LP's Garden

[JennyWrenn]

Superb planter Plocket; you are very lucky to have someone to build it for you

For anyone, like me, that doesnt, I found in a garden mag details of a Raised Bed Kit you just slot and lock together

Not as nice as Plockets but better than nothing and if you have plants that overhang (ivy?) it will cover most of it anyway

www.linkaboard.co.uk

mail order only

[Deleted]

I filled my raised beds with 2 compost bins of my own compost and mixed it with B & Q mulitipurpose compost.

[Dutchy]

Have you got any friends planning to dig a pond?
You might get their redundant soil for free.
Sometimes our municipalty clears some beds and bits in the park. They let you have the rest soil for free as long as you find your own way of getting it home.

( why is the spell check not working I want it ...... now....
<tantrumnicalsmiley> )

[Plocket]

Hia Dutchy - sorry but I missed your post on here. I've not got any friends planning to dig a pond, I've not got any friends interested in gardening for that matter - ooh except for Margi, but she's not local. We really are planning to get the compost this weekend and I've got some old compost from my potato barrel last year which is going to go in. I'll let you know how we get on ;D

[Plocket]

Well we finally got 410 litres of compost and OH lugged it into the back garden. I lined the planter/garden with empty compost bags and pegged them around the edges to keep it in place while we filled it up, and then I put some large pieces of broken pot, and some big stones. I had some used compost from my potato barrel last year so I put that in the bottom, then we started emptying the new bags of compost. There wasn't enough! I think we need three more but OH thinks we can get away with a couple. Anyway we banked up some of the compost so LP could plant her snowdrops, daffodils and hyacinths - and she's thrilled with her new garden. We are going to try and get the next lot of compost tomorrow morning but we have plans for the afternoon so I don't want to get grubby! I'm soaked now btw coz we were working in the rain ;D

[Chuckles]

P why don't you try and get some polystryene trays from GC and break them up to help bulk out the bed Bet it was lovely to see LP's face looking at her very own plants in her very own garden

[Plocket]

Cunning plan Chuckles - I'll think about that one. We are off to the GC shortly though to get some more compost - we'll need some with or without polysteryne ;D LP is itching to start sowing seeds but I think its still a bit early. At least with the garden being 18 inches high the carrot fly shouldn't get to her carrots ;D

[Plocket]

This is LP's garden, as of today - taken through the patio doors so it's not brilliant. At least she can see it from the house though which should encourage her. We planted Sara's aquilegia pink and white stripes today, specially for LP, so she's chuffed about that. I hope they don't take too long to germinate!

[Chuckles]

It looks fab, every little girls dream garden. I bet she has been telling all her friends at school and they'll all want one. I can still see a couple of those half circle plastic planters on the sides and end P ;D

[Plocket]

I like the idea of the planters Chuckles but then LP won't be able to reach the middle of her garden! ;D Mum bought her some Lily of the Valley corms (?) today so she's got more flowers suitable for shade but that she can pick. I think she's a very lucky little girl! I'm not sure what the other children think but one of the parents thinks it's a great idea and wants her OH to build one for her daughter ;D

[Chuckles]

How's LP's garden going P. I bet she can't wait for things to start growing ;D

[Chuckles]

How's the junior gardener doing with her little plot

[Plocket]

She's sad that her daffs and snowdrops are finished but she's got a new drumstick primula in, and her lettuce and first batch of carrots have germinated. I don't think they are growing quickly enough for her though!! We did sow some aquilegia seeds (indoors) but they haven't germinated so I might have to find something else for her to sow or plant soon.

[Chuckles]

Oh bless her. Just like us really want everything to last for ever and grow over night too I popped a sprinkling of grass cuttings on my carrots to help with carrot fly and as it acted as a mulch they seemd to shoot up almost double in size in a couple of days. How about planting a couple of runner beans, you could always plant them in the garden somewhere once they had germinated. Have got some from the Trials left if you want to have a go White Lady or Wisley Magic or French Beans Mantra or Blue Lake. Let me know if you want a couple

[Plocket]

Ooh is that a hot tip Chuckles? Grass cuttings on carrots? I'll have to remember that one. These are only tiny at the moment and I'm hoping they are high enough up to stop carrot fly, but every little thing helps! That's a nice offer about the runner beans and I have got some to plant but haven't got around to it yet! She's got snow peas she's going to plant in one part of her garden though - if there's room!!! ;D

[Plocket]

The other day we planted two more little blocks of carrots (two types), a block of parsnips, a row of snow peas and some snap dragons. And when I say "little blocks" I mean little blocks - they aren't even 1ft square!!! She's happy though.

