Our garden

[Ian M]

I think you need a few chickens. There’s nothing like fresh eggs if you like them.

Our next door neighbour has chickens again, she had a break from them after a visit from Mr. Fox but she missed having them, so we get fresh eggs from them and yes the are soooo much better than those pale flavorless supermarket egg that have sat in a cool house for upto three months. How do they sell them as fresh eggs!?

If Lis, the chicken lady didn't get hens again we were going to. now we get eggs without the hassle. lolBeautiful Ian. Thanks for posting.Those Rhododendron looks fantastic. Think you should perhaps do another Bonsai with a Maple.

Beautiful Ian. Thanks for posting.
Those Rhododendron looks fantastic. Think you should perhaps do another Bonsai with a Maple.

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Thanks JR. I will post again when some of the others have bloomed. As for the bonsai.... maybe when I have nowt to do. lol.

 

[SteveT]

Wow! That's not a garden, it's a farm, so big! Sadly we have no garden here just concrete front and back.

 

[Scratchbuilder]

Showed the pics of your beautiful house and garden to SWMBO... She has packed her bags, lasood the dogs and is on her way.... but fear not, with her sense of direction the Penguins of Antartica will now be getting worried....

 

[Waspie]

Wow! That's not a garden, it's a farm, so big! Sadly we have no garden here just concrete front and back.

My back felt a lot better when we had a place like that. SWMBO wanted grass and my back has never been the same since!!!! A gardener I am not!!

 

[Ian M]

Just had two hours of cutting grass. Had to stop for dinner and a sit down! I'll do the other half tomorrow. lol... ?

 

[Scratchbuilder]

My back felt a lot better when we had a place like that. SWMBO wanted grass and my back has never been the same since!!!! A gardener I am not!!

Me neither, when a boy I nagged me dad to let me have a bit of the garden - he gave me a length that ran from the fence, alongside the garden path, told me to take out all the weeds - being ignorant on what was a weed and what was not, and the old man out shopping I set to work... When he came in there was not a living thing in my patch, worms, snails, ants, weeds, bulbs, plants all in a pile - he took one look and I didn't realise he or I could move so fast, my 'arris stung for a week. And from that day to this, grass cutting is as far as I go unless instructed to dig there, or lift this to there....

 

[Waspie]

Just had two hours of cutting grass. Had to stop for dinner and a sit down! I'll do the other half tomorrow. lol... ?

My favourite saying!!!

 

[colin m]

At the moment, cutting grass is a two day job. Our Lawn tractor/ride-on mower chose the busiest time of year to demand a trip to the workshop. My old knees can just about manage one bit at a time, so I have to deal it out in two or three bits. The first cut took forever, the last cut halv the time. but sun and rain = long grass!
guess what I'm doing this afternoon

Two days !

 

[Strenko J]

As a change from fighting the weeds in the back garden: The weather has yet again been perfect for weeds this year, add to that a few health issues, covid round two locking down every thing again. OH we had the B&B again last summer so that bit into my time as well. Short version the weeds got away from me and I am paying the price One years seed is seven years weed as the saying goes!
I digress. As a diversion from the back garden we started on the front garden....
For the last year it has been grass. Long grass. up to 4foot high some places. This was divide into islands with a cut grass path making 7 or 8 beds around the meandering pathway.
Had some plants in our own nursery bed and a visit to the garden some saw the rest of the plants home.
We now have ONE bed done.
View attachment 457763View attachment 457764
A total mish mash. There is a Budliga, peony, lavender, chocolate flower, fairy bells, Garden lady's mantel, echinacea p. a couple of Salvia. harvest anemone and a few other I cant remember. (yes already)!
Oh a couple of winter hardy grass.
The only idea was a mix of hard and soft leaf forms, dark and light, low and high. Just two things I need now.
A beer and some lambs ears...As in Rose Campion. Not actual lambs ears!
View attachment 457765
One of the Wisteria. There was a good flowering this summer. this was the start. We added the screens at the back due to the thin hedge. So we can enjoy a cup of coffee with out passers by stopping for a chat!
View attachment 457767
The rhodos, put on a fantastic show, but due to the sudden heat and dry, short lived
View attachment 457768
The show was good though.
View attachment 457766
Even in the bed that I made a bit bigger.... cant see so much but this edge is a good four foot further out than it used to be...

