What have you done in the garden today? Part 2

[ThreeRingCircus]

A continuation of the last thread.

Best wishes for today @Zebracat hope all goes well and you have a quick recovery!

@Seaitoverthere I bought similar from wowcher. Mini apple, pear and cherry trees. Wasn't hopeful when I opened the box as it was just 3 sticks with barely any root ball!

I planted them about 6 weeks ago and keep adding plant food and watering and they are now very green! I'm not holding out much hope for fruit this year but I hope I can keep them alive...

A posy for @Zebracat wishing you a smooth recovery and then when you're up to it get ye into the garden for Nature's best remedy, just seeing things blooming (even if it's a bit on the wild side!) is such a pick-me-up.

I hope you are ok Zebracat. I have been referred to orthopaedics now for management of my hip.

good news, my mirabelle tree has leaves forming and one of the apples has the tiniest sign of life. Planted out more snail food ie. a white cup amd saucer vine.

@zebracat best of luck with the hip op 💐

Do you mind if I hop on the thread everyone? I live in Northern Scotland and haven't really gardened properly for quite a while maybe 14 years. We've just had our backgarden cleared so it's a blank slate with a large bed just right for a cottage garden.

I'm currently suffering from anxiety due to the Menopause (morning anxiety is the problem at the moment) and my GP has sent me for CBT. I need to focus on something pleasant that lifts me up.

Hello @OscarsAmmonite. Your blank slate sounds exciting! My parents lived in your neck of the woods (big area I know - they were NW) and were very keen gardeners. They were coastal and had a few challenges with wind and salt but had a fantastic garden despite that.

I suffered terribly with anxiety with menopause. HRT has helped me a bit but being able to focus on the garden helps too (outdoors, lots of little tasks, watching things grow, accepting that I can't control everything). I can get a bit stressed about design and planting so it's not stress free if you are the sort of person who struggles with that. I have adopted a one thing at a time mantra and accepted that it does mean things are going to evolve over time and I might end up changing my mind about something I've done earlier. Plants are very moveable I find!

Have you any initial thoughts about your garden? I'm sure if you shared them here or on another thread you'd get some good advice.

Thanks Wobbly - I'm North East Scotland near the coast. I've tried to post a photo of the garden but the app won't let me. I'm thinking cottage garden flowers in the sunny parts (hollyhocks, delphiniums, sweetpeas etc) and cyclamen and other woodland plants for the right side of the garden as it's shady and a bit boggy there. We have a lovely silver birch tree but that's all now because we got someone to clear everything so that we'd have proper beds. There are several plants I associate with other houses I've lived in such as hydrangea that I'd love to have. For some reason I want gooseberry plants maybe a small herb section. I'll need to work out soil type and orientation - I think it's north facing.

Thank you too for your kind advice re anxiety. I hadn't realised it was such a problem for midlife women - I know now!

Had to re-register hence name change - here's the garden...the birch is to the right out of shot

Welcome, OscarsAmmonite2! Your garden orientation sounds quite similar to mine and I have similar plants on the sunny and shady sides, apart from delphiniums which are always demolished by snails. Anxiety is the curse of a lady of a certain age, alas.

Maybe some hellebore in part of your left hand border there@OscarsAmmonite they are not demanding and they give you winter interest when everything else is sleeping . I've got 5 varieties naturalised in what I'd describe as the colder and more shady part of our garden and they are real stalwarts, they just need their leathery leaves cut right back as they are quite susceptible to disease, but new healthy leaves quickly grow back and the blooms are divine to cheer you when it's freezing and dull outside.

https://www.sarahraven.com/plants/hellebores?gclid=CjwKCAjwh8mlBhB_EiwAsztdBIWAWhDDZN68JTisiSg5PhQzJwF_vcsMDjMT88jePMVpTzo12yW5OxoCtKgQAvD_BwE

Yes to the hellebore, they are lovely in a shady area and would look great near your birch. I have a similar area and have lots of ferns there, though they are mainly deciduous so don't look like much over winter. Astrantias work well in that area (east facing) and would give you that cottage garden feel.

Do you have much of a problem with slugs and snails? If you don't then hostas would be another shady area option - fantastic foliage.

Another good shady option - sarcococca (might not have spelt that correctly) - a slow growing evergreen shrub with astonishing scent in late winter).

