The Good Life (gardening chat)

[baargain]

Hello! Who is in? Who is planting stuff?

I have done proper prep for once. I have new gloves (that were so expensive, but I wear through mine so fast), I cleaned and sharpened all my tools, I've bought a new gas tank for my greenhouse heater, I tidied the greenhouse and I've just dug six barrows of compost into my veg beds.

I'm building a veg cage tomorrow, as my last one collapsed in the winds last year.

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[baargain]

Should this be in All Property is Theft? I got lost. I'm so tired

[Mayday]

I could really use a cage around my soft fruit,we lose it every year to the deer overnight . Will you show us when you've done it?

I am mainly pruning and tidying up at the moment, if I can ever get out past the rain.

[baargain]

Yes! I am going to build it tomorrow, so I'll either post a photo, or a thread about the death of my relationship

I got it from Knowle nets. Mumbaa and her friend have used them and appear to approve.

[Cosmopolitan]

I'm in. I'm in the clearing and chopping stage however and also need to take some concrete up before going much further. I'm not quite sure how to do that however and need to do some research.

[smalex]

I need to make a start. The weather has been so dire I haven't touched the garden yet.

[baargain]

Oh, that sounds like hard work, cos!

[Shoe]

I'm desperate to get out on the balcony and start sorting stuff but the weather is still too bad here. I think I've lost quite a few of my shrubs too because half my pots are totally full of rain water despite having drainage holes.

I need to decide what I'm planting this year too, I loved all the colour I had last year but everything needs replacing to have that again which is a lot of money.

I'm tempted to get some ornamental grasses and see if they last better.

[baargain]

I made a cage! I will add netting once the wind drops, maybe next weekend.

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These are plates which you poke the uprights through. The holes were 1 or 2mm too narrow, thankfully we have a electric grinder thingy, so The Bf could make them all sliiiightly bigger.

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[smalex]

I'd flipping love a cage, but it would swamp our garden a bit. Yours looks great.

Finally some decent weather, we got out and did something. W and I shifted a load of plants from one bit (not in the photo) which is giving up its borders to become a bigger bit of flat lawn, and S put these sleepers in and dug up the area (which used to be a sloped lawn and is going to be borders now) and then we replanted the plants into it.
Phase 2 is the returfing. Then phase 3 is knocking out some brick planters and redoing in sleepers. Theres a phase 4 and 5 too but we might run out of steam and budget before that this year

[smalex]

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[baargain]

Ah that looks good!

[smalex]

Phase 2 and 3

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The increasingly wrecked garden

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Pile of bricks we demolished and moved.

Laid some turf ( we didn't buy enough!) And demolished and dug out a heap of brick beds and concrete paths. W got right into it. Next step to put sleepers in instead on that side.
I'm going to go to b&q tomorrow and get everything we need to finish that, plus more flower seeds (the local nursery I like sells mainly veg, which I stocked up on today). If we're going to end up spending a LOT of time at home I at least want a productive way to spend some time outdoors.

[baargain]

Oh, I love a good demolish and rebuild. Well done. I'm also stocking up and making a list of garden jobs in case of being a shut in.

I netted my cage!

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[Ella77]

Will that be safe for birds and small animals?

[smalex]

I think one of the benefits of getting the proper cages is to keep the netting taut and in place which prevents it being a danger to birds.

[baargain]

I've only had a bird stuck in mine once in 5+ years (in my previous home made rather baggy net which had holes in it). This one is much tighter and well made.

I rescued the bird and set it free. It was stuck inside, rather than tangled up in the netting.

[Ella77]

Thank you . I do worry. It all looks very professional.

[baargain]

No worries! It makes sense to think about it. They mostly sat on top of the old one, waiting for me to dig up worms.

[baargain]

The seeds are IN.

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Three types of leek, cabbage, kale, chard, peas, Broad beans, peas, sugar snaps, four types of tomatoes, two types of salad, rocket, four types of onions, Jalapeño and padron chillies, tomatillos and cucumbers.

The big pot is a fig tree from mumbaa.