Rabbie's garden blog.

[Rabbie]

This year's weather has been a real pain, lack of sun, unending rain, no heat and strong winds has caused me to all but abandon my front garden (Also had debilitating sciatic nerve problems). Much of my plants are out the backyard and are soon to be moved to a new garden, some have not coped well with the weather. Musa Basjoo was stripped of 11 fully indoor grown but weak leafs, then the next 3 new leafs were stripped off by unseasonally strong winds no sooner than they had grown. It was dug up, potted and moved to the backyard. My seed grown 4 year old Washie seems to be is a deep sulk after being repotted in spring, but it could just be a lack of direct sun.

Dwarf Cavendish was moved outside and got burnt by the sun along with a Cycad revoluta seedling, but both seem to be growing away. I had a go at growing some shop bought Eddoes, which seem to have done okish but I feel the lack of heat has held them back. My Livistona Australis a chance buy at B&Q about 3 years ago has really surprised me, it takes no damage and just keeps grown. A great plant for a pot.

New plants this year, Musa Lasiocarpa, Musa Sikkimesis, Agave Montana. Along with Eddoos, Lablab
purpureus, bamboo and some wind brake hedging for out front.







Just starting out on making new garden will up date its progress when things start moving, lots of heavy clay.

[flounder]

You'll pray for rain if the sun comes out and you have spend all evening watering those pots

[Mr List]

i must comment on your rather strange washing line.
never seen one liek that before.

[Rabbie]

You'll pray for rain if the sun comes out and you have spend all evening watering those pots

I would not mind, am up and about now and the kids would love to do the watering. It would take a full week to dry that lot all out.

[Rabbie]

i must comment on your rather strange washing line.
never seen one liek that before.

In all the years I have lived here, I have never used it to lazy to take the washing down stairs.

[Tom2006]

A great selection of plants that will keep you busy planting out!....ditto the washing line comment

[Mr List]

i must comment on your rather strange washing line.
never seen one liek that before.

In all the years I have lived here, I have never used it to lazy to take the washing down stairs.

get rid then

my one garden wish would to be to get rid of the washing line if i could

[Rabbie]

Would like to be rid of it but its a communal area.

[flounder]

For a communal area, you've taken over a fair old chunk of it!
Must be nice for the other users to see a decent array of plants though

[Rabbie]

Been working on the new garden, which is very much work in progress. The soil is a heavy clay, totally compressed with no life in it. Its also on a slight slope which am hoping will be good for drainage. Its a big garden by local standards but I will only be using about a quarter of it but no doubt things will creep.

Will update as things move along.

[Adam D]

That's a decent size garden to work with Rabbie.

I don't envy you with well compressed clay. It's going to take a lot of digging to restore the soil structure which is going to be hard work with sciatica

I look forward to seeing how things move along.

[Rabbie]

Its been hard work with the sciatica but I feel like am getting better. I only dig a little at a time and should be all sorted come next spring.

[Mr List]

why not just put down a thick layer of bark,then a layer of stones then mounds of topsoil and compost to plant into?

basically make the garden a giant raised bed.

[Rabbie]

Started building a potting shed of sorts that will be finished in a few weeks time.

[flounder]

I'd never get any work done in that garden, bad back or not....love a game of swing ball!