I cried with joy this morning

[Whiskycav]

So, this is the first year I have done my own gardening. Exh used to do it all, but he was an abusive twunt. I now live in a small terrace hour with my 2 kids. For the first few years I just moved the lawn and left it.

As I have been working from home, I have been less exhausted and more inclined to be in the garden on an evening. Then kids said they missed the sunflowers they used to grow.

So this year we made an attempt at it I have never been had green fingers, so didn't expect much. We are also isolating at the moment. I just let the dog out and one of my red ones has bloomed and some of the yellow ones have. I was so happy I cried.

The giant one reached 9 feet but hasn't bloomed yet.

I can't wait to show the kids but they are asleep so I thought I would share them here.

Wow I am seriously impressed!

This is so wonderful

Has anyone suggested sweet peas yet? They're one of the easiest to grow from seed

@Whiskycav Strawberries are also really easy, and pretty much look after themselves! Honestly, for years I’ve ignored mine all winter and they’ve been bashed about by footballs and all sorts, yet have rewarded me every year.

If you don't do anything with the seeds the birds love them & will eat them from the heads if you put them on the ground or a bird table.

I've always done tomatoes outside, but started them off inside or in a mini plastic greenhouse. They don't get eaten by slugs once they reach a certain size as the stalks have tiny hairs on that irritate the slugs. However, slugs can eat the leaves if they can get onto them - as I found out this year when the buggers must have used a rhubarb leaf as a bridge to get onto one of my toms

I am so happy for you, OP. My beloved grandfather planted sunflowers so every time I see them I think of him.

And I've just started gardening, myself. My olive tree has produced olives! And my lime tree has just started to blossom so next year (fingers crossed) I will have limes in my cold drinks!

Well done on everything you’ve achieved, not just in the garden.

If you like roses, go for it. Don’t be put off by the idea they’re difficult or fussy, plus they’re bred to be disease resistant these days. David Austin do some lovely ones and you can search by location, size, colour and lots of other preferences. Buying a bare root rose in winter is the cheapest option.

I haven't ever done sweepeas but will definitely have a look @ErrolTheDragon the look very pretty.

@triplechoc what variety do you get as I did try them once but they all came out like carrot shaped and didn't look appetising at all. But that was a long time ago.

@HauntedDishcloth that's a great idea. I like the idea of growing something that then feeds the wildlife. I could do half and half?

I might try tomatoes outside next year. I think I have this idyllic image in my head of me spending my days pottering round a greenhouse. And I might not even need one 😁

@AlfonsoTheMango my mums olive tree has olives this year. She has no clue what to do with them though. I love olives!

@OhRosalind thank you. I will take a look. I think next year I wany some deep coloured flowers. I like bright colours but always obsessed with gardens that have dark red/burgundy/purple flowers dotted in them.

Thats why I got the dahlias, they were all very dark colours. Such a shame they haven't worked. Need to read up on them more.

Many thanks, again, for the compliments and well wishes. I can't wait to get outside after work and sit in my garden!

Oh and the kids were beyond excited. Dd even filmed them for tiktok. She is 17, this is a very high honour from her

I only planted my sweet peas outdoors in May and they are growing well but no flowers yet. Op you might like Gardeners world on Fridays. I love it

I mean i sowed the seeds outdoors in May

@Whiskycav I have Cambridge Favourite and Elsanta (don’t ask me which is which though!). Some have been a bit odd shaped, but mostly brilliant.

My dahlias did something similar last year, I think it was too hot at the wrong point and they just stalled.

Dark purple/burgundy flowers sound gorgeous. Some you could consider are chocolate cosmos, William Shakespeare or Munstead Wood roses, then for spring some gorgeous dark tulips bulbs like Queen of Night or Black Parrot would look stunning.

How lovely that the whole family is enjoying the garden.

@Celandines I will give it a go. Never thought I would be a gardners world type of woman, but its sounds up my street

Thanks @triplechoc I will look out for those. They weren't bumpy. I don't know how to explain them. But they looked really of putting 😪 Those strawberries look amazing!

@OhRosalind I will look those up. I do live queen of the night tulips. I was thinking of getting them earlier in the year then chickened out. Thought I was pushing my luck

Biggest hugs!!!

Please use this as a reminder that he's full of bullshit and don't ever let anything he said to you in the past stop you doing something!!

My friend usually has a lovely garden, but he moved house & this year pretty much everything he's planted has either died or been eaten! He's a bit of a pot luck gardener, doesn't research anything, so I'm not surprised but he's gutted as his old garden was so beautiful & he took a lot of pride in being 'a good gardener' whereas he was really just lucky!

I have garden envy!! I need to move!!!

I'm pleased DD was so thrilled too! They're big toddlers really 😊💐

@AlmostSummer21

Biggest hugs!!!

Please use this as a reminder that he's full of bullshit and don't ever let anything he said to you in the past stop you doing something!!

My friend usually has a lovely garden, but he moved house & this year pretty much everything he's planted has either died or been eaten! He's a bit of a pot luck gardener, doesn't research anything, so I'm not surprised but he's gutted as his old garden was so beautiful & he took a lot of pride in being 'a good gardener' whereas he was really just lucky!

I have garden envy!! I need to move!!!

I'm pleased DD was so thrilled too! They're big toddlers really 😊💐

Thank you.

I do want to move, to have a bigger garden. But this is the first garden I have made a success of, not sure I want to let it go.

Big toddlers is definitely the best description!🤣

These are my Calla Lillies. Just got the 2 but I do like them

Those lillies are stunning. I second the chocolate cosmos suggestion, they would make a lovely contrast in a nearby pot.

Thank you.

This is the year I've really tried to do something something with my garden. My ex left me with four children to raise so between work and house and children the last few years the garden has come last on my list of priorities. My youngest is 12 now and I'm finally getting the time to work on the garden. Lockdown definitely inspired me to get on with it.

@bestbefore

Will you re use the seed heads too? I think you can dry out the seeds and plant some next year? Not sure how you do it but you must be able to...someone will know. Then the sunflower cycle will continue!

Or better, leave the seedheads and enjoy watching the birds eating them.

Congratulations OP, that sunflower is so symbolic, from a tiny seed, growing to something magnificent, beautiful and proud. Felicitations on your achievements!

Just reading that chocolate cosmos smell of hot chocolate and vanilla. Is this right? They sound (& look) amazing.

Oh @Tumbleweed101 that must have been so difficult. It was hard enough with 2. Well done for getting through it. I am glad you are getting time to work in your garden too.

My youngest is 10 and he quite enjoys being out in the garden, which helps.

@viques thank you. I really would love to feed wildlife with them too. Would be lovely

Fabulous.
If you want a suggestion for next year, Cosmos. Large seeds, easy to germinate , good display. They also self seed easily, in my front garden, I leave them to it and move the seedlings around to where I want them .

Can I plant Cosmos with spring bulbs so I have early flowers, then the Cosmos mid summer?

@Whiskycav absolutely wonderful! Great job!

Definitely check out Gardeners World. I love starting my weekend with it - it always begins with just the sound of the garden, Monty tinkering away at something, and then he says “Hello, welcome to Gardeners World”…. it’s like instant zen calm for me!

There’s a whole world of Gardening YouTube as well if you want to really geek out.

You could do. I usually start them off in March inside, then plant them out. But they do self seed easily, so sowing outside should be fine.
Zinnia are good too. I also saw some dark burgundy hollyhock seeds in the local branch of Wilko where there were some seeds at half price today.
Sorry if my last message seemed out of phase, I've had some phone issues today and a load of stuff didn't send.