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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Original poster

Rookie thread

31 replies

Heartofstrings · 29/03/2021 17:23

Anyone fancy a rookie thread?

I have zero clue about gardening. Literally. Not a clue.

Want to do some stuff in the garden this year but have no clue where to start.

Anyone else fancy muddling their way through the dark with me?

OP posts:
Kollamoolitumarellipawkyrollo · 29/03/2021 17:24

Today we’ve emptied pots from last year and reported some plants that need some more space. Tidying up today and tomorrow then seed planting tomatoes and cucumbers for indoor growing tomorrow.

Original poster
Heartofstrings · 29/03/2021 17:35

How big is your garden? @Kollamoolitumarellipawkyrollo

Ours isn't massive. I have a few raised beds which I'm looking forward to filling. I put some perennials in there last year. I learnt how to dead head and prune them.

I might try to get some strawberry plants this year

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Kollamoolitumarellipawkyrollo · 29/03/2021 17:40

Not very big: shed, table, small grasses area and a veg trig and pots. We want to turn one side into a raised bed but it needs to be very raised-about 75-100cm maybe to hide an ugly bit of wall!

Original poster
Heartofstrings · 29/03/2021 18:42

That sounds nice. Would a climber hide it?

I'm going to do a little research tonight about what I can plant. I tend to buy plants as I'm never successful with seeds

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SnowyTigers · 29/03/2021 18:45

Yes please! I posted a thread last week about being a novice and got some really good advice but I'd love a space to chat and keep track of what I'm doing.

I have an enclosed paved back yard and a small grassed garden at the front. I've jet washed my yard and have got a small Wendy house and a couple of other things to give away which my dd has grown out of, then I can build the mini wooden greenhouse I bought from aldi. Really excited about it! I'm trying to make it a nice space we want to spend time in over the summer.

I've got some seeds which I'm going to try and start off this week Smile

SnowyTigers · 29/03/2021 18:46

This was my thread which is worth a read if you're looking for advice on easy things to start off with - Complete novice wanting to grow something! www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/4200001-complete-novice-wanting-to-grow-something

Misbeehived · 29/03/2021 18:57

Can I join too? I’ve got 2 small blank canvases front and back and when I leave London to visit my parents over Easter access to some lovely garden centres! I’ve got bulbs coming in for spring and want climbers for the fences.

Original poster
Heartofstrings · 29/03/2021 19:00

@SnowyTigers the green house was from aldi? Are you starting the seeds inside or straight into the greenhouse?

OP posts:
Original poster
Heartofstrings · 29/03/2021 19:01

Welcome to the thread everyone Smile

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Gumandbass · 29/03/2021 19:02

Ohh this is just what I need. My new house has a huge garden. For the 1st time I have trees, hedges & rose bushes. Can anyone suggest a 'how to guide ' for trees?. In particular I have an umbrella tree that is wildly overgrown. I would like to trim it back but I'm scared I will kill it

SnowyTigers · 29/03/2021 19:10

[quote Heartofstrings]@SnowyTigers the green house was from aldi? Are you starting the seeds inside or straight into the greenhouse?[/quote]
Yes it was on special buy a couple of weeks ago. It's out of stock online but not sure what stock in store is like. My DM got one too and is very impressed with it so I can't wait to build it this week!

I'm going to start them off on my windowsills until they reach a certain point and then transfer to greenhouse after a couple of weeks.

I also bought two big self watering planters from lidl last week and I'm going to try and do some tomatoes and peas in them. Dd really wants to try growing something we can eat Smile

Rookie thread
SnowyTigers · 29/03/2021 19:11

@Gumandbass

Ohh this is just what I need. My new house has a huge garden. For the 1st time I have trees, hedges & rose bushes. Can anyone suggest a 'how to guide ' for trees?. In particular I have an umbrella tree that is wildly overgrown. I would like to trim it back but I'm scared I will kill it
Someone suggested to me watching YouTube videos as there's tonnes of gardening ones. You'll probably be able to find a guide if you know what specific type of tree it is?
Original poster
Heartofstrings · 29/03/2021 19:21

I've been trying to research what to do. I have a largely bare bed with hopefully a few perennials growing up that I planted last year. It just seems bare. Most research doesn't seem to turn up much info for me

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SnowyTigers · 29/03/2021 22:16

I'm just going to plant some seeds and hope for the best Grin

DrEllie · 29/03/2021 22:29

Just bought a 'pop up' greenhouse type thing from Aldi. Hope to grow tomatoes but haven't a bloody clue

Merename · 29/03/2021 22:37

Total novice here too who has recently bought a beautiful massive new garden and afraid to kill it. So far all my tips are coming via sending photos to MIL and SILs who are identifying plants for me and giving advice, I’d suggest that on a thread like this if there are experienced folk around to advise.

