How does your garden grow?
- Rayge
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How does your garden grow?
First off, just ignore the poll. It's only there because threads with open-ended polls do not fall off the cliff in Nextdoorland: this is the fate that I presume befell Moddy's gardening thread, which I was going to resurrect, but could not find.
I have four reasons for starting it: one, because I actually do love gardening, find it a great form of creative expression, the source of a certain sense of connection with the long lines of peasants from whom I come, and love sharing the joy and surprise it brings me through posting photographs. Secondly, this is our last summer here in this garden I have created in the last six and a half years, so there's a certain sense of elegiacal imperative. Thirdly, Herself is off tomorrow on a jaunt round the capitals of Yurp for several weeks, and I want to keep her up to date with what's going on. And lastly, I really like hearing about other people's gardens, indoors and out, and experiences with plants, rather than their appalling taste in records.
Have at it
I have four reasons for starting it: one, because I actually do love gardening, find it a great form of creative expression, the source of a certain sense of connection with the long lines of peasants from whom I come, and love sharing the joy and surprise it brings me through posting photographs. Secondly, this is our last summer here in this garden I have created in the last six and a half years, so there's a certain sense of elegiacal imperative. Thirdly, Herself is off tomorrow on a jaunt round the capitals of Yurp for several weeks, and I want to keep her up to date with what's going on. And lastly, I really like hearing about other people's gardens, indoors and out, and experiences with plants, rather than their appalling taste in records.
Have at it
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Re: How does your garden grow?
I come from a long line of gardeners; my forebears where head gardeners at Harewood House in Leeds, Chatsworth, Speke House and for the Rothschilds at Tring. My mother has a beautiful garden that is open to the public a few times a year when the The National Garden Society do their open days.
https://www.ngs.org.uk/find-a-garden/garden/32995/
My father maintains a lovely little garden full of colour and roses, both are pushing 80. Even Deebank has tried to show willing in the garden stakes to honour his heritage.
I wouldn't say I loathe it but I have no interest in planning and making a beautiful garden, luckily I now live 2 floors up with views through lime trees towards the Chilterns, far preferable.
I don't mind doing grunt work if directed but I have no interest in or skill at designing gardens, I do like looking at a lovely garden though.
https://www.ngs.org.uk/find-a-garden/garden/32995/
My father maintains a lovely little garden full of colour and roses, both are pushing 80. Even Deebank has tried to show willing in the garden stakes to honour his heritage.
I wouldn't say I loathe it but I have no interest in planning and making a beautiful garden, luckily I now live 2 floors up with views through lime trees towards the Chilterns, far preferable.
I don't mind doing grunt work if directed but I have no interest in or skill at designing gardens, I do like looking at a lovely garden though.
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Bear baiting & dog fights a speciality.
Bear baiting & dog fights a speciality.
- Modesty Forbids
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Re: How does your garden grow?
Well, I did some photo editing and it's 40mph winds and driving rain outside, so I ran out of excuses. Photos in the garden from two or three weeks ago. The tulips are finishing and the adventitious hordes of forget-me-not are past their peak, so it's time for the irises to come forward and strut their stuff. Among others.
From Siberia, with Love
Art Nouveau
Rainbow Splashes
Proper Job
Large pinks with a lovely clove and vanilla scent, with undertones of black pepper. I've set the pot on a wall beside the steps up into the Glade,
so I can get a hooterful every time I go up them
Hidecote Blue
Handsome cultivar of comfrey that can be kept constrained in a pot
Pride of the Pond
Coming On
Fresh from the Shower
Mouth
On Guard
From Siberia, with Love
Art Nouveau
Rainbow Splashes
Proper Job
Large pinks with a lovely clove and vanilla scent, with undertones of black pepper. I've set the pot on a wall beside the steps up into the Glade,
so I can get a hooterful every time I go up them
Hidecote Blue
Handsome cultivar of comfrey that can be kept constrained in a pot
Pride of the Pond
Coming On
Fresh from the Shower
Mouth
On Guard
once an adman, always a cunt
all / Life death does end, and each day dies with sleep
- Six String
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Re: How does your garden grow?
