Spring : new beginnings part 4
I’m sorry I didn’t see the request for a new thread until this morning! here goes !! I absol loved all the photos y’all have been sharing. Nothing better than a virtual tour of your be gardens if we can’t see them in person ! Have a wonderful day everyone and let’s keep sharing all our beauties
A shropshire lad
Comments (325)
6 years ago
6 years agoRelated Discussions
New Kid friendly garden help please
Comments (12)Hi. I have a couple of ideas. First, I'd rule out trying to flatten it to one level - it is very expensive, even though it doesn't look like it is a big deal to do. You'd end up with retaining walls around the sides and back and have to redo the fencing and labour costs would be big because the access isn't good (think wheelbarrows of dirt for weeks!). Second, I'd talk to the church. Say that you want to trim the holy bushes so that they are level and lower. Tell them you'll pay for that (rent a hedge trimmer for a day - less than £100) but will need access from their side too for trimming and to clean it up (because you are a nice friendly neighbour :). Then say that you are worried about the trees because you think they are getting so big they might be dangerous and they should be trimmed. I'm not suggesting they should be cut down. If they are under a Preservation Order, they are protected, but trimming is normal and healthy for a tree. I know if the tree is in the street the council has to do it and where I used to live "the Swiss church" (never got any more info than that) had a giant horse chestnut tree that they had to trim every five years because it was massive and surrounded by everyone's back gardens. I don't know about the legality of all of that but a third alternative is for everyone affected by the super large trees pitches in and pays for the trimming. There will still be leaves, but their will be less and you'll have more light back there. Anyway, on to the more interesting bit. In the spring, hire a Karcher (a high powered hose) to clean off the green from your fences and your patio area. It'll also clean out all the muck on your little retaining walls. Then I would stain all the fences the same colour - Cuprinol stains and protects the wood too. I'd keep the front as a patio for a table and scooter laps, keep the middle as lawn with narrow garden beds on either side and plant honeysuckle in a couple of corners of the pergola - it is slow growing at first but easy and very low maintenance (and doesn't drop much stuff!). A hammock is a lovely idea for under there. Let it go back to lawn so you aren't worried about falling toddlers. I'd move all your nice pots down to the patio area and group them. It is really easy to put herbs and annuals in them in the spring for colour. As nasmijati recommended, the back section could be rubber tiles or a sandpit. I can't tell if it is paved at the moment or just sodden grass.... if soggy grass, do the sandpit, if paved, put the rubber tiles over the top. You can move the little playhouse back there. Now you should have plenty of areas for the kids AND the adults. Oh, and get a couple of kids rakes for Christmas and teach them how to help their mama with the garden! I hope that helps....See MoreRestoring Victorian balustrade - don't know where to begin! Help!
Comments (14)I agree, there would originally have been just one cast iron spindle per stair. The newel post would have been wooden I think and you'll be able to pick up a new, traditional style pine one from any timber merchant, probably less than £100. It's a shame that the 'bullnoses' have been cut back but if it was all sanded down and painted or varnished to blend in I don't think it would look wrong at all. The alternative is to get a joiner to make up bullnose profile pieces to attach to the end of each tread, but you'd have to paint them as the wood wouldn't match the original. Replacing every tread would cost a fortune. The banister rail will sand down with a bit of hard work and probably be a nice piece of wood underneath that you can varnish. It'll look lovely once it's done, you'll have to post 'after' picture for us!...See Morenew fence colour ideas
Comments (43)Hi, the slabs were Natural Paving products. Premierstone Platinum. size: 900 x 600. They look brilliant, people love them, they are easy to sweep. However, they are a deathtrap! Kids in socks skid over on it and if there is the slightest bit of water it's like an ice rink, especially the steps! Am going to paint it with a non slip coating in the hope this solves the problem. You also need to make sure they are bedded on a solid base of mortar, rather than blobs, as the blobs wick up the moisture and you can see this on the top of the slab. Saying that, I do have a French drain under the patio, so there's a lot of moisture there. I only got round to painting the fence this weekend (Rubbish I know!) Started out the front and will work my way round the back as each panel needs adjusting as it's sagged. Oped for Cuprinol Silver Copse in the end. Really happy so far....See More4 in 1 Hot Water Taps with Water Softener
Comments (44)I used a Kinetico block salt water softener for many years and it works amazingly well. However salt block are quite expensive. Approximately 10 years ago I changed over to a unit produced by Tapworks not are they only cheaper to buy but you can use salt tablets which are also much cheaper in comparison to blocks. The end result is that we gets pretty much the same amazing soft water. In terms of drinking soft water well there is a lot of debate about the amount of sodium content in the soft water. Drinking soft water is entirely dependent on how hard your water is in your particular part of the country. There is a specific number of calcium carbonate in parts per million which if your area exceeds this figure then you are advised not to drink the softened water. High sodium levels can lead to hypertension which is one of the reasons why your doctor suggests that you reduce your salt intake if you have been diagnosed with hypertension. If anyone has used a water softener and you will soon realise that after a while the area where place the salt tablets or salt block can become dirty and needs to be cleaned. If this is the same water which is then coming through your kitchen sink and you are drinking it then there is also the hazard of infections. This is just my speculation but those that own water softeners for long enough will realise what I’m stating. So in my opinion use softened water for the shower, bath, dishwasher, washing machine and washing up in the sink and have a separate mains and softened water for drinking....See More
6 years agoI went out at 5:30 this morning before the baby woke up to water and deadhead. It is so hot by her nap time that early is better.