Merename · 29/03/2021 22:40

I’d like to know what I should be starting to plant indoors now? Have a veggie patch and would love to do potatoes, carrots and onions at least. There seem to still be a few potatoes left in the ground, what should I do with them? And will tomatoes only work if you have a greenhouse or can I get them well established on a sunny window? I saw a Twitter lady just squeeze a cherry tom into a pot and plant that way - is that a good idea, using a tasty variety?

Twoobles · 30/03/2021 01:18

Me! Purchased a temporary ‘greenhouse’ at the start of month and have planted a tonne of different herbs and a few different types of flowers. All have sprouted apart from about 3 things (hopefully they will soon) which is exciting. I also bought a VegTrug herb garden to plant my herbs into when they establish a bit more and the weather is kinder.

I placed two orders at Farmer Gracy to totally redo our long flowerbed. Due to arrive in April so I’ve written down what needs planted, how and when so will crack on with that upon arrival.

We also are finishing up our patio area at the minute, hopefully it’ll be done within the next week. It’s been a really busy month in the garden and we’ve done all the work ourselves, but it’s coming together. I still have a lot of things left to do (paint our new dining set we nabbed at auction, get solar festoon lights, a plant ‘theatre’ and source more metal and ceramic pots) but I’m glad the bulk of the hard work has been done.

We are absolutely loving it and cannot wait for the summer. Hoping it’ll be a really lovely little paradise 😊

SnowyTigers · 30/03/2021 09:25

@Twoobles sounds absolutely fab! All your hard work will pay off and it will look lovely.

I need some sort of lighting for my back yard but it's not particularly sunny for solar (it does get some sun for the morning) and I can't run anything from a plug - would solar still work or is there anything else I can do? I just want some string lights or something like that.

Mamanchien · 30/03/2021 16:37

Merename: squeezing a cherry tom into a pot worked for a former neighbour of mine Smile She had something else growing in there already, too.

Bramblebutter · 30/03/2021 16:43

Hello, I'd love to join please. I've just bought a house so I have a sunny front garden, which is mostly gravel And a lavenda shrub - I want to build a raised bed on the gravel this year then rid of the gravel next year. Front garden is shady, with some borders with random stuff and two cherry trees (can't wait for blossom!)

Really want, veggies patch and wild flower measure patch

SnowyTigers · 30/03/2021 19:25

@Mamanchien

Merename: squeezing a cherry tom into a pot worked for a former neighbour of mine Smile She had something else growing in there already, too.
I watched a YouTube vid about this method earlier and it looks so easy so I'm going to try it! My DH has also bought some seeds so I'll try both and see what works best.
Original poster
Heartofstrings · 31/03/2021 11:45

I've just bought some bulbs. Super excited!

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Mamanchien · 31/03/2021 14:57

SnowyTigers
Sounds like an interesting experiment Smile
I have two tomato plants that were meant to be parsley. Must have been a mix-up with the seeds. They’ve been growing since January and haven’t suffered from their early start. On the contrary! So I’m curious to see how they get on.

Proudboomer · 31/03/2021 15:17

Good plants for rookies to start on are dahlia and begonia.
The dahlia tuber goes either into a pot or the ground with the growth eye at the top of the soil. Then just water. You might want to give them support as they start to bush up but otherwise they are happy to do their own thing and will give a good display through summer and early autumn. Keep dead heading to boost flowering.
Begonias are great for shady areas in pots. Plant the tubers hollow side up cover with no more than 1cm of compost. Give them plenty of light but can be moved into semi shade once they have put on some growth. Will again flower well into the autumn.
Both can be bought quite cheaply from places like Wilko. In fact Wilko do a bag of three different tubers for £3 and I always have great success with their cheap bulbs and tubers so great for a rookie who doesn’t want to risk an expensive mistake.
Both can be stated off on a window sill, grow house or green house and go into the garden after the last frost has passed.