Kristen's Blog : Jungle Garden - Year 2 - Enjoying!

[GoggleboxUK]

I'd rather be in your shoes than mine right now. Everything turning up at once is much better than nothing turning up at all!

If I had a tractor to sit on I'd join you, as it stands I'm going to go and build some casting boxes from MDF. Playing with dangerous tools always cheers me up.

[Kristen]

Wll I can't help thinking that anyone with half a brain would have ordered them to be delivered a week apart ...

... off to see Will Giles garden on Sunday and have reserved plants at both Amulree and Urban Jungle as they are near to Norwich. Haven't really given much thought to whether they'll fit in the car ... or when I'll find time to deal with them. At least they won't be bare rooted so can just sit in the conservatory - I hope !

I hired a stonking walk-behind rotavator last year. It was hopeless, I'd dug the trenches for the hedges by JCB so the ground was "loosened", but it bounced around all over the place and wouldn't dig in. It was like wrestling with a Gorilla. I knew of a hire company with somewhat bigger stuff, so phoned him up to ask for a mini-tractor and PTO-driven rotavator assuming it would be expensive and it turned out to be the same day-rate as the walk-behind-Gorilla, and made mincemeat of the job. Felt a right prat on that occasion too, so this year I've gone straight to him for the Toys. Good job he was slow collecting it and it was still here to play with

Right, that's my lunch break over. At least the weather is staying pretty dry.

[Kristen]

Glorious sunny day (although -1C last night ) and set off the Amulree to collect my order, then via Will Giles garden and on to Urban Jungle to collect my other order.

Here's my Amulree haul - both trolleys and the sack-barrow of Bamboos to the right. Bit of a tight fit in the car!

Amulree Plant Haul

Loved Will Giles garden, and gave us lots of ideas. The kids thought the tree house was essential for an Exotic Garden!

Will Giles Tree House

and the view of the garden from the tree house:

View from Will Giles Tree House

I'll post some more photos when I have a bit more time.

And then on to Urban Jungle - luckily a smaller order so we were able to cram it in - just!

[Deedee]

What a great day youv'e had Kristen, Couldn't of picked a better one weather wise. Im looking forward to seeing your Tropical garden planted up next year, its going to look amazing

[Kristen]

The plot was dug last Autumn, and a mulch of muck added. We've been flooded-out since the drought was announced! so no progress until this weekend.

I'm figuring that the hardy stuff (Bamboos etc) can go out any time, I've started hardening off seed-raised plants (Coleus, Cleome) and Dahlias, Cannas so they will be ready to go out by 1st June ...

... so time to start making it look like a garden and ready for planting!

Lots of weeds now coming up as it warms after the rains. I'll Glyphosate them before planting, but for now I've moved the mulch aside where I want the paths and laid black plastic (and I intend covering it with bark chips).

Here's the plan of the paths:

Jungle Garden Plan

There are photos taken (from the bottom of the plan) looking North, and (from the top of the plan) looking South, plus others across the pond and through the "woodland walk"

Looking North (from bottom of plan looking towards top of plan):

Left path made

Right path marked with hose, and mulch moved aside

Right path completed (can also see, bottom left, path from wood-walk)

[Kristen]

This is the view looking South (from top of plan towards bottom of plan):

Right (left on the plan!) path made

At the top of the plan I intend to put some sort of "feature" (a seat maybe) as a focal point when walking North, which would be where this photo is taken from

Both paths made, and hose marking the "exit" path.

The feature will disguise the exit - I think I will have a wall behind (North side) and you will have to dog-leg through a gate to exit. It leads onto the vegetable patch, and that's never going to be a great vista!

[Kristen]

Woodland walk:
Bit of a grand name! 'coz there are only a couple of trees, but it is shaded.

View across the pond before we started work. The far marginal bed is a mess, I've covered part of it with plastic to try to kill the grass, and I'm going to build a raised bed (with sleepers) behind to add more height.

View across the pond

after you come over the bridge and get to the tree you turn sharp left and face the statue. The raised bed (in red) will be on your left.

Raised bed

then when you come to the statue you turn sharp Right - heading for the main Jungle Garden area

Here's a photo from the other direction, i..e from the main jungle plot, showing the woodland walk path to the statue on the left, and the main exit (to the South) to the Right

Looking south

[Kristen]

The last bit is a possible feature on the West side. A flat-pack Gogglebox Ruin perhaps?!!

[flounder]

Thats a serious sized makeover going on there I'm sure you've said before, but how big is it? I'm just too lazy to re read it all to find out
Its as much fun watching other peoples gardens, as it is my own

[Kyle]

Top marks on a great job Kristen. It's looking fantastic already, and will look even more amazing once you get your plants in place.

I hope you're planning to give visitors the option of an ATV at the entrance?

[Kristen]

how big is it? I'm just too lazy to re read it all to find out

15M x 20M - here's the link to the overall plan:

http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk/forum/v ... 55#p233355

and here's the "plot plan" in total with a summary of the various projects over recent years:

[Blog Plot Plan link]

Its as much fun watching other peoples gardens, as it is my own

Oh yes! I too love seeing other people's hard work!

[Kristen]

I hope you're planning to give visitors the option of an ATV at the entrance?

I did wonder, whilst sweating over a spade yesterday, whether it would be better to jack the whole thing in and learn some CGI skills instead, and make an unbelievable virtual garden with better-than-life realism and online 3D tours

[Kyle]

I hope you're planning to give visitors the option of an ATV at the entrance?

I did wonder, whilst sweating over a spade yesterday, whether it would be better to jack the whole thing in and learn some CGI skills instead, and make an unbelievable virtual garden with better-than-life realism and online 3D tours

My services are always available, Kristen

[Trudytropics]

Wow Kristen it'll be amazing, obviously a serious amount of work and cash, but worth the effort in every respect. Yours is one garden I really look forward to seeing mature (tropical bit that is, as rest seems mature anyway). Keep going with your projects and lots more pictures when you are not up to your elbows in mud

[Deedee]

Oooh exciting, wont be long now im really looking forward to seeing your plants go in Kristen, have you worked out whats going where yet? sometimes i think thats the hardest part, ive had a new cycas for 2 weeks and its been plonked all over the garden, ive finally found the right spot, I think I dont envy your task ahead, exciting and scarey at the same time