Talkback: Plans for a garden

donutsmrs

Hi Kate, I plan to plant more perennials into my front garden this year. The last three years I've planted Petunias, Busy Lizzies etc. I've got some Dahlia tubers to go in and hardy Fuchsia's that I've grown from cuttings. I've also got Foxgloves that I've grown from seed that I collected from my original plants. I'm just hoping I can pack it with even more colour this year and encourage more butterflies and bees. I have put three bird nesting boxes up for Blue Tits and Robins, all they have to do now is move in.

funkywhiteboy

Hi all. I can hardly believe how similar our garden projects are! We have 3 thin beds in the back (about 3 feet in width and each being 4 metres in length). We have planted 4 tulips, 4 daffodils, 3 hyacinths, 3 rose bushes, 3 lupins, a skimmia, something white and something blue (can't remember what), oh, and 5 dianthus. A red azalea is going to go in too this weekend, and when we find a forsythia (golden bell) and some larkspur we'll hopefully have a nice little garden. I'm still cogitating how to attract and help the bees? I'm swaying towards building a hive... hmm. As for the birds, I have an established red berberis in the front garden which the chaffinches are visiting daily, and a solitary blackbird bobs around in the back garden completely ignoring the feeders which makes me giggle.
Thanks for reading.

Lindylou333

Hi funkywhiteboy.  If you want to attract bees to your garden you need to plant single petalled flowers as opposed to the double kind.  Bees like to have a nice landing pad to land on too, so plants that are flat and open are good.  We have just started beekeeping and there is slightly more to it than just building a hive - but dont let that put you off.  It is a truly wonderful and rewarding hobby.

lijemc

I'm relatively new to gardening, but would love to have a greenhouse. Unfortunately, the garden is too small to house one. I have recently found a mini glass greenhouse which will fit in perfectly. It has come flat packed, so I am looking forward to constructing it and then using it. I have a couple of places where I can place it, still deciding and it will mean moving some pots around to create room. I am looking forward to planting some seeds, which I haven't really been able to do before. I usually use plug plants, so this will save me a few £££'s hopefully.

LORELEI

Hi funkywhiteboy. Blackbirds seldom feed from feeders. They are ground feeding birds. They also love berries.

lydiaann

Not sure that I agree that bees like single petals...I've had sedums that have been covered in bees to the point that the flowerheads are a mass of moving brown!  Buddleia is also a major attraction (I know it's a butterfly plant but bees love it too).  Cotinus cogryggia is also an attractant and can be pruned to keep it small.

Gez77

Lydiaann - Sedums do have single petals, but the flowers are arranged in clumps making it look like they are composite individula flowers.  I agree the bees love them.

happymarion

2012 is the year I hae my potager, Kate, with flowers mixed in with the vegetables and a seating area for me and my tools.  There are going to be eight beds-two matching lots of four and metre wide paths.  I would like lots of lavender for the bees too.

julia 5

I moved into a flat last August where the garden has not, apparently, been worked on for 12 years. It's sloping with wonderful views across the Bristol Channel.
Luckily the soil is wonderful and I have a lot of space, more than I have ever had, butI was dreading having to dig it and get rid of grass which, in some places, was about 3 feet high. Anyway I did dig and dig and dig...
Have actually set up a blog (more of a diary for my own benefit) if you google "willieverfinishdigging" you can find out more.
Anyway, I have dug out a rose plot plus two flower beds (have started filling them with dahlias, agapanthus, chrysanthemums and lots of other flowering periennals) besides a fruit plot for raspberries and strawberries and one vine.
Climbing roses and clematis have to be fitted in somewhere.
I have also dug plots so I could have an apple and a cherry tree plus two cobnuts (no doubt the birds and squirrels will get there before me).
And........ I dug out a pond too. It has been filled but before too long I will need to get out there to clear all the fallen leaves and other bits which have fallen in.
Underneath all the grass I found a rockery.. Hopefully I will be able to get around to doing something with it next year if not this.
I also intend to keep some of the garden for wild life.
Think I have enough work to do to keep me busy for a few years.. I really am quite excited by it all.

oldchippy

Hi Kate did have a nice holiday or are you still on holiday. I haven't started my daugther's garden yet but her maisonette is coming on fine happy day's,I hope to start my gardening year soon.

homebird

Hi Julia, it must be very exciting starting a garden from scratch so to speak. You must have muscles on your muscles with all that digging.......I bet it will look brilliant this summer.