Tuesday 21 February 2012

Curving edges and late summer veges

I finally finished curving the edge of the back garden beds. After much digging up turf, digging over soil, hefting bricks and hauling compost, the bed is now ready to plant. I have a matching pencil conifer to go in, then I'll just see how it takes me. I've already planted out some pansy seedlings that popped up somewhere else and a couple of baby dahlias. I'm thinking about winter colour now so will probably put in a hellebore or two and definitely some bulbs. Maybe a camellia? I don't want to overcrowd the bed but I do want it full.

I also have to bear in mind how big the apple tree will get (something I'm bad at doing, so no doubt at all that this garden will be redesigned many times over the coming years). The tree is Baujade and it's clinging on desperately to the only surviving apple fruit in my garden this year. Good Baujade, hold on.

Here's a view from further back so you can see the full curve. Hope you can ignore the state of the grass. To be honest, I'm not one of those people who cares much about their lawn, except when dandelions pop up all over the place. There was one morning a few days ago where it was only slightly windy instead of a full on gale, so I pounced on the Round-Up and got spraying. Once they die I'll put grass seed in the holes and wish it well.

This is the little "outdoor entertainment area" (ha ha) that I've created. As you can see we don't have a table, chairs, barbecue, deck, french doors or fairy lights yet. But I'm working on it, in my mind anyway. I'd just love to have a little deck with french doors leading into the kitchen. It's definitely not in the near future, but I'll try to swing the rest of the requirements. I already got an umbrella!

The potager's getting to its overblown late summer stage. Most things are cropping well except the tomatoes and peppers. I'm harvesting spuds, zucchini, carrots, lettuce, spring onions, red onions, runner beans, herbs and silver beet. The drying beans (cannelini and borlotti) are fattening up. In the glasshouse I'm picking cherry tomatoes and strawberries. The two capsicum plants in there have plenty of green fruit, so hopefully it will ripen.

I've got seedlings of broccoli, cauliflower and silver beet nearly ready to plant out. Some of it will go where the spuds were, and I'll also clear out the patch of flowering leeks and phacelia at the front. I'm thinking of spring bulbs to go in the blue pot - crocus or snowdrops.

8 comments:

  1. You have been working hard. The edging emphasises the curve well. I find it difficult not to overplant new borders and i have to move things within a couple of years!
    I was surprised that you grow your strawberries in the greenhouse given the weather where you are. Your potager is certainly productive.

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    1. Yes, I still find it hard to visualise a bed when it's full, so things often get shifted - oh well keeps it interesting! I normally take my strawbs out of the glasshouse in summer because it's usually too hot for them, but not so this year!

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  2. Looks great! Gardens are all about constant adjustment. I wouldn't worry about the size of things too much until you have to! Happy EQ Anniversary BTW... I feel more reflective and philosophical than on NY's day! :) I think the day needs marking with a yummy treat.

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    1. Yes I'm quite glad that National Have a Cry Day (as my partner refers to it) is over! I agree about the yummy treat though, good idea :) I did like the flowers in the road cones though, that was nice to see.

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  3. I like your curved beds very much and your potager has developed wonderfully, hasn't it? Future plans, like your entertaining area, are what keep us interested, I think. I'd hate to have a garden that was "finished".

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    1. You are so right, I know that in my heart I don't want it ever finished. But in my head I keep holding up these ideals of a Finished Garden. It really would be terribly boring if that did happen though!

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  4. It looks beautiful! Our spring is around the corner:-) I love the curves and the brick edging makes them flow...robbie:-)

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    1. Thank you! I think the brick edges will help provide structure in winter, which is coming... eek! I'll be browsing your blog and looking at all the summer pictures then!

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