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

[UnrequitedSkink]

My vb self-seeded last year, but I can't find the new baby plants! There's new growth appearing on the old ones already. Also I have loads of things I can't remember planting and Just In Case they're not weeds I can't bear to pull them out...

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

I can't even find my old VB plants. Curses. The weed that always fools me is one whose young leaves look very like geum. I have several in the lawn that I dare not pull up for a week or two, just in case.

[ChristinedePizan]

I have never known ophiopogon to self-sow. They always just sat sullenly in my last garden, never even grew much. There are all sorts of bulb-type leaves coming up in the grass in my new garden and I have no idea what they are so can't cut the grass. Not daffs - they're too late. Don't look like tulips (who plants tulips in grass anyway?) or bluebells. Whatever could they be?

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Fritillaria meleagris? Leucojum vernum? Scilla? Most other things (like crocus) would be up and/or over by now.

[ChristinedePizan]

Not fritillaria - leaves are too broad. Don't know what the leaves are like on scilla or leucojum. I will report back when/if they get some buds!

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

This thread is going way over my head...


I bought a gardening magazine today, there's no hope

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Jareth - Sorry of we've bamboozled you with all the Latin. Tell us about your garden and how it brings you joy.

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

Ah... erm.. name change fail

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

OK. Come back in another name and we'll say no more about it.

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

You didn't see me... right?

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

See who?

::wonders why the flower bed smells so rank and wishes Jareth had weed on the compost heap, where at least it would so some good::

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

At least the cats might fuck off

tbh, one look at my tights should manage that.

[PotatoesOfTheCarribean]

I see your Jareth scarecrow and raise you a Johnny Depp scarecrow made entirely of potatoes!

[Freezingmyarseoff]

Oooo, can I join this thread please?

I'm getting very excited about gardening although am pretty much a beginner. We had the builders here all last summer doing a house extension, so the garden is fairly trashed but I have lots of plans to transform it. My step-mum is an ace gardener and has been helping me put planting plan together. We're going on a trip to Wisley in a couple of weeks to have a look round for inspiration and buy some plants but also bit nervous about the £££
Sounds like I need to find the nearest lidl

I want to put in lots of roses (but don't know any names) and a magnolia tree, plus some hydrangas and fuscias, and alium and catmint and some other shrubs. I spent most of the weekend shovelling horse shit around the garden in preparation.

[Freezingmyarseoff]

Just checked out the blog Potatoes - am very impressed

[Pkam]

Humphrey - how was the nettle pasta? Got loads coming up around the fences and eating the darn stuff sounds like good revenge tactics. Unless of course it was vile....

[HumphreyCobbler]

Nettle pasta was delicious, although it didn't taste any different to ordinary pasta, it looked very nice and green. My friend is going to make ravioli next so we can taste the nettles.

[Pkam]

Presumably you can use the young leaves much as you would a spinach? Might surprise DH with steamed nettles mixed in with my curly kale and see if he notices....not sure I'd get it by the kids though.

[HumphreyCobbler]

It smelled and looked like spinach - I bet he wouldn't notice.

Have just planted mint, parsley, campanulas, poppies, golden marjoram and two new sage plants.

Does anyone know if I need to cut back my old sage plants? They look pretty ragged atm, I am wondering if they are dead or if they will come back.

[hellymelly]

I spoke to someone today who said my lilac needs lime, and a decent pruning.Hopefully that will save it. I've put in sweet peas today,and broad beans, and some mad grasses with curly tips that are just so comical I couldn't resist them. Btw,if anyone is on holiday in Pembrokeshire or Ceredigion this year,visit Gwynfor Growers,a small plant nursery near Llangranog.Most of the really lovely plants I have came from them,they always have really lovely interesting things as they just grow the things they like themselves,and they are really reasonable too.

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

If you don't trim sage it can end up very straggly, but I'd wait a week or two, to be sure that no late frost will come along and harm it.

[HumphreyCobbler]

thank you Maud

[Freezingmyarseoff]

Thanks for that tip HellyMelly. We'll be in Pemborkeshire over Easter, so I might check it out.

[Mirage]

Maud,that weed that looks like a geum always fools me too.It has tiny yellow flowers and horrid hook like seeds that stick to everything.I've been gardening for a living for 9 years and I still have to double check when I'm about to pull one up.I don't know what it is called though.

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

That's consoling, Mirage. If it fools you too, I don't feel so bad. Although I have just moved a 'geum' which I found in a spot where last year I planted a lot of Mrs Bradshaw, so if it does turn out to be the weed I will still feel a ninny.

By the way, does anyone else enjoy the names of plants or is it just me? I take great pleasure in having Mrs Bradshaw next to the Bishop of Llandaff or Nelly Moser entwined around Ernest Markham, like some great horticultural dinner party.