A distraction! Talk about your garden plans

[Maydayredalert]

I need a distraction from all the news, so tell me about your garden and your plans. I think maybe some of us will be spending more time in the garden this year.

I have a big garden. I don't know where I'd be without it, for my mental health. It is a lot of work but it keeps me busy and it is nice to be outside.

Currently I am tidying up from winter. We have lots of trees so everything is covered in leaves.

Tell me about your garden, and your plans?

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We have a long thin garden 100m by 5.5m of which the top 60m is on a slight slope so we are building raised beds all the way up one side of the slope to start with then maybe a few down the other side aswell depending on time etc.
We are planting lots of veg and this year I am trying to grow lots of flowers aswell, such as Cosmos , Calendula, Delphiiums ,nasturtiums ,sweet peas . I'm excited about it and it's a great distraction from everything else that's going on at the moment .

We've been busy sorting out the centre bed in our front garden. DH has a built a square area from old brick paviers in the centre. We've just moved a large terracotta pot with an olive tree to stand on the area. It will be surrounded by lavender bushes and agapanthus and fuchsias in the summer. At the moment there are spring bulbs.

I grow tomatoes, herbs, beans and beetroot. I'm going to grow salad leaves too this year.

We are finishing off laying a patio with some stone flags we found when tidying up our garden when we first bought our house. We had red and yellow concrete there before

We are also moving our border to the sunny side of the garden which I think will be much better in the summer.

Cut the grass for the first time this year on Monday, looks so much better!

I often moan about not having time to garden. Now I do, and it's such a lovely, literally grounding, thing to do.

The soil is still very wet and heavy, but I have peas, beans and tomatoes growing indoors. Carrot and leaves seeds went into tubs on the patio yesterday. I've ordered radish and spring onion seeds as they apparently grow quickly and will be useful to have if the panic buying carries on. I also grow edible flowers which are lovely to look at and can go in salads.

DH has just removed all our grass and we have 8 tonne of soil being delivered soon and the plan is to level off the garden as it is currently level at the top, drops down a foot then Slopes downwards. Once that’s done, all new turf with borders on both sides. We are planning on getting guinea pigs when it’s all done so an area for them and then an area for my vegtrugs. I’m most excited for it to be done as I’ll be able to finally put my DMs ashes in the garden underneath her bench. I can’t till it’s all done

I don't usually grow much veg, but I think I will this year. Probably tomatoes, courgettes, runner beans and new potatoes. There are lot of herbs dotted about in the garden already, so I will add to those as well.

There's a fair amount of tidying up to do, and loads of tender plants in the potting shed at the moment, waiting for the right time to go outside.

Moved house in November. Front and back gardens each need a massive makeover. Taking hedges out but we have a small van so can only go to our recycling centre12 times per year.
Planning on planting a wildflower meadow. We planted one in our previous house last year. It was gorgeous.
We have 2 damson trees that I am going to give lots of TLC to. Can't wait to see what else emerges.

Your gardens all sound lovely! Thank you all for joining me

@Chottie I love the sound of your olive tree!

@Distantview I know just what you mean, it is so grounding.

@Youvegotafriendinme that sounds like a massive job!

@BobTheDuvet I love mahonia! A very underrated plant in my opinion. I've never heard of an udo before. I am drowning in raspberry canes, they self seed like mad here and I end up with loads. Good luck with your jostaberry. I have them and leave them for the deer as they don't taste very nice.

I have had a good day, lots of stuff pruned and tidied back. Those self seeded raspberries are everywhere. I have just replaced a really old clematis that didn't flower anymore with a new one, which seems to be doing well so far.

I have a newly landscaped garden. It's only small at about 10x10m but I can't wait for it to fill out.

There's condos, echinacea and Ammi seedlings growing, phlox are in too. Dahlia's in pots in bottom of my plastic greenhouse.

I ordered loads from Sarah Raven in January which will arrive soon.

I am pinning some hope on summer being nice and hopefully having BBQs with friends.

Condos?! Cosmos!!!

And @Joans3rddaughter I love the sound of your wildlife meadow. We have plans for one too if we can ever get rid of a really nasty weed. It is called winter heliotrope, has roots that grow at least a foot and spreads on runners. We thought we'd cracked it with a new weedkiller (I hate using chemicals but we have tried everything), but no . We are also battling ground elder, bindweed and wild garlic. The garlic isn't so bad, its more the volume of it!

My garden is so pretty atm. Loads of blossom, magnolia and roses starting. Fig tree and acers. Love it.

I’m off to wisley on Friday, live quite close by, the plant fair is cancelled but the gardens will be open so friend and I can walk and admire the magnolias and stock up on compost and any essential plants that might fall into our trolleys

We're have just started our veg patch! No idea what we're doing

We have 4 raised beds, filled with top soil today and we planted parsnips. Very excited to see if they sprout in the next month or so!

We're also having potatoes, pumpkins, salad, spinach, courgettes, rhubarb (already in the ground) and carrots. We have some things germinating inside and others to plant direct over the next couple of months. The only thing we don't have is potatoes to plant. Can we buy them from a garden centre? We don't want to have to wait for some of ours from the cupboard to sprout!

We're nothing if optimistic!

@GuyFawkesDay

I love Sarah Raven catalogues - pure garden porn. :) We bought dahlias from her last year and they were a really good buy. Lots of showy, long-lasting colour.

I had to leave my much loved Black Tulip Magnolia behind when we moved house. Going to treat myself to another one this year

I've just bought a raspberry plant. Never tried to grow one before so fingers crossed.

I've got exciting news !!
I have 4 Delphinium seeds poking their heads out in my seed trays and all my peas and sunflowers have sprouted!!

Planning to make a pond with my old water tank, with steps for pond dwellers to go in and out.
I like this thread

Thanks Bobtheduvet it doesn't look very appetising .

Purplewithred I'd love to go to Wisley, have a lovely time!

Sally Loves Cheese I am no good at veg so not much help! I might have another go this year now my kids will be around to help.

Joans3rddaughter I love magnolia. I have a little one I bought last year and a big leaf one that is a real showstopper when it is in flower.

I put a pond in our garden 2 years ago, now filled with just hatched taddies. Also newts, no fish. Real joy to wildlife watch.

Planting bushes and trees and got Geraniums, cosmos, dahlia seedlings in the small cold frame.

@emilybrontescorsett be careful where you put it as mine self seed absolutely everywhere.

@Albern that is exciting! I noticed my bleeding hearts and peonies were starting yesterday which was a nice surprise!

@Wauden your pond sounds lovely, will you show us when it is done? I have a pond which is actually an old Victorian plunge pool. It's disgustingly grim and the water is green but still lots of wildlife.

Lovely thread! We are in quarantine as I call it as have been poorly but still able to potter in the garden. Things that cheer me up is the sight of my first ever peony plants growing like mad! Also some new double headed highly fragrance mini daffodils. Also the late afternoon song from Mr Black bird!