My First Garden - progress since October

I am not a gardener. Well, I had never "gardened" before October last year! We have a little terraced house and I decided it might be a good idea to actually do something with our outdoor space, as it was overgrown and horrible! So in October last year, I took action, and I've discovered I actually really enjoy gardening.

My challenge was to create a completely non-toxic garden for my two indoor cats to enjoy. They don't roam, but we let them out under supervision, and they eat EVERYTHING. So I wanted to ensure they could eat all the plants. This limited my options, but has been a really fun challenge too, and it's exciting when I find something I can plant. (I've allowed myself free rein for my small border, baskets and planters at the front of the house, as they don't go out there.)

Our garden is still in its infancy, but I wanted to share a few progress photos.


October 2013 - before I started to take action


October 2013 (another angle)


May 2014 - Heuchera, phlox, astillbe, choisya, etc. all doing well. Hollyhocks, echinacea, sunflowers, creeping phlox and cosmos just starting off. Some other evergreen shrubs, the names of which escape me without consulting my notebook! Star jasmine at the back, just getting started.


May 2014 - Another star jasmine plant at the side, getting started. Echinops globe thistle, pittosporum (I forget the variety but it is a beautiful deep purple in the winter), and a lovely little Sorbus "Autumn Spire" - can't wait to see the bright orange leaves in the autumn.


May 2014 - Honeysuckle at the back, some little herb planters, buddleia, a few hebes, more creeping phlox and cosmos just planted out, another pittosporum (different variety) and more heuchera.


May 2014 - A cheerful planter of violas. A bit squashed as I think a cat landed in it at one point. Amazing (to me, a newbie gardener) that the small scrappy plants I put in this planter in October now look like this!

Then at the front of the house...


The above is how it looked before we did anything with it. We have since put in railings and got rid of those Leylandii (is that what they were?) - they used to block so much light out of our living room!


May 2014 - Border at the front of the house. I need to repaint the "hump" around the edge - a job for the warmer weather! Lavender and choisya, and I put in some candytuft and poppy seeds at the recommendation of a couple of posters on GC. :D I also shoved a few leftover dianthus in here as I had nowhere else for them... we shall see what happens...


May 2014 - View of the front. Things are still getting established here, but I'm hopeful that they will grow! I made up some baskets of petunias and some other plants which I've forgotten the name of now (can't be bothered to get my notebook) and those planters have dianthus in them which will hopefully be pink and blue. It's going to be a whirlwind of colour out there, probably a bit clashy, but this is my first attempt at gardening so I'm going wild!

Just wanted to share. Please don't judge the newbie! :D I am still learning "what works" and I think that in a lot of cases I have overplanted... it may be a bit crowded, but I got impatient/excited. The good thing about gardening is that you can always change things. :D

 

Looks brilliant you have done loads :-)

 

Your enthusiasm is infectious and I think it looks wonderful. You have great empathy with your plants and they have responded with impressive performance. I can tell it is bringing great joy to you and I have loved looking at the "then and now" pictures,
love it,
congratulations - looks really good,
Jenny

 

Awww thank you both! I find it all very exciting! I thought everything would just die.

 

I still feel like that lol i have grown veg from seed for the first time this year i sowed way too many because i thought they would all die too

 

What a lovely job you've done there SJ when the Honeysuckle and Star Jasmine bloom the scent will be delicious

 

The star jasmine is taking a while to get going... is it a slow grower? I can't wait for the flowers!

 

Apparently it's said to be a rapid grower but mine is taking it's time ,maybe because it's in a container

 

looking great , all will settle in and grow this year

great photos and to see what you have achieved hopefully inspire others to have a go as well

Spruce

 

Just carrying on what your doing....its looking great

 

Thanks everyone for the compliments! Well, the front of the house WAS looking nice until I left for work yesterday morning to find my lavender and choisya plants had all been dug up and stolen! I'm fuming! :( They'd ripped out a lot of the candytuft seedlings too. Fantastic. What's the point, honestly?

Should I bother replanting? Any experience of this? Choisya shrubs aren't exactly the cheapest plants in the world so I'm really cross about those being nicked. I really liked how bright they were and how they contrasted with the lavender. Both were just getting established. :'(

In your experience is it work replanting with the same or am I just wasting my money? Any tips for avoiding theft other than planting rubbish plants?

So upset!

 

I'm not surprised you're so upset! I'd be livid. Some people are vile.

I wouldn't replant any shrubs at the front. It's possible these people will come back and steal more shrubs so you'd be wasting your money. I think I would sow some fast growing annuals to add some colour and they will cheer you up no end when they start to flower. There's still time to sow Nasturtiums, Godetia, Clarkia and annual Linaria. I've got seed I can send you if you'd like some...just pm me. Most of all though, don't let these people spoil your enthusiasm for gardening.

 

I'm sorry to read this Star Jasmine. You just can't trust anyone these days.

May be not to your liking but what about planting Berberis, Japanese Quince etc. Not the most attractive plants but have a lot of nasty thorns that might see future thieves off.

 

I've just seen this Star Jasmine....

I'd go with what Sheal has mentioned,if they try it again they'll get their comeuppance alright..

 

Oh my SJ, the fatherless so and so's.

Try and keep your chin up, and if there is a positive to be had from this, it has to be, that you now know not to plant expensive / good plants in that spot. Albeit for the wrong reasons.

As has been suggested some cheap quick growing annuals will cheer the spot up again.