I've always liked pottering in the garden. My mum and dad enjoyed gardening; mum was the ideas person and dad put it into practice. I think my love of roses comes from the garden in the house in which I grew up. My dad's favourites were yellow roses, and they are mine too. We didn't have a large back garden but both sides were lined with rose bushes and they looked and smelt gorgeous. Dad spent a lot of time putting fertilizer on them and spraying them with various lotions and potions to keep them that way. As a small child I would try to help but stopped during my teenage years as hormones dictated anything the parents did must be pointless and a waste of time.
My interest in gardening was reactivated when TH and I bought our first home in Aberdeen. The previous owners were a couple in advanced year and it is fair to say that both the house and the garden were in need of some serious attention. Down one side of the garden was a row of about 10-12 Leylandii which took us several weekends to shift. Thankfully there was a skip outside the house almost permanently for the first six months while we were having an extension built, so we made good use of that. We had some help getting a decent lawn put down and then set to planting. Inevitably we had roses and on my mum's advice we went for potentilla, philadelphus and clematis.
And there began my endless battle to have a flowering clematis. Part of the problem in Aberdeen was the fact that I was pruning it incorrectly. By the time I worked that out, we moved so I never saw it in all its glory. In our current house, I have lost count of the number that have died. My latest attempt is with a variety recommended on Gardeners Question Time called Broughton Star. I've recently planted a couple and they haven't died yet which counts as progress in this house.
I don't remember my dad planting many bedding plants. I'm sure he must have but I have only a vague memory of marigolds which he had to stop using as they made mum sneeze. I used to use the petals steeped in warm water as a rinse for my hair as I had read something in a teen magazine that it was good for brown hair. As I was a nondescript mousey I was hoping it would impart some of the glamour I attributed to brunettes like Victoria Principal. It didn't!
After my first outing to the garden centre in Aberdeen I returned in a flush of enthusiasm only to discover I didn't have any gardening equipment - my first home purchase was a first floor flat so not much call for a trowel and dibber - so our front garden was planted out using a teaspoon. My selection of bedding plants was rather haphazard; I just went round and bought what I fancied without giving to much thought to the height of the plants or theme or colour co-ordination. While it was certainly colourful it was a bit of a jungle. I noticed the front garden of the house opposite us in Aberdeen always looked nice so the following year I started none to subtly copying him. While it never looked as good as his, our front garden started to take shape and look a bit more organized.
Gardening attempts continued overseas. In Kazakhstan I had a good sized garden both in the front of the house and at the back. I hired a gardener called Margarite who was a complete hoot. She listened very carefully to what I wanted then just pleased herself while I made the tea. She created a beautiful rockery in the back garden and very carefully tended it. Rockeries were her speciality and I clearly went up in her estimation when I told her I would like one. It is fair to say I peaked early as she looked on the rest of my attempts with mild amusement. Back in Denmark I had a large garden which was mostly lawn that was mowed by our lovely handyman - Hans Eric. He would pop round every ten days or so on his sit on lawn mower and drive round in steady circles. Ollie adored him. Hans Eric would get down on his hands and knees and play with him and there was a definite mutual appreciation thing going on. Hans Eric would also share his biscuits with Ollie which I am sure had something to do with Ollie's fascination with Hans Eric, :-). I had a small flower bed at the side of the house which was enough to grow various bits and pieces but nothing too adventurous.
Back in the UK, the former owners of the house we bought were keen gardeners. The lady of the house in particular was very knowledgeable and has laid the garden out beautifully. All that really needs to be added are splashes of colour at regular intervals and we have spent the last few years trying to do this. So the current lockdown has given us plenty of time and opportunity to concentrate a bit more on this project. Unfortunately, I am not as knowledgeable as the previous owner. I used to ask my dad and now I rely heavily on my friend Lynn for advice and I am a regular podcast listener of Gardeners Question Time.
As I generally plan my garden and buy the seeds in autumn, I was in a good position when the lockdown started. I had also just been to the garden centre and stocked up on compost, black spot sprays and compost maker. This year's seed planting looks like this:
Dahlias - these worked really well last year. I planted them at the suggestion of a neighbour, Phil. I had previously shied away from them as they are slug magnets, but the slugs do not seem to like the part of the garden where I planted them. The dahlias looked gorgeous and flower late on into the summer and early autumn, a time when I don't have many plants flowering, so I am going with them again.
Lupins - I have not been too successful with these in the past so I only planted a few last year but they seemed to work well, so I have gone with these again.
Cosmos - my friend Sue introduced me to Cosmos several years ago and I now grow them every year. I plant them in a small corner where they look really good. Inevitably this corner is now called 'Cosmos Corner'; you probably need to be British and in your 50s to fully appreciate the significance of this cultural reference.
Primroses - although I have many in the garden that self set, I do like to try different varieties so have a few trays of just starting to show through.
Pansies - I just love the smiling faces of these gorgeous little plants.
Malvas/mallows - I love these plants as they are so easy to grow; I collect the seeds from the plants once they have flowered for the following year. Pretty and very reliable.
Hollyhocks - I bought a packet from the garden centre and collected some seeds from the hollyhocks that grow down the side of the village shop.
