My Garden Progress

Hello @Jymi riddler

Thanks for the reply.

As you step into the Back Garden the Patio looks great, it is only as you get closer that you realise there are issues.

I am currently finding it difficult to sit on the Patio as the issues become very evident.

Suffice to say that the original installers eye for detail is lacking.

When the Landscapers who are going to put it right visited they entered the Back Garden and commented how nice it looked, this was at the Back Gate, then as he got closer he actually picked up on the issues before I had to point them out, which is a good sign.

Hopefully, once it is put right it will not matter whether the view is from the Back Gate or from the Patio, both will look good.

Thanks

Kevin

 

Hello all

I hope you are all well.

I have been doing some more work on the Drip Irrigation.

I have had to replace a section of the 13mm Supply Hose due to an issue, caused my yours truly when punching a hole in it, I have now sectioned it so if there is another issue at some point I will only need to replace that individual section.

I have managed to place the 8LPH Drippers on the Water Loving Plants around the Water Feature and have concentrated on adding the 4LPH Drippers to the other plants that seem to be struggling, assuming I can punch the holes in the Supply Hose.

I have only had the Drip Irrigation in operation now for less than one Week and I am already seeing improvement in the Plants with the Drippers

I am seeing new growth and plants that were not flowering previously have done so.

I have been watering using a Hose as advised on here last year but I assume, with Drip Irrigation all the water seeps down to the Roots rather than running off when using the Hose, plus the foliage stays dry which is always good.

I shall continue to add Drippers as and when I am able to punch the holes in the Supply Hose and hopefully I will finish before Winter

At least it should all be finished and ready for next Season.

The last job will be to figure out how to run the Supply Hose into the Front Garden but that will have to wait, for now.

Thanks

Kevin

 

Hello all

I hope you are all well.

Well, I have now managed to finish installing the Drip Irrigation in the back garden, for the most part, there are a couple of plants I am unsure of regarding how much water they require, mainly Lavender, Rosemary and Cotoneaster.

The plants are all looking much happier and some are flowering again which is nice to see

I also have a date for the Landscapers to come and put right the Patio and to edge the front lawn with the same stone setts as the back, Kandla Grey Indian Sandstone, 200mm x 100mm.

I am looking forward to finally getting it sorted so I can concentrate on adding other things to the garden, including, Bug Hotels, Clock, Bird Boxes, unsure on the Bird Boxes as I have plenty of Shrubs when they mature and a Buddha Statue.

No doubt there will be more pictures to follow

Thanks

Kevin

 

Hello Kevin, I hope you are well too.

I'm not sure about the Rosemary and Cotoneaster but Lavender needs very little water, preferring the soil to be on the dry side.

The Tit family like to use next boxes. If you choose to put a couple up then face them in different directions so they can make a choice according to the climate at the time. I have two for Blue Tits and they nested in one the first year but have chosen the other for the last two years.

 

Hello @Sheal

Thanks for the reply and the information.

I shall leave the Lavender without a Dripper, if they need any supplemental water they will be able to get it from the plants nearby that have Drippers.

Good idea regarding the Bird Boxes, not something I had thought of, do you know which direction they prefer to face, i.e. North, East, South or West?

I have done some more searching on the water needs of both Cotoneaster and Rosemary and what I have found states that Cotoneaster needs 1" of water per week (I hate that guideline, way too vague, for me) which usually means a 4lph Dripper is needed, Rosemary on the other hand is a Mediterranean plant so should not require supplemental watering, so I will treat it like the Lavender and keep an eye on it.

Thanks

Kevin

 

Yes, that sounds good regarding the Lavender.

Most birds prefer boxes that don't face south as the summer sun is at it's hottest from that direction. My gardens are on the angle, the back facing south east and the front obviously facing north west. The box in the back garden attached to my house wall faces north east.



The other in the front that's attached to a large tree faces south east. The birds seem to prefer the second one. It's best to fix the boxes at a minimum of 6 feet or 1.8 metres above ground while taking into consideration predators, particularly cats from below and above.