Beautiful pics as usual Rayge. I enjoy your comments and photos of your garden. It must be a little bittersweet to be leaving a space you've put so much time and energy. At the same time I'm sure you'll be happy working a new space when the time comes.
My gardening is subdued relative to my usual as many here know I moved recently and I'm now renting instead of owning so I too have a new space to work. The problem is I moved here in mid spring and it took me almost a month to get to a point where I could spend a little time with the yard. The summers here are quite hot so it's mportant to get new plants in the ground by May depending on weather patterns so ot didn't give me a lot of time to plant. My State Fair Zinias are getting ready to bloom though I am beginning to think that they won't be as spectacular as they were at the old place due to a combination of sun exposure and soil condition. A large tree in the front creates some shade in the east facing front yard. The established hydrangeas are flowering bigtime though which is nice. My potted plants are responding well to the warmer weather and new home.
I managed to get a cherry tomato plant in a large pot and it is doing fabulous. I should be snacking on those little Sun Gold berries in a few weeks. Other than some basil and parsley that is probably all the edibles I'll be growing this summer. I should be ready by Autumn for more edibles.
My gardening is subdued relative to my usual as many here know I moved recently and I'm now renting instead of owning so I too have a new space to work. The problem is I moved here in mid spring and it took me almost a month to get to a point where I could spend a little time with the yard. The summers here are quite hot so it's mportant to get new plants in the ground by May depending on weather patterns so ot didn't give me a lot of time to plant. My State Fair Zinias are getting ready to bloom though I am beginning to think that they won't be as spectacular as they were at the old place due to a combination of sun exposure and soil condition. A large tree in the front creates some shade in the east facing front yard. The established hydrangeas are flowering bigtime though which is nice. My potted plants are responding well to the warmer weather and new home.
I managed to get a cherry tomato plant in a large pot and it is doing fabulous. I should be snacking on those little Sun Gold berries in a few weeks. Other than some basil and parsley that is probably all the edibles I'll be growing this summer. I should be ready by Autumn for more edibles.
Everything is broken
B. Dylan
B. Dylan
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Re: How does your garden grow?
Has your new Crediton gaff got a decent garden Ray?
As our house is new (ish) I haven't really done much apart from planting some wisterias and a few shrubs - as well as a fig tree Copehead gave one of our girls years ago which had been struggling in a pot for years.
Like Uncle Monty I only used to grow vegetables (you little traitors) and did really well for a few years. Very rewarding.
I have no veg patch now sadly ... and no sheds.
As our house is new (ish) I haven't really done much apart from planting some wisterias and a few shrubs - as well as a fig tree Copehead gave one of our girls years ago which had been struggling in a pot for years.
Like Uncle Monty I only used to grow vegetables (you little traitors) and did really well for a few years. Very rewarding.
I have no veg patch now sadly ... and no sheds.
I've been talking about writing a book - 25 years of TEFL - for a few years now. I've got it in me.
Paid anghofio fod dy galon yn y chwyldro
Paid anghofio fod dy galon yn y chwyldro
- Modesty Forbids
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Re: How does your garden grow?
Deebank wrote:Has your new Crediton gaff got a decent garden Ray?
As our house is new (ish) I haven't really done much apart from planting some wisterias and a few shrubs - as well as a fig tree Copehead gave one of our girls years ago which had been struggling in a pot for years.
Like Uncle Monty I only used to grow vegetables (you little traitors) and did really well for a few years. Very rewarding.
I have no veg patch now sadly ... and no sheds.
We don't have a new one yet, Matt. I'm not sure what I want in the new house, to tell the truth. It will be nice to have some ground to play with, but something a bit smaller, and indeed flatter, than I have here, perhaps.
once an adman, always a cunt
all / Life death does end, and each day dies with sleep
Re: How does your garden grow?
Or indeed bigger. *cough*
Thanks for the photos, beautiful ... well, apart from the last one with the dog's arse. I'll see the real thing (the garden, not the arse. What am I saying? Like I get the choice.) on Saturday but I suspect I may have missed the best of those lovely irises by the pond Not to worry, that garden is bloomin' spectacular.
