Horizon's Gardening Topic

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  • Did a blitz on local garden centres today as what was originally meant to be just a little garden renovation project to replace the ivy on my garage, has turned into something much bigger aka an almost total garden replacement. I tend not to do things in halves... ;)

    Anyway bought a load of new shrubs and perennials, but I wasn't able to find some large shrubs and/or tress to fill some big gaps, so the hunt will continue!

  • About to do another round of garden centres in the next day or so including going to one of the country's largest called Buckhatch where I hope to get some large shrubs to fill the many gaps I've currently got in my garden.

    I was hoping to do a diary of all the changes I'm making to my garden and post regular updates here, but I simply haven't had the time, but I have taken the odd snap here and there, so once everything is done, I'll do a mega post then. Been at it since in March and getting tired now...

  • Are you landscaping? If you need any flowers the grave yards should be stocked up and if you need any soil the local parks should be good. I wouldn't want you grave digging. If you go to park every day and do the reverse of what they done on the great escape you should have enough soil after a couple of weeks. All you need is a baggy pair of trousers. :D

  • Norra, short answer, sort of. :)

    Long answer, read on:

    One of my neighbours complained back in March/April that one of my yew trees (which is on the border with them) was too high and asked me if it could be pruned down a bit. I had just started my "project of the year" by replacing the ivy on my garage with something else, so I stopped doing that and then spent the next several weeks (in tiny bits) trying to prune this bloody tree.

    Problem is, it's about 7/8 metres high and I had a large shrub in front of it, so even from ground level I was at least 3 metres away from it and couldn't reach it. So, I obliterated my main garden bed to get close to the tree by destroying all my existing plants and shrubs there and when I had done that, I still couldn't reach the damn thing. You can't put a ladder against it, because there are no "proper" branches, they all bend.

    Next issue, after destroying my main garden bed I could see all the awful ivy along the entire length of the border which had killed one of my other big shrubs further along the border in a different section and half killed another. So, basically what was meant to be a "tiny" job of removing 50 year old ivy (and stumps...) from my garage, has tuned into an almost entire garden renovation.

    And to top things off, another batch of new Asian neighbours who live at the back of me have been quietly trying to kill my laurel tree since they moved in around 18 months ago. I can hear them at night on the border and I think they have been nailing copper nails into the roots and doing other stuff. The effect being, this massive tree is slowly dying and raining down leaves everywhere and I can hear this batch of neighbours moaning too.

    So, once I've done my current "little" jobs, next year's job is already lined up... :| Oh, did I mention there is a 8 metre tree stump next to the laurel tree where my 30 metre leylandii used to be? That has to go as well at some point.

  • Wonderfully colourful pictures. Yew is what they used to make longbows out of back in the day hence the bendy. Ivy is evil stuff. You need to be careful with that or it can take over and eat into brickwork and other things. A good way to get rid of the bulk of a tree stump without a chainsaw and / or digging around it and prying it out is to set it on fire. Make it the centrepiece of a campfire and leave what's below ground to rot. If nothing else it helps dry out all the roots below so you can cut through them easily and pry out the remains of the stump.

  • Argh garage rules that out then. Even more reason to get it out before the roots start to uplift the foundations of your garage. I don't envy you that job especially in this weather. I have had to remove few tree stumps in my time and it's bloody hard work digging around to cut all the roots and pry the stump out. Here's one that got set on fire.

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  • I have a magnolia at the end of my garden and as nice as it is, when the flowers come out, so does the heavy rain which knocks it to bits, so I have a "feeling" the magnolia will be a future casualty.

    As for getting around the stumps, if only! That would be much easier, but they're rammed up against the garage wall. or were, they're almost gone now, so I can;t get round them.

  • Well done, bastard things LOL Yeh that is the downside with such big flowers they can be messy when they fall. Your lawn looks really nice, well maintained an no daisy's or anything. You much be giving it a good watering in this weather. I'm surprised it hasn't dries out. It's nice that you have your garden. A little escapism from other household duties and some time out.

  • Hello all, hope everyone is well?

    My "little" project in the garden continues...

    I've diverted from my garage border on the right hand side, for now, mainly because I'm worn out, but there are still thick tree trunk sized roots underneath the soil that need to come out.

    Anyway, flitting about at the moment between different things, but my main yew tree has almost gone now in my left hand border as has the fatsia tree next to it by my conservatory.

    Here's some pics over the last week showing the "progress":

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  • My word you have been busy.

    I have a yew in my front garden that needs a good haircut as it's blocking the light into the front room. Fortunately, unlike Leylandii, yew will take a good mullering trim and come back.

    I seem to have lost the Weigela shrub next to the front gate. I think it just died of old age or something ate the roots. Still oportunity to put something else in, thinking of a hydrangea as they seem to grow well down here.

  • Oh dear, definitely not then!

    I've always loved hydrangeas but have always planted them in full sun without realising until now, they prefer shade. If it a shady spot, a hydrangea will really brighten things up over the summer months. I've got four new ones waiting to be planted. :) (by my garage)

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