How has your gardens grown?
 

<LI class=cf>Hey Guys, remeber me? Sorry I've been so long overdue on Accyweb. Haven't been able to keep up with anything over there. It is so nice that it's getting dark by around 7:30 over here.

My question for this chat: Have any of you had any gardening landscaping success in spite of your dismal weather?

As you vcan see below, we continue very hot and dry. Makes my daily chores that much more challenging. Plus have 30 more baby chicks to raise, the 30 guinea chicks are down to 9, the baby possums have been eating grubs and such so they are almost ready to be on there own, the bay squirell (peanut/nutkin) has tried to conquer a territory. Last I saw he had been in quite a fight.


As for my garden/landscape, it has been a pretty succesful year. I'm glad the gardening chores are slowing down alot now. So, enough about me. How have you fared?

Brian
<LI class=cf>

<LI class=cf>Culpeper, VA

• Friday
  
  http://st.msn.com/as/wea3/i/en-US/saw/32.gif96° / 63°
• Saturday
  
  http://st.msn.com/as/wea3/i/en-US/saw/30.gif91° / 65°
• Sunday
  
  http://st.msn.com/as/wea3/i/en-US/saw/28.gif86° / 67°
• Monday
  
  http://st.msn.com/as/wea3/i/en-US/saw/4.gif90° / 65°

<LI class=cf>
Accrington, GBR

Mostly Cloudy, 61°

• Friday
  
  http://st.msn.com/as/wea3/i/en-US/saw/32.gif68° / 52°
• Saturday
  
  http://st.msn.com/as/wea3/i/en-US/saw/28.gif63° / 52°
• Sunday
  
  http://st.msn.com/as/wea3/i/en-US/saw/26.gif63° / 56°
• Monday
  
  http://st.msn.com/as/wea3/i/en-US/saw/30.gif60° / 44°

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

It's been a poor year for blooms at Rindy Towers.

My mini sunflowers are still out though, even if the real sun hasn't put in much of an appearace this year.:)

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

Wouldn't mind some of those mini sunflowers, mine are over 10ft, and that is with below average rainfall.;)

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

redesigned my front garden nearly finished the left of the pathway ......starting on the right side of the pathway in next few weeks .................just a bit busy with days out with mates at the min.

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

My gardeners coming down tomorrow so next week the grass is getting cut and the borders getting weeded. So it will look all nice and neat for the first time this year.

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

Its been a complete success in Kittys garden..... full of gorgeous flowers,the only ones that didnt come back quite so well were my nastursiams,which is weird because they took over the whole place last year,causing me to have lots of caterpillars-Jack loved it.We even had a cocoon on the window and i had the fortune to watch the butterfly hatch.
My favourites are always the hostas-although my lilies were fantastic too.
So overall no complaints from me-well apart from the slugs.

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

Mine have come up with three heads each this year :( :o

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

another very sucessful season here, Fireman dug it up n flagged n pebbled it a couple of years ago= gardening heavan.:p

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

My veg growing has suffered this year, due to all the rain.

I've had kale, spinach, a few carrots, lettuce, rocket and some celery, but nothing like the crops I should have had. My tomatoes are really struggling to ripen, even in early September. :(

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

Last year I treated my garden to a liberal dose of Weedol to try and kill off all the grass and weeds that reminded me of the African Veldt. My number one grandson lifted some 30 concrete flags and then used a rotavator to turn everything over.

I sowed a large “V” (for victory) area with Poppy seeds as my memorial garden and the remainder with Meadow Flowers and sat back to await a floral display come this summer.

So what happened? The grass grew back as tall as ever and swamped the new seedlings and the slugs got the rest except in one corner where a few meadow flowers bravely greeted the summer. Although one monster shot up like a rocket with a wonderful display of delicate blue flowers, which the passing bees enjoyed. I’ve gathered some seeds for next year. A few bedding plants did put some colour into the garden but my attempts to grow hollyhocks, foxglove and lupins from seed just made the slugs and snails fatter still.

My next door neighbour gratefully received the flags to lay down a patio and in return I accepted the soil that was removed to make room for them. Fair swop I thought.

My grandson was called upon to do some digging. Right in the centre he dug out a circle about 5 feet across and as Focus were having a ‘get rid of all stock’ sale I got 500 litres of general compost. The 6 inches deep circular hole was half filled with compost and right in the middle we placed 24 white and yellow daffodil bulbs. Around these in a large circle went 80 white, blue, purple and yellow crocuses. 200 snowdrops surrounded them and were neatly buried in more compost. The rest of the garden got zapped with Weedol and after a couple of weeks anything green that poked its head up got nuked.