[Plocket]

We made this young lady at the weekend and although I find her a tad disconcerting, especially when LP is at school, LP loves her

All LP's veggies are germinating now so she's very excited - I'll report more in due course.

[Chuckles]

young lady, she can keep an eye on things while LP is at school. With the weather as it is things will soon grow, you do realise LP will want a bit of the gdn next year ;D

[Plocket]

She's not having ANY of my garden - there isn't enough for me!!! She's thrilled with her planter though, especially now that things are germinating. I really should take a photo of it I suppose so you can see how it's doing. We'll be harvesting the first of the lettuce tomorrow with any luck!

The "young lady" is looking rather soggy at the moment but is doing her duty - I haven't seen any birds on or in the planter yet

[Plocket]

This is LP's garden today - there are still a few little squares to be planted but she doesn't know what she wants to put in!!!

[Chuckles]

That really looks fab P I can just picture LP tending it and looking at her empty squares pondering on what to sow. What ever you do don't let her get hold of any seed brochures ;D

[Plocket]

Oh my I'd never even thought of that - thank goodness!!! She does cut up my gardening magazines when I've finished with them though

[isabella]

Morning Plocket - I just wanted to say that I think LP's garden is brilliant
I really love it when little ones take an interest in growing things

[Plocket]

Morning Isabella! Thank you - and I love it too when they are interested. I went into LP's school last week to help the little ones (pre-reception) plant runner beans in jars - they were all so enthusiastic! Actually I did it last year with LP's class and when they saw I'd come back a lot of them wanted to do beans again. Hopefully some of them will ask their parents and get a positive response.

[isabella]

I do hope so

[Chuckles]

OMG runner beans in jars ;D that brought back some memories. If I remember, it was blotting paper in a jar when I was at junior school.

How's LP doing with her little plot

[Plocket]

Yes we used blotting paper when I was little, but this time we just screwed up newspaper. The kids are only just 4 years old so screwing up paper is easier!!! They were all very successful apparently which is nice to know

LP's eating her parsley quicker than she can grow it, loves lettuce now ( ;D ) and has eaten some of the carrot thinnings. I think she occasionaly finds it a bit slow but that's part of the process - at least there are other things around our garden that she can munch like alpine strawberries and more parsley!!!

Thanks for asking Chuckles

[Chuckles]

How did things turn out on LP's plot the rest of this year P. More importantly is she organised ready for next year ;D

Start um young ;D

[Plocket]

It's so funny you should ask that because I was only talking to mum about it this morning!

I think I'm going to encourage LP to grow more flowers next year, rather than vegetables, coz we can always grow carrots in pots anyway. They just didn't get enough sun. The parsley should be ok and I'll encourage that next year, along with more flowers. Any suggestions for easy flowers to grow from seed, that don't mind a bit of shade??? ;D

[Chuckles]

plocket said:

It's so funny you should ask that because I was only talking to mum about it this morning!

I think I'm going to encourage LP to grow more flowers next year, rather than vegetables, coz we can always grow carrots in pots anyway. They just didn't get enough sun. The parsley should be ok and I'll encourage that next year, along with more flowers. Any suggestions for easy flowers to grow from seed, that don't mind a bit of shade??? ;D

We'll have to get our thinking caps on P, something pretty that doesn't grow too tall maybe and trails over the sides. Then a again maybe a couple of Sweetpea plants up a cane in the middle would look pretty. Sweetpeas yes, she could start them off now ;D a junior in the over winter trials even start them off like the beans in the jar to be sure they germinate and then plant them in pots.

Oooooh you've set me off now, wanna be a likkle girl again wiv a mummy who luvs gardening and has built me my very own bed