Friday 4 January 2013

Remember me?

Happy New Year everyone, I bet you've almost forgotten who I am. Sorry to be so remiss in my blogging, but I took a well earned computer break for a couple of weeks, have barely even checked my emails, was quite liberating really.

Anyway, a New Year and new challenges!

I am not really one for making resolutions: they are rarely kept and if I want to change something in my life I tend to just do it straight off, don't need a date change for it. That said, there is a certain feeling that comes with new year for setting new challenges, things you hope to achieve during this particular year.

I have once again turned my attention to the garden. New plans, which, happily, mostly involve planting and not so much of the big expensive work! Almost entirely stuff that I can do myself.

I did receive £20 gift from my god-parents, so I have used it to buy lots of seeds and a cheap miniature rhododendron and a cheap Azalea - my favourite plants and both being sold off in garden centre January sales. I have bought the following seeds:

Naturtium (Chinese Emperor)
Aquilegia
Sweet peas
Forget me nots
Brazillian verbena
Night scented stock
Sweet William
Pinks
Lobelia (Crystal palace)
Delphinium (Pacific Giants)

I also picked up a cheap packet of runner beans.

I think that I am going to have all my windowsills covered in seedlings for a very long time thanks to this little lot. I am hoping this year that I may 'aquire' a greenhouse, but we will see.

I would love to get in an archway (rose arch) or two in the garden this year too for my climbers but I may have to look into making one myself when the weather imporves (if indeed it does)

There are certain plants that I am a bit fed up with that I inherited. When you get someone elses garden it is good to leave all the plants for a year so that you can see what you like and what you don't. I have tons of  mombretia and although the flowers were arguably pretty, it is very invasive and I am not particularly fond of the grassy leaves it has for the other 10 months of the year when not in flower. I think I may remove this next time I am out there and replace it with something that I like better.

I will photograph my efforts as and when I make them, for now, I am going to watch the rain fall instead.

16 comments:

  1. Good luck removing the mombretia. They grow like weeds and the seeds are difficult to remove. We sieved and burnt alot of our soil to get rid of them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A belated happy new year to you - hope your Christmas and all your home made goodies were enjoyed. I too am looking forward to making new plans for the garden and seeing them materialise. All we need now is a stretch of good weather so we can get out and do stuff - fat chance,although today it is mild and sunny - time to get out and do a bit of clearing and tidying.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy New Year to you....you have done well to spend so frugally on all your seeds and plants. Look forward to seeing the seedlings on your windowsills. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy New Year, Dan. Look at that list of garden goodies. You'll be having some fun starting that lot. Enjoy.

    How did the Christmas cake turn out? Did you take a pic of the final decorations? Hope you enjoyed a slice for us. :-D

    ReplyDelete
  5. planning for the garden is all we can do here until spring, we will have snow for another four months but planning is a wonderful winter past time.such a wonderful list you have, Happy New year!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Happy new year to you!
    I kind of gathered that you had a good comp. brake and hope you had a fab time.
    If you plant the azalia and the rhododendron you must check that you give the surrounding soil the correct PH rate. Both plants want acidic conditions, so you might need a special soil conditioning added before planting. Good luck with the seeds for this year. You might want to look on Freecycle website of your area if a greenhouse is on offer. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy new year, Dan - looking forward to seeing all these plants this year. You've reminded me I should be getting on with my garden planning!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Consider freecycling whatever plants you want to take out - have them come and dig it out while you supervise? One mans scourge is another mans treasure. I want to start some seedlings soon as well with a New Year Starting

    ReplyDelete
  9. I used some Christmas cash to buy compost and seed trays! So excited to start in March! :D

    Welcome back!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hello hello! Yes, you were missed, but totally understandable this time of year. Hope your Christmas and New Years were great. Can't wait to see what you create. I'm about ready to start the first of my garden beds at the farm so this should be a fun experience to share and watch other experiences as well.

    Best wishes from America!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Happy New Year to you! You might find this website helpful in your gardening plans: http://www.gardenswapshop.co.uk/howitworks.php

    A few of my friends use it and so far so good.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hello Dan, Happy New Year to you! I think you have made an excellent selection of seeds.Your garden should be wonderful this year.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dan, to be sure of the best conditions for your Azalea and Rhododendron, you can plant them in containers, using Ericaceous compost; this saves having to keep checking the pH of your garden soil.
    I wish I'd known you wanted forget-me-nots - they grow like weeds in my garden and I'm forever having to yank them out!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Dan and welcome back to Blogland! A belated but very Happy New Year to you.
    Cheers Judy xx
    PS I have no gardening advice, as I have no gardening ability! Leave that to the husband :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you everyone. I am enjoying getting a piece of paper and drawing garden plans, where I am putting the new bed etc. Will be fun. Don't worry, I am sorted with the azalea and rhododendron, I have quite acidic soil anyway and am supplementing it with ericaceous compost anyway. Having said that, I still may keep one of them in a large pot, not quite decided yet.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Rather than give the mombretia away how about putting it into pots and trying to sell them at a car boot? I have previously done this with my surplus seedlings (tomatoes and beetroot etc).

    At our local plant nursery, people leave their seedling pots in a recycle area and they are free to anyone who wants to take them away. Wash them thoroughly before use mind you, don't want anyone elses garden germs...

    Would you publish your garden drawings? I am always looking for ideas.

    ReplyDelete