Yesterday (Thu 23rd July 2015)

Hywel it looks as if you have a plan - and a lot of work ahead - and a lot of plants - this is the thing with cuttings and seeds - all space is quickly used - and you end up looking for more - well done it is looking good - enjoy your day - Jane

Oh Hywel this made such lovely comforting reading! I loved hearing about your day which was filled with invention, planning, effort and friendship!

I think it is a great idea but just take it steady.......'Rome wasn't built in a day!!' Anyway, 'Rain stopped play' for the time being so put your feet up and be proud of what you have done so far.

I think the passers by are right Hewell.....you could open a garden centre. it's lovely propagating plants and giving them away?that's all part of the pleasure, I think.
Perhaps you could donat to a favourite charity if people insist on paying for the plants....just a thought

Its brilliant Hywel, and so nice to chat to friends and neighbours, very generous to part with your cuttings....who knowsyou may have started thehobby in someone else, lovely too to barter plants forpots?

its a peaceful spot you have there, just beautiful ?

Hywell- Isn't it lovely connecting with people through plants and general interest in gardening? I have met several people through mutual interest in plants and have a little table outside my drive with plants for anyone to help themselves. I sometimes get people walking past and commenting on my garden if I am working in it! I have even been asked to come and see other people's garden which is always interesting. Great fan of plant swaps as well. Loved reading your blog- good luck with your wall.

Even that "little hill" made me homesick. Miss Wales but not the rain. I still have webbed feet!

We had to dump hundreds of plastic pots. No one wanted them even though we phoned the council and lots of other possibles. We kept the terracotta ones!

I subscribe to a local Freegle and often people give away plants, seeds, pots and stone slabs. I was going to offer a very large garden hammock whose frame had been outside, unused for some years. It took two so my Other half and I tried it out. Lovely, we thought, until I got up and my side collapsed. Glad it happened to me and not to someone else!

You make excellent use of your garage, Hywel. I'd like to do something similar, but my OH insists we need it in the winter for the car. Don't over do things with the wall building. The OH did make a valid point though, if your drive to the garage is sloped, remember when the soil behind your wall is wet it will push against your breeze blocks and how will the water drain away if underneath is solid concrete?

Enjoyed reading about your day's activity Hywel. I cannot give away any pots. I guess people around here do not propagate from cuttings or grow from seed. They go to garden centers to get their plantings.
Good luck with your wall building project.

That was a good day Hywel......be careful of your back tho'.

A very enjoyable blog, Hywel! It sounds a good plan, and I think it will look lovely. You'll be glad of extra planting space!

The fuchsias look good. I'm sure your new friend was pleased to be able to make a swap with you.

The potatoes look good, too!

What a busy but pleasant day Hywel it will be so much more useful than bare concrete! lovely to chat to folk as they pass and swops are great too! careful how you go though, at least you had an enforced rest today thanks to the rain :o)

What a lovely productive day you had & being at the front you get to chat & meet with new friends as well as those you know. You could have a little plant stall too with proceeds either for charity or to help cover compost etc

My garage blew down in a tornado, but my potatoes are the best I've eaten! Nice blog.

You did make me smile Hywel ! I always get bricks of any kind and mess about with them until a wall appears...and they haven't moved yet ! Yours will look great next year with all the spring flowers in it ! Your potatoes look good ! We have been eating our earlies for a while now ! I'm so pleased we got another allotment , even if it is small !

Thank you all for reading my blog :)

Waddy, I did the same thing in the 'main' garden 9 yrs ago, but on a larger scale. It hasn't budged !
I'll show you some photos in a blog after I find them.

The concrete driveway is very much cracked where the soil is going to be, so all I have to do is lift the cracked bits.

Oh my goodness, Hywel, so many plants potted up! You have spurred me on to take some cuttings of shrubs in my garden. Hope you aren't feeling too exhausted now :o)

You did very well to put up that wall, Hywel, with your limitations, back, etc!

Like you I can't resist rooting my own cuttings! A few weeks ago the very strong winds managed to knock one of my Geraniums out of the aluminium ring it was in on the top of the balcony railings. When I discovered it I took some cutting from the couple of branches that had been broken off in the fall! These have now rooted so I have a few extra plants! :-))

People sometimes stop to talk to me when they see me on the balcony as well! Except to my brother I've not given any plants away.

Once again I have some Fuchsias this year growing & flowering on the balcony. I bought them at a charity shop for the blind down town where I also bought some Lobelias & some Snapdragons (or Bunny rabbits). I also bought some plants of Dahlias.

Thank you both for your interesting comments :)

I seem to have missed this blog Hywel..but what a great idea you had..I'm sure it's going to look really good,and I take my hat off to you,for your imagination,and foresight as to how you can make a Silk purse out of a Sows ear ! lol
Just take it one day at a time,and don't tire yourself out,but good luck on your exciting new project :o) x

Thank you. It's going to take a while before I finish it.

It's a job to keep up with everything on here, so don't worry. Some days I hardly get time to look ... and I'm sure I miss lots.

I missed it too Hywel - my computer died and now I have a new laptop. All that work was very impressive Hywel - I hope you'll keep us up to date with a few progress reports. It was very nice to see the photo of the lane behind your house - you've mentioned it several times and I'd imagined it all wrong. Was that the bank where the orchids were?

What a marvellous crop of potatoes - you must have been very pleased with them. There's nothing like new potatoes boiled with a sprig of mint, it makes the whole kitchen smell lovely doesn't it?

It was good to see that Bella is keeping an eye on you to see you don't overwork!

This is fantastic, Hywel! When the body is hurting from the extra exercise the view of the work (completed or not) makes a person feel soooo wonderful! I'm digging and levelling too.. not using blocks..just digging up boulders and my cat supervisor (Rufus) was on duty the whole time. I wonder if they're just curious, or if they really are making sure their person does it right!? LOL...

Thank you both :)

I will keep you updated Steragram.
No that wasn't where the orchids were. They were a few miles away.

Good luck with your work Lori. Take care ...
I believe our feline friends want to make sure we do things their way ;)

I had missed this one Hywel, you are certainly making good use of that space and a lot more enjoyable than seeing a car sat on it, you have loads of cuttings there, your neighbours will remember and you'll probably find even more will be walking past in the hopes of acquiring a new plant, its good to get to know people, it doesn't happen here anymore, everybody always seem to be in a hurry as they go by and the people that have moved in around here in recent years don't even bother to say hello anymore, I was wondering where on earth do all of those plants live in the winter months..

That all looks very industrious, Hywel. It's lovely swapping plants with neighbours and friends. Sorry you're having to struggle with arthritis though. Nice to see Bella surveying her kingdom. Mojo, our feline friend, always likes to supervise our efforts in the garden, too.. He's 13 but thinks he's still a kitten and likes to chase the string when I'm trying to tie things up/in, and chase the butterflies, bees (frown) and anything else he can get his paws on!

Thank you both :)

Linc, the plants have increased this year, and I think they'll be overwintered in the shelters where the Fuchsias now are.
Last winter they were in a cold frame ...

Tue, nice to hear about Mojo :) He's doing well.

You are Truly Gardener, Hywel. xxx

Thank you :) X