Don't forget to net the strawberries in good time. xx
Too early for the other fruit, obv.
Thanks for the photos, beautiful ... well, apart from the last one with the dog's arse. I'll see the real thing (the garden, not the arse. What am I saying? Like I get the choice.) on Saturday but I suspect I may have missed the best of those lovely irises by the pond Not to worry, that garden is bloomin' spectacular.
Don't forget to net the strawberries in good time. xx
Too early for the other fruit, obv.
- Modesty Forbids
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Re: How does your garden grow?
Thang-y wrote: I may have missed the best of those lovely irises by the pond
Afraid so. They've gone over: the combination of sudden chill and wet we've had in the past week did for them.
But here's some more pics of the same vintage.
Peony
Mill Lane Blues
Centaureum – perennial cornflowers. They are having a wonderful time, growing so luxuriantly that they have flopped out to virtually fill the bed
North End
High Colours
Geum and columbines
Alien
Asphodel
Evening Shaft
A geum in the Owl and Badgers bed gets caught by the setting sun
Fancy Bonnet
a double columbine
Shining Forth
A Geranium sylvaticum album growing in a shady bed gets a rare moment in the sun
Shuttlecock and Hollyhock
(and hart's tongue, roses, campion, Knautia macedonica and a cast of thousands
Peak Iris
Unfortunately the lower buds did not get a chance to open before they were nipped by the cold and wet.
once an adman, always a cunt
all / Life death does end, and each day dies with sleep
- Modesty Forbids
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Re: How does your garden grow?
Dearie me, it's all getting a bit fractious in Ninnyland, isn't it?
Here's some pretty pictures from about two weeks ago to take our minds off it
not so much a fountain, more a hole in the hose
...and relax
Here's some pretty pictures from about two weeks ago to take our minds off it
not so much a fountain, more a hole in the hose
...and relax
once an adman, always a cunt
all / Life death does end, and each day dies with sleep
- Fonz
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Re: How does your garden grow?
I cultivate chillis.
When I'm retired i might cultivate something 'weed like' because I reckon I'll need it. Tinnitus, early arthritis, shit like that.
Just waiting for the law to catch up with science, and a life free of total responsibility.
When I'm retired i might cultivate something 'weed like' because I reckon I'll need it. Tinnitus, early arthritis, shit like that.
Just waiting for the law to catch up with science, and a life free of total responsibility.
Heyyyy!
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"Fonz clearly has no fucks to give. I like the cut of his Cupicidal gib."
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- Minnie the Minx
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Re: How does your garden grow?
Yes!!!!!
But I put ‘garden’ in the search engine and this thread wasn’t on it!
Cheers!
But I put ‘garden’ in the search engine and this thread wasn’t on it!
Cheers!
You come at the Queen, you best not miss.
Dr Markus wrote:
Someone in your line of work usually as their own man cave aka the shed we're they can potter around fixing stuff or something don't they?
Flower wrote:I just did a google search.
- Minnie the Minx
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Re: How does your garden grow?
I can't pretend to know anything about gardening but I do know that the "rule book" that my Dad may have pointed me in the direction of bears no weight here in Texas. My Dad is a stunning cultivator of gorgeous gardens, and grows things that I can't dream of here. Now we have a house of our own (as opposed to renting) we are just watching what there is and what may pop up without our intervention. We didn't move in till June last year so we've had nearly a year to watch the garden change.
Our front garden has a lawn, a few trees and some shrubs and flowers. The previous owner put a load of black mulch on the soil when we came to view the house which did look quite wonderful but we've let it drift. Around the front lawn are cedar sage:
They smell amazing, look great in small jars in the house and add a real shock of colour.
We also have Jerusalem sage
The flowers of which smell gorgeous. We have various cacti and one that is going crazy with new shoots, all pink and purple. The front of the pavement which has our mailbox has a huge rosemary bush and there are rose bushes dotted everywhere, magenta and red. We have really done so little maintenance on the front yard except a good pruning after the last frost that I find it hard to believe that anything has grown back so spectacularly.
