My Back Garden

[Brian]

Right i thought it was about time i posted some pictures of my garden on here we moved into the house in 2007 and the garden was a mess so the first thing i done was cleared the weeds and levelled the soil to a gentle slope instead of the highs and lows that it was before
This was June 2008

Then in October i put in a kids play area garden

Then i built a pergola for my wife to hang her hammock on

[Brian]

The next thing i done was extended the kids garden

Then whilst my wife was out i snuck a small flower bed in the middle of the top half of the garden

And this is how my garden looks today its a bit of a mess because i am putting a new path in, hopefully it will look OK by summer

[bobbyd44]

coming along nicely brian, you fill be able to fill that boarder on the left of the path this year any ideas what your putting in??
maybe some fast growing summer plants until palms and others grow!!

[Adam D]

Isn't it great to look back over old photos and see how things have progressed over time?

Well done Brian

[Petefree]

That's shaping up really well, Brian - well done.
Looks like a good-sized plot too - wish I had that much space

[redsquirrel]

you and me both Pete.looks good now,can see the shape taking place.keep updating Brian,these stories make for good reading

[mixiepalms]

looking good, just wish I had done that with my garden, taking a pictorial history.

Mix

[bev]

there is a lot of work in a plot that size and you are making a good dent in it brian

i'll be interested to see how the planting alongside your path develops. i can see a few bamboos along the fence, or even both sides of the path. what do you have in mind?

i wish i had that sort of room!

cheers

lee

[derrick]

Good size garden lots of room to work with .Be good in time.

[Brian]

Thank you for your kind words I only bought my first exotic plant in August 2008 and only got bitten by the bug in the summer 2009 so the garden is only really entering its second year this year I already have 3 Trachycarpus fortunei, 2 green 2 red and 1 variegated cordylines, phyllostachys humilis, phyllostachys Nigra, a 2 ft Dicksonia antarctica, a 4 ft Dicksonia antarctica, Japanese Maple, I also have ticking over in my indoor shed 3 Musa Basjoo's, Ensete maurellei, and a bird of paradise On my kitchen window sill i have 3 Colocasia burgundy stem, a T Rex from Carrol, 3 different Canna's i am starting from seed and i have 2 Sago palms that are in pots so they can come in for the next few winters And just to keep my wife happy because she thinks every thing i buy is green and boring there is over 500 bulbs across the garden including Lilly's, daffodils, tulips,hyacinths, irises and crocuses.

[Brian]

Update time I have now finished my path and put in all the flower beds in (well all my wife will let me get away with ) I have also moved my black bamboo and sunk a large pot into the ground ready for my t-rex to go into

[Brian]

I am also glad to say my green Cordy has come through undamaged shame i can't say the same for my variegated and red Cordy's

My T fortunei has now been in for a year and a half so hopefully that will start to take off this year

And whilst i was out in the garden i noticed my bamboo has kicked into growth

I think the next job now is going to be sorting out the mud patch that is my lawn

[kata]

Great job Bri!

Also clocked that Maple.

[sanatic1234]

Brian did you grow your bird of paradise from seed if you did please tell me how you did it im on my second batch now and i just can't seem to get them to germinate. i have followed the instructions but nothing I think these plants are amazing even if they can take up to 5 years to flower. I am using my electric propagator as a heat source. Do you think chipping the seed would help like you do when growing canna's?


Your garden is lovely by the way brian your progress truly stands out it really does look lovely and most of all has that tropical feel to it. WELL DONE

[Brian]

Hi sanatic1234 I cheated with my bird of paradise my wife bought me a ready to flower plant for my birthday, i have only really started growing from seed this year so its all new to me to