Gardening Aspirations For 2018

That's one of the reasons I don't grow or like dahlias!

 

How about something like this?

Rosa 'Veilchenblau' - rose Veilchenblau (rambler)

G.

 

Alberic Barbier is a REALLY good rose. It flowers right up until the first frosts. Forget Paul's Scarlet. Don't know about the others but I've grown both of these.

 

Hi @ARMANDII Thanks for the input. I take it then I am on the right track.

Some of those roses are available locally. One supplier describes Malvern Hills thus

Product Description
David Austin English Rambling Rose – Malvern Hills

A rarity in the ramblers – a variety that repeat flowers reliably. Small, fully double soft yellow blooms, held in clusters. There is a delightful musky fragrance. Exceptionally healthy.

• Good for disease resistance
• Repeat Flowering
• Ideal for poor soil
• Pot size 6 litre

I have enriched the soil there so it shouldn't be poor.

There used to be a rose by the back door. I've no idea which variety. It wasnt a climber but it would reliably grow up to 6 ft or more each year and was really bushy. Unfortunately it was in the way so I was instructed to chop it down. It's a shame I didn't consider moving it.

Are any of these varieties less thorny than others? As its going to overhang the gateway, I don't want any accidents with little fingers.

G.

@Redwing

 

The only gardening aspiration for 2018 I have is to get the garden to a point where it looks less like the local recycling centre and more like an actual garden.

 

Since we moved house in September, I have many gardening aspirations for 2018. There's a lot I want to do in the new garden, but frustratingly I've made very little progress so far.

Inevitably, there's been much to do in the new house and opportunities to get started on the garden have been limited.

My first priorities are to sort out the garden 'infrastructure' for want of a better word. I've had to replace the leaking roof on one of the three sheds (the other two are leaky too but not as bad, so they can wait until the summer). I've dismantled the rickety tree house which was perched atop a beech hedge and had an overgrown Wisteria scrambling all over it.

The next job will be to build a log store in the bottom section of the garden, for wood which needs seasoning before it can be used in the stove (we have solid fuel central heating, so it's important to keep a good stock of wood in store). I can get a certain amount of free wood from work, but some of it will still be 'green' so will need seasoning before I can use it.

Once that's in place the next job will be to fell and cut up two small sycamore trees and a small yew tree which don't really contribute anything to the garden and occupy space which could be better used. The sycamores have been regularly pollarded so they haven't reached a great height, which should make felling them a bit more manageable.
This is the larger of the two sycamores.


The yew is more of a large bush rather than a tree, but it's in the area where I want to create a small vegetable garden, so I'm getting rid of it.

Once the trees have been cut down, I'll have to organize getting the stumps ground out, otherwise they will simply shoot up again. Could be tricky, as the only access to the rear garden is through a quite narrow side gate which may prove awkward for getting a stump grinder in.

The greenhouse needs some attention, there are a few cracked panes and I'd like to fit automatic vents if possible. It also sits on a slight slope with a hedge behind it, so soil tends to pile up at the back of the greenhouse, I can probably cure that by fitting a gravel board along the back to keep the soil from slipping down over time.

That's just for starters. In time I'd like to remove this ugly conifer and its accompanying pampas grass and create a more attractive flower bed in its place.


I also have plans to create some raised beds for growing vegetables, sow a wild flower area, create some new flower borders, build some compost bins and a leaf mould cage - the list goes on.

Plenty to keep me occupied in the coming year, that's for sure.

 

Clematis Lambton Park could be an option. I enjoy obtaining (and attempting) to grow slightly more unusual plants which are reasonably hardy with some interesting background to them. Also, not requiring endless time-consuming nurturing, this option ticks all the boxes.

It produces prolific smallish yellow fragrant flowers (coconut fragrance would you believe!) and by all accounts is British in origin withstanding lower than average (for clematis) temperatures.

 

This plant which @ARMANDII as put in the discussion is growing over our fence from the neighbours onto my hubby's shed and it's one quick grower

​

 

Hi @Chesterfieldgardener . Thanks for the recommendation. Low maintenance is certainly what I'm looking for. My neighbour grew a clematis this summer on his side of the fence. I've no idea what variety it was. I think it was purple and blue. It bloomed prefusely for about a month and then stopped.

This plant doesn't look as showy as Armandii's rose selections. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. The absence of thorns is certainly a plus point. If (IF) I am going to grow a yellow jasmine up the fence within the garden, the yellow at the gate might co ordinate nicely.

You have described it as slightly unusual. In other words its not available on the high street. The RHS recommend a 2 litre pot or bigger. Without reverting to mail order I don't know how else I would get my hands on one.

I am considering an arch at the top gate. I don't know whether to grow the same plant in both locations. I might save money if I buy 3 of the same variety.

Thankfully there is plenty of time to make these decisions.



G

 

Hi @Gail_68 It looks pretty. Even better as its free.



G.

 

@Jack Sparrow Hi mate, I had to edit my reply quick, as it's the plant Armandii added but never knew the name of the climber, the neighbour makes me laugh as it's over took her one plant and instead of trimming it properly, she rips at it

 

Yes, my wife used to do that.

You asked about the leaves. I did collect the leaves in the end. I just went for it. There is a long low wall about 5 houses from me. From here alone there was enough to fill a couple of builders bags. I also managed to get a couple more bagsfull from a neighbour that was heading for the tip. I will know where to look next year.

:snorky:

G.