New Developments
14 comments
Being both and indoor and outdoor gardner and being very new at the whole experience, I thought ‘perhaps its time to find a website’. So here I am.
My indoor ventures include propogating seedlings ready for outdoor planting, an extensive range of spider plants (grown from one mother plant, I just can’t kill off the new groths), two baby tropicals propogated from seed and a poorly orchid. Oh and amaryllis. Possibly soon a Hibiscus tree, I love hibiscus!
My outdoor adventure has just begun.
I have a few area’s to experiment with and intend to have colour lasting the whole year through, the garden is a completely blank canvas with the only interesting things being a very old very beautiful laburnum tree, a bit of ivy which I intend to grow along the fence and two new additions, a blue danube azalea and a forest flame pieris.
I’v been flicking through the RHS Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers and have been sad enough to list my favourite possibles for the garden in a database including colour chart for each season, type height shape of plant and growing conditions.
One problem with the UK however is nearly everybodies gardens are full of ferns and grasses or petunias roses and pansies. It seems the british green fingereds are obsessed with pansies. And I hate them. Their smug little colours, their dainty leaves and smirking centre. No, I’m afraid the Pansy is not for me. I have therefore been looking for the most unusual, the most fabulous, the most interestingly interesting flowering non flowering climbing spreading spiking bushing fruiting poofing shapes I can.
I have my work cut out for me. That and I’m dedicated to the idea of a rock garden and a small Moai (easter island head) to go amongst tall oddly coloured grasses and pebbles and rocky areas to go at the back of the paved area which will contain the fire basket my kind metal working father is planning for me!
But yes, work cut out for me. Its times like these I’m so glad that my boyfriend and his father both work for a private school as groundsman. I’m not too bothered about having a football pitch on my garden, but the tools for excellent gardening the endless supply of pure leaf mulch and the provision of extra manpower… especially when it comes to traditional giant flagstones that need lifting and moving… I’m one lucky lady.
I really am.
3 Mar, 2009
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Comments
Hi Tigerlilly and welcome to GOY - it's a great site and I know you will find lots of ideas that don't include pansies! LOL.
Members do grow many other sorts of plants, but of course some people like pansies - they are useful in winter pots. You would approve of my 'friend' the Jumbo-jet wood pigeon - he sits on my pansies/violas and that's the end of them!
No - you are not sad at all, you are PLANNING and that's great!
Make sure you take lots of photos as your garden progresses, we'd love to see them.
3 Mar, 2009
good luck with your outdoor space!this is a great web site with so many nice people who help with lots of questions
3 Mar, 2009
hi tigerlilly,
i think your ideas sound great, i personally wouldn't have any grass in our garden , but was overruled by the boss , but have gone for hieght and secret areas , paths that need walking down to see whats there, still work in progress but filling out .have fun planning and planting.................steve
3 Mar, 2009
Hi Tigerlily, it's not 'sad' to list your plant choices for your garden. I think that's one of the best parts, the planning and researching. Nice blog.
3 Mar, 2009
Welcome Tigerlily. I do lots of planning so I know what I need to look out for to order and I find the RHS books excellent for this. Also, planting with your conditions leads to happier, healthier plants
3 Mar, 2009
I have lots of spreading, spiking, climbing and an Easter Island head as well.
Not a fan of pansies but they are colour other than green or brown at this time of year.
Good to plan and browse other members photos for ideas. You get to see how so many plants grow spread and develope in general. Book are good but you need a good imagination to put the picture in the book into youre garden.
Good luck.
3 Mar, 2009
Welcome to GoY.
Well I like pansies but I don't grow many of them. And I don't like lawns/grasses, I will not have them. I 'm not keen on petunias or ferns either. I grow lots of cacti and climbing plants.
We all like diferent things. Just because you don't like something doesn't mean everyone else must not like it either. We must learn to accept each other as we are.
3 Mar, 2009
Welcome from me too. I must say I love ferns and grasses and rather like pansies. However I hate anything salmon pink - geraniums, bizzy lizzy - oh and I don't really like snapdragons. Good thing we are all different don't you think.
3 Mar, 2009
I'm so glad I'v had people respond its encouraging when facing these big tasks! And my appologies on the pansies comment, I can completely understand why other gardeners would enjoy them and they do add plenty of colour, it was more sharing my own silly view - I don't actually think any plant is smugly garing at me...
or at least I don't think that too often...
Never sure about those Gladiolous...
Footnote - I'm not getting at those either I'm actually planting some =)
4 Mar, 2009
Hi welcome to GOY like a few others i like pansies, ferns & grasses, but i also like lots of other plants,would'nt do for everyone to like the same thing.
4 Mar, 2009
Its possibly also the area I live in because in south Manchester Stockport/Cheshire area it seems both councils think pansies should be everywhere so any time there's an area of council bedding its over run with the little devils!!! Maybe I'v had too much of a good thing, I suppose I more dread the idea of my boarder looking like the outside of our town hall!!
4 Mar, 2009
Hi Tigerlilly....Welcome to GoY....It's okay not to like pansies. We all have our own tastes...I don't like Dahlias but tons of people do. I think councils probably use a lot of pansies because they are cheap and easy to grow and add lots of colour. I like some pansies and not others...depends on the colour.
I think planning and sorting all the possible plants into colour groups etc is a great idea. You sound very organised. You sound like you are planning a very individual and interesting garden which is the name of the game. So long as it is what you like and enjoy it is an expression of yourself. Well done. I'll be interested to see pics and to hear of your progress. :o)
4 Mar, 2009
Haha I feel like queen of the pansies now!!
4 Mar, 2009
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29 Mar, 2008
Hi,
And welcome to GOY. I am one of a growing bunch of non UK members but I just had to say that I understand your not liking certain flowers. I am the same way, I just don't like the same old thing everybody around here grows. Impatiens and begonias and geraniums. BORING!
You are truly lucky to have so much assistance with the heavy work, and on here you will certainly find a wealth of knowledge available to you!
3 Mar, 2009