New member in Derbyshire

[kathmarr]

hi everyone

I have been a member for a while but haven't been on the site much until today so thought I would introduce myself. My gardening story is....

My first real garden was two summers ago, and was only really a large bed made of sleepers. I only became interested in gardening really when I discovered tropical (looking) plants so I filled up the bed and lots of pots! (will dig out some pics)

Having now moved to Derbyshire, with a few pots and boxes of plants, I have a much bigger garden, now done up and ready and waiting to be planted. Am very excited and have things growing in the greenhouse (heated) already. Am also a bit nervous as I am not sure how I will fill all that space, at least for it to look ok in the first year!

Any advice on how to quickly (and inexpensively!) fill some space would be welcome, and I would be interested to hear from anyone in the derbs, staffs area too.

K

[Mr List]

buy 1 trex and wait

welcome friend.

[The Codfather]

Welome, I too am like you and am a new member and learning this addictive hobby too. I am sure the guys will help you loads.......what do you like the look of ?

[kathmarr]

thanks for your replies

Mr List, what is a trex?

I like..... Cannas, Bananas (have a 3 year old maurelli), like gunneras too and other big leafy things. I want to find some large leafy stuff I can try to keep outside in the winter as my greenhouse will probably be full. I have attached the only pics of the bare ground (the only ones I could get small enough to go on here).

[Tropical Bob]

Hi Kath and welcome to the forum, thats a nice big garden youve got! Even if you dont fill it in the first year, in year two or three it will get really full and soon it will be overflowing!

Heres a thread about filling in gaps http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk/forum/v ... =1&t=10004


T-rex are huge leaved plants that have leaves resembling a T-rex dinosaurs claw! Fantastic plants but be sure to read this whole thread http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk/forum/v ... f=1&t=9138 before you put one in the ground, as once its in the ground you may never get it out again.. and it likes to spread

[flounder]

hi kath nice size garden
trex = tetrapanax papyrifer rex

[redsquirrel]

hi Kath,lovely situation to be in with all that space for some hardy trachies and some beds close to the house for more tender protectable stuff

[kathmarr]

thank you for the links etc - the trex looks like something that will be right up my street! I haven't heard of it before, so will do some research. There is another bit of lower garden to fill as well as the pics above, so I might need a few of those!

kath

[Tropical Bob]

T-rex are amazing plants in the ground or a pot!

[grub]

Welcome aboard Kath . This is a piccie of my 2 year old 'Rex' http://gardenjot.com/garden/photo/1/149 ... le-Hideout.

[Dave Brown]

Hi Kath, and welcome

Huge garden there by the looks of it. It will take a while to fill even with big plants.

What type of soil do you have

[Arlon Tishmarsh]

Hi Kath

welcome to HT

[Nigel Fear]

Hi Kath.
You have a wonderful looking plot there, full of potential.
But I reckon you'll need to create a serious windbreak for some of those large leafy things mentioned above.

I'd look up the eventual heightand hardiness of what you'd like to grow as well.

It looks as though you have some lovely views of the countryside there too, so theres that to consider as well.

[Tropical Bob]

Im on a mission to get one like grubs but in a pot

[Ste]

Hi Kath.

The musa basjoo, sikkimensis are nice if you are after big leafy things like you say but looking at how open your garden is, there doesnt seem much protection from the wind.

I suppose once you have filled your garden like a few suggested with t-rex and other good sized plants/trees then they will act as a bit of a wind barrier and a few banana's will look good.