MBE's new garden

[mrbadexample]

I have builders. Base for greenhouse being constructed. Greenhouse buildy-bloke arrives on Tuesday.

I need to move the raised bed that's in the middle of the lawn closer to the others.

[mrbadexample]

What with the reliabilty of builders in general, and the almost total lack of communication from the one I asked to do this, I'm a bit surprised it actually happened.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Coming along nicely MBE!

Totally missed this thread, don't know how!

Must be an age thing.

All the very best to you with it!

[mrbadexample]

Ta daa!



One very happy gardener here. I didn't swear once whilst it was assembled for me.

[Jay-ell]

Looks NICE. Now for the photo of it full up.

[mrbadexample]

Afternoon all.

Time for a long overdue update.

Firstly, before we moved I promised my girlfriend that if she found us a nice house then she could have a cat. Two, if it was a really nice house. Well, it's a really nice house so now we have the Gittens:

This is Malt:

This is Barley:

They like "helping":

This means that the lovely beds I carefully dug last year are now considered to be giant litter trays. Especially by Barley, who likes nothing better than a good old dump in the vegetables.

At my last house I had problems keeping next door's cat out of my garden. "Get your own cat" people said. "They won't use your own garden, they'll go elsewhere" people said. People lied.

So now I am faced with the additional task of keeping Gittens out of my vegetable patch.

[mrbadexample]

I have sacrificed a couple of fruit cages my dad gave me, in order to make a quick frame for some netting:

Barley is frustrated by this:

It means, at least for the moment, that they go in the rhubarb bed which is more difficult to net owing to the size the rhubarb will grow to. I did eventually manage to move this bed closer to the others, so it is now a more convenient slab-width away. I need to finish the slabbing between them but I'm rubbish at it.

I have many more jobs I need to get on with, but it won't stop flippin' raining.

I haven't planted my spuds yet, as it's too cold and wet. I haven't planted anything else yet as it's too cold and wet.

[mrbadexample]

I need to get a pond dug, but it's too cold and wet. There is a recurring theme here, but it is supposed to warm up next week.

I did get some decent tomatoes last year, even though I started late as the greenhouse didn't arrive until mid June. However, I couldn't find my tomato seeds and was fretting over the potential loss of my Kumato. Fortunately I have now located these, and was a bit worried to find that the newest of these were saved in 2011. So I sowed about 20 of these and 20 from 2010, and happily have had decent germination levels from both so I have managed (assuming the plants survive and fruit) to resurrect these. I'm pretty pleased about that as they're from a Kumato I bought from Carrefour in the South of France in 2009, I think, so not really replaceable. I've had germination from some other varieties that were pretty old too, but these could probably have been replaced. I think I've got 11 varieties on the go this year.

I need to make room in the greenhouse for a cucumber and I think I'd like to try an aubergine too. Hopefully it's not too late to start those. I'm hoping that if I get them sown in the next day or two I should be ok. I've not grown aubergines before but I think I've got some seed somewhere.

I have more seeds than I know what to do with at the moment. Most is old so I really need to have a clear out.

The herb bed is looking ok. Rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic chives, chives and a tiny bay.



I grew a few more at the old garden (tarragon, oregano etc) but never really used them. The bit of wild garlic I brought from the old house has poked its head through, so I'm pleased that's taken. I've also managed to save the horseradish and bocking 14 comfrey. They're over by the compost bin somewhere. The nice pile of turf I had stacked from making the raised beds fell over, and was further added to from where the greenhouse base was laid, so I have a great big spoil heap that needs shifting.

The soil in the raised beds is full of stones. I could do with riddling it but I'll probably just end up picking out a load every time I plant something. I've added the contents of last year's tomato pots etc. It will steadily improve with time.

I've ordered 10 asparagus crowns, although I don't really have room for that many. I'll probably put 8 in, although the space is really only suitable for about 2 if I follow the instructions on the pack.

I've also ordered some crapaudine beetroot seeds which I am looking forward to trying.

I still need to work out what to grow against the back fence - suggestions welcome - it's north facing. I can't do anything until I get the fence looked at though, as one of the posts has snapped. I saw the fence blowing back and forth during our Beast from the East event, and if I hadn't nipped out in a blizzard to fix a brace to the other side, would probably have seen the lot on the deck.

I need to dig out a border along the fence and garage, so I can get a few flowers in. I can't mow into the corners either so it would make that easier.

[Snoop Puss]

Looking good, MBE.

And lovely cats, of course.

[veggiechicken]

Looks great, MBE.
All your garden plans coming together - even if the weather is holding you back - like the rest of us!
Love Malt and Barley - very pretty markings. I'm sure they give you hours of "pleasure".

[mrbadexample]

I have planted three gooseberry bushes at the back of the garage, where they should see a lot of sun. By a lot, I mean a high percentage of the tiny bit that will be available if it ever stops raining, obviously.



My plan is to fan train these up the wall. They will be pruned fairly ruthlessly so that they don't get into the sprawling state of those in my last garden. The middle one is a Hinnonmaki Red from the old house, the other two are cuttings given to me by a friend in Norfolk. They grow the biggest gooseberries I've ever seen. It'll be a while before I see any though.

The leeks I grew last year are still in the bed. They got put in too late so are still only spring onion sized, but I've eaten a couple and have been pleased to see no sign of the allium leaf miner that prevented me growing them at the old house. There might be hope here. If I leave them in will they ever get to be proper grown up leeks?

[veggiechicken]

My leeks were late last year and a lot of them bolted. When dug up, they had split into bulbs at the base, like garlic so I replanted them to see what happened. I have clumps of leeks now.

[mrbadexample]

Out the front we have a big hedge screening the electricity substation. It's got plenty of bird life in it, and a natural "window" in which I hung a peanut feeder a couple of days ago. It already seems popular.



We don't get many birds in the back garden any more, since we got Gittens. I need to grow some cover up the garage and the fence. I've got a couple of berberis in pots that I need to get in. I still have to be conscious of the protected strip though.

At the front we have a somewhat straggly privet which I need to trim a little at the top. Any ideas how I can encourage it to bush out?

I poked in a few daffodils last weekend after getting some cheap bulbs from the garden centre.



In the autumn I'll get a 100-odd crocus bulbs and poke them in too. All I'm after is something that will stick its head through to give me a spring display, then disappear so I can mow the grass over the summer. I've already got a few clumps of snowdrops by the base of the hedge.

[mrbadexample]

My leeks were late last year and a lot of them bolted. When dug up, they had split into bulbs at the base, like garlic so I replanted them to see what happened. I have clumps of leeks now.

Do you reckon I should leave mine in then?

[veggiechicken]

Dunno what to advise. Probably best to use them now rather than leave them in taking up useful space for another year.

Is your privet newly planted? If not, is it well? My neighbour's hedge is dying off - a stretch at a time and having to be replaced. Some sort of disease - its killed a hedge next door to him as well.