Delphiniums - I have tried for years to grow delphiniums from seed. This year I admitted defeat and bought plug plants. They arrived through the post and I have potted them on. So far, so good.
Nasturtiums - I have planted these in pots that will then go on a set of steps; the nasturtiums then cascade down the steps. It looks really nice.
My interest in gardening was reactivated when TH and I bought our first home in Aberdeen. The previous owners were a couple in advanced year and it is fair to say that both the house and the garden were in need of some serious attention. Down one side of the garden was a row of about 10-12 Leylandii which took us several weekends to shift. Thankfully there was a skip outside the house almost permanently for the first six months while we were having an extension built, so we made good use of that. We had some help getting a decent lawn put down and then set to planting. Inevitably we had roses and on my mum's advice we went for potentilla, philadelphus and clematis.
And there began my endless battle to have a flowering clematis. Part of the problem in Aberdeen was the fact that I was pruning it incorrectly. By the time I worked that out, we moved so I never saw it in all its glory. In our current house, I have lost count of the number that have died. My latest attempt is with a variety recommended on Gardeners Question Time called Broughton Star. I've recently planted a couple and they haven't died yet which counts as progress in this house.
I don't remember my dad planting many bedding plants. I'm sure he must have but I have only a vague memory of marigolds which he had to stop using as they made mum sneeze. I used to use the petals steeped in warm water as a rinse for my hair as I had read something in a teen magazine that it was good for brown hair. As I was a nondescript mousey I was hoping it would impart some of the glamour I attributed to brunettes like Victoria Principal. It didn't!
After my first outing to the garden centre in Aberdeen I returned in a flush of enthusiasm only to discover I didn't have any gardening equipment - my first home purchase was a first floor flat so not much call for a trowel and dibber - so our front garden was planted out using a teaspoon. My selection of bedding plants was rather haphazard; I just went round and bought what I fancied without giving to much thought to the height of the plants or theme or colour co-ordination. While it was certainly colourful it was a bit of a jungle. I noticed the front garden of the house opposite us in Aberdeen always looked nice so the following year I started none to subtly copying him. While it never looked as good as his, our front garden started to take shape and look a bit more organized.
Gardening attempts continued overseas. In Kazakhstan I had a good sized garden both in the front of the house and at the back. I hired a gardener called Margarite who was a complete hoot. She listened very carefully to what I wanted then just pleased herself while I made the tea. She created a beautiful rockery in the back garden and very carefully tended it. Rockeries were her speciality and I clearly went up in her estimation when I told her I would like one. It is fair to say I peaked early as she looked on the rest of my attempts with mild amusement. Back in Denmark I had a large garden which was mostly lawn that was mowed by our lovely handyman - Hans Eric. He would pop round every ten days or so on his sit on lawn mower and drive round in steady circles. Ollie adored him. Hans Eric would get down on his hands and knees and play with him and there was a definite mutual appreciation thing going on. Hans Eric would also share his biscuits with Ollie which I am sure had something to do with Ollie's fascination with Hans Eric, :-). I had a small flower bed at the side of the house which was enough to grow various bits and pieces but nothing too adventurous.
Back in the UK, the former owners of the house we bought were keen gardeners. The lady of the house in particular was very knowledgeable and has laid the garden out beautifully. All that really needs to be added are splashes of colour at regular intervals and we have spent the last few years trying to do this. So the current lockdown has given us plenty of time and opportunity to concentrate a bit more on this project. Unfortunately, I am not as knowledgeable as the previous owner. I used to ask my dad and now I rely heavily on my friend Lynn for advice and I am a regular podcast listener of Gardeners Question Time.
As I generally plan my garden and buy the seeds in autumn, I was in a good position when the lockdown started. I had also just been to the garden centre and stocked up on compost, black spot sprays and compost maker. This year's seed planting looks like this:
Dahlias - these worked really well last year. I planted them at the suggestion of a neighbour, Phil. I had previously shied away from them as they are slug magnets, but the slugs do not seem to like the part of the garden where I planted them. The dahlias looked gorgeous and flower late on into the summer and early autumn, a time when I don't have many plants flowering, so I am going with them again.
Lupins - I have not been too successful with these in the past so I only planted a few last year but they seemed to work well, so I have gone with these again.
Cosmos - my friend Sue introduced me to Cosmos several years ago and I now grow them every year. I plant them in a small corner where they look really good. Inevitably this corner is now called 'Cosmos Corner'; you probably need to be British and in your 50s to fully appreciate the significance of this cultural reference.
Primroses - although I have many in the garden that self set, I do like to try different varieties so have a few trays of just starting to show through.
Pansies - I just love the smiling faces of these gorgeous little plants.
Malvas/mallows - I love these plants as they are so easy to grow; I collect the seeds from the plants once they have flowered for the following year. Pretty and very reliable.
Hollyhocks - I bought a packet from the garden centre and collected some seeds from the hollyhocks that grow down the side of the village shop.
Delphiniums - I have tried for years to grow delphiniums from seed. This year I admitted defeat and bought plug plants. They arrived through the post and I have potted them on. So far, so good.
Nasturtiums - I have planted these in pots that will then go on a set of steps; the nasturtiums then cascade down the steps. It looks really nice.
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