I also managed to trace some English bluebells and I await their arrival. So my slave dug out a section in one corner to receive these bulbs. I put 30 foreign bluebells in to await the arrival of the genuine article. The zapping of green stuff continued and will continue until next spring when the centre bulbs will start to show.

Meanwhile I sowed more hollyhocks, foxglove and lupin seeds in bio degradable pots, placed them in two trays and every morning when I got up I would take them out and place them in a sunny spot and come evening bring them back in again. No slugs were going to get this lot. They have now been planted out now alongside one fence with a liberal dose of slug pellets all around them. The half time score is slugs nil me 2. Meaning that 2 fat slugs have paid the ultimate price for trying to eat my seedlings.

By pure chance I was driving along Mosley Street in Blackburn when I spotted poppies growing on some land where houses had been demolished. (I have very good long vision) I harvested lots of seed because they were Opium Poppies and you cannot buy them now. I blame the Taleban. These together with some packets of normal red poppies that I have bought and the seeds from some yellow poppies that will grow anywhere like the crack in a brick wall, will get sown next spring to form a memorial garden surrounded by meadow flowers.

I am looking forward to next spring and summer.

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

well jim reading that made me sweat buckets:D like the tactical gardening 2-0 lol, hope everything turns out well next time. though if yer thinking of selling smack next year, DONT.- Too much Competition in blackburn.:rofl38:

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

That's an interesting variety of experiences so far. Mez, no matter how much better your lot looks, I still liked the personnel touch you had made to your bushes! Geez Eric, hit the folks when they're down, 10 foot sunflowers:eek::p Now Tin Monkey, what is rocket?

I guess since Eric did his bragging I can feel okay with our successes down and over here. It was a great year for corn, eggplant, peppers, beans, beets, all squashes, kale, swiss chard, potatoes, asparagus, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, watermelon, pumpkins, and yes sunflowers! It was a pretty bad year for turnips, cole crops, carrots, spinach, and soybeans.

The hot dry weather encouraged alot more insect damage than should be expected. Also, kept me from getting alot of grass clippings for mulching.
Landscaping and fruit trees had apretty good year.

Jambutty, I bet you can't wait to see all that work pay off next spring. It should be gorgeous!

Brian

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

Jambutty.....I'm eagarly awaiting Margaret R to pick-up this thread and reply to your post about your liberal use of chemicals and weedkillers and seemingly aversion to organic gardening techniques ;) ;)

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

It's a member of the lettuce family and is very popular with trendy chefs nowadays. It has quite a distinctive, peppery flavour and really adds something to salads and sandwiches.

Maybe it's spelt differently in the States? Like roquette or something?

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

Spice Pages: Rocket (Eruca sativa, Sisymbrium officinale, rucola, arugula)
I am trying to grow rocket in a window pot -not succeeding
Jambutty - you will be pleased to know that Weedol (diquat) is much less hazardous than Agent Orange - but better not grow veg for quite a few years

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

My mum grew Rocket successfully this year in a pot.

A handy tip is to rub the edge of the container with Vaseline, as it stops the slugs from getting in, and eating it before you do.:D

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

Havent seen any slugs on my kitchen window sill this year:rolleyes:

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

Rocket is great and easy to grow. However, it does have a tendency to bolt very easily and once it does, that's the end of it. The flavour is not as nice once it starts going to seed.

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

No sweat for me cashy. That’s what grandsons are for. I have to admit though that I did put my hand on the spade – er to move it out of the way.

My only problem is going to be if the Taleban find out about my crop. Will they nip round demanding protection money? But the opium poppy is the nicest of all the varieties that are around. I believe that there is a blue Californian Poppy and a white one.

By the way – I have never seen a GREEN flower.

I sit back and wait with a patience acquired over many years of living Brian.

I am not averse to organic gardening steeljack but the grasses had many years of undisturbed growth and a root system that was as strong as steel. Digging did not kill it off so I had to resort to drastic measures. The only bird that visited me was a pigeon or two and the only animal life was that ginger tom cat from next door and a marauding squirrel who has been named ‘Stumpy’ because his/her right front paw is absent. It still gets around OK though.

If my plan comes to fruition next year whatever grass does manage to grow will be allowed to - unless it interferes with the growth of the other plants.

