Green thumbed folks, gardeners and grow your own

I think you can create an amazing look for £200.

If you don't like weeding, mulching is your friend. Once you get your plants all in, mulching will really help you out. 

The RHS website is a good place to start for what works. 

A few things to work out is the plot sunny, wet, dry?  What kind of soil?  Heavy, clay, sandy? 

Do you have a local nursery/garden centre?  Definitely worth having a chat with the folks there, because they will know your area very well, your climate, your soil, etc and can help suggest plants for your garden as well.

Took all of your advice and spoke to some knowledgeable folks at our garden centre.  I'll post a photo when done.  Our next door neighbour came over today and told us how great it looks and that he wishes he had gone low maintenance.

We spent £180 on plants and it's exactly the right ones (we think).

Awesome KFdancer!!  Glad you got what you wanted 

Okay, been a long summer!  We took out all the overgrown bushes, replaced with simple plants, reshaped the beds, weeded and reseeded the grass, raised the front stoop, replaced the paving stones, put in edging, and stone chippings!  Good end result though.  Our neighbors are thrilled. 

We still can't find a front door we like and need to have our house number replaced (wired so waiting for the electrician).  Boy am I glad to see the end of this project!

Before:


After:




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Okay, been a long summer!  We took out all the overgrown bushes, replaced with simple plants, reshaped the beds, weeded and reseeded the grass, raised the front stoop, replaced the paving stones, put in edging, and stone chippings!  Good end result though.  Our neighbors are thrilled. 

We still can't find a front door we like and need to have our house number replaced (wired so waiting for the electrician).  Boy am I glad to see the end of this project!

Before:


After:

Looks amazing, KFdancer! Nice choices all around.

Okay, been a long summer!  We took out all the overgrown bushes, replaced with simple plants, reshaped the beds, weeded and reseeded the grass, raised the front stoop, replaced the paving stones, put in edging, and stone chippings!  Good end result though.  Our neighbors are thrilled. 

We still can't find a front door we like and need to have our house number replaced (wired so waiting for the electrician).  Boy am I glad to see the end of this project!

Before:


After:




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your house is stunning!! You guys have done a great job with the work.

KFdancer-so pretty!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Awesome awesome awesome KFDancer!!!!!

Fun time of year now when I don't need to buy veg.     

And I don't want to jinx it, but I've got some tiny corn cobs on my sweetcorn that I'm growing outside as an experiment.   So I'm feeling hopeful they may actually develop into something. That's if it can stay warm enough, long enough here in the north pole. 

Fun time of year now when I don't need to buy veg.     

And I don't want to jinx it, but I've got some tiny corn cobs on my sweetcorn that I'm growing outside as an experiment.   So I'm feeling hopeful they may actually develop into something. That's if it can stay warm enough, long enough here in the north pole.

I was wondering how the harvest was going! 

I picked my first greengages this year after planing some trees a couple of years ago but had no plums at all from a tree that usually produces a lot!

Apples are coming along and looking good, some eating and some cookers. Will have to dust off my apron and get busy making apply things in the kitchen (not my natural habitat) ! 

Ooh, greengages. Nice!  I'd probably add them to gin to steep. Hehehe.... 

Funny with fruit trees - some years you get loads of fruit and some years nothing.

I've got a nice apple crop this year, looking really nice. But I was worried because when the blossoms were out,we got whacked with snow and freezing temps.  Seemed to survive okay though, luckily. 

Ooh, greengages. Nice!  I'd probably add them to gin to steep. Hehehe.... 

Funny with fruit trees - some years you get loads of fruit and some years nothing.

I've got a nice apple crop this year, looking really nice. But I was worried because when the blossoms were out,we got whacked with snow and freezing temps.  Seemed to survive okay though, luckily.

If I have a glut one year, I'll know who to call! 

One year I had a guy ring the door bell, he'd spotted the one apple tree that's more visible from outside than inside the garden, it produces tiny russet looking apples and he asked if he could have some as he was going to try to make cider! I told him he could take what he wanted and next day there was a little note and a bottle of homemade beer on the doorstep! Haven't risked consuming anything from a total stranger but I loved the sentiment! 

Ooooh, I really miss my garden, reading these posts! Granted, it wasn't a lot - just a small plot on a vacant lot, but I really enjoyed myself there.  I was hoping to be able to get into an allotment here but there's an 8 year waiting list, and I doubt we'll be in the same flat in 8 years (if we get to stay in the UK) so there's no sense even paying the "sign up" fee.    Maybe someday when the kid is through school I can live in a house in in the country.

In the meantime, the daughter has bought some miniature roses on sale from Waitrose. Since then, we have been through: fungus gnats (solved by putting a layer of aquarium substrate down on the surface, as a barrier to the soil); aphids (came in on an herb plant I picked up at Dobbies, I think); and, now, spider mites.  I'm still fighting the aphids on my garlic chives (don't want to use a systemic, so am using the insecticidal soap spray that I can wash off) but that stuff hasn't done much for the spider mites on the roses.

Got some spray for roses at Dobbies that is supposedly systemic, but it says to not use it more than a few times a year.  The spider mites are back for their third 'round in two months now, and we're losing the leaves on the little plants, so I'm thinking it's not going to be effective.  Have another set of mini-roses that I separated to another part of the house (more windowsill light) and they are coming back just fine. But the ones in the kitchen are having continual bouts of mites. Any ideas for how to get rid of the damned things? I feel so sorry for the roses, they're kind of just sticks with the odd leaf here and there now.

Okay, been a long summer!  We took out all the overgrown bushes, replaced with simple plants, reshaped the beds, weeded and reseeded the grass, raised the front stoop, replaced the paving stones, put in edging, and stone chippings!  Good end result though.  Our neighbors are thrilled. 

We still can't find a front door we like and need to have our house number replaced (wired so waiting for the electrician).  Boy am I glad to see the end of this project!

Before:


After:




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry, I'm a month late, but it looks lovely! Any time you want to come sort our outside out, you are totally welcome to! :p You know, in case you are wanting another project...hahaha

Nan, I use stuff from Green Gardener to control pests in my greenhouse.   

They have spider mite stuff :https://www.greengardener.co.uk/product.asp?id_pc=4&cat=12

Sorry, I'm a month late, but it looks lovely! Any time you want to come sort our outside out, you are totally welcome to! :p You know, in case you are wanting another project...hahaha

Wait until you see the Halloween decorations we've picked up in the US.  We are going to be THAT house!!