So since I deadheaded I can share a couple pictures.
Violets pride
Plum perfect
Munstead wood
Olivia Austin
6 years ago
6 years ago- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
Pictures of my “Edith’s Darling”. This rose seems to get such bad rap here that I really hesitated buying it last year but I was in the nursery and the blooms really spoke to me, and I don’t mind the plant being compact. The flowers don’t seem particularly small to me though —— I’ve seen much smaller ones. And for me ED is more peach/apricot than yellow.
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago- 6 years ago
My icecaps are just starting to bloom now. I love them although there’s practically no scent just because they put on HUGE amounts of flowers every year.
here’s a shot of it with the peonies. Kinda hard to tell which is which, eh? ;)
and here’s a picture of it last year In full bloom, absolutely smothered with flowers head to toe:
Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked Minshen (8b/9a Victoria BC) 
- 6 years ago
This year Alnwick’s colour is quite different from last year. Definitely more peachy pink and warmer in tone, reminding me of Abe Darby, while last year the flowers were a true medium pink.
- 6 years ago
6 years agoI really want a Pearly Gates climbing rose and even ordered it but later canceled my order. I don’t have room for it. I was able to enjoy my sisters today.
Thought I would share since I do not have any roses to share of my own. It is so pretty and smells lovely!
6 years ago- 6 years ago
6 years ago@Minshen (8b/9a Victoria BC) your roses are amazing, how old is your Olivia? i have 3 of them on their first years. excited to see how they do here. is Ice cap same as iceberg Rose?
@Lala Idaho Zone 7a i have a pearly gates (my only rose on second year) and she is amazing. Huge blooms!
- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
Oh my word !!!!!! These photos are unreal! Everyone should be so proud of themselves. Welcome to the forum new friends , pleaseeee stick around and keep sharing your gorgeous gardens !!!
Lowe’s patio rose from last year
Emily bronte
Distant drums
6 years ago- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
some farther-away shots from a corner of my front garden today... I hate it when people say you can’t or shouldn’t grow roses in foundation beds, On my opinion they make foundation planting so much more fun when mixed with other perennials and good old evergreen shrubs like boxwood :D - 6 years ago
Minshen your yard is glorious and I have roses as foundation plants and it sure looks a heck of a lot better than the ugly juniper that was there.
Here are some pretties from this morning. I'm sorry to keep showing Olivia but she is really showing off
Charles Renne Macintosh, got him as a mistake from David Austin and loved the color . For the first 2 years he was awful but finally he has settled in and looks beautiful.
Plum perfect is impressing the heck out of me
Lavender Veranda has my favorite shade of lavender
6 years ago
6 years agoWelcome Minshen! You have beautiful roses!
I was sitting on the steps this morning with my coffee enjoying the incredible wafting fragrance of Marie Pavie. Here is my view looking right and left. You can see Marie Pavie peeking out on far right, the red Valentine center and then pink Monsieur Tillier against the fence. On the left photo showing, in the distance, Madame Alfred Carriere starting a second major flush. MAC is continuously blooming as she is never without a flower and blooms pretty much year round, but also has flushes. To the far left is Softee by Ralph Moore.
- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
Kristine, I totally get it! I can’t stop taking pics for Olivia too. Shes in full-on mode.
St Swithun buds are also opening fast:
My tiny own-root Crown Princess Margarita also opened its first bloom today! I love it! Hopefully it grows fast and climbs well for me.
6 years agoHoly cow, I needed a new pair of underwear after dealing with this garden visitor!
- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
- 6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
White Licorice, James L. Austin peeking out, and Life of the Party (Huntington's 100th) behind.
Carding Mill, looking very pink - Yves Piaget, Love Song
Scentuous
- 6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
A single Julie Andrews Rose open
10 Days Later (or maybe a week?) whole bush in bloom). Still blooming a week later.
Duchesse de Brabant in a pot -- planted 4" from Annie's Annuals
- 6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
Munstead Wood
Moonlight in Paris
Dee-Lish
- 6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
White Licorice and Twilight Zone. Still waiting for them to grow up to look like Diane's.
Distant Drums. I love this rose.
Ooops. This was supposed to be Koko Loco! Oh well -- this was the watermelon salad I made for Memorial Day dinner. It was DELICIOUS. Nigella Lawson recipe, more or less...tried it for the first time in London 2 years ago at the little cafe that's in the very old, Chelsea Physic Garden.
- 6 years ago
6 years ago- 6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
- 6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
6 years ago- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
pippacovalent