I've been toiling in