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

They've got in my windowbox, which is full of Busy Lizzies.:mad:

I have a chopstick handy to spear the slimy buggers.:D

They say because of the mild winter, and wet summer we are in for a bumper crop of slugs next year.:eek:

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

More people should rip up concrete and paving to make gardens - would allow torrential rain to be soaked into the ground instead of causing an overload of the drains and flash floods

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

But I have no plans to grow vegetables. Just a wild flower garden with a memorial plot of poppies and a few bulbs as explained previously.

I have some mixed Antirrhinums (snapdragons) along part of a border where I have harvested the seed in case they don’t reappear next year.

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

This year has been hard toil because we have ripped our garden out. Our garden attracted nothing but weeds and slugs, as we dug it out we found that it was predominantly heavy clay, then we found a layer of rubbish, yes, rubbish!!!!! Polystyrene food trays etc from when the garden was originally laid.
We have managed to dig out the majority of the old soil and then hit a layer of flagstones which we had to chain drill in order to remove them. We are now down to soil again and have dug so deep that the little boy next door thinks we are putting a pool in...:D
Our back wall has been knocked down along with the old bin hole, this will give us extra space. The new wall is due to be rebuilt next week then we will have to shift some rubble that has accumulated, I could do with a Ute to shift this lot.
We will then need about 3 tonnes of top soil and some cement so that I can re-build my little decorative brick border. We may have a nice little garden next year but this year it is just rubble and muck..:(

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

If you have dug that deep lettie, put some of the rubble back in for improved drainage. Just a few inches will do.

It will save you the task of getting rid of some of the rubble and you may need less top soil too.

The pictures.
1.) Part of my garden as it was earlier this year.
2.) Yellow Poppy. Grows anywhere. Seed available, just come and get some. It’s FREE! There is also an orange poppy.
3.) Left part of my garden. The “monster’s” seeds will get sown in the far left corner to fill it. Along the side fence is a row of foxglove – hollyhocks – foxgloves and in front a row of mixed Lupins. And a selection of dead slugs. Five now! I’m winning!!!
4.) Centre part of my garden. Along the back fence will be flowers like the orange ones in the front left side. A flowerbed alongside the path leading to the pavement is bulging with them so some will get transplanted.
5.) Right part of my garden. The “monster’s” seeds will get sown in the far right corner to fill it. Just in front of that corner will be Bluebells.
6.) The “monster” that has sprung from a tiny seed in a packet of wild flowers. How do I know they were wild? Well they weren’t very pleased when I took the seeds out of a nice warm, dry packet and planted them into cold, wet soil.

The white strips are cable channelling that was left behind by the contractors when they re-wired my flat. They’ve come in useful to position rough demarcation lines.

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

Jambutty, I think it'll look great when it's established.:)

If you could get your grandson to use a scythe on this year's growth, it should help the seedlings flourish next year.

The yellow poppies are called Welsh poppies by the way, and you're right, they are the easiet, and prettiest plant to grow from seeds that isn't a damn weed.:D

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

I’m hoping so but there’s not much to do now except keep attacking any grass that decided to show. Come autumn proper when the trees have shed all their leaves I will get my slave to dig them in. This will not only help the fertility of the soil but bring any remaining grass roots into the open to be killed off by the winter weather – hopefully.

Most of the grass is now dead so it will rot down of its own accord. I had considered borrowing a blowtorch and burning it off.

A Welsh poppy eh! We live and learn. Thanks!

A weed? (Said in a trembling old voice much like Lady Bracknell in the original film of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance Of Being Ernest” – A handbag?)

Surely that’s just a plant in the wrong place.

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

Usually I am a dab hand with plants but this year they just haven't had enough sun; I don't have a garden but my yard is full of large planters.
This year I put in the usual suspects, petunias,ageratum,trailing lobelia,begonia and nicotiana. Also some geraniums that had over wintered and made a reappearance.
The petunias usually do really well but haven't been nearly as productive as last year, but having said that they are usually past it by now but are still looking healthy.
More flowers on the clematis than ever and the same for the jasmine that is climbing over the yard door.
Kelsey had an onion entered in a competition up at the Peel Park, judging day was last sunday, we didn't come last and for a first attempt our 4.6 ounces wasn't bad , sadly the monster that won was some 2lb 12oz !!!
We are trying again next year so all tips on onion growing gratefully received !:D

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

It's really ashame that I never was able to get Tobacco seeds. With this weather I certainly could have played Sir Walter Raleigh to my Accyweb smoking Mates.

We used to have some huge slugs back in Maryland. I used to enjoy sprinkling salt on them and watching them shrivel up. Yeah, I know it's wicked gross but I really do hate those disgustingly evil beings!