Our back garden is still a work in progress. We have done very little to it except keep a couple of compost pots on the boil, put up some hanging feeders in the trees and shoved a couple of tables and chair outside. The two raised beds are growing what I think are plants from the birdseed and are full of nothing else but critter shit, so I can safely assume that there are no carrot crops waiting to burst forth. I do want to plant some things, so we need to start looking at that. We have what I think are two fruit trees by the greenhouse but I don't know what kind they are. The tree has started growing orange blooms and I think it may be a pomegranate tree
The oak that bows over the back porch and the adjacent fencing that creates a sort of "dog run" which gives us space between us and our neighbours has jasmine growing all along the fencing and up and round the tree. It smells wonderful at the moment, I wish it would last.
Our front garden has a lawn, a few trees and some shrubs and flowers. The previous owner put a load of black mulch on the soil when we came to view the house which did look quite wonderful but we've let it drift. Around the front lawn are cedar sage:
They smell amazing, look great in small jars in the house and add a real shock of colour.
We also have Jerusalem sage
The flowers of which smell gorgeous. We have various cacti and one that is going crazy with new shoots, all pink and purple. The front of the pavement which has our mailbox has a huge rosemary bush and there are rose bushes dotted everywhere, magenta and red. We have really done so little maintenance on the front yard except a good pruning after the last frost that I find it hard to believe that anything has grown back so spectacularly.
Our back garden is still a work in progress. We have done very little to it except keep a couple of compost pots on the boil, put up some hanging feeders in the trees and shoved a couple of tables and chair outside. The two raised beds are growing what I think are plants from the birdseed and are full of nothing else but critter shit, so I can safely assume that there are no carrot crops waiting to burst forth. I do want to plant some things, so we need to start looking at that. We have what I think are two fruit trees by the greenhouse but I don't know what kind they are. The tree has started growing orange blooms and I think it may be a pomegranate tree
The oak that bows over the back porch and the adjacent fencing that creates a sort of "dog run" which gives us space between us and our neighbours has jasmine growing all along the fencing and up and round the tree. It smells wonderful at the moment, I wish it would last.
You come at the Queen, you best not miss.
Dr Markus wrote:
Someone in your line of work usually as their own man cave aka the shed we're they can potter around fixing stuff or something don't they?
Flower wrote:I just did a google search.
- Nolamike
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Re: How does your garden grow?
When we bought our house, about 18 months ago, the garden may have been the biggest selling point. It's filled with mature fruit trees - grapefruit (we got nearly 1,000 this winter), Meyer lemons (three trees worth), oranges, kumquats, loquats, a few peach trees, a pear tree, a pomegranate tree, a fig tree (which gave us about 40 pounds worth last year), grape vines, and two gigantic vegetable beds in which we've been growing lettuces, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and more. We're planning on adding a couple blueberry bushes, a plantain tree, and *maybe* an avocado tree.
There are decorative beds as well, but nothing too fancy - we have a huge amount of wisteria, some jasmine, New Orleans roses, and a butterfly garden, plus some hibiscus up front.
There are decorative beds as well, but nothing too fancy - we have a huge amount of wisteria, some jasmine, New Orleans roses, and a butterfly garden, plus some hibiscus up front.
Sir John Coan wrote:Nolamike is speaking nothing but sense here.
Loki wrote:Mike is Hookfinger's shill.
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Re: How does your garden grow?
Nolamike wrote:When we bought our house, about 18 months ago, the garden may have been the biggest selling point. It's filled with mature fruit trees - grapefruit (we got nearly 1,000 this winter), Meyer lemons (three trees worth), oranges, kumquats, loquats, a few peach trees, a pear tree, a pomegranate tree, a fig tree (which gave us about 40 pounds worth last year), grape vines, and two gigantic vegetable beds in which we've been growing lettuces, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and more. We're planning on adding a couple blueberry bushes, a plantain tree, and *maybe* an avocado tree.
There are decorative beds as well, but nothing too fancy - we have a huge amount of wisteria, some jasmine, New Orleans roses, and a butterfly garden, plus some hibiscus up front.
Wow.
