The new hour-long GW.

[shovetheholly]

What are your thoughts?

I am really loving the new format. I like the way they are focusing not just on huge, uber-wealthy properties but on some small back gardens. I like the mix of stunningly beautiful, expertly-achieved gardens and amateur eccentricity. And I particularly like the focus back on technique, and doing things. It's lovely to see Carol Klein treated by the camera like the expert she is, instead of a gurning idiot pointing out that the top of the plant is called the "leaves" and the bottom is called the "root". I also find myself really warming to Adam Frost.

[ClarkL]

I think im going to come back to this gardening page and never leave - I'm not so sure I like the other more political talk pages on Mumsnet.

I promise if I get the land I will talk more about it,especially because I'll need Shoves advice on many elements!!
right now however I seem to be spending lots of time chasing our solicitor as our buyer very nearly pulled out yesterday and I need the house sold for the deposit on the new one :/

[Lorelei76]

Clark, did they tell you why they nearly pulled out? Sometimes really odd stuff happens and is easily sorted.

Fingers crossed for you.

Yes, these gardening boards are good places to hang out...very soothing!

[ClarkL]

They threatened to pull out because they have heard nothing from our solicitor. It would appear she has done nothing (that they can see) because she is waiting for a document from land registry and management company (its a leasehold) but instead of contacting them saying "hello, ive been instructed and this is where we are" she hasn't said anything :( The poor buyer thinks we've done nothing.
She has no contacted their solicitor. Explained what she is waiting for and agreed if it doesnt arrive today she will send out what she has

[Lorelei76]

ah, that sounds easy enough to sort. I'd be having a word with your solicitor though!

[ClarkL]

I may have got grumpy yesterday and pointed out she doesn't have to handle the purchase of our new property...!

[Callmegeoff]

Fingers crossed it gets sorted out clarkL I'd love to hear garden updates.

[shovetheholly]

This is definitely the best place on Mumsnet clark! That sounds incredibly stressful about your buyer - I am keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that they can find a solution to whatever issues they have very speedily. Solictors' firms can be so utterly lax about getting on top of things - it is very stressful for everyone concerned when that happens. I remember when I sold my house, the firm were under strict instructions not to reveal my address to a pretty abusive ex... which they fulfilled by copying him into every proof of address item I had sent them. It absolutely beggared belief. The worst thing is, I'd gone with an expensive firm precisely to avoid such complications! Good for you for getting your grump on - sometimes it is the only way.

Sosidges - I am watching what you are doing with awe. Planting in limited space requires such incredible discipline. I'm loving the way that you're thinking about every inch of it!

As soon as I get a moment, I'm booking it to watch kristina's video! And YY to all the discussions about people being too time poor to garden, and housing cost being a stressor. Perhaps more communal space is one solution, though lorelei is right that there are drawbacks.

[Sosidges]

Thank you Shove. I started off driving OH mad by talking about it constantly, he does not get how emotional this is for me. Now I have found my people and I am leaving him alone. I am hiding the hundreds of bits of drawing paper in a file, but quite often a 2 in the morning it all comes out again.

He showed me some photos the other day of the garden over the years. In a way it made me sad, but also it inspired me to try to recreate bits of it.

[funnyperson]

That garden programme linked to above is absolutely fabulous.
Erm...someone upthread said my garden is wonderful. i wish to point out that I am sure there must be some mistake. I, of course, think my garden is wonderful, mainly because i enjoy sitting in it and gardening in it. Others have said it is lovely, but I would be amazed if it created general wonder.
This is a lovely thread. I do so agree about gardens evolving.
Lorelei James Wong did a series of programmes on GW one year about gardening in small spaces such as roof tops and balconies. He had been inspired by Singapore where gardening in small balconies and staircases in blocks of flats is the thing. Encouragingly, apparently many many plants only need 18 ins of soil to grow well. This is the basis for many rooftop gardens. Anyway, one can apparently grow fruit and veg and flowers of all sorts in troughs and pots and window boxes of all kinds. Strawberries and spinach and figs and oranges and herbs of course but also beans and potatoes and tomatoes and clematis and so on.
Inspired by those programmes I attempted to grow raspberries in a trough. This did not work. It was searabbit I think who kindly pointed out that raspberries need deep soil for their root run.
Your bulbs in pots can and should come up again. Mine do.
Please note these photos are not my garden

[SeaRabbit]

I am only half way through it, but I am really enjoying Rhapsody in Green by Charlotte Mendelson. She gardens in a very small space, and discusses her triumphs and failures, so does give useful tips. It is beautifully written and sometimes laugh out loud funny - the first comedy garden book I have found.

