My garden makes me so happy

[HumphreyCobbler]

I wanted a garden all my adult life, and for the last three years I have had one.

To begin with I was worried it wouldn't be as much fun as I thought it would be, but I soon discovered it was even better.

It was an overgrown, tangled mess when we moved in and slowly we have transformed it. I am still a beginner, but I already know so much more than I did.

Today I came home to find a massive pile of well rotted horseshit waiting for me. It was brilliant.

I don't really know what the point of this post is, I just wanted to share

discovered the medlar tree looking very sorry for itself. Lack of water I think, gave it a big drink so hopefully we won't lose it. We only put it in last year, should have been remembering to water it.

On a more positive note, the wild mint is growing everywhere in the orchard. It smells divine when DH mows the paths. In fact it all looks lovely in there - it is really protected from the wind, and all the buttercups and long grasses are at their best atm.

First broad beans nearly ready too, I am really looking forward to that.

My solar-powered fairy lights have just come on for the first time. It's like Tinkerbelle's grotto out there. ::grin::

I love knautias - I've put them in the front garden mixed with verbenas and they look really nice together. I've got those curved metal plant supports at the front of the bed to prop them up a bit

Hope the medlar recovers. Still no sign of rain here, it's starting to feel a bit odd really

Are Medlars those ones that look like bums Humphrey? Do hope it recovers. This combination of wind & no rain is no good at all!

Didn't know you could have solar powered fairy lights Panel - where did you get them from?

Need to plant out my sweetpeas, just waiting for this wind to die down!

I have these fairy lights and some of the plain lights. They weren't on BOGOF when I bought them. Grr.

the medlar tree does indeed look like a bottom, in fact I believe it is known as the dog's arse fruit in france (not able to vouch for the veracity of that). Sadly it looks just as bad today I will be doing no blatting this year.

Today I have de-turfed around 6m of the strip for the new bed (only 20 odd metres to go); taken delivery of 4 tonnes of soil (now littered around my drive like a giant car obstacle course); and, most importantly, I have made a planting plan - drawn to scale and coloured in and everything. Very proud of myself.

Now need to get wood to build up front of bed; build it; distribute the soil; and then the best bit - buy lots of plants .

Hope medlar recovers Humphrey.

ooh, de-turfing is my least favourite job to do. Kills the back I find. Well done for getting so much done.

I love the planting plan, one day I too will have a planting plan

The roses are starting to come out, but are still being battered by the vile wind. Next salad crop nearly ready. All my sweetcorn plants have sprouted, I planted a whole packet. Not sure if we will really eat that much sweetcorn, but it is SO delicious we will probably manage.

I am pleased with the way the borders by the pigs sty are looking - I seemed to have achieved colour scheme of blue and white flowers plus lots of red foliage to set it all off. The red orach looks splendid next to the lavender. The Rosamundi is tiny but covered in buds, I can't wait to see these in flower.

DH is out now watering the raspberries, this watering is getting seriously tedious. And we have had some heavy rain at least, I can't imagine what it must be like for some of you guys.

Gosh 6m is v impressive in one day! It took me about three days to do 2x4m! And the sodding self-sown Acanthus are STILL coming up everywhere - grr. It's so weird the plants that self-sow here - the Acanthus and the Humulus are real thugs which I have to dig up constantly. In London I had to sweet talk them to even get one plant to grow! The difference between London clay and Kentish chalk is greater than I ever thought

What's in your planting scheme then, Pkam?

::gets notebook::

Have gone for pinks, red, blues & purples. Lots of repetitions and general drifts of things along the length of the bed. So, in plan are: achilleas, catmint, echinacia, sedum (autumn joy), brook thistles, knautia, aquilegia, agastache, campanula, red valerian, sanguisorba tanna, lavender, several hebes & hardy geranium. Then growing up the fence behind will be a fan trained fig, my rapidly growing chillean potato vine, and a passion flower stolen from my mother's garden. Also intend to put loads of aliums through it for the spring.

Shall probably change plan a few times before planting actually happens!

Sounds lovely apart from the sedum which I irrationally dislike. I have been eyeing up sanguisorba menziesii which was on Gardeners' World a week or two ago.

I have very similar things growing in my garden Pkam.

I have been thinking about your 25m border. As well as lavender, how about sage? I have a gorgeous flowering salvia which is edible and the flowers are beautiful. You could intersperse drifts of salvia with lavender? Would look lovely.

Oh I'm sure I'll detest some of it when it grows but I'm willing to go in with the trial and error, experimental gardening frame of mind and see what happens.

DH spotted a sanguisorba on Chelsea last night and showed an interest so I had to do some searching to find out what it was; my plant knowledge is improving rapidly. I'm personally most excited about the fig. Only occurred to me today that it would be a perfect spot. Been wanting one of them since seeing the one on Gardener's World but couldn't think where to put it. Good old GW.

Ooh I love sanguisorba. Buttons :)

Hadn't thought of sage Christine. One end of the bed (about 6m) is going to have a more of a mediterranean feel with the fig, lavendar & agastache as it gets very baked. A flowering sage might fit in nicely. Will definitely consider.

Hi all, I went to Chelsea today. My feet hurt.
bought Jekka's Herb Farm seeds and some plant supports. Nearly bought a 6x4 foot cold frame. But the discount is on until the 6 June so will consider carefully with him indoors.

I have enjoyed watching Chelsea on the telly but have no wish to go again. I'm too short to get a decent view of the gardens and came home badly bruised from all the desperate elbowing!

Loved all the talk about William Morris on tonight's programme.

I would love to go to Chelsea - what was your favourite garden Lexilicious?

Planting scheme sounds great Pkam. I too am planning lots of aliums for next year.

I have just bought DH The Well Tempered Gardener for his birthday thanks to ChristinedePizan mentioning it earlier in the thread, and wanted to say that the thalictrum plants I bought because Maud tempted me are doing really well.

Perhaps we should devise a MN gardeners' coat of arms with trowels and thalictrum rampant? We could then plant it out, municipal bedding stylee.

HC, I liked them all but it's true being smaller of stature is a disadvantage. I most liked the cancer research garden and the australian garden, the latter at least partly because it had a particularly stunning installation in it handing out the planting list leaflets . In the pavilion I can't be fagged with all the single-plant-type stands, but I loved the Avon Bulbs display and other bulb/seed places. Burncose Nursery was good too.

feet still sore this morning!

Rain, glorious rain! :o

You been stripping off again, Maud? ::narrows eyes::

my thalictrum is certainly rampant

Rained a bit here too but the bloody wind keeps on and on.

Have had proper rain here too on and off. Plants all looking very pleased about it. Sort of glowing.

Have had a deluge here but, no, no recent naked cavortings in the garden. I may go and take a stroll around the garden and squash any snails which have emerged.