Sounds fantastic, I am glad I'm not prone to jealousy. New Orleans roses - are these old varieties not commonly grown outside of New Orleans? I'm not passionate about roses but am interested in them. A quick google didn't really help, even a look at a Gulf Rose Society website didn't make it clear.
- Nolamike
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Re: How does your garden grow?
John aka Josh wrote:Nolamike wrote:When we bought our house, about 18 months ago, the garden may have been the biggest selling point. It's filled with mature fruit trees - grapefruit (we got nearly 1,000 this winter), Meyer lemons (three trees worth), oranges, kumquats, loquats, a few peach trees, a pear tree, a pomegranate tree, a fig tree (which gave us about 40 pounds worth last year), grape vines, and two gigantic vegetable beds in which we've been growing lettuces, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and more. We're planning on adding a couple blueberry bushes, a plantain tree, and *maybe* an avocado tree.
There are decorative beds as well, but nothing too fancy - we have a huge amount of wisteria, some jasmine, New Orleans roses, and a butterfly garden, plus some hibiscus up front.
Wow.
Sounds fantastic, I am glad I'm not prone to jealousy. New Orleans roses - are these old varieties not commonly grown outside of New Orleans? I'm not passionate about roses but am interested in them. A quick google didn't really help, even a look at a Gulf Rose Society website didn't make it clear.
Hmmm... they may be known by another name! They're relatively small flowers, but the bush (well, it's been trimmed and trained into becoming more like a vine) has gotten quite large. It runs up one supporting post of our pergola, and fans out over the top. I need to add some lattice across the beams, to keep the roses up on top and out of the way of the fan (and to provide some extra shade). I'll take a picture when I get home.
Sir John Coan wrote:Nolamike is speaking nothing but sense here.
Loki wrote:Mike is Hookfinger's shill.
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Re: How does your garden grow?
Nolamike wrote:Hmmm... they may be known by another name! They're relatively small flowers, but the bush (well, it's been trimmed and trained into becoming more like a vine) has gotten quite large. It runs up one supporting post of our pergola, and fans out over the top. I need to add some lattice across the beams, to keep the roses up on top and out of the way of the fan (and to provide some extra shade). I'll take a picture when I get home.
Look forward to seeing the photo.
- Loki
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Re: How does your garden grow?
i'm growing some herbs this year. Parsley, purple basil, rosemary, kale, cilantro, lemon thyme.....
My landlord is trying to grow pot, which he knows nothing about. It's funny.
Oh and we transplanted some raspberry plants. They grow wild at his other house.
My landlord is trying to grow pot, which he knows nothing about. It's funny.
Oh and we transplanted some raspberry plants. They grow wild at his other house.
whodathunkit wrote: Somewhere it's always 1972.
- Spock!
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Re: How does your garden grow?
Loki wrote:i'm growing some herbs this year. Parsley, purple basil, rosemary, kale, cilantro, lemon thyme.....
My landlord is trying to grow pot, which he knows nothing about. It's funny.
Oh and we transplanted some raspberry plants. They grow wild at his other house.
Chives.
You must have chives. Scrambled eggs with chives mixed in is divine.
Garlic chives are great too.
I'm growing some lemon balm for the first time this year, smelling good though I haven't started harvesting yet. May the Sun shine on you and the 'erbs.
- Loki
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Re: How does your garden grow?
John aka Josh wrote:Loki wrote:i'm growing some herbs this year. Parsley, purple basil, rosemary, kale, cilantro, lemon thyme.....
My landlord is trying to grow pot, which he knows nothing about. It's funny.
Oh and we transplanted some raspberry plants. They grow wild at his other house.
Chives.
You must have chives. Scrambled eggs with chives mixed in is divine.
Garlic chives are great too.
Ooooo yes, I should get some chives. I think there's some what you call garlic chives growing wild in the yard. He says they taste like onion but to me they taste more like garlic - hence the name, I reckon!
I'm growing some lemon balm for the first time this year, smelling good though I haven't started harvesting yet. May the Sun shine on you and the 'erbs.
Thanx! Same to ya.
whodathunkit wrote: Somewhere it's always 1972.