[Lorelei76]

lovely garden funny

re the pots, I'll have to see where I can put them if I'm going to keep them. If they bloom well, then I'll try to keep them but sheer lack of space may cause issues.

At some point I'll have to see which old eps of GW are online or on youtube etc.

[Callmegeoff]

That program was hilarious, as was the one that followed. The story of coming home from school to find his mum sawing up an oil painting to make a fire guard had me crying! So reminded me of my mum and her wacky ideas

[Callmegeoff]

.

[shovetheholly]

kristina - that programme is BRILLIANT!

I never thought of lawn mowing as a gendered activity before (imagine women not being thought capable of dragging a machine around!!) That Flymo commercial with the ladies in silver suits representing a space age future is brilliant.

[shovetheholly]

Oh and sosidges - all the planning will be worth it. You may have less space in future, but it'll be perfect space!! I smiled at the thought of you up and designing at 2am. I hope you have a warm dressing gown!!

And funny - it was me who loves your garden and I DO think it's wonderful.

[bookbook]

the gardening section on here is a bit of calm sanity in a mad world :)
I had to go and re-watch that programme . I had forgotten bits of it, so it cheered me up again!.
I am keeping my fingers crossed for you Clark , but greed is such a driver for some people.
Having listened to her on Womans Hour, I am off to order it at the library SeaRabbit :)
Sosidges - it's a hard thing to be pragmatic enough to start again. We are doing a bit of that in our garden. Its biggish by todays standards, and I have always done the bulk of it. But we are just over hauling some of it. I originally designed it for privacy and (a certain amount of ) low maintenance. The problem is the maintenance now after over 30 odd years is much trickier and harder. But trying to sort it so we can maintain it for the next 15-20 years while getting older and more infirm is certainly thought provoking.

[Sosidges]

We also planted for privacy. I live In the middle of a large council estate in East London. My living room is all glass and previously, because of the planting we could not see our neighbouring houses from the living room or the garden. The planting also deadened the traffic noise.

Since I started clearing though, I have got used to seeing the surrounding houses, and I think a few strategically placed trees might soften the view. Also the advantage of going slightly deaf means the traffic is now muted.

It took me a while to accept that failing health provided an opportunity, rather than seeing it on a negative light. Not just an opportunity to get a completely different view from the living room, but also to,discover so many like minded sound on MN.

[Sosidges]

Like minded souls not sounds.

[bookbook]

I realised I am a little optimistic about gardening for another 15-20 years. I am 61, DH will be 65 in a couple of months -do they do gardening zimmer frames?

[shovetheholly]

Oh book I like to think of you gardening in your 90s!! (I think successive generations are rewriting the book on ageing. 60 is in no way old any more).

Sosidges- I used to live in East London!! My family are from Hackney and I moved back there (well, to Bow) in my 20s for a decade or so. I do miss it sometimes!!

I do also think you are onto something in your comments about privacy. An architect pointed out to me recently that in Amsterdam they have a very different relationship between house and street, with what we would consider more "overlooking". And yet they are accustomed to it. It did make me think how much of these spatial things that feel natural are really cultural and habitual...

[Lorelei76]

Privacy is why I wanted tall stuff for the balcony, I'm still gutted that windy weather makes this impossible. I'm even now wondering if there a way to support bamboo so I could screen with that.

[funnyperson]

I failed utterly with bamboo screening for privacy in my balcony. Having bought three different types they died after a month or so. I put this down to not enough water and the bamboo needing to be potted on to a trough.

[Lorelei76]

funny, do you recall which types you bought? Do they grow fast?

As I have the pots to house, I won't try this till spring, but I might yet try it. Also saw a beautiful house with Virginia creeper today and wondered about that too but any gale force winds will take the leaves off at this height I suppose...?

[bookbook]

Lorelei - have you considered/looked at heavy duty windscreen netting ?

[Lorelei76]

Yes but the lease doesn't allow that kind of alteration because it would have to be permanently fixed in order to avoid constant rattling noise. Privacy isn't a huge issue on this floor, but I'd be interested to see what the lower block opposite can see.

I also thought plants would be good for absorbing traffic noise.