I had a nice wildflower "garden" out along the woods but this year's weather really hurt em. I hope they just went dormant for the year.

Great stuff guys! Oh yeah, I know rocket as Arugula though have yet to grow it.

Brian

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

I came across a web site a while back where you could buy a full grow your own tobacco kit with full instruction on how to go about it from growing to drying to curing to rolling cigars or shredding for pipe or cigarette smoking.

I was half tempted.

Sorry but I didn’t bookmark the site. Maybe a search will find something and it did - http://www.coffinails.com/ amongst others.

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

We pretty much let Nature take its course. Since we live in the woods, this works very well. We grow no vegetables. Plants go into pots. We do have some grass down near the road. When we put in the seeds 28 years ago, we said, "Good luck," because we had no intention of coddling them. Therefore, they grew hardy. We have green grass all year round. I think benign neglect works! Our neighbors, who have watered, fertilized and tended their lawns always have brown grass during the heat of summer and often during the winter, depending upon what type of grass seed or sod they installed. I once planted some daff bulbs and they pop up like clockwork every Spring.

Hey, Brian, glad to hear the possum babies are doing well.

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

Thanks for the site jambutty. As my chewing tobacco was such a huge hit at the May Meet, maybe I can find a way to make my owb creation of that to!

As for the possums, I realize now why they have such large litters. They have very little smarts at least as young. Have found these little guys wandering throughout the open yard ignoring the dangers of hawks, snakes, dogs, guineas etc. I believe at least 3 of them have found a nice home in on of my woodpiles and they scurry under at my approach.

To keep them from over wandering, I have brought all kinds of fruit and veges to the vincinity of the pile and that seems to have kept them safer.

Brian

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

Well i've got my back garden mowed half of the front garden and a bust lawn mower and bust strimmer to prove it. I knew i shouldnt have let him loose with it. He's put a new plug on the strimmer - he stood on the old one and bent the pin so thats working again but still waiting for him to mend the lawn mower. Also there is one lucky frog up here. He was mowing the back garden and he thought he saw something move but wasnt right sure. Carried on going and filled the box up. Went to empty it and a frog jumped out!!! Anyway he's gone down town now will be back later and finish the garden off. Oh and he did all this yesterday while i was still in bed - i was conked out from the new tablets that the consultant gave me - they knocked me out and didnt come round fully till 8pm last night!!!! Sorry Bernie if i wasnt with it yesterday.

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

my brothers a gardener, he tends to keep on top of my garden

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

But what do you mean by "garden" flashy? I believe most Americans hear the word garden and we think vegetables. I believe we purposely say "flower garden" or lanscaping to specify those items. I believe you guys say garden to include all that, or don't you?

Brian

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

But what do you mean by "garden" flashy. I hear garden and I think vegetables. I believe we specifically say "flower garden" and or landscaping for each of those. I believe you guys kinda lump 'em all into "garden" or don't you?

Brian

Sorry for the duplicate. Said the first didn't go through. I can't figure how to just delete this one!

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

A garden means the land surrounding the house where you live either front or back or even side in some cases. What is grown in it is irrelevant. It is still a garden with the only distinction being front or back.

Some people work an ‘allotment’, which is a piece of land hired from the local authority where the tenant will grow predominantly vegetables.

The latest score from my wilderness is slugs and snails NIL – me 34 and not a single leaf touched by the varmints.

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

Brian, i have grass and tree's and thats it ;) but......... next year i WILL be trying to grow my own veggies:D

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

In this part of Canada, "yard" seems to be the catchall word for "garden.":confused: I haven't set aside space for veggies for a while now ... just lawn, my maple trees, the sunflowers against the fence (treats for the squirrels), and morning glories ... no idea how they got there ... but it is a nice relaxing place, wonderful on a warm summer, or fall evening, esp as my bats and purple martins keep eat most of the moskies.

Re: How has your gardens grown?
 

heres my take on Yard or Garden , depends what language you are using .
English or American English

English ...Garden , unpaved area either at front, side or back of house containing plants, flowers/trees/vegetables
English ...Yard , enclosed area usually by walls or buildings, surface either paved or cobbled

American English... Garden , formal area of a park usually planted with flowers , ( a rose garden)
American English ....Yard , unpaved area either at front, side or back of house containing plants, flowers/trees/vegetables

Brian , think of it this way , the White House lawn is Americas backyard and the Rose garden is the posh/formal bit.

:D :D