Come into the garden with Maud - all obsessive and wannabe gardeners welcome

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Whether you've got rolling acres or a tiny courtyard, whether you're a novice or a gardening die-hard, whether you're aiming for a garden of Sissinghurst loveliness or self-sufficiency à la Felicity Kendal in The Good Life, this is the place to be. Take a seat on the tastefully-painted Lutyens bench and chat with fellow enthusiasts. There may even be a bottle of gin in the potting shed.

Hello, I would like to join too. I can offer blackberry whiskey (with balckberries scavenged from Wandsworth common!)

Another roof terrace gardener here . I have about 10' by 12', first floor roof terrace in London overlooking the gardens and roof terraces of lots of neighbours. it's very pretty in a victorian terrace jumbled chimney pot sort of way. Although I would love a bigger space. Very jealous! it is at least SE facing so gets all the morning sun and really only gets shaded 2 hr before sunset.

Last year was a total wash out for me - started seeds too late which meant that they weren't established enough before it got hot and dry and I am very lazy at watering This year I am trying to be better - I only have pots to plant in as the whole thing is decked. Have started 2 types of tomatoes "sungold" and an experimental one from real seeds (I only grow cherry toms as full size ones don't have time to ripen - sad tomato people, do try a cherry if you've only done salad ones before), basil, parlsey and 2 climbing beans "trail of tears" and "cobra". They are in my teeny greenhouse during the day and taken in at night - I don't trust the overnight temps yet. I've also sown some mixed lettuce directly into pots. There is a bit of germination starting which always gets me unreasonable excited.

I also have thai basil to try too. Lovely for cooking with. But I just don't have the space for much more than this. Any other tall veg I can grow?!

My herbs (mint, rosemary, thyme, chives, sage, marjoram) are creaking back to life. I think the sage might have succumbed to death, which is not a surprise after frying last summer and freezing over this winter. One thyme has died as well but the other one is brutish - might need to cut it back at bit and then give it a good old trim after it flowers.

Flowers wise, my vinca has started going great guns I do love it. A good hard prune every 3-4 months and it starts flowering like mad again. Acer about to bloom, olive tree has done the best of all - it's looking great. One hydrangea has died I think although I am holding onto some hope, the other is starting to sprout (they suffered in the desert of last summer). Bay tree is very sad looking - totally crispy - but I imagine that it will either take off or a new tree will grow from the roots - like last time!

Aqulegia are about to go mad I think. I planted seeds from seed heads last year in a bit planter - they didn't do much last year but I think this year might be the year. They are a lovely deep purple colour.
Once that lot get going, I will see where I am and take a trip to the garden centre for some bedding plants for the wall planters. Colours are white/green/blue/purple. Too many colours just looks awful in such a small space, partic as it is a bit boho with not two pots the same!

Just been out and all my peas are up in the bed very exciting

Another hard frost this morning.

MoreBeta - I agree, you do need to be at least nearish the Rhubarb triangle.... Although i understand that there are fewer producers now in it - quite how when it reaches such astronomical prices in the supermarkets, I don't know. Mind you, we're not worrying about forcing- planted a new crown last summer - Prince Albert.

Found loads of 'wildlife' in the garden this morning. Toads, frogs, mice and amorous ladybirds and spiders on every surface!

I only just subscribed to the GW magazine and my first one came through today. Have had a very happy hour reading it and planning where to plant my free seeds. We're going to have so many sweetpeas in the garden.

I also got my wildflower seed mix through from Sarah Raven, so excited. It's going in big growbags at the front of house (they're about a metre square together). So passers by can enjoy them as much as me.

My LL put in a small bed and I'm considering growing dahlias, however I know nothing about them. The GW magazine says one tuber can produce 100 flowers - is that if I keep cutting them to go in vases? If so I could keep picking them and sell them out the front when I've sold all my seedlings. How much space does one tuber take up - the bed is probably four feet by one. Does three tubers sound ok? Advice greatly appreciated!

I'm near the rhubarb triangle and my crowns are shit. Really puny and skinny. I think I'll bin then and start over.

