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Post by franklin on Jul 17, 2022 6:35:54 GMT
Mate I'd no idea whatsoever but and it's not for everyone I took this approach. Chucked compost on my home made borders went to garden centre picked plants I liked and took them home and planted them. It really was that simple go to the garden centre in spring, summer, autumn and winter and see what's flowering at each time and if you like it buy it and plant. Once you've become confident in planting then you tend to get into it a bit more and start to look at what kind of plants they are , annual, perennials etc. Some plants live for the summer do their thing then die never to be seen again. Some come back year after year etc. Some do there thing die but drop seeds before they do so next year you have seedlings. I have no idea what kind of soil I have and to be fair I don't care just go for it be flamboyant. One tip dont always buy expensive plants cheap is often better and a packet of seeds is better still and dont forget bulbs and tubers like dahlias, daffs, tulips, gladioli etc. Wild flower seeds chucked on the garden often produce a stunning show well into the autumn. This is mine at the moment and I've no idea how I've done it 😁 That's my way of doing it as well. Your garden looks really good so it obviously works ! One thing I purchased and it was only a few quid is a garden sprinkler I think its specifically for a lawn but it works for me it waters the whole garden back to front and to each side on its own saving me no end of time and in this weather I water twice a day. Edit: it's just started to rain 🤷♂️
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Post by questionable on Jul 17, 2022 7:52:07 GMT
That's my way of doing it as well. Your garden looks really good so it obviously works ! One thing I purchased and it was only a few quid is a garden sprinkler I think its specifically for a lawn but it works for me it waters the whole garden back to front and to each side on its own saving me no end of time and in this weather I water twice a day. Edit: it's just started to rain 🤷♂️ Pretty much how we did it, probably popping over to Bridgemere ourselves this morning, see what ins flower and we like it but it is our motto. The staff up there are very good and offer some good advice. Issue we have is half of the garden is what we’ve done, the person who lived here before you can tell loved their garden but there’s lots of well established shrubs/trees/plants that need cutting back but we aren’t sure by how much and when.
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Post by deeside2 on Jul 17, 2022 8:09:25 GMT
That's my way of doing it as well. Your garden looks really good so it obviously works ! One thing I purchased and it was only a few quid is a garden sprinkler I think its specifically for a lawn but it works for me it waters the whole garden back to front and to each side on its own saving me no end of time and in this weather I water twice a day. Edit: it's just started to rain 🤷♂️ It "rained" here as well - I think I counted about 5 drops before it stopped.
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Post by deeside2 on Jul 17, 2022 8:10:46 GMT
One thing I purchased and it was only a few quid is a garden sprinkler I think its specifically for a lawn but it works for me it waters the whole garden back to front and to each side on its own saving me no end of time and in this weather I water twice a day. Edit: it's just started to rain 🤷♂️ Pretty much how we did it, probably popping over to Bridgemere ourselves this morning, see what ins flower and we like it but it is our motto. The staff up there are very good and offer some good advice. Issue we have is half of the garden is what we’ve done, the person who lived here before you can tell loved their garden but there’s lots of well established shrubs/trees/plants that need cutting back but we aren’t sure by how much and when. If you go onto the BBC Gardeners World website they usually have online guides as to when to prune which plants and by how much.
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Post by franklin on Jul 17, 2022 10:54:30 GMT
One thing I purchased and it was only a few quid is a garden sprinkler I think its specifically for a lawn but it works for me it waters the whole garden back to front and to each side on its own saving me no end of time and in this weather I water twice a day. Edit: it's just started to rain 🤷♂️ Pretty much how we did it, probably popping over to Bridgemere ourselves this morning, see what ins flower and we like it but it is our motto. The staff up there are very good and offer some good advice. Issue we have is half of the garden is what we’ve done, the person who lived here before you can tell loved their garden but there’s lots of well established shrubs/trees/plants that need cutting back but we aren’t sure by how much and when. I was up Bridgemere yesterday and I bought two dahlias the yellow Trooper Dan ( barrel) and Pink Princess (pot) ones in the picks above 2 for £18.
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Post by franklin on Jul 27, 2022 10:38:55 GMT
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Post by deeside2 on Jul 27, 2022 16:31:40 GMT
Lovely flowers Franklin ! They seem to have stood up really well to the recent heat. I lost a few plants - even though I watered most of them morning and evening every day, with the garden being south facing I struggled to keep on top of it. I've ordered another two large water butts as the five thst I've got already couldn't store enough. I checked my greenhouse temperature gauge and even though I expected to to be in the high 40's c, it actually reached a max of 56.8c ! The tomatoes and pepper plants survived though.
