Its frogs she's after. Beau has had a fish out luckily it survived as we spotted it and it only lost a couple of scales, no lasting damage. That fish is called Ol' Sneaky Bastard because he went missing for a few days when we got him not so sneaky around cats though
Suburban Hive Mind... Can you help lamb1979 and I with ideas about this wall. It used to be ivy covered and has either been blown off in strong winds or killed and cut back by next door. This wall has always been a bit of an eyesore but now even more so. So far, ideas have been willow screen; tight against the wall. Paint it white to match the rest of the wall. A natural yoghurt moss wall, and of course some sort of climber. Ideas for non leaf dropping evergreen climbers with nice flowers and scent would be really helpful as would any clever ideas for the wall. Bear in mind access is required on the rocks for maintenance so nothing thorny or too bushy. Oh, the cable is power to garage, I have some clips to tidy it up now I can get to the wall Thank you for any top tips in advance
I painted an ugly wall with olive green masonry paint from B & Q, you hardly see it now, and everything planted in front of it looks good. Sandtex Olive Green Smooth Matt Masonry Paint 5L | Departments | DIY at B&Q
trachelospermum jasminoides is a nice evergreen climber which is both mannerly and will thrive on a southfacing wall. And fabulously fragrant. Nothing like the rampant jasminum officionale.
I think you could be bang on the money there, thank you. Sorry for delay in replying, only just seen your post I think I'm going to paint the wall white ringo but thanks for the idea, the house and other walls are white and think it needs to match. I'll have the middle part of the garden wall covered by a small willow screen to make a break and in the corner by the garage it is shadier and damper so will try some moss paint too!
I was looking forward to an afternoon in the garden today. After the morning was delightful, fresh and dry...it was raining when I came out of the gym and has not stopped since. It will be dark again soon.
Yes I have managed my virtuous gym quota for the weekend but I really wanted to spend the afternoon outside in the daylight, clearing and weeding and readying the garden for winter. Maybe tomorrow.
The three brugs in the back garden got ever-so-slightly nipped by recent low temps, so I put them in the greenhouse. The pink one out the front however - which I've kept going for 7 years - is doing what it always does - from a shaky and very late start - six feet tall and almost across, leaves like canoe paddles - a few flowers - though no appreciable scent. I really need to see if I can keep these genetics going - smuggle them into France somehow... I may get my brother to mail some rooted cuttings to me. The Fuchsias haven't given up yet - or the nasturtiums - and on the garden wall to the right you can see six buckets of giant pink wallflowers that could do with more light ...
And I'm keeping the year's best nasturtium going a bit longer via some generous shoots sitting in the bubbler I use for cuttings. This is the second lot I've had in there and the last lot rooted like mad... And my dahlia has increased its tubers very well considering how many flowers I got off it - so I may well have a dilemma next year when it comes to decide whether to split the plant or not ...
I finally gave in and employed a gardener to cut down my out of control border. I cannot believe that it took him juts 6 hours to do something I have been putting off for 3 years. But he wanted to charge £30 to take away each skip bag, so I now have an enormous pile of green waste which it is going to take me weeks to get rid of in my stupid little car. I have already taken three loads.
If you stack it somewhere for the winter, the leaves will fall off and it will start to take up less space
I now have a useable downstairs back room which I can use as a place to over-winter and prepare plants - and as I will be spending time downstairs now, I have the motivation to do something with the back garden next year - so I will get out there soon to tidy up so I have something to look at. At the moment there's just the tree fern at the end - framed by the two clumps of miscanthus - with the cordyline on the left.
A lot of it is holly (with berries), I offered it on my local Facebook group and people are now coming round to take it away.
I'd have had some of that - I don't do Xmas, but I'm starting to feel drawn to bringing greenery into the house
Facebook is great for things like that. Have donated dug up unwanted plants, spare bit of pond liner to a local primary school, baby fish i don't have room for. Think you win getting someone to take away prunings though!
Got another greenhouse today. I spent yesterday taking the glass out of a little allie 6x8 job, picked up the frame and stashed it on the allotment. I am now having delirious fantasies of an entire greenhouse as an alpine house (completely ignoring wistful mentions of chillies and cucumbers from other household members) Tecophilea, bergenia omeiensis (nothing like those vile ones in public parks) shitloads of saxifrage and androsace...weeding with a fork and tweezers - standing up (what's not to love?)The sole good thing about my northern childhood was the huge variety of rockeries where millstone grit was prominent...while here in wholly flat east anglia, I have had to contend with a totally flat gravel garden and have run out of space...and I am being edged out of my bigger greenhouse by DiL's collection of carnivorous plants, succulents and orchids. Mmm Gentlegreen - I like large and statuesque perennials myself...but I also want loads of other plants...so have a few giant salvias and wild roses and lots of tiny little things like auriculas. It is a challenge, keeping a small garden going all year. I have also pricked out a lot of hardy annuals in order to get a start on next year - they have been growing away since September and are sturdy little plants which will grow into enormous 4foot clumps from an autumn sowing. Having a purple moment with knapweeds, cornflowers, larkspur, iberis, poppies and a couple of dark-flowered umbellifers.
Does anyone else have problems with badgers in their gardens? Previously, they've dug a few holes here and there (I'm guessing it's looking for worms) but last week they ransacked an area with three small yew bushes, completely digging one up, and part of my lawn now looks like the aftermath of the battle of the Somme!
Following your suggestion a while back, one of my first eupatorium purpureums has finally sprouted - it's indoors and warm. I'm guessing I should put the rest of the seeds outside to get cold for a bit ?
At least now you're allowed to encourage them to leave ... I found a mini-set at the end of the garden so piled all my prunings on top.
One of my neighbours feeds them so they are always around. I never get to see them though as they seem to like one of the upper terraces in my garden which is hidden from the house.
I miss the eupatorium which sprang from nowhere in my old garden. It's on my list of plants for the current place but I'm not sure I've got room for it.
I don't think they needed stratifying to germinate...but yep, they are better outside rather than in - they are hardy and tough...but if there are any snails or slugs still about, they will treat the eupatorium (or eutrochium maculatum as it is now called) as a salad bar....so cover with a clear lid, fine mesh or horticultural fleece.
Yeah, it is a big plant...also loving the deep pink filipendula rubra and some Siberian asters which top out around 8feet tall - aster tataricus
gentlegreen, if the plants have been having it soft indoors, they will need a bit off gradual hardening off as the shock of freezy weather could damage them. Try putting them out all day and bringing them in at night for a week or so. (I am sure you know this but I, for one, forget all sorts of useful stuff in my general enthusiasm so apols if it sounds like grannies and eggs).
Boudicca Where is the after pic of the border? I appreciate the before pic and the lookatthispile pic but...I need to see the border.
