My new layout for 2014

[Dorothy rouse]

Looks pretty with the lights, what about the right hand wall/ fence/trellis?

You seem so organised tho, I bet you've thought if every possibility.

[AllInContainers]

Cheers Dotty. Doesn't mean I've got it all right though

There's certainly no chance of mounting anything to the wall behind the fig tree (the one wrapped up), as they're all 2m + plants again. Between the fig tree and the arch is less certain. If you look at the bottom of the pic with the lighting, there's two traditional style lamps on the fence. These are going to be moved against the right hand wall as they will get more sun there, and therefore give more light back at night. They only stand as high as the wall though (they look higher in the pic above because I tie wrapped them to the fence instead of using the proper bases).

Also along that wall, I need to try and get all the plants listed in post #6 ...

Asparagus Peas
Hyacinth Beans (pots sorted - growing space still in question)
Outdoor Chillis
Minnesota Midget Melon
Huckleberries (black and golden)
Inca Berries
More Queensland Arrowroot (only one pot there provisionally at the moment)
Skyscraper Lillies (bulbs currently sat at the PO collection office)
Sage (existing pot needs dividing)
.... and I think I'm going to be gifted a tomato plant too ....


EDIT: Oops! Forgot about the Bulgarian Giant Leek I have seeds for too. I want to get two or three of those squeezed in if possible

In effect, that wall is going to be rammed pretty solid too, and anything on the bottom fence will spend most it's life in shade and interfere with the clothes airer

There's two other tall items that need to go out into the garden, that I need to be mindful of. In the pic that shows what it's like now, there's 4 chrome lights on the fence at the bottom. Those are gas lamps. Two of them are fastened to the fence to replace the solar lanterns, and the other two need to go out in the garden and be sited where they won't scorch anything. I'm thinking one where the bag of top soil is with the lanters laid on top, and the other roughly where the sage is (just to the left of the fig tree). There's actually going to be quite a lot of height in the garden, and in fact a lot of the flowers are going to be as tall as the trees

[Dorothy rouse]

Now, where's the BBQ?

[AllInContainers]

Under the green cover near the arch. Do you really think I'd forget something as important as that?

[ancee]

I really hope the weather is as good as it was last year as you are going to get so much enjoyment from that layout! It takes a couple of years to establish a good work-life balance in the garden. We are going to be in Summer number 2 this year too. Last years layout was a trial and error and we've swapped quite a lot round this year. Or plan to. It's just soil in beds at the moment! But I look out of my window and plan and plan! Hurry up Summer!

[AllInContainers]

I really hope the weather is as good as it was last year as you are going to get so much enjoyment from that layout! It takes a couple of years to establish a good work-life balance in the garden. We are going to be in Summer number 2 this year too. Last years layout was a trial and error and we've swapped quite a lot round this year. Or plan to. It's just soil in beds at the moment! But I look out of my window and plan and plan! Hurry up Summer!

It's amazing what one year of experience does to what you expect/want from a garden isn't it

I'm certainly hoping for a good year too. A few of the items I have in this year are quite young, and though I don't expect them to produce much if anything, I'd certainly like them to get settled into their new homes and put on some decent growth

[Penellype]

I've just updated my plant list on my blog, and I'm about on a par with you I think. Currently planned there's 59 varieties of plants (though 6 of those varieties are ornamental), but that's not including strawberries. Not fully decided what I'm doing as regards varieties with those yet. What size growing space are you working with?

I've got an area of soil which is about 4.2m x 1.75m, with a 90cm path alongside it which runs along the side of an 8ft high Leylandii hedge on the eastern side. Then I have a paved area which is about 5.5 x 3.2m BUT that is surrounded by high walls and fences on the east, south and west sides, so it gets no sun at all in the winter and only about half of it gets any sun in the summer. I also "steal" space from the flower garden so that it is gradually being taken over by a dwarf apple tree, peas, tomatoes and anything else I can cram in, and I use the windowsills indoors too.

This probably sounds a lot, but when I was married I had a 1/4 acre garden of which half was orchard and vegetables so what I have always seems tiny to me.

I'm trying to grow:
Alfalfa sprouts
Apple James Grieve
Blueberry Bluecrop, Dixie
Beetroot Boltardy
Broccoli Early Purple
Cabbage Hispi, Spring Hero
Calabrese
Calendula
Carrot Nantes Fastcrop, Eskimo
Chervil
Cornflower
Courgette Green Bush, Piccolo
Cucumber Vega
Currant White Versailles
Garlic Chives
Kohlrabi Vienna Mix
Leek Albana, Oarsman
Lettuce Little Gem, Lollo Rossa, Provencale mix, Salad Bowl Mix
Nasturtium
Onion Red Baron, Sturon
Oregano
Pak Choi mix
Parsley (French)
Pea Early Onward, Geisha, Hurst Greenshaft, Meteor, Onward
Pepper California Wonder, Snackbite Orange
Potato Charlotte, Desiree, Pentland Javelin, Sarpo Axona
Raspberry Allgold, Autumn Bliss
Rhubarb Red Champagne
Spinach Beet
Spinach Bloomsdale, Reddy, Tirza
Spring Onion Furio, White Lisbon
Strawberry Elsanta, Malwina, Marshmellow, Vibrant and an unspecified "Everbearer"
Tomato Bajaja, Shirley, Sungold, Totem, Tumbling Tom
Turnip Atlantic

[AllInContainers]

You certainly got me beat on space there, but you have a few space hungry crops too by the looks of it

[AllInContainers]

And now I'm on the verge of another big decision.

Option 1:
Stay snowed under with seedlings and continue to juggle them round between north and south windowsills to try and keep them alive. Replace my probably kaputtoed purple filbert on a like-for-like basis. Tolerate having bright yellow patio grow bags in my otherwise fairly smart looking seating area. Re-juggle everything I have for best fit.

Option 2:
Cull some seedlings I've spent time nurturing. Sling the patio grow bags back in the shed and buy some decent looking pots. Sling the kippered filbert out. Order the three new trees I've been hankering after all afternoon. Desperately try to figure out how on earth I'm going to get three more bloomin' trees in such a small space along with all the other trees and bushes in such a way that everything (including me) gets it's sun and air requirements, not just this year, but in years to come. Block out the pain of the additional expense

Option 2 is definitely sounding the favourite , but I really ought to sleep on this one ...

Compromise is not an option

[Nicos]

Option 3....
Donate a few seedlings to other peeps.

[AllInContainers]

Well .... I've slept on it, I've woken up, and I've ordered the trees

Two of them are dwarfing, but will still become broad and deep (Peach Crimson Bonfire, and Quince Leskovacz), and the other is a good size tree (Mirabelle De Nancy). That'll take me up to 10 trees (and over 10 fruit bushes, plus a load of other big stuff too) .... assuming the filbert really is dead, otherwise it's 11 trees.

Yikes This is going to be a bit of a tight squeeze I reckon.

Option 3....
Donate a few seedlings to other peeps.

I'm not sure anyone would take them to be honest Nicos, but it's worth a try

[gardening_gal]

You don't do things by halves.

Now I understand the seedling cull comment on the other thread. I know this is a gardening site and as such I should really be commenting on the plants, but I do like the pretty lights.

I hope you fit in what you want to and the trees slot in somewhere without too much of a 'siting' headache.

[AllInContainers]

Thanks GG

I kind of have a rough idea of what I might be able to try, but until they arrive and I see what I'm working with, I can't do much in the way of prep. I did receive another 6 plants yesterday, but they're for my wall troughs which are on the front of the fence, so they don't mess anything up