Gardening with Platypus

[platypus]

Thought I might as well stick this thread up, I know there are some keen gardeners on here, and this might inspire someone to do something about their garden . It is hard work but very theraputic.

Anyway, I moved into this house in January, and it has a very long garden. However, as is often the nature with rented properties the garden has suffered. Greatly in this case. I've been weeding for about a month now (weekends), and have recently stepped up my efforts to turn this garden around.

Apologies for the photos, they're taken on my crappy phone camera.

Very proud of this:

This was absolutely full of weeds, and took me four hours to clear. The plan is to take the stones out, so that its properly rectangular, cut the tree roots out, and start a lawn.

Lots of crappy weeds:

This root extends about two feet into next doors garden, and took about 15 minutes to get exposed!

Beans planted last weekend:

The plan is fairly simple at the moment. I've got my broad beans planted, this Easter weekend will see a lot more work, and ready to go in are potatoes, radishes, carrots and courgettes (all have been chitted or planted and are ready for moving to the ground).

There is only about two thirds of the garden done so far, and a lot more to do. General weeding, cutting out of trees, removal of lots of broken stone from the soil. There is a shed halfway dividing the garden in two, I plan to move that to the end and extend the lawn a bit so its fairly sizeable.

Will keep this updated with before/after pictures .

 

[platypus]

Aye I know about the grape hyacinths, but I just have a plethora of them and its all so untidy I want to just get rid, get the vegetable patch sorted and then think about finishing the rest with plants. There's a narrow border on the left of the patch which I think will be good for carrots and then plenty of room for more flowers. I'll replant some of the grape hyacinths in that.

 

[platypus]

I cant believe you're putting all that work into a rental garden - kudos to you!
Apparently planting garlic in the patch will help keep away some nasty insects - black fly and the such like

I'll be here a while, so I see no reason not to make it look nice, and it's good fun .

I'd not heard about the garlic thing - I intend to plant some cosmos and candytuft to attract ladybirds to deal with the blighters.

 

[platypus]

Where abouts are you?

 

[platypus]

Fortunately I didn't entitle the thread 'Gardening with a platypus', otherwise yes, using a spade would yield much greater results then attempting to weed and plant vegetables whilst wielding a slightly odd looking creature from the eastern area of Australia. Good one.

 

[platypus]

(Presuming this was directed at me)

I'm in sunny Edinburgh.

Ah. Then, and no offence intended, I won't offer to help you out at the weekends .

 

[platypus]

Just out of interest, where in Cam is this new garden?

You're a trinity-ite aren't you? Just off Mill road. Most welcome to come round for a cup of tea.

Dont tell him, he's planning to nick yer veg!

He'd have a job, they've only just been planted or are still waiting to go in .

 

[platypus]

As long as it's usable for BBQ season I'll be happy.

Thats my aim. To have the turf bedded down, vegetables planted and the weeding done in time for nicer weather. I'll then get to work on 'prettying' it with flowers.

 

[platypus]

Well I didn't manage to get the potatoes in yet, although I cleared the patch for them, and hopefully weeded it properly. Tiring day all in all .

@Mat, I emailed you but no response!

 

[platypus]

Crude? No. Obscene, possibly .

 

[platypus]

Put in my first potato patch this weekend:

and my beans have started to grow well:

 

[platypus]

Will give it another few days and if there is nothing by the weekend then I'll start cut the grass and try again. All advice welcome

I know nothing about growing a lawn I'm afraid.

Getting help from a friend who is a professional gardener this weekend to lay turf .

What are you using for pest control?

A few ways: I'm planting nettles (yes nettles!) near the vegetables. A small amount that I will proactively keep under control (otherwise they'll take over!). These attract nettle aphids - which only feed on nettles. Nettle aphids attract hoverflies and ladybirds who munch on aphids - the main enemy to my beans and radishes!

I'm also buying a packet of ladybird lavae, which I will place on plants I'm planting opposite my vegetable patch.

For the potatoes - garlic cloves placed in and around the chittings help keep slugs away apparently - this is something that remains to be seen, was hinted to me by a gardening friend.

Spray luke warm water with a dash of washing up liquid over the plants once a fortnight.

 

[platypus]

You're probably looking at 4-6 weeks for a lawn to establish itself from seed unfortunately.

Also, and whilst again I say I'm no expert, I believe you're too late to seed a new lawn now, due to the heat (yeah I know its not that hot!). You might have to settle for turf.

 

[platypus]

An OcUK online veg show in the summer perhaps?

Haha, an ocuk rolling road meet...for vegetables .

 

[platypus]

Fair enough - I was just warned that it might be too warm to seed now.

 

[platypus]

Platypus, may I suggest (if someone else has not already) that you get some form of structure made with bamboo cane so that the bean plants can grow up them. They grow very high so need this structure.

I've been told broad beans don't need structures?

The crows here at Trinity make a real mess of the pristine College lawns by tearing up the turf looking for the cockchafers...

I sing opera with the head gardener of Trinity. I'm starting a few hours a week spare time job to learn the ropes from him .

 

[platypus]

Well just to show willing and that it's not all about vegetables, I put some plants in this weekend. Can't remember what they're called though .