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Post by franklin on Jul 27, 2022 17:00:48 GMT
Lovely flowers Franklin ! They seem to have stood up really well to the recent heat. I lost a few plants - even though I watered most of them morning and evening every day, with the garden being south facing I struggled to keep on top of it. I've ordered another two large water butts as the five thst I've got already couldn't store enough. I checked my greenhouse temperature gauge and even though I expected to to be in the high 40's c, it actually reached a max of 56.8c ! The tomatoes and pepper plants survived though. With my garden being quite small I had my sprinkler on for about 1hr in the evening and maybe 30mins in the morning and literally soaked it plus my soil is quite moisture retentive not brilliant but it does OK. My baskets and small pots suffered but I rescued most plants by planting in the boarders and put my baskets and small pots away for the year. I'm just glad I don't have a water meter 😁
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Post by franklin on Aug 22, 2022 18:22:14 GMT
Just purchased my Victoria Plum tree and planted it this afternoon. I look forward to the fruit and I think I'm done now with fruit trees. Crab apple, cherry, lemon, lime and now my plum. On a side note my lemon tree has done brilliantly this summer and has maybe 20plus fruits set and growing away, I just hope they stay and ripen.
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Post by deeside2 on Aug 23, 2022 4:49:49 GMT
This is the first year I've had a fig tree and I've got three reasonable sized very hard and very green figs on it. I've been reading up on it and just hope it'll survive the winter. The tomatoes and peppers have been prolific this year, best and most I've ever had. We're on a water meter so once the water butts ran dry I've not watered much at all and there are a few casualties/losses which I'll replace with more drought tolerant plants. I've got to move one ogf the compost bins so that I can get another big water butt installed, so there's a bit of a re-jig needed in the working area up by the greenhouse.
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Post by crowey on Aug 23, 2022 11:43:56 GMT
… I thought our mango tree was recovering from my wife’s paid butchering of it, but I think it may have finally succumbed 😔
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Post by chuffedstokie on Aug 23, 2022 16:15:21 GMT
This is the first year I've had a fig tree and I've got three reasonable sized very hard and very green figs on it. I've been reading up on it and just hope it'll survive the winter. The tomatoes and peppers have been prolific this year, best and most I've ever had. We're on a water meter so once the water butts ran dry I've not watered much at all and there are a few casualties/losses which I'll replace with more drought tolerant plants. I've got to move one ogf the compost bins so that I can get another big water butt installed, so there's a bit of a re-jig needed in the working area up by the greenhouse. I've tried a fig in a tub this year, it's doing OK given south facing and sea salt in the air. As for the gooseberry bush that's off to a flyer, hoping for some decent fruit on the old shoots next yr.
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Post by deeside2 on Aug 23, 2022 20:06:04 GMT
This is the first year I've had a fig tree and I've got three reasonable sized very hard and very green figs on it. I've been reading up on it and just hope it'll survive the winter. The tomatoes and peppers have been prolific this year, best and most I've ever had. We're on a water meter so once the water butts ran dry I've not watered much at all and there are a few casualties/losses which I'll replace with more drought tolerant plants. I've got to move one ogf the compost bins so that I can get another big water butt installed, so there's a bit of a re-jig needed in the working area up by the greenhouse. I've tried a fig in a tub this year, it's doing OK given south facing and sea salt in the air. As for the gooseberry bush that's off to a flyer, hoping for some decent fruit on the old shoots next yr. I had loads of fruit on the gooseberry bush but never actually ate one as the birds raided it before I had chance to net it !
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Post by questionable on Aug 25, 2022 7:47:39 GMT
My fig trees have started bearing fruit, now to keep the pigeons off them.
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Post by franklin on Sept 12, 2022 10:42:50 GMT
My lemon tree this morning
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Post by deeside2 on Sept 12, 2022 11:46:31 GMT
My lemon tree this morning Coming along nicely !
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Post by questionable on Sept 12, 2022 11:56:49 GMT
I was wondering when I should pick my figs, if at all this year,
Plenty of fruit but can’t see them ripening with the colder weather now
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Post by deeside2 on Sept 12, 2022 12:24:34 GMT
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Post by questionable on Oct 10, 2022 14:28:49 GMT
Popped into Bridgemere Garden Centre yesterday as the other half wants a fruit tree, thinking along the lines of an apple tree.
The ones of interest I looked at sure they read they’re self fertile and came on a V shaped frame but at £57.99 they seem rather expensive plus there’s the fact is there a certain time of year where you’re supposed to plant them??
Google seems to suggest that the self fertilising varieties have issues with their fruit whereby you’re better off with two trees, then our local gardener has told us they’re a pain in the arse as they attract wasps.
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Post by Rednwhitenblue on Oct 10, 2022 15:41:18 GMT
Not quite a fruit tree admittedly, but I bought a banana tree plant in my local garden centre earlier this year. I quite often take a chance on some of the 'rejects' discounted to a few quid. I feel sorry for them somehow! Anyway, for £2-99 nine months ago, I've now got something that looks a bit like like this: It's great. Will never grow bananas obviously but it throws up a new leaf every few weeks and is doing well.