Love all of the various colors…Amazing work

 

[Strenko J]

Absolutely stunning work..I’m coming to your place to get some lessons in gardening, landscaping, masonry,,etc..

 

[Ian M]

Two days !

Well yes and no. It takes, in total, about 4-5 hours with the walk-behind mower. but my knees refuse to walk so long a time in one go. Hence the half and half. With the ride-on it takes about an hour total.
My step count was up to 10200 yesterday as I was also doing other things out there in the morning.

 

[JR]

Well yes and no. It takes, in total, about 4-5 hours with the walk-behind mower. but my knees refuse to walk so long a time in one go. Hence the half and half. With the ride-on it takes about an hour total.
My step count was up to 10200 yesterday as I was also doing other things out there in the morning.

Sheep or geese !

 

[Ian M]

Sheep or geese !

Have enough bother with deer coming in and nibbling the bushes! sheep are even worse. Geese! no thanks have enough of them in the fields around the house. Our area is a mustering point for all birds inbound and outbound. A local twitcher estimated a flock of Brams geese of over TEN THOUSAND in an area of about 20 acres!

Anyhow... Morning tour with a cuppa yesterday, a few more Rhodos are popping buds.




A sneak peak at the veggie garden 2,0.

Just need to Tighten the wire (now done) and then plant a couple of posts to add support. The square ones at the back are the old ones that are all busted off at the bottom.
This year we are going to have a go at a Kiwi, No Not Garry, the Kiwi plant. We have one that is self pollinating.

And the rush to get the beets down while the ground is dry(ish).

After all the rain of late the farmers are a bit behind. The field over the road has dried out and the race began at 6am. This was at 8 in the evening and they had just left. First was clearing stones, there were lots this year. (more for me garden ) Shortly after these where joined by a JCB digger and an Older New Holland. Oh And the bosses Pick up... So sugar beets this year!
I have driven the JD in the center and the Massy. Super fun. Just not for 14-18 hrs at a time.

 

[Lee Drennen]

and the Massy.

I was going to ask if that was a Massy in the background. The flowers are beautiful Ian.

 

[Tworrs]

This year we are going to have a go at a Kiwi, No Not Garry, the Kiwi plant.

I am very grateful that you are not going to have a go at me, swmbo hates competition

 

[Ian M]

Heard from the workshop today. The Ride on needs the carb rebuilding. New Oil filter and spark-plug and of course oil. Something in the carb broke and the engine sucked a liter petrol into the sump. £250 and a further weeks wait. Guess I'm going for a walk with a lawn mower tomorrow... grr.
Anyhow. The Veggie garden 2,0 is 99% done. Just the sodden paths to sort out. Top tip weeds grow very well in wood chips.

Tensile wire fence now pulled as tight as I can without pulling posts! lol

Even had a few boards over so I made a new Strawberry box. The transplants are still a bit limp.

A few more of the rhododendron have popped some others are fading lasted three weeks this year. Others are just getting more impressive.

The early whites are starting to wilt a bit but the ones next to them are starting to open.
The Red one at the back of the garden is going nuts.

And a quick peek up to the house:

Clear signs of a deer has had a kip in our garden. Scrapes in the soil, Plants squashed and the little fecker has broken a small as in new last year tree. Silkefyr (Pinus peuce).

I hope we can have our two latest trees in peace. A Sweet chestnut and a Walnut. The chestnut must be a graft as they give the hight as 3.5 to 4 m The Walnut a bit bigger at 6 to 8 meter.... I must get them in the ground soon. lol.