@OscarsAmmonite2 Have you visited Crathes Castle garden near Banchory? Wonderful garden much of which was designed and planted by a disciple of Gertrude Jeckyll. I know you probably think a three acre aristocratic fully-staffed garden won't have much to say to you, but I bet it would. For a start you can see what does well in your area. And even the tiniest plot can replicate plant combinations or even sections of a border. Although it's grand, much of it is planted in a loose cottage garden style and it's full of ideas. Gardener have always copied been inspired by other gardens so it might get you started with idea. It certainly inspired me.
Hellebores are a great idea. I have a whole border of them that runs along a holly hedge and they give me huge pleasure in the dark days of the new year. Is your soil sandy? If not you could grow blue poppies (meconopsis) in the shady part of your garden. One of the perks of living in Scotland.

Great!!! Thank you all so much. I do love hellebores Daisychain and winter interest is something I'm after too.

I have been to Crathes Castle and that's such apt advice to take ideas from there. Husband got spooked by the ghost the last time he was there (She didn't want him in the room 👻) so I think I can persuade him to wander around the gardens instead. There's also Duthie park and the winter gardens and the University's Botanic Gardens. Mostly I've been spotting plants in other gardens in my suburb but it would be useful to think further afield.

Thanks for the welcome.

Bideshi I think I've clay soil. I'm happy to make gardening mistakes which is just as well!

I think there is a slug problem in the garden - they seem to have found a way into the house on occasion.

Today I tidied up the St Johns Wort and weeded around the crocosmia in the front garden. Tidied the laburnum tree also in the front and pulled up weeds. Small bed there mostly lawn and drive.

We've just cut the lawn in the back - it was overgrown. I've weeded the bare bed and removed all the old compost from the pots

Now the back needs leaves tidied up and a good cleaning of the patio and garden furniture.

I have started to list ideas including those suggested here.

Today I harvested 3 courgettes (and a bonus tiny one that snapped off )
Also two weirdly spiky cucumbers.

Sorry, I lost sight of this thread (at the moment my garden is getting thoroughly neglected because the nursery where I work is so busy!). But thank you very much to everyone who suggested anti-slug remedies. I hadn't heard of garlic spray!

I am feeling a bit sad about my garden. Most years I have lovely home-grown veg by now, and this year nothing's ready to pick, and most of it looks a bit pathetic. I guess it's just an off year.

OTOH I've put in lots of fruit trees and so far they all seem to be doing ok.

It’s really windy (and wet) here so the last of the roses have blown away except for the one I think is Buff Beauty which is in a very sheltered spot.
Sadly the slugs and snails have now chomped their way through my dahlias too. The garlic spray worked well when it was dry but is just being washed off now. I tried the copper tape last year and the gel stuff, egg shells, coffee grounds etc.
I think I either have to go for very well established plants or forgo things that they like.

Evening all- not popped on for a while as I've not done any gardening! Combo of busy time, and given the garden is so new/sparse, not actually much to do out there.
However I'm sitting here, aching, covered in mud and scratches after a heavy weeding/sorting session.

Been building up a range of new plants to go in in the autumn: iris, roses, lavender, laburnum, and so on. Got some more Nora Barlows, and finally tracked down some of the Apricot polemonium. First place I ordered from took the money and then didn't send but then got the last two from Shire Plants, which specialise in rare/heritage plants apparently.
Also ordered a load of gladioli byzantius.

Also gone round the garden and written out a very, very long list of things to do/cut/move/dig out over the next 6-9 months!

Hope you're doing OK after your op, @Zebracat?💐

Nothing much done here still as it's been raining cats and dogs. Freezing and blowing a hoolie too 🙄 Managed to nip out and puck some flowers for vases yesterday but that's about it.

Fortunately the one thing we don't seem plagued by here in our corner of Wales is slugs - our hostas (one huge potted variety planted before we sold our Hampshire house 15+ years ago) is doing curiously better than it ever did in our subsequent locations (Essex, Wiltshire, West Midlands). In 2021 we planted a few more hostas beneath our ancient apple tree and they too are thriving. It's rare to see a slug - or snail, for that matter - here. Otoh, something has had a go at my Kirengeshomas and I don't think it was the mystery sheep 😪

*pick not puck!

How are you doing, Zebracat?

For the most part, I have given up on anything - such as delphiniums - that’s notoriously susceptible to slugs. But I do like a bold dahlia and so have a potted one in the front garden which has been joined this year by a random assortment that came as a freebie with other things. The garlic spray is helping to limit the mollusc damage, but needs to be reapplied quite frequently.

Kiringeshoma has been on my wish list for years. Sigh.