How does your garden grow?

[elvis]

43 minutes ago, A Red said:

I cut mine at the weekend. Fucked up planet.

Just done it , was pretty fucking long to be honest - little bit boggy but at least it'll get a good airing now

[Gruntfuttock]

Planted a couple of bags of bulbs,cleaned out debris from the pond and had good prune back of a few branches. Daffodils,Bluebells and Sweetpeas are all starting to sprout upwards!

[Champ]

2 minutes ago, Gruntfuttock said:

Planted a couple of bags of bulbs,cleaned out debris from the pond and had good prune back of a few branches. Daffodils,Bluebells and Sweetpeas are all starting to sprout upwards!

Tell me about your pond. For wildlife or fish?

[DalyanPete]

4 hours ago, Clem H Fandango said:

 

Citrus peel apparently, or get a water pistol.

Nice one, already got the water pistol and a tree full of lemons so will give that try. Never knew a cat could do such a big dump!

[Gruntfuttock]

1 hour ago, Champ said:

Tell me about your pond. For wildlife or fish?

Just for wildlife,there was a frog sat in among the weeds last night.

[Captain Willard]

7 hours ago, Section_31 said:

Can anyone recommend anyone in Liverpool who installs composite decking?

 

* when I first joined this site at ages 26, I'd never believe I'd one day be posting that.

You need to be careful with the void underneath. The risk is you are creating a nice cosy home for rats who are attracted by the smell of food from your al fresco dining. I’m talking from rueful experience. 

[Champ]

5 hours ago, Gruntfuttock said:

Just for wildlife,there was a frog sat in among the weeds last night.

I created a ‘pond’ out of a black plastic trough and some grit and cobbles last year. The birds in the garden love it. I’m preparing to upgrade to a moulded pond and some planting this year. All advice appreciated 

[TheHowieLama]

1 hour ago, Champ said:

I created a ‘pond’ out of a black plastic trough and some grit and cobbles last year. The birds in the garden love it. I’m preparing to upgrade to a moulded pond and some planting this year. All advice appreciated 

Are you using a solar pump for circulation?

[Champ]

30 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Are you using a solar pump for circulation?

So far this ‘pond’is only in my head but it will be strictly no tech 

[TheHowieLama]

1 hour ago, Champ said:

So far this ‘pond’is only in my head but it will be strictly no tech 

 

A pond without circulation is a large puddle. Need a pump. 

[A Red]

6 hours ago, TheHowieLama said:

Are you using a solar pump for circulation?

Suggesting solar pumps in Scotland. Whatever next, raincoats in Sudan?

[VladimirIlyich]

3 hours ago, A Red said:

Suggesting solar pumps in Scotland. Whatever next, raincoats in Sudan?

I'm sure they have a few flashers over there too.

[Champ]

8 hours ago, TheHowieLama said:

 

A pond without circulation is a large puddle. Need a pump. 

I don’t get you. Real ponds don’t have pumps

[Captain Willard]

I’m planning my 6th pond on my allotment. I’ve got frogs, newts, dragonfly’s , pond skaters etc 

[Captain Willard]

12 hours ago, Champ said:

I created a ‘pond’ out of a black plastic trough and some grit and cobbles last year. The birds in the garden love it. I’m preparing to upgrade to a moulded pond and some planting this year. All advice appreciated 

Amphibians and fish don’t work in the same pond. The latter eat the spawn of the former. 

[Champ]

55 minutes ago, Captain Willard said:

I’m planning my 6th pond on my allotment. I’ve got frogs, newts, dragonfly’s , pond skaters etc 

That’s exactly what I’m after. The whole food chain

[Captain Willard]

25 minutes ago, Champ said:

That’s exactly what I’m after. The whole food chain

Don’t add fish. Or a pump 

[TheHowieLama]

Starting out the peppers for this year. First time using the Kratzky method.

Has anyone else tried this - like a poor mans hydroponic.

They are the double cups - all the seeds came up, which is a good start. I keep my own seeds but also bought a couple specific varieties - on the left you can tell which they are as not a single one took. Not one out of 12 - with three in each cup. So 36 seeds store bought, nothing.

I had multiples from my seeds and was able to split them. What a racket.

 

[Gruntfuttock]

 

Looked in the pond and frogspawn had appeared overnight!

 

 

[Chip Butty]

Chili seeds now sprouting in the heated propagator and 68 Garlic cloves planted out yesterday, Boom!

 

Onions next, then its on to the rest of the raised beds. Doing Sweetcorn this year, fingers crossed all goes well. 

[Champ]

On the first day of Spring, I’d like to introduce you to my ‘pond’

[Captain Willard]

3 hours ago, Champ said:

On the first day of Spring, I’d like to introduce you to my ‘pond’

Brilliant. I think as I get older I’ve come to value ponds a lot more. You’re probably too late for frogs this year but keep the faith 

[Champ]

1 hour ago, Captain Willard said:

Brilliant. I think as I get older I’ve come to value ponds a lot more. You’re probably too late for frogs this year but keep the faith 

As you can see it’s not the moulded plastic pond of my initial thoughts. It’s an old farming trough that was previously planted up with thymes. I’d been looking at images of old belfast sinks used as ponds and realised I could put the trough to similar use.

 

It’s stepped at each end with stones and pebbles. I’ve planted 2 oxygenators and a flag iris and I’m just watching what happens.

 

At the very least it’s a very well used bird bath

[Captain Willard]

I have finished planting my dahlias, peonies and sunflower seeds. The roses are budding and I saw a fat newt in one of the ponds today, probably a pregnant female. Spring is coming. 

[Karl_b]

Our garden has been a bit neglected over the last year but I have two days off, on my own, child-free later this week to make a start on it. I'm planning to empty and clean the greenhouse and repurpose an old workbench to make a standing. Hopefully I'll get some seeds sown in there this week too - albeit a little later than I'd like.