MBE's new garden

[mrbadexample]

Well, I do tend to prefer productive plants, and I like the idea of a Tayberry. Would they cover the fence, and more importantly are they invasive like raspberries? I grew raspberries briefly at the old house but then they started popping up everywhere. I can't be having that...

[nickdub]

Tayberries grow quite large, but they are more like blackberries in their type of growth than raspberries. In any given year you have last years rods which carry the flowers and fruit, while the new rods are growing from the base which will form the fruiting structure for the next year. The rods will grow to about 10' in length but are quite bendy, so can be tied in to fit the space available - there is a thorn-less sort which is obviously easier to handle. If you want new plants you can put a stone over a growing tip of a rod and it will form roots.

[mothhawk]

Oh. Do bees like it?

The flower tubes are too long for the tongue of a bee, bumble or honey, to reach the nectar. Summer flowering honeysuckle is mostly pollinated by night moths and you will notice the scent is stronger in the evening dusk. Hawkmoths love it so if you want to see those magnificent hawkmoth caterpillars, definitely grow some.

Bees can manage the flowers of winter flowering honeysuckle, and mine gets bumbles on it from early February and honey bees from late Feb if the weather is mild. It flowers December to March and is shrubby, so you can clip it to keep it on your side of the fence

[mrbadexample]

The flower tubes are too long for the tongue of a bee, bumble or honey, to reach the nectar. Summer flowering honeysuckle is mostly pollinated by night moths and you will notice the scent is stronger in the evening dusk. Hawkmoths love it so if you want to see those magnificent hawkmoth caterpillars, definitely grow some.

I do like a hawk moth. Mrbadexample snr gets hummingbird hawk moths in his garden. I'm pretty jealous of those.

I might have to have honeysuckle and Tayberries.

[mrbadexample]

Bee hotel busy today:



Note the cheeky walnut orb weaver lurking up the top:

[mrbadexample]

The chair I made is a bit in the way, and I've still got to make another. My garage is cluttered with pots, compost bags etc & I could do with a bit more storage space. So I've decided to build a shed in this corner:



I've made a base as you can see (approx 2m x 1m) The initial plan was to have the back to the wall but I'll have to move the bee hotel which is ridiculously heavy. I put the base down as it is to have a look, but the more I think about it the more I'm certain it should be the other way round as I first thought. The bee hotel wants moving anyway so I'll bite the bullet and get it shifted somehow.

I don't really know how to build a shed but I guess I'll figure it out as I go. I've got some nice treated fence posts which I can use to make a frame and then I reckon some treated tongue & groove to clad the front & sides and make a door with. It wont have a back, just the wall. I don't know what to do with the roof though - which way should it slope? Towards the front or a pointy bit in the middle with it sloping to either side? I think I'll be able to get away with pallet wood (I've got loads) for the roof as it'll be felted anyway. Don't want to spend more than I have to, but I will want it adequately weatherproof.

Any thoughts before I go ahead and make a complete pig's ear of it?

[mrbadexample]

I have acquired a couple of big bags of fresh horse poo. I need to leave it somewhere to rot - should I leave it in the bags or turn it out? Would squash be happy with it fresh? Anything else?

[nickdub]

I have acquired a couple of big bags of fresh horse poo. I need to leave it somewhere to rot - should I leave it in the bags or turn it out? Would squash be happy with it fresh? Anything else?

One way round it is to mound it up in piles, hollow out the top, fill with soil and plant squash or similar in that.

PS I'd slope the shed roof away from the house if I were you.

[mrbadexample]

One way round it is to mound it up in piles, hollow out the top, fill with soil and plant squash or similar in that.

PS I'd slope the shed roof away from the house if I were you.

Thanks Nick. I'll try it with a butternut, although I'm wondering if it might already be a bit late for them? Mine are only seedlings.

The wall is the back of the electricity sub station that lies between my house and next door, but I think I will have it against the fence as first pictured. I've got no further with it though.

[nickdub]

Thanks Nick. I'll try it with a butternut, although I'm wondering if it might already be a bit late for them? Mine are only seedlings.

You're very welcome. I reckon there's still a reasonable amount of time depending on what varieties you have. when I used to do this type of planting I used to put a sheet of glass or some plastic over the plant for a week or so to try to get it off to a good start. If the heap's big enough you get a bit of extra warmth from the decomposition too.

[mrbadexample]

I'm on page 9, which means I haven't posted for a good long time.

I want to get this season off to a decent start, so during this week I'll be sowing some chillies, peppers and tomatoes. Not as early as many of you but still early enough. Think I need to get the aubergines going too?

I did plant a 2-year old bush trained Willingham gage out the front yesterday. I had to put it out the front as there's nowhere out the back it can go. I don't know how well it'll do there but I do know that talking about planting it gives it a lot less chance than actually planting it. It looks a decent tree so fingers crossed.



I saved some marigold seed from last year's plants to save me buying more. When do I sow those? Not sure I've ever sown a flower before....

[mrbadexample]

I don't do Valentine's Day. I don't see why I should be told that I have to buy flowers that are 50% more expensive etc, etc. Fortunately, Viki understands and reciprocates by getting me nothing as well.

But I dug a (roughly) heart shaped pond.



It was dark by the time I'd lined it, so more photos to follow.

[SarrissUK]

But I dug a (roughly) heart shaped pond.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]85146[/ATTACH]

Aww that's lovely!

[mrbadexample]

I'm quite pleased with this.

[SarrissUK]

Lovely pond! I can see lilies and duckweed in your future