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My first post to this lively and witty forum. I should probably confess from the outset that the “boy” part of my nickname/handle is slightly wishful thinking as I’m in my sixties but “Bazzaoldboy” didn’t sound so neat….
Sorry my first post is posing a problem but however long I garden there seems to be more problems than answers…. Here’s an on-going tease:
I have a smallish strip (approx 3’ x 20’) in the garden which constantly defeats me on how best to utilise it…. Am open to suggestions, please! The complications are these:
1. It lies directly on the west side of a tall trellis which is covered with a combination of large-leaved ivy, honeysuckle, clematis etc which I wish to retain for screening/privacy etc. It’s adjacent to an area used for occasional BBQs so not best suited as a dumping area which is what it tends to become…
2. During summer the area receives direct sunlight from noon until nearly sunset (well, it does when the sun shines and it stops raining!) BUT when the sun is lower in the sky direct sunlight is very restricted because of other obstacles to the south (including my house which, keen veggie gardener though I am, I’m loathe to demolish – hope that doesn’t disqualify me from this forum…). So although in the summer this bed has all the advantages of a west-facing spot (protected, light, warm/hot) for more than half the year it has all the characteristics of a north-facing spot (dingy shade, damp).
3. I’m not keen to plant permanent crops there (e.g. redcurrants might work, a cordon fruit tree, pos rhubarb) as I need autumn “platform access” to maintain the trellis plants… I realise there’s probably dozens of different flowers and shrubs that would happily grow there (though can’t think quite what they are!) but try to give fruit and veg first priority.
4. I have grown later-maturing potatoes there – they were OK’ish, not great - but can’t repeat that every year (and anyway now prefer to grow potatoes in tubs).
5. Lettuce, spinach etc would probably grow OK but do I need 60 square feet of lettuce?
Perhaps turn it into a mini rabbit farm?
6. I’m currently considering paving it and using it for coldframes (do west-facing coldframes work?) but of course the same problem of direct sunlight will apply during the main coldframe Spring period. (The thinking is I could move coldframes sufficiently to get at the trellis once a year… bit of a hassle but perhaps worth it to solve the problem, would that work?)
What happens in practice is that while I’m pondering what to do with it the ivy (which normally is quite happy just climbing up the trellis) invades on the basis of “Well if you’re not going to use it, guv, I will….”
Alternative suggestions eagerly awaited.
bb.
=
Sorry my first post is posing a problem but however long I garden there seems to be more problems than answers…. Here’s an on-going tease:
I have a smallish strip (approx 3’ x 20’) in the garden which constantly defeats me on how best to utilise it…. Am open to suggestions, please! The complications are these:
1. It lies directly on the west side of a tall trellis which is covered with a combination of large-leaved ivy, honeysuckle, clematis etc which I wish to retain for screening/privacy etc. It’s adjacent to an area used for occasional BBQs so not best suited as a dumping area which is what it tends to become…
2. During summer the area receives direct sunlight from noon until nearly sunset (well, it does when the sun shines and it stops raining!) BUT when the sun is lower in the sky direct sunlight is very restricted because of other obstacles to the south (including my house which, keen veggie gardener though I am, I’m loathe to demolish – hope that doesn’t disqualify me from this forum…). So although in the summer this bed has all the advantages of a west-facing spot (protected, light, warm/hot) for more than half the year it has all the characteristics of a north-facing spot (dingy shade, damp).
3. I’m not keen to plant permanent crops there (e.g. redcurrants might work, a cordon fruit tree, pos rhubarb) as I need autumn “platform access” to maintain the trellis plants… I realise there’s probably dozens of different flowers and shrubs that would happily grow there (though can’t think quite what they are!) but try to give fruit and veg first priority.
4. I have grown later-maturing potatoes there – they were OK’ish, not great - but can’t repeat that every year (and anyway now prefer to grow potatoes in tubs).
5. Lettuce, spinach etc would probably grow OK but do I need 60 square feet of lettuce?
Perhaps turn it into a mini rabbit farm?6. I’m currently considering paving it and using it for coldframes (do west-facing coldframes work?) but of course the same problem of direct sunlight will apply during the main coldframe Spring period. (The thinking is I could move coldframes sufficiently to get at the trellis once a year… bit of a hassle but perhaps worth it to solve the problem, would that work?)
What happens in practice is that while I’m pondering what to do with it the ivy (which normally is quite happy just climbing up the trellis) invades on the basis of “Well if you’re not going to use it, guv, I will….”
Alternative suggestions eagerly awaited.
bb.
=
Different shapes and heights will give interest and differing sizes may be more suited to different crops!
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