My Garden

lucienc · Post by **lucienc** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:32 pm

Don wrote:Lucien -You could have saved an awful lot of work by just planting a few flowering pansies and begonias
Plenty of space left for more stuff and I bet the cat loves it.

Well I had to do something with the front when I moved in. We all started somewhere. Can't find a pic of it now, but its tropical now.

I do still have some pansies. The bizzie lizzie flower pouches are loving it this year. Theres also marigolds and lobelia around. Bedding adds a splash of colour, and seems to work well with the jungle

Lucien

Post by **Dave Brown** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:34 pm

Phil,

It is Agave americana, which is hardy where I am. The problem is most people plant them out small, and they get frosted through. When larger they are more hardy down to maybe -7 or -8C. Mine is grown in heavy clay, which they don't like. The ideal is a free draining soil. You will have to have a raised bed if your garden floods.

Steve, seen your post, garden looks great, will take me a week to fu;lly respond. Bear with me.

lucienc · Post by **lucienc** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:38 pm

Dave Brown wrote:Lucien- I particularly like the 4th pic with the Deck, and Arbour structure, it dramatically changes the appearance or the garage.

Is that a concrete cat statue on the grass, or do you have a concrete coloured cat

Its a real cat. She's called Jess (6):

I also have Clove (4):

and Scooby (1):

Lucien

lucienc · Post by **lucienc** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:43 pm

Libby wrote:lucienc I have just been having another lovely look through pics of your garden. Its nice to see I have some similar plants, what are the ones on the right as you look out from your house up the path??
All those plant pots scattered round the garden full of plants, do you plan to put them in? Have you got any room left??

I think your refering to the Strelizia nicolais. I'm sure theres another post on here showing a good pic of one of them.

Most of the pots are around so I can have more n more plants. They'll all be staying in pots. Get potted up. The washingtonia's seem to love the clay £1 b&q tomato pots. They dry out completely and then I flood water them.

One day I'll have to move to get a bigger garden, and they can all come with me

There is always more room. Especially as all the big plants grow bigger, I'll end up with room below to plant more

Lucien

mixiepalms · Post by **mixiepalms** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:42 pm

Lucien

Lovely garden. I agree when they grow up more planting room. Im trying hard to find some old pics of our garden to join in the pic contest. Could be helpful to compare how we all started and ended up with what we have got now. I know that some plants thrive in mine and some not and in my mates sometimes it is the opposite.

Libby love ya garden too,

I have a funny tale to tell, just let 200 black crickets loose in mine, now I have real jungle sounds lol. Do it every year. the birds are happy, free food. I get in return angry neighbours, Well not angry as they know what I am like. I love the sound of chirping crickets!

Well we are all mad are we not?

Mixie

Libby · Post by **Libby** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:46 am

Mixie, I don't see it as a competition more like a 'show and tell'! Its great though. Love the idea of the crickets, what a hoot!

Steve: Like yours too! The 2 levels are clever, did you do the wooden retaining wall yourself? The plant or should I say leaves on the right by the back gate, what are they? My favourite pic is the first shows what a great garden you have, but just peep over the fences, boring!!!!!!!!!! But look you have a T-rex too

I would really love one, a guy on oasis has them but I would have to make a trip to Colchester. Just can't fit it in at the mo!!

I bet they will all have gone by the time I get there!!

I think shade is going to be my down fall, the patio is great but near the bottom could be a problem, I am currently working on the neighbours to 'thin out' the trees down there!!

mixiepalms · Post by **mixiepalms** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 8:06 am

Libby here is one of the critters.

Post by **Dave Brown** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 8:40 am

Mixie, where do you get your crickets

I used to have both black and ordinary crickets, but our Pets at Home stopped selling them

I agree they add another dimention to the garden. The only problem we had was when one got into out cavity wall and chirped away all summer

Libby · Post by **Libby** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:18 am

Ugly looking bu***rs

mixiepalms · Post by **mixiepalms** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:36 am

pet shop in Chatham high street, £2.50 a box. They are chirping already.

May have to get some more lol.

mixiepalms · Post by **mixiepalms** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:36 am

Libby wrote:Ugly looking bu***rs

it is in the eye of the beholder Libby lol.

Libby · Post by **Libby** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:33 pm

Ok!

Post by **Dave Brown** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:04 pm

mixiepalms wrote:
Libby wrote:Ugly looking bu***rs
it is in the eye of the beholder Libby lol.

More like "in the ears of the beholder"

SteveW · Post by **SteveW** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 8:37 pm

Hi Libby,
The planter at the bottom of the garden with the Trex in was built about 4 years ago.Basically to contain all the soil that came from the front garden when we put a driveway in.The curved planter was only built last year to house my ever growing collection of Agaves and other succulents.With a bit of hindsight it should've been twice the size

These were taken last June

This July.
Its amazing how quickly these plants grow,especially the W.Filifera and the Aloe?(the name escapes me at the moment)
The plant by the back gate is Musella Lasiocarpa.By late summer I have to cut a pathway to past.Out of the many planted around the garden this ones the biggest and the only one to flower so far.
I wouldn't worry about your shade too much,its just more room for some Treeferns

PM me when you decide to visit Dave and we can arrange a T rex,I've got a few spare and they keep popping up all over the place,even in pots of Alocasia

Steve

Libby · Post by **Libby** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:12 am

I would just like to say thank you to everyone for sharing their gardens with us, please don't stop keep posting pics during the summer(?)
I have definately got to go down this path. Its me that does all the work and bearing in mind I'm in my 40's and sadly not the fittest person on the earth, a major re-development is a huge step and needs careful consideration and planning.
Bind weed being the biggest problem, and yes I know it gives a jungle effect but once twisted into the roots of your favourite plant it can be a pain to get rid of!!
Your gardens definately give me inspiration, many thanks