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Post by sheepy on Jun 16, 2024 12:24:48 GMT
How do you look after you garden?
Mine is in sections, I have a wild area for the birds and local badgers and foxes, I did have a polytunnel, but the badgers decided there were juicy worms to be had and I was serving them up a gourmet lunch so they broke in and destroyed it. I have another section I grow some vegetables in and a wildflower area, I have a dog rose running out of control at the minute which I won't cut back until the flowers are gone and no more use for the bees. Then I have my plum tree which the fat pigeon keeps eating his way through. Which he has also taken to eating from the small birds feeder. Which he has recently learnt to do. I might just end up with a blackberry crumble this year from the wild part of the garden.
Then I have a small lawned area for the washing thingy jiggy.
I think I have it planned rather well, between nature and personal need, do you do much with your own garden if you have one?
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Post by Dogburger on Jun 16, 2024 13:17:35 GMT
Going from the house to the horse field at the back , Patio , Koi pond ,Arched trellis with 30 year old wisteria ,flower borders with another small seating area ,4 steps leading down to Cherry trees ,Summer house ,small Gym , and a tool shed .Unkempt area behind ,compost heap and wildlife pond which attracts plenty of various visitors
I don't need to do a lot bar the occasional maintenance on the Koi pond and a bit of pruning of shrubs ,Its made for relaxing not grafting .
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Post by sandypine on Jun 16, 2024 13:37:33 GMT
How do you look after you garden? Mine is in sections, I have a wild area for the birds and local badgers and foxes, I did have a polytunnel, but the badgers decided there were juicy worms to be had and I was serving them up a gourmet lunch so they broke in and destroyed it. I have another section I grow some vegetables in and a wildflower area, I have a dog rose running out of control at the minute which I won't cut back until the flowers are gone and no more use for the bees. Then I have my plum tree which the fat pigeon keeps eating his way through. Which he has also taken to eating from the small birds feeder. Which he has recently learnt to do. I might just end up with a blackberry crumble this year from the wild part of the garden. Then I have a small lawned area for the washing thingy jiggy. I think I have it planned rather well, between nature and personal need, do you do much with your own garden if you have one? We have a 6 x 4 metre dog-run type cage that we use for veggies and some soft fruit as well as a 4 x 3 cage for soft fruit. If we did not the pheasants, the deer and the small birds would devastate the lot. We have stuff growing outside as well which has to take its chances but we are on the coast and the wind and the Scottish weather keep successful veggie gardening at bay unless you just let some of it run wild. Spinach works well, we had great Courgettes and marrows, spuds tend to be blighted but provide a few meals, carrots a dead loss. We have great success with red and black currants, strawberries, gooseberries and apples more than enough for all our jams. For some reason we do not get rabbits, probably the buzzards on the hill behind. We do however get midges which make watering on sultry summer nights a bit of a trial. Thank goodness we do not have to water often. |
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Post by sheepy on Jun 16, 2024 14:23:55 GMT
The thing is we all get something from our gardens being many pleasures of some kind.
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Post by Dan Dare on Jun 16, 2024 15:47:16 GMT
I pay a gardener to look after it and admire his handiwork from a comfy chair on the verandah sipping a nice cold drink.
After many years of experience I have vetoed Madame's urge for growing things and now restrict her activities to plants on the patio and herbs etc in four half wine barrels.
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Post by Ripley on Jun 16, 2024 18:09:24 GMT
I like to grow a variety of herbs in tall pots on the patio just outside the kitchen, and we have quite a lot of tall pots with seasonal flowers all along the back of the house. About half of our back yard slopes down and is terraced. At the top flat area, there’s a pond with a little waterfall next to a paved entertainment area and covered patio where there is a well developed jasmine arbour adjacent to a lawn we converted to artificial turf a few years ago to stop our dog from digging.
We have different plantings on each terraced area and climbing plants on the fence. Down at the bottom and around the side of the house we have several flower beds and areas of ground cover.
Over the years we’ve dabbled a bit with growing fruits and veggies. After a while it became too much of a chore to process volumes of tomatoes so we eventually stopped growing them. Nowadays we’re only growing blueberries and raspberries, and the occasionally potatoes just for fun. I shouldn’t say ‘we’. I can take no credit. My better half takes care of the garden, our backyard pond, and all the shrubs and trees. Now and then we call in an arborist when the trees need serious pruning. The front of the house still has natural lawn, so it’s a lot more work.
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Post by Dan Dare on Jun 16, 2024 20:17:51 GMT
The issue we have found over the years with growing fruit and veg is that just at the time yours are coming into season is the time when everybody else's are. So if you visit the farmer's market for example, or the marché des producteurs here in France, everything you've sweated over is available at very reasonable prices. Now this discounts the pleasure you gain from growing your own but that is the only reason for going to all that trouble, ne c'est pas?
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Post by sandypine on Jun 17, 2024 7:28:54 GMT
I pay a gardener to look after it and admire his handiwork from a comfy chair on the verandah sipping a nice cold drink. After many years of experience I have vetoed Madame's urge for growing things and now restrict her activities to plants on the patio and herbs etc in four half wine barrels. Perhaps its me but most of the enjoyment gained from passing through or sitting looking at the garden is that its look is entirely down to the two of us. Most of it is not so much a garden but a jungle to be tamed for six months of the year and planning how better to tame it for the next six months. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2024 9:51:26 GMT
Our garden is lovely. Very little produce grown. Lawn for the grandkids to play on. A patio to entertain on. Borders filled with scores of shrubs and flowers giving a beautiful display of colour. Lots of bees, butterflies, birds - goldfinches, blue tits, chaffinches, wrens. Mostly down to my wife, I'm the helper and dig the big holes. I'm still trying to persuade her that the garden space is finite, but she's not having that. More plants will be purchased this week.  |
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Post by Ripley on Jun 17, 2024 16:45:12 GMT
The issue we have found over the years with growing fruit and veg is that just at the time yours are coming into season is the time when everybody else's are. So if you visit the farmer's market for example, or the marché des producteurs here in France, everything you've sweated over is available at very reasonable prices. Now this discounts the pleasure you gain from growing your own but that is the only reason for going to all that trouble, ne c'est pas? You live in France? Have you been there long? I'm seriously jealous. You're right. In season, most produce is reasonably priced, but cost was never the reason we have tried now and then to grow veggies. I grow herbs mainly for the convenience of being able to walk out the back door and snip whatever I need at any time. |
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