New Year gardening plans.

We are making some changes this year, reducing the size of the larger flower bed and making it raised only keeping two peonies that were cuttings from my dad, I've had them 40 years must have been in my dads for at least 10 they improve each year deep purple happy memories of my dad, and due to a large oak we will be having artificial grass laid, plus replacing the patio and enlarging our 2nd seating area, lots of work to do and looking forward to it love being in the fresh air in the garden working so theraputic.

I spend my time weeding the various beds and moving any plant that has outgrown its space or seems not to be thriving. Love every single bit of it. Roll on. It's been so mild here that I've actually managed to be out tidying. Unheard of at this time of year for me. I truly am a fair weather gardener. What I look forward to is being out there at five whereas at the moment I'm often still in bed at nine.

Ooh, J52 and Lemongrove, lovely gardens! Yes, J52, we have a similar style

Looking at past photographs to what was, but not is now. leads me to believe we are well and truly into climate change. Hence when weather permits I will start on spraying weeds that never fail to appear in my dry stone boundary wall Then consider improving drainage in my lawn which at present is water logged from incessant rain we had before xmas in my part of the south west.

Thanks Lisa although must say that the casual cottage garden look is harder work than you would think, and as we get older we may have to plant more evergreen smaller shrubs.

Grammeretto have you thought about attractive rocks with alpines, heather and bulbs?

Yes, lemongrove, I’ve been discovering that (casual look = hard work) the last 2 years, since getting just that bit older and stiffer! I have got quite a few shrubs - Nandina, Mock orange, Pittosporum, Ceonothus.....

I need to get out and do some drastic pruning. We will have someone to come and cut the hedge. Mostly I like what we have planted over the years, but if I get fed up with something, it will come out.

This year I may continue to fill the pots with perennials rather than bedding plants.
My heathers need to be sorted out as some have died (a local cat seems to think it is the public toilet.).

Find a way to stop the cats coming into the garden!

We had the garden revamped last year, lots of gravel, a big lawn and lots of tubs. My husband had no real interest in it but will mow the lawn and move heavy things for me. Truth be told, the garden is too big for us and it’s only getting properly used when my grandchildren are here. The house is elevated so we have a huge deck, steps down to another huge deck where there is also a huge summerhouse. More steps down to the lawn and my large pots. Sometimes I feel out of my depth and am seriously considering getting someone in regularly to take care of it. The problem is in finding someone round here. I don’t have the energy I once had so I think we will have to move before I reach 70 in 3 years. Meanwhile, I fill my tubs with easy care stuff including herbs and dwarf trees and lots of boring geraniums. A magic wand would be good. And then there’s the front garden.....

lemongrove l spent a small fortune on bulbs scilla, crocus, tiny tulips/ irises, mainly in shades of blue, which I planted. I saw squirrels but forgot they might eat the bulbs.

My mum used to pay her gardener man 12 pounds an hour, MrsDoyle.
A couple of hours a fortnight, or more if he had extra to do at any time.
I hope you can find someone similar..

Our last house had a big garden and we found it really difficult to find a reliable gardener. When we moved to this house we were really pleased to find a house we loved which had a small garden.

We have paved the back garden - leaving lots of planting spaces and gravelled the front and have lots of pots. We have a lady who will cut the hedges and do the heavy work on an ad hoc basis.

Now, we have a space to potter but we also have time to sit and enjoy the fruits of our labour. It's great not to have it hanging over our heads.

Another suggestion would be wild flowers - after all if they come up by themselves surely they don't object to difficult conditions, do they? In my shady corners I've got vinca periwinkle, hardy geraniums, cowslips and violets - the latter are very vigorous!!

Have any of you tried the bee friendly bee balls? or bee bombs? Are they just a gimmick?

I suppose the hardy perennials would grow best.

A Happy New Year to all GN gardeners.
I'm browsing gardening catalogues and magazines while I try to recover from the dreaded lurgy. Last year we extended a border to create a peninsular in the middle of the garden to grow more roses. We planted three David Austin roses in November and may add a couple more this year. They are so robust and always give a good display. But my first task this year (when I can find the energy) will be to trim a boundary hedge by about six feet, its a great windbreak but casts a lot of shadow in the summer. I also want to change some of the older plants in the front garden. DH has been sowing trays and trays of seeds, the greenhouse is full of them. Some are Poppies, Californian Poppies, and Foxgloves. We also have large raised beds for veggies but they didn't do so well last year, it was too hot. I hope I'll be able to do more of the gardening this year, my asthma was very restricting last year.

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Some indoor flowering bulbs to help us look forward to Spring

That sounds like it would be worth every penny, MissAdventure. Thanks.

kittylester, we will definitely need to look into getting someone this year. I’ve seen a few lady gardeners around, I might approach one next time I see her.