It's a cliche I know, but I'm going to put box cones in pots either side of the front door. What would you do, though. Leave them solo or plant around the base to soften them a bit? Bit of trailing ivy?

FreeButtonBee - for other climbing veg you could try cucumbers and trailing squashes; both can be trained upwards if supported.

One of our local deer has taken up residence in the bottom of our garden for the past few days. She's chosen a little spot down the end of the wood bit and looks very comfy. Trying to figure out if she's the one who's about to have babies, I don't think she is as she looks a little young & DH says not because her ears are too dark (think he's secretly named them all). I'm hoping not anyway because, although very cute, it would be a while before baby deer could get over our fences to get out again!

Worzel - can't help with the dahlias as I've just planted my first one. The article in GW explains how to make the most of them though I think; however, I left my copy on the plane at the weekend so can't remember how to do it. Therefore I'd also appreciate anyone with some dahlia knowledge coming on yielding advice please!

Hello, I planted a blueberry today & another Rhubarb, which once out of the pot was REALLY puny. Quite disappointing. I also planted about 20 pots of Sweetpea seeds

I have some Broad Bean plants - does anyone have any advice what to do with them?

I think from a bit more digging that I plant the tubers, then when it grows, wait for it to have six branchy things (still learning the terminology ) and then chop off the top of the plant so that it grows lots and lots of flowers, and then you keep cutting them so more grow.

Liking that explanation Worzel! Thanks.

Saggy - are your broad beans in pots? If so, plant them out leaving about 12" between plants. Water if dry and feed occasionally. Watch them grow. Pick when the pods swell. Possibly.

Worzel there's advice about planting Dahlias on the Sarah Raven website.Plant one foot deep and wide[hole],2-3 ft apart,large varieties need to be 3 feet apart apparently.But i'm really not sure what a large variety is?.I used to hate dahlias,thinking they are old lady flowers but i have now decided that the 'anemone' varieties are pretty [and have been suckered by the late flowering and mass flower production].Consequently i have saved a bed for these from Parkers-i think i need to plant them now!.Its been a lovely sunny day here.I've been watching the brimstones and red admirals today as have been sick with a bug and asthma[one dc is also sick].Wonders of wonders half my Morning Glorys have sprouted this morning [but so sweet peas and salvia which was planted much earlier].

Hi may I join? I am a total garden virgin and know nothing about plants....and am ashamed too say I often ' accidentally' kill my plants :( HOWEVER I am soon moving into a new home with a 15 x 5m garden and have started fantasising about what to do with it. All I know is I want low maintenance, lots of colour and something safe for kids......oh and a nice smallish tree like a cherry blossom. Any basic tips I should know?!?!? Sorry too be so rubbish.......but am hoping to be a newly fledged green finger ;) thanks....

mum21 - I move quite often to new rented houses and often find gardens quite badly maintained and threadbare. What I always do is leave them for the first year but just focus on tidying, edging the lawn, hard pruning the bushes, roses and overhanging trees (get a tree surgeon to help).

Once I know what grows and where the garden is shaded, sunny, damp, dry then I plant lots of bulbs for early spring colour. I do a veg patch which is a good place for chicken manure if you have any and I plant some seeds in tubs and borders.

If I am staying longer than 2 years I would plant some hardy perennials (come up every year without any additional planting). I also like irises of which there are many types for all sorts of different areas of the garden. Flowering shrubs are also good along with fruit trees.

Thanks for the tip...this will be our first proper home as we've just bought it and have spent months doing the while house up. Because it's been a construction site the whole garden will need a new lawn and will need to completely start from scratch. It gets lots of sun all day as it's south facing......and there are no shady areas....unless we put in a small tree. I will look into your suggested planting ;)

Just been in pound stretcher narrowly escaped without more fruit trees £5.99 !!!

I've got leanings towards a mulberry. I know we wouldn't get mulberries for AGES, but we love our home and garden, and are not planning to move, so do you think that it would be a good idea?

Ummm.... can I plant my potatoes in a sloping bed? Very little of my garden is flat and I wanted to keep the flat bits for carrots. What do you think?

