Do you like to garden, and have you been tempted?

[Saphire]

I learned about Apples from TV ! Apparently they are doing exceedingly well this year due to the lack of rain ! The trees are laden with flower < mine are too) but only the apples ,not other fruits.

This weather suits some plants....cherry trees and magnolias have done brilliantly this year.
This, to me, is the best time of year.
The promise of months of good weather is before us. It doesn't always materialise, but we can live in hope.

 

[AGirlHasNoName]

Ah a bunch of garderners, just what I need... some advice

I'm currently doing my small garden up and I have never done any gardening in my life - having never had a garden before.

I have a couple of inbuilt brick planter things in the garden and I want to make my cat a wee memorial in them, with flowers etc.. so my question is what do I need to sort them out? currently they have hardened messy soil in and ideally id like some easy to look after flowers in them and fresh soil etc

 

[hell2bwith76]

Ah a bunch of garderners, just what I need... some advice

I'm currently doing my small garden up and I have never done any gardening in my life - having never had a garden before.

I have a couple of inbuilt brick planter things in the garden and I want to make my cat a wee memorial in them, with flowers etc.. so my question is what do I need to sort them out? currently they have hardened messy soil in and ideally id like some easy to look after flowers in them and fresh soil etc

My wife does the gardening here and she is very knowledgable about the sort of plants which are best for this sort of garden.
My firsts suggestion is to get rid of the old soil in the planters .Then you start from afresh with well drained planters and new compost.I`ll have a chat with wifey later and see what she thinks .

 

[Saphire]

Ah a bunch of garderners, just what I need... some advice

I'm currently doing my small garden up and I have never done any gardening in my life - having never had a garden before.

I have a couple of inbuilt brick planter things in the garden and I want to make my cat a wee memorial in them, with flowers etc.. so my question is what do I need to sort them out? currently they have hardened messy soil in and ideally id like some easy to look after flowers in them and fresh soil etc

What a lovely idea.
How big are the planters? Depending on the size, the best thing to do, imo, is to clear out the old soil,, put some drainage in, old stones or broken bricks, then just fill the planters with multi-purpose soil...you then have a clean base to plant whatever you like.

Flowers like pansies (very hardy, and they will last all summer, often all winter too) are very colourful and very easy to look after.

Begonias and summer Geraniums give a bit of height, easy to care for, just deadhead the wilting flowers and they will last till late Autumn. The colours are beautiful, and unless you live very far north, they can be planted out about now...as long as the risk of frost has passed.

Good luck. x

 

[Saphire]

My wife does the gardening here and she is very knowledgable about the sort of plants which are best for this sort of garden.
My firsts suggestion is to get rid of the old soil in the planters .Then you start from afresh with well drained planters and new compost.I`ll have a chat with wifey later and see what she thinks .

We posted together...and thought of the same thing too....that must be a first.

 

[hell2bwith76]

We posted together...and thought of the same thing too....that must be a first.

We posted together...and thought of the same thing too....that must be a first.

I know of at least one member of this site who will laugh and scorn at what i say next as they have no idea of feelings for others or animal pets.
Years ago we lost an online friend tragically and both myself and wifey decided to create a small, attractive memorial garden in our garden.
Over the years we have had many pets and they were all buried in the garden in their favourite spots .Our own parents ,obviously have a traditional grave which we can visit lay flowers etc . This friend ;from the Internet , lived a long way away so we couldn`t do that and decided that a small memorial garden in our own garden was the next best thing to offer.
The plot of garden was about 8ft x 3ft and contained within a fenced part of the garden. If i can find a photo i`ll post it on here ( that will give some people a lot to laugh about ! but i don`t care for them anyway).
Unfortunately we had to move house about 12 years ago and couldn`t move the memorial but we could move some plants and also any nice appropriate ornaments and lights ,to a new plot in our new garden .It`s taking time to sort it all out though as old Athritis isn`t too kind on gardeners !.
Will look for a photo .

 

[AGirlHasNoName]

What a lovely idea.
How big are the planters? Depending on the size, the best thing to do, imo, is to clear out the old soil,, put some drainage in, old stones or broken bricks, then just fill the planters with multi-purpose soil...you then have a clean base to plant whatever you like.

Flowers like pansies (very hardy, and they will last all summer, often all winter too) are very colourful and very easy to look after.

Begonias and summer Geraniums give a bit of height, easy to care for, just deadhead the wilting flowers and they will last till late Autumn. The colours are beautiful, and unless you live very far north, they can be planted out about now...as long as the risk of frost has passed.

Good luck. x

Thanks Saphire. Thats very helpful information. I may even show a picture when it's done haha.

