell. I asked Paul though to move my birdtable into the corner of the patio, as I had visions of that being blown over and damaged. I also brought in a few of the smaller plants I'm yet to plant up as I didn't want them being bashed about in the wind and rain.

Today (Day 9) its been raining most of the day, but it's Sue's birthday, so we're off up to the cemetary shortly to give her some flowers (and unless Paul's dad has already been up there, which I doubt he has as he doesn't drive, it'll just be flowers from me and Paul we'll be leaving as his dad hasn't bothered/made time to go and buy some - he did this on Mother's Day and blamed me and Paul for not buying and flowers for him to give to his wife!)

It even said on the Met Office that this afternoon/tonight would be sunny... i was looking forward to spending an hour or so outside :(

Jen
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You're doing an amazing job!!! You should be really proud, it looks great!

 

Day 10:

Was on training today for work, and that finished at 3.30 (and not the originally planned 4.30 finish, which was nice) so I stopped off at Huyton village to do a bit of garden shopping - got 2 more bags of compost from Asda, some more planters from Wilkinsons, some bulbs - but can't remember what they are, and a pack of 2 medium square planters from poundland.

When I got home it was lovely and sunny so spent an hour or so just pottering about, didn't need to water anything as it had poured down earlier I also cut my hanging basket liner so it goes sort of flat now and put that, along with some gravel, in my wishing well planter

Going into St Helen's early tomorrow morning to buy a few more things and I'm stopping off at £ stretcher in Huyton to see what planters they sell and how the prices compare

Will hopefully post some more pics tomorrow after me and Paul spend the day out in the garden

Jen
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Day 11:

Went out shopping early this morning to Huyton, Belle Vale and the Morrisons near Liverpool airport - didn't get to St Helens as I spent £26.50 on a load of plants from Morrisons (cleaner at work suggested me go there).





In £ Stretcher I got a few more planters (long thin ones to go in the beds by the patio) and in B&M I got some more seed trays (picked up 2 sets of a 5 pack, but the lady only scanned one...) and I brought another mini greenhouse, which I sowed the rest of my seeds this afternoon and placed it next to my other greenhouse (the new one is the taller one)



Whilst I was sieving the 2 types of compost I use (its surprising how much doesn't go through my little sieve), Paul got to work on sinking some planters under the kitchen window - it took us a good few hours (we were outside for about 6 hours as it was lovely and sunny today) and the robin and blackbird couple came to pinch some of the juicy worms which were dug up



We watered the lawn and my plants this evening (we really don't trust each other with the hosepipe, but then we did squirt each other a few times... :hehe

We're off out in the morning to a militaria fair in Leeds, but I'm hoping to be back to be able to spend a few more hours outside (got to do the weekly shop whilst we're out aswell... )

Jen
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Day 12:

We got back from Leeds at 4.30pm so after I'd put the shopping away and got changed into my old clothes it was 5pm - spent a couple of hours outside. I got Paul to dig in a small square planter next to the archway and I filled it with gravel.



I then sunk a couple of planters down by the patio (only as the ground there is really soft, whereas in the lawn its really tough!) and filled them and the ones Paul sunk under the kitchen window with gravel.





We've just watered everywhere and accidently got Tilly :hehe: so had to give her a chew stick as a peace offering

I checked over the clematis's we planted last weekend - 3 of them after doing fine, but one is looking a bit sorry for itself - I've read elsewhere that its not necessarily dying, but what do you's reckon?



Jen
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Day 13:

Went out in the garden as soon as I got home from work and managed to sink the last planter on the left hand side of the patio, next to the 2 I did the other day. I did intend to go back out later and do another one or 2, but didn't get round to it so we just watered everything really well.

I checked on my seedlings and another 2 tiny shoots have appeared :yho:

Day 14:

Today, I'm down in Birmingham as my nan is very poorly in hospital (she'll be lucky to make it through the night to be honest), so I don't know how long I'll be down here for.

I've left Paul in charge of watering the garden every night and feeding Tilly

Jen
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Been following your thread the last few days and just wanted to say how good its all looking!

Can I just ask though and its probably just me being a bit dim .... whats the reason for sinking all the planters ? Never seen it before thats all

Hope everything is ok with your nan too - and I am sure hubby with cope with the watering !

 

"whats the reason for sinking all the planters"

I was just about to ask the same question! I think it will limit the amount of root space for the plants, and it would be better to dig a decent sized hole - 2' - 4' in diameter, mix in some compost and so on, and then plant into that - I would keep the grass away from the plant by a similar diameter afterwards.

 

I was just gonna ask that question too!!!!! Also it's expensive to buy planters just to sink them in the ground

 

Phew - and there was me thinking I was being thick and just not "getting it"

 

Bit of a queue forming, eh?!!

 

Hope everything is ok with Jen's nan as she hasnt posted since :(

 

Yeah it didn't sound too good. Poor Jen

 

Yeah I second these last posts. It was only yesterday Jen was going to visit so gardening is something she's probably not thinking about at the mo.

cheers

 

Hi everyone,

In answer to why I'm sinking the planters and everything, our soil is very acidic so not much would live in it, that I want anyway. The planters aren't too expensive to be honest, there's been a few sales on where I've managed to pick most of them up.

Nan passed away last night, around 10.30pm, and I've spent the day with mum as, understandably, she doesn't want to be on her own - we went shopping and I discovered a plant shop, where they were selling them cheap, so we brought £9.40's worth

Its not fully sunk in yet about Nan, but then when Sue passed away only 8 months ago, it didn't hit home for a few days. I'll be spending the rest of the week down here in Birmingham - not sure when I'll be back up in Liverpool, I may have to go back to work for a few days and I'll need to bring my dark suit with me when I come down here again the weekend after this one (the Bank Holiday weekend).

Jen
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