Project for space used to store junk previously

Contorted Hazel will tolerate shade. While not evergreen, it does have interesting branches and looks lovely covered in early morning frost I know, I have one outside a full length kitchen door. Other than that, Fatsia Japonica is evergreen and fast growing. Sarcococca (Christmas Box) is also evergreen, does well in shade and bonus, flowers in January, but it's slow growing...

Most ferns aren't really evergreen. You could try an ivy in a large decorative pot to grow up the fence, one of the variegated ones, for a bit of winter interest?

 

Will have a bit of research/look at photos and then have a think!

Going to try to dig the holes out ready for the pots tomorrow (if it doesnt rain!) and then see what space I have

 

After a bit of digging today, this is what i have .....









Question is:-

Do I plant directly into the soil I have now hit, although it looks like clay

Or do I continue to sink the pots as per picture. Would line the top of the top up with the top of the old brick wall.

which option would be best. Not decided 100% on plants yet but will either be 4 x hostas or 1 x Fatsia Japonica, 1 x fern, 1 x christmas box and then something else.


oh .... and the shovel in the pot isnt what i used to dig it out with, was just stored in the pot in the shed :hehe:

 

The Fatsia might be ok in that space - they're pretty tough. The others I'd keep in pots - just what I'd do though.

The hostas might be better in pots "above ground" so to speak to avoid the slugs.

Get more than one fern - there are loads of varieties, in various shapes and foliage. They look much better en masse too.

 

ok will carry on digging out the holes for pots.

As for slugs, have never seen any slugs up that end of the garden to be honest, but then thats probably because there isnt anything for them to eat!

A photo taken earlier on this morning of my two hostas planted in the border ....



Treated them yesterday afternoon with liquid slug killer as noticed a few leaves with some bites out of ... but on a whole I dont think I do too bad with slugs eating them as long as I remember to use the liquid killer once a week.

The reason I was thinking 4 x hostas was because someone was advertising them on 'freecycle' this morning. He wants clumps of peoples in swop for clumps of his own ..... so thought I might do that option if its going to work out free as spent a fortune already this year lol

 

They look beautiful. If you're able to keep the slugs at bay and grow hostas in the garden, then they should be fine...but remember slugs love damp and shady conditions...which you're providing for them in this new area!

 

Am a bit confused now :cnfs:

My mum has popped in this afternoon for a cuppa and asked me why on earth I am digging holes to put pots in ...... Hmmm i thought it was on ok idea myself !

She said my borders all have the same clay/gravel soil as she remembers when she put all the original plants in for me what awful soil it was and how suprised she was when everything did so well, compared to some of hers that didnt do so well when we brought the same plants at the same time, from the same place!

She has told me to fill all the holes back up and mix in some compost to the awful soil and just plant directly into this. She says the plants will do better in soil than in a pot and watering wont be so much of an issue after the first year as the roots will seek water from the soil, rather than pots relying on me watering them.

Talk about feeling like i have just been told off like a child :o

So ..... have i just killed my back digging holes for nothing ? lol

Grrrrrrr why is this gardening lark so hard

 

Oh dear! She's probably right though - if you're able to get holes big enough in your tough "soil" then the plants will be fine. I was under the impression your soil was really c*** and the plants would be better off in pots!

She's your mum though - telling you where you went wrong is her job! Think of the exercise you've had!!

The only thing with pots is there versatility - if you get fed up looking at them, you can lift and replace with something else. Handy with things like Hostas that are non-existent in winter.

 

Just wont expect to be getting told off much at the age of 35 :hehe:

Kinda feel like i have wasted the day today really now, but at least the ground is all prepared now, just got to back fill all the holes!

Still not 100% sure on hostas but was thinking if i planted them, I could also add some bulbs for spring interest until the hosta's resurface ..... all depends on costs now, if I can get some hosta's free then they will be going in. If I have to pay then I might change my mind again once I get to the garden centre!

OH is putting the deck path down on sunday so hopefully it will be almost finished by then. Got bags of soil now everywhere and bags of pebbles all over the place!

 

Well i went to homebase last night and found no hosta's on sale but did pick up a "Mrs Minky" for £4.99 ...




Also went to B & Q and got a "twilight" for £4.98 .....




And a "June" for £3.48 ......






B & Q have got 15% off all their plants at the moment too so guess I saved a little bit there

Also went to Morrisons to do the food shop and picked up this little cute bucket, which i am planning on filling with something today :luv:






My wheelbarrow also arrived (never been into wheelbarrow planters before but thought this one was too cute to resist :lollol: ....




(Please excuse all the crumbs on the floor and the random fork .... hey I cant clean up after the kids AND do the gardening :hehe


Apart from more spending, I have finished digging out the border for the hostas which I am planning on planting today and I am going to attempt to take some off the hostas I already have which will then give me 5 hostas to plant today.

OH is laying the deck path tomorrow as he is working today .... well guess someone has to pay for all this stuff I keep buying

On a more frustrating note ..... the back door has broken :( It wouldnt open yesterday so had to call the locksmiths out who says its the deadlock strip that runs inside the door that is knackered. They are going to have to force the door open to replace it, which might break the door which means I will need a new one :(. Even worse is that they wont be coming back till at least Monday as they dont keep them in stock and will have to order one in ..... am supposed to be back at work on Monday too so haven't a clue when thats going to get fixed!!

Will have to go out the front, walk round the block, up the back allyway to get to the garden now ...... how annoying is that going to get !!!

 

Thats as far as I have got so far today in between the showers and having to walk round the block to get to the garden and then back again to the house!

 

The Border looks great Sam, Well done, i bet it wasn't easy and i love your new Buys. Your garden wil look Fab in a few weeks when they all fill out..

 

Thanks Youngdaisy .... yes its looking better than it did, thats for sure lol. Wasnt easy at seemed to spend my whole week off at it! but we pretty much finished it off yesterday (in the pouring rain!). Its looking good now, i think. Am happy with it anyway OH is sooooo handy, bless him !!

Would provide some photos but the back door is still jammed shut and have heard nothing from the company coming back to repair it, obviously they are still waiting for the new bit to arrive.

Will get out and get some photos as soon as I can but its still raining and after a full day at work with a whole weeks worth of paperwork to catch up on .... dont think I have the energy to walk round the block to get to the back garden now!!

Maybe try after a cuppa

 

Almost finished!

Have finally been able to get out the back door today once it was fixed, so I waited for the rain to stop and managed to get a couple of snaps.







The deck path is so that I can water the plants without having to stand on the pebbles cause it hurts your feet with no shoes on :hehe: Is set off centre so that it lines up with our decking in the garden more and so that it helps contain the soil a little more.

Undecided at the moment on what to do with the pebbled area. Been thinking I might get a nice bench ..... just purely to look nice and for that odd say where its so hot you cant bear to sit in the sun - always shady there so nice and cool !

Or might get a nice couple of tall zinc planters ......

Cant decide :cnfs: Any suggestions ? Running out of ideas now!


Am hoping it will be fairly nice tomorrow (no rain would be nice) as got loads of clearing up to do now but everything is soaking wet!