 

[hell2bwith76]

Begonias and summer Geraniums give a bit of height, easy to care for, just deadhead the wilting flowers and they will last till late Autumn. The colours are beautiful, and unless you live very far north, they can be planted out about now...as long as the risk of frost has passed.

Yes ,those are ideal flowers to brighten up any garden . There are many sorts of Begonias and they are quite hardy.I dont think Slugs and snails like them either Pansies an all time favourite as you say ,in many colours and shapes .
I would suggest one larger (not very large though ) plant as a center piece in each planter, maybe even an Evergreen ?.

 

[LadyOnArooftop]

When you watch them planting flowers on these gardening shows on TV, why do you never see any worms? I only ask because the last time I
planting something in the garden, there were enough creepy crawlies to put me off it for life.

On another note...
One thing you have to remember about burying cats/dogs in the garden, is that you must own the property, and the deceased pet must have lived there. I only found this out some time ago, when a friend who lived in a council house wanted to bury her pet in my garden. I agreed, until it was pointed out to me that it wasn't strictly legal. And there's always the problem if you move house, someone could end up digging the pet up.

 

[hell2bwith76]

When you watch them planting flowers on these gardening shows on TV, why do you never see any worms? I only ask because the last time I
planting something in the garden, there were enough creepy crawlies to put me off it for life.

On another note...
One thing you have to remember about burying cats/dogs in the garden, is that you must own the property, and the deceased pet must have lived there. I only found this out some time ago, when a friend who lived in a council house wanted to bury her pet in my garden. I agreed, until it was pointed out to me that it wasn't strictly legal. And there's always the problem if you move house, someone could end up digging the pet up.

If the worms are absent from your garden then there is something radically wrong with the soil ! Worms are Natures permanent "gardener" as they turn over the soil continuously

I didn`t know about the pet burial thing either .I know you have to own the garden to bury humans in it but it never dawned on me about animals ! We certainly left lots of pets buried in our old house and some were when we rented it . I`ll need to check on this and see if we are breaking any laws ! .

 

[AGirlHasNoName]

When you watch them planting flowers on these gardening shows on TV, why do you never see any worms? I only ask because the last time I
planting something in the garden, there were enough creepy crawlies to put me off it for life.

On another note...
One thing you have to remember about burying cats/dogs in the garden, is that you must own the property, and the deceased pet must have lived there. I only found this out some time ago, when a friend who lived in a council house wanted to bury her pet in my garden. I agreed, until it was pointed out to me that it wasn't strictly legal. And there's always the problem if you move house, someone could end up digging the pet up.

Creepy Crawlies is what puts me off most about doing any gardening at all haha, but i have to suck it up and get it done so it looks like someone lives here.

Luckily we had her cremated so its just ashes, no cat body to dig up

 

[Saphire]

Wear gloves...I hate creepy crawlies too.
Worms (shudder) are good for the garden, if I see any when I am planting or weeding, I throw them on a patch of soil where they will be safe.
Sometimes I don't see them quickly enough, and they get chopped in half.

 

[funandflirty]

I agree with the other posts, I would just add - think about your favourite colours and if you want to stick with a theme or an array.

Also look at a variety of plants so there is interest all year.

I really love these for bright colours and hardiness

 

[hell2bwith76]

Apparently Busy Lizzies are a very pretty flower and with no attraction to Slugs & Snails .

 

[Saphire]

Apparently Busy Lizzies are a very pretty flower and with no attraction to Slugs & Snails .

I just bought some for a border.
Small and pretty, and they flower all summer.

 

[funandflirty]

Just wanted to share as everything is coming to life

 

[Saphire]

Your garden is so beautiful. It looks like it should be shown at the Chelsea flower show.
What is the dark blue flowering bush called?

 

[funandflirty]

Your garden is so beautiful. It looks like it should be shown at the Chelsea flower show.
What is the dark blue flowering bush called?

Thank you, although I feel my haphazard mishmash of colour wouldn’t cut it at Chelsea

The blue is a ceanothus, it is a favourite with honey bees, and leaves a blue carpet as the flowers fall x

 

[Saphire]

I managed to grow some poppies this year. The tallest one is about 4' high.

 

[Saphire]

Thank you, although I feel my haphazard mishmash of colour wouldn’t cut it at Chelsea

The blue is a ceanothus, it is a favourite with honey bees, and leaves a blue carpet as the flowers fall x

It's beautiful, a bonus if it attracts the bees...they love the poppies too.
Though after seeing some massive bees early spring, I have seen hardly any since.

Thanks for posting your lovely pics.x