Gardening 2016

Another year, another gardening adventure. So far I've only turned over my cover crop (first time planting one) in the veggie bed and tossed in some fish bone meal, but not before the cats managed to open the sealed cardboard box, drag out the bag, and put a bunch of holes in it before they decided they really weren't that interested.

I have a bunch of (big) pots that I should really refresh with new potting soil, but damn $$$

Dammit, still too cold at night to let my seedlings survive outside. Stupid PacNW, you're not supposed to get this cold this late in the year!

xposts: would be interested in knowing what you were using as a cover crop...

somewhat ironically, i've been so busy doing an organics course that i haven't had time to look after my garden & seems like one of my strawberry plots is not going to last much longer... though i was sort of expecting that since i've been experimenting with different soil types and the one they're in is probably the least conducive to their success (and the crop in that plot needs changing anyway!)

other than that, currently lots of ripening apples and pears for all the local possums to eat.

We have had our temporary greenhouse reglazed so we're planting seedlings in there. Also last year we were given a load of Edwardian cold frames and people have spent the winter doing them up, so we're experimenting with planting out under them. After 3 years out composting system is finally paying off - got some really nice potting compost out of the bottom. And I've been thickening up our edible hedge with hazel whips we got while coppicing last week.

We got all these old heritage seeds in a seed exchange so I'm interested to see what comes up!

Here, I have tried to cut down the hedge to a sensible height but it just looks a state ... it triggered a memory of the time, in my childhood, when my mum cut my hair.

I'm pondering what to plant in the "shady corner of death" - thinking about this:

http://www.crocus.co.uk/bomcard/_/ready-made-border/lush-shade/classid.2000019446/

as I was given some vouchers for my birthday but can't decide if going for a "ready made border" is just pathetic laziness.

Oh man, I very much have shady-corner-of-death issues.

Try hostas. They go away in the winter so you can put in snowdrops, daffodils etc there for Feb/March/April and then when they finish the hostas come back.

if you wanted permanent ground cover, arthropodiums are excellent in semi to full shade, require very little care & look great as a mass planting (plus they're closely related to asparagus so you can cook up the roots if you're desperate)... not sure how available they are outside the southern hemisphere though.

Thanks both.

I have to confess I tried to figure out where the garden in Oxford, featured in Monty Don's 'Big Dreams, Small Spaces' was (Two neighbours joined their front garden). Just so, you know, I could casually walk by.

Lots of seedlings growing in the garage/greenhouse but still I'm shocked to discover that I've missed the sowing dates for loads of the seeds I have stashed in a shoe box.

For the first time ever, I've put some flower bulbs in the raised beds (which are normally just reserved for veg) with the plan to grow them as cutting flowers.

Lots of fruit starting to appear on trees: wonder if I'll manage to harvest any of it this years (birds and wasps usually defeat me).

I've never really grown anything comestible before. Currently have 3 happy seedlings of superhot peppers and am so completely psyched. have a feeling I won't be getting any fruit for ~100 days though
http://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-types/superhot-chili-peppers/chocolate-7-pot-chili-pepper

April and May in my neck of the woods have been record low temps. Glad I held off on putting in toms and peppers. In other news, direct-sown seed is very hit or miss for me. The perpetual digging of the squirrels does not help matters.

In other other news, the hen known as Gladys One didn't lay for two weeks, so she went back to the farm and was replaced with Gladys Two, who is doing much better. Millie's eggs are on the small side, but at least she cranks them out on the regular. I did a wing clipping for the first time, which seems to have cured the escaping-into-the-alley problem.

There is *one* sad looking cherry on the tree. No pears. No figs. Most of the veg has been "slugged". Likely to be my worst ever harvest.

Struggling to bring myself to do this:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jun/26/fruit-trees-to-thin-or-not-to-thin-young-fruitlets-increase-size

It took 4-5 years to get established, but this year the blueberry bush on the north side of the house finally put on fruit like a champ – we'll get a gallon before it's finished. That on top of the 2-3 gallons we get every year from my mother's blueberry bushes...we're almost sick of the things. The bush in the back yard still puts out scrawny little fruit that are too sour for anyone but the birds.

Our spirea (bridal wreath) had a great year, no late freezes to kill the blooms. I marked a spot on the back deck and took a picture from that spot every day for a month, sometimes one in the morning and one in the evening. I keep meaning to make a Disney nature-film .gif of the blooming over that month...I'll finish it someday.

What's a good plant/tree to grow up a slightly shaded (UK) fence?

I don't know from UK, but. . . climbing hydrangea?

neither a tree nor a shrub, but: have you considered a clematis? would need some kind of structural support + pruning knowledge (unless you want your fence to be swamped in vegetation)

(also fruit thinning is a good idea, but i'm generally too lazy to bother)

Two work colleagues suggested that they were "putting the garden to bed for the winter" this weekend.

The most exciting thing I could admit to having planned was "a trip to the opticians".

Anyway, a) feel like I've neglected my garden this year and b) what's worth planting now, including plug-plants? (UK)