Making use of Oustide space - an Outdoor Studio

The area of garden behind our garage has always really been wasted space however on really hot days , yes I am anticipating some, it is the nicest coolest place in the garden. It is rectangular in shape, laid to lawn and looking from the back of the garage is bordered to the left by the house wall and conservatory and to the right our garden fence over which is Geoffs front door and the side of his house.

The area along this fence has always been pretty dire and nothing really ever grows not even the grass mostly because underneath are drain covers,pipes and lots of rubble.

So this is the area for my outdoor studio.

Phase 1 - sorry no photos but here is a quick sketch

We cleared an area along the fence a metre wide and built a frame from gravel boards. Killed the remaining grass off and put down landscaping fabric then topped this off with some bales of bark, The end nearest the garden gate will store the bin and recycle bin and will have a trellis panel across for my Trachelospermum Jasminoides to grow.

Phase 2 - extend the border

Today i used the lawn edger to re cut the border so that it ended in line with the barked area it had been narrower before. I lifted all the plants that had been here so that I could bring them forward.
I moved a circular slab which had been on the lawn and moved it to the back of the border to stand my vine on. Bill has gone sailing so I helped myself to the spirit level and tape measure from the garage so that I could line everything up and get the slab level.

 Here I have positioned the Grapevine and already I think its looking better. Grabbed some pots and trays and put the plants in them as a temporary way of positioning them prior to planting.

Phase 3 the finished area.

Well all my plants are back in and as I have said on the video below the only plant amongst these that I have purchased is Heuchera Lime Marmalade all the others were grown from cuttings or self seeded in the garden. At the start you can see my studio and please forgive the state of that poor clematis growing up the conservatory it needs a little bit of tlc potbound I'm afraid.

Veggie June

I am ashamed to see how long it is since I updated my Gardening Blog it must be because ....I have been Gardening

So here are my potatoes. I anticipate the earlies will be ready soon they are to the left and are Charlotte.

My tomatoes have fruit on them I moved a couple outside the greenhouse. I am feeding them but they are suddenly looking less lush and green than they did before my holiday not sure of the answer to this they are being fed 

My Peppers too are growing but not looking wonderful just have to see how they go its only my second attempt at Peppers

The Cucumbers and one of the tomatoes in the greenhouse. More of the yellowing that appeared in just a week when I went on holiday. Again I am pumping feed into them. I have so far had 5 mini-cucumbers off these plants

This is my lovely raised vegetable bed packed full of beetroot,carrots,lettuce and cucumbers. Also peas which are another story.

My Acers 2 weeks later

I posted about these two on 19th April well look at these beauties now. Yes this is the same little tree.

And here is the second one before and after.

Potatoes Still going Strong

Well things are looking good for my potatoes in bags here we are exactly 10 days later. Topped up twice and going strong. They are left to right Earlies,Second Earlies and maincrop.

Potatoes one Month on

One month on here are my potatoes and the first to come through are my earlies.

My Best Friend is a plant!

Introducing Pieris Forest Flame now getting a little leggy and needs reshaping but she has  been part of the family for over 20 years in fact she moved house with me and I have been here about 28 years.

PLANTS BY POST

Well the first wave of the third order has arrived :

All happily potted up and the chrysanths look bigger already.

The Vandalized Acers

Thought I should post the results of my vandalism.

This is the second one done and is always a bit later.

And this is the first one I did.

Horticultural Vandalism or not

Today I decided to repot my Acers well the first of them anyway. As I grow them in containers I need to do this most years and it is a bit of a Kamikaze task.

I should have taken photos but didnt. So :

• First pull tree out of pot
• Next get a pruning saw and cut off between 1 and 2 inches of the root base
• Next trim down the sides
• Pop some fresh ericaceous compost in the bottom to replace the sawn off bit
• Put more compost round the edges and pack into the gaps
• Give it a good drink to wash the compost into all the nooks and crannies
• Then recycle the mat of roots removed - its like a fibrous carpet so I cut it up and use it as a sort of protective layer in the top of my clematis pots. It works a treat.

Tomatoes and Cucs 2 weeks on

Well here we are and it was a fortnight ago I posted my salad photos. These pictures are already 2 days old but we can see the change.

Firstly Ailsa Craig and Gardeners Delight.

Next Cucumber Piccolino

And those cheeky Peppers.



Stig of the Swamp

Ok so the original is Stig of the Dump but Today I am Stig of the Swamp. Spent the afternoon raising my water lilies out of the pond and digging my way thru the primeval slime.

They have now been split potted up gravelled and replaced in the pond.

Next victim was my well overgrown Zantedeschia aethiopica (Arum Lily).

Finally I rescued a tall grass like plant called Acorus Calamus Variegatus. Shock horror I used Google to check on my options for splitting and repotting and found that its tuber is a phycotropic drug used by the Cree Indians.

I resisted the temptation to try it I think having done 3 hours gardening for one of my ladies this morning a Bubble Bath is better for a Stig Woman.

Washing your Pots

Those who know me well will be amazed at how much washing up I have done of late. Monday I washed the bark of my beautiful Birch Tree.

And today with Bill away at his Mum I have washed up loads of Pots - Flower pots in the kitchen sink must go now and wipe up all the Muddy drips perhaps I should dip the cats paw in it all and blame her.

Cucumber Picolino and Tomatoes

I cant believe how quickly these germinated I only planted them on Monday.









And finally,for now, my Tomatoes and in the background some Cosmos who have had some erratic germination which I suspect was due to erratic sowing technique.

Potato Virgin

This year for the first time ever I am going to have a bash at growing Potatoes in Bags and received my seed potatoes this week from Thompson and Morgan.

This is where they tell me how to grow them http://www.thompson-morgan.com/how-to-grow-potatoes-in-bags

So Vales Emerald Charlotte and Maris Piper are currently chitting in the Conservatory. Here they are sat on the top of my Tumble Dryer.

My Tree Paeony Hong Xia

The first post of my Rambling blog. Pictured here is Paeony Hong Xia. I received it in the post Mid Jan from Thompson and Morgan when it just looked like a bunch of Sticks. Legend has it that it will become 5 foot high with enormous flowers fingers crossed.