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Post by deeside2 on Oct 10, 2022 16:44:43 GMT
Popped into Bridgemere Garden Centre yesterday as the other half wants a fruit tree, thinking along the lines of an apple tree. The ones of interest I looked at sure they read they’re self fertile and came on a V shaped frame but at £57.99 they seem rather expensive plus there’s the fact is there a certain time of year where you’re supposed to plant them?? Google seems to suggest that the self fertilising varieties have issues with their fruit whereby you’re better off with two trees, then our local gardener has told us they’re a pain in the arse as they attract wasps. If they're potted plants you can plant them anytime, and now is quite good. The soil is still warm, there's plenty of rain around so they won't dry out, and they should start to get established. You will still need to keep them watered next year. I've got a couple of James Grieve trees, these are self-fertile and one would produce fruit without any problem. We've had loads of fruit, no wasps, and they just need a bit of pruning now and then.
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Post by franklin on Nov 10, 2022 11:11:07 GMT
My Tower of London Poppy is blooming as it always does at this time of the year.
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Post by franklin on Nov 11, 2022 20:14:00 GMT
No idea what this is but it's a cracker
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Post by questionable on Nov 11, 2022 21:50:18 GMT
No idea what this is but it's a cracker Sure there’s an App you can download, point the camera at the plant and it tells you what the plant is,
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Post by franklin on Nov 11, 2022 21:56:23 GMT
No idea what this is but it's a cracker Sure there’s an App you can download, point the camera at the plant and it tells you what the plant is, There is mate plantsnap was one I used but they changed many to "sign up" and such so I've deleted them.
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Post by chuffedstokie on Nov 11, 2022 22:06:13 GMT
The new gooseberry plant continued to do well for its first year in the tub and now dropping the leaves, with a judicious prune hoping for some fruit next summer, fingers crossed the winds and salty air won't have an adverse effect. Wisteria is making a half decent fist of things, not holding my breath though.
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Post by franklin on Nov 11, 2022 22:10:34 GMT
I've got a jasmine and a honeysuckle and trained them against a wall with wire trellis I've installed, looking forward to the scent next year.
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Post by questionable on Nov 12, 2022 9:56:06 GMT
The new gooseberry plant continued to do well for its first year in the tub and now dropping the leaves, with a judicious prune hoping for some fruit next summer, fingers crossed the winds and salty air won't have an adverse effect. Wisteria is making a half decent fist of things, not holding my breath though. I purchased a wisteria this year and it’s coming along really well, potted in a very large pot against our pergola, as it happens I picked up a gooseberry plant last week from Bridgemere it was only £1 and it’s planted in one of the garden beds, will see how it goes. Need to spend a few hours this morning tidying up the garden and believe I have to put my potted fig trees in the garage any time now as the leaves are off and before the first frost ?? It’s bonkers also as I’ve put in quite a lot of spring flowering bulbs of multiple varieties and they’re showing already, not sure if that’s correct or it’s the mild weather so far
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Post by chuffedstokie on Nov 12, 2022 10:18:20 GMT
The new gooseberry plant continued to do well for its first year in the tub and now dropping the leaves, with a judicious prune hoping for some fruit next summer, fingers crossed the winds and salty air won't have an adverse effect. Wisteria is making a half decent fist of things, not holding my breath though. I purchased a wisteria this year and it’s coming along really well, potted in a very large pot against our pergola, as it happens I picked up a gooseberry plant last week from Bridgemere it was only £1 and it’s planted in one of the garden beds, will see how it goes. Need to spend a few hours this morning tidying up the garden and believe I have to put my potted fig trees in the garage any time now as the leaves are off and before the first frost ?? It’s bonkers also as I’ve put in quite a lot of spring flowering bulbs of multiple varieties and they’re showing already, not sure if that’s correct or it’s the mild weather so far I've got a fig in a tub as well, again it's only had one year but doing OK, is it recommended to over winter inside?.
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Post by questionable on Nov 12, 2022 10:30:29 GMT
I purchased a wisteria this year and it’s coming along really well, potted in a very large pot against our pergola, as it happens I picked up a gooseberry plant last week from Bridgemere it was only £1 and it’s planted in one of the garden beds, will see how it goes. Need to spend a few hours this morning tidying up the garden and believe I have to put my potted fig trees in the garage any time now as the leaves are off and before the first frost ?? It’s bonkers also as I’ve put in quite a lot of spring flowering bulbs of multiple varieties and they’re showing already, not sure if that’s correct or it’s the mild weather so far I've got a fig in a tub as well, again it's only had one year but doing OK, is it recommended to over winter inside?. Yes mate from what I’ve read anytime now you’re supposed to bring them inside and when 2-3 years old remove from the tub and cut back the roots before repotting.
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