Hello! Can I join in?

I'm in my 2nd year of gardening, only really like growing edibles but the DDs have plans for flowers and planted lots of poppies yesterday.

Thus far, my garden has a red and a blackcurrant planted last year.
An apple, planted earlier this year (with DD3's placenta)
Herbs being grown in tyres that I painted purple.

In the greenhouse I have lettuces, sweetcorn, more herbs and spinach.

I also have chickens in a walk in run, for the poo and the eggs!

Hello. I'd like to join, but only if someone would like to share a nice crisp ice cold bottle of dry white wine on the sunny patio with me!
We moved last year, too late for planting but to a nice if bare established garden - yay! We have - 3 apple trees, a plum, a pear and a cherry tree, a large veg patch filled with strawberries and marigolds and a greenhouse currently storing the carpet from our front room
I need motivation people! I have propagators, seed pots, plenty of seeds. But I've spent the day watching ds2 play on the slide and enjoying the sun on my beloved swing seat. Someone please kick me up the virtual rear end :)

Oh and we had buckets of apples last year but I haven't been able to prune as am recovering from a torn calf muscle. Will we get much this year?

I've come on to whine about my allotment 'politics'. I had no idea why they hated me (always taking the piss, making things difficult for me, trying to get me out by complaining to the council woman) and I've eventually found out it's because they wanted my plot

I put my name down 7 years ago and it took me over 3 years to get it. Fair and square.

this time they have gone too far. The council moved the gate last year and made it incredibly difficult to get to the tap, it's now actually impossible without help so I've raised it with the woman from the council (who they talk to). I've found out that they told her it wasn't impossible to get to - as they're trying to get me out.

When I mentioned it to the people stirring she said 'nonsense of course you can reach' and then tried to get to the tap and fell over down the verge (yes, I tried not to smile ironically). She then said 'well you'll have to use another tap' - which of course I can't as my hose (50 metres) won't stretch.

I hate the fact they're trying to undermine me and deliberately make it difficult for me.

Laurie - is it your particular plot 'they' want or just the fact that they wanted the plot and you got it? Just wondering whether there's the option to swap plots just to overcome the real problem?

Is there any guidance about how close the tap should be? If its a Council run one I should think that there probably is. If the woman has said use the other one, I'm sure that's too far. Alternatively, short cut over some problem=maker's plots with the hose?

Puffy - I'm sure that there's some available. I would like to get the garden into a state that I would like to spend time out there doing that.

Yes, it's my particular plot they want as it's got no trees - which of course means I really need water. If I'd known I'd have swopped with them 4 years ago but now my plot has about 100 canes/trees/26 rose bushes/ and about 15 raised beds so not an option.

I don't have any idea how close the tap is supposed to be but I can't even get the council woman to respond to my email, she said a month ago she would look into it then I heard last week she's been up (when crazy woman told her I didn't need it) so I emailed her again and haven't had a response yet. I was thinking about raising a complaint but I'm a bit scared to as she could just give me notice on my plot.

Thanks for the support My plot is going to be amazing this year so they can't complain about me.

Anybody watching GW? I don't mean to be rude but these Joe Swift landscaping segments are too short to be useful, and I think the result is a bit... Ground Force ... Sorry Joe!

I agree but then I'd like GW to be a full hour really...

Got some more horse pooh today. Think I'm addicted. Need to put it where needed tomorrow so got some digging to do again. Also planning to get the veg plot net roof back on this weekend otherwise the butterflies are going to find it soon.

Planted some tomato seeds today and some salad bit and bobs. All free seeds. Going to put my first peas in tomorrow.

Mistlethrush - I have a mulberry (well, in our adopted orchard over the fence). It's amazing. Ours is probably around 100 years old so it's huge but I'd never tasted mulberries before we moved here - they're fantastic.

Found a home for the final jerusalem artichokes (still have around 50-60 tubers gradually rooting themselves together in a bag). Cornered the school allotment lady and she looked very happy with the offer. So I'm dropping them round this weekend for school allotmenteers to help themselves to.