Thursday 28 April 2011

Bogs and my nemesis

Last week I had a very lovely group of friends over to help with the garden. Everyone if offering to help which is great although I do feel a bit guilty getting people to do some hard labour.
Observing the scene....such hard work watching others work
I have gone back to work for a rest as the bank holiday was a hard core gardening weekend, although perhaps it was just using up the excitement and energy around the Royal Wedding?
I began by fighting my nemesis...something which had defeated me since day one and been cruelly mocking me ever since.... the hole with corrugated iron and a steel bar. This was the first ever hole I dug on the land, and one where as I pulled out brick after brick I realised that I had bought a very expensive bramble patch. After a few hours I hit a large piece of corrugated iron with a big wire pole sticking out and gave up as there was no way I could dig that out. It has sat there ever since, collecting rubbish and becoming overgrown with hops, but on Friday I approached it and won. It did give a mean fight....the corrugated iron came up, but the wire was hooked over a plastic drainpipe which Steven followed...all 6ft of it, where it was wrapped under a 5ft concrete post which was then hooked over another iron bar....arg! we were strong...we were victorious!

Laurence in the Laurence Richard memorial bog....2 days to dig a hole, half a day to fill it in again

So on Saturday when people came we had a new hole which we then kept digging to become a bog garden....I thought it wouldn’t take that long, but we dug it all day, and then rushed to fill it with thunder overhead. Helen got excited by the pond again which is now sparkling (apart from when that duck comes back to visit). Sue was on re-potting and pricking out duty which was done with pananche and expertise. So all is now fabulous, and after another day on Sunday I feel I have broken the back of planting..it was especially exciting to plant lots of stuff on Sunday and be surrounded by empty pots...I may have been a little premature but I have planted out some Ricinus, Cerinthe (which look odd and I am trying) and some salvias....Dahlias are next as they are growing like the clappers.
Wig wham bam, going to make you my man (well no as you are a lady and i have a man already): Helen and Lucy get creative putting up wig wams..
Sue planting out Asters and Nigella on the cutting flowers part of the productive area
It is very exciting to now have a bog garden...it’s about 3x2m and about a spades depth...one end is higher, and drier than the other. I love water gardens, and would probably have a huge space if I could. So far in the space I have Petasities, Astibollies, Thalia, a water canna, Angelica Gigas and Damera peltata .
So lots still to do, and great to have another Bank holiday, but this weekend I will be fishing out my grandmas old Empire day flag and enjoying the wedding!

Pretty things....Iris confusa flowering

Allium and forget me nots... at the moment the main garden is a sea of blue. I love forget me nots as they seed everywhere and fill a big gap as Im waiting for the exotics to emerge
My very full greenhouse! its got to the point of putting things on the floor...Dahlias have grown about a foot in a week!

7 comments:

  1. Forgot to mention, Im trying to think of creative ways to use the rubble...why dump it when I could do something fabulous? Ive asked the HTUK people for ideas but there isnt much thought

    http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11217

    ...any ideas?

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  2. It is some major work you are putting into the hardscaping there. I know how tough all that work is but the results are always so satisfying.
    Cher
    Goldenray Yorkies

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  3. What does the rubble look like? My Ungardener built us a waterfall with chunks of concrete from the demolished Coop.

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  4. People coming over and helping you in the garden -- what a great idea! I just don't think I could pull it off. :-)

    Usually people say "forget me nots seed all over and that's why I HATE them" -- I know that's why I got rid of them. They're beautiful for a while, but then get sort of ratty-looking, so I decided they had to go. I can understand if you've got a big space to fill though...

    I used chunks from a demolished concrete patio to make a walkway. You need the smooth tops for that though -- not sure if your rubble has that.

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  5. I'm very envious of your workforce, your bog garden - and your amazing greenhouse. (I used sections from an old prefab garage to make the walkway and footings in my greenhouse - but they were in large chunks, not really rubble as such...)

    Found you through Blotanical - very useful.

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  6. Thanks! Elephants eye: rubble is ugly...think someone smashing up an uncleared house randomly with a sledge hammer

    Alan: people often pay to do gardening, call it horticultural therapy, get a Docotorate of Ebay and you will never need to do your own gardening ever again! Forget me knots are also just good for ground cover during the summer....beats bare earth

    Beangeanie: thanks....I think all good gardens are assembled from what is found and created. I was lucky enough to get the greenhouse from Freecycle! Im currently looking for more windows to make a coldframe...

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  7. You're lucky to have so many friends happy to help in the garden, should make things progress alot faster :)

    The only suggestion I can think of is to use the rubble as hardcore for a raised seating area, think of a raised patio with balustrading, within your 'jungle' or overlooking it.

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