I understand that you like precision and the guidelines for the Cotoneaster are not as you would like. I would be inclined to adjust the drip so that it's similar to the other shrubs you have.

 

Hello @Sheal

Thanks for the reply.

Regarding the positioning of the Bird Boxes, my back garden faces South East so positioning the Bird Boxes should be simple, following your guidelines, should be

Me like precision, who ever told you that

The Shrubs are all only small currently, hence why they currently only have 4lph Drippers.

The Shrubs I have are:

Actaea simplex (Atropurpurea Group) 'Brunette'
Ceanothus 'Concha'
Fatsia japonica
Hydrangea 'Preziosa'
Philadelphus coronarius
Physocarpus opulifolius 'Burning Embers'
Ribes sanguineum 'King Edward VII'
Weigela florida 'Alexandra' (PBR)
Weigela 'Florida Variegata' (v)

From what I have read about the above Shrubs, they all like moist but well drained soil which I have.

When the Shrubs grow, I will swap out the Drippers with 8lph as required.

At the moment the Drip Irrigation is setup to run for 15 minutes, every day, starting at 05:00.

This schedule is a starting point and may change as I observe how the plants are responding, at the moment, the plants all seem to be responding well to this schedule but since I have only had it fully running for a couple of weeks I will keep an eye on it and adjust accordingly.

So, 4lph Drippers run for 15 minutes daily provides 7 Litres per week directly to the roots with no runoff and minimal evaporation.

The 8lph Drippers obviously provide double that, so 14 Litres per week.

Thanks

Kevin

 

That's not precision, it's just precise watering lol.
Kevin your attention to detail would rival a commercial nursery

 

Your good self, in an earlier post on your thread.

Many of the shrubs you have listed above are quite happy in a coastal position which usually means dry, sandy soil. My previous garden had sandy soil, my current one sandy loam which turns to dust when dry. The Ceonothus, Hydrangea, Philadelphus, Physocarpus, Ribes and Weigela will grow happily with very little water, remaining dry for weeks as long as they are established. Information regarding soil, watering and feeding for all plants is a guideline.

I imagine you've taken into account that the drip irrigation will probably not be necessary during the winter months.

 

Hello @Sheal

Thanks for the reply.

You are of course correct, I do like precision, it helps me to cope

As for the Winter Months, I am planning on turning off the Drip Irrigation and bringing inside the Timer, Pressure Reducer etc. in either late September or early October.

Kevin

 

Hello all

I hope you are well.

Well, I have come to the decision that I am giving the Rattan Garden Furniture to my Niece for her new house.

I have been trying to decide what to do for a while now as the seating is just too low, for me at 6'5", and as such is just not comfortable for me to use.

Annoying, but this is what happens when buying Online and not being able to view the item before purchase, oh well

I am now looking for another seating option, I have been looking at Garden Furniture made out of Sleepers which look nice, I like the natural look, I just have to make sure on the height

Thanks

Kevin

 

Hi Kevin.

Your niece will be over the moon with the furniture but it's a shame it doesn't suit you, being so tall. I've not seen furniture made from sleepers but think it's a good idea.

 

Hello @Sheal

My Niece collected the furniture this evening in four trips

Just 10 minutes ago I received a notification from PayPal to let me know that £200 had been paid into my Account, something that I was really not expecting but is really welcome as it will help a great deal.

Most importantly though is that the furniture will be used and appreciated.

Thanks

Kevin

 

That's a nice windfall you have there and will help with the replacement. The furniture was probably still in 'new' condition so I'm sure your niece is really pleased.

 

Hello @Sheal

You are correct, the furniture was / is in still new condition.

I tend to take pride in all my possessions, I always have, I thank my Mum for instilling that in me

Looking at the Chunky Garden Furniture I am interested in, it is really nice, however, it seems that I have expensive tastes, nothing new

I was always taught, again by my Mum, that if you Buy Cheap, Buy Twice, or more, so even though the Chunky Garden Furniture may be expensive I may just save up and get it in the Spring, it is not as if I am going to need it much this year now.

Also, by buying quality it is going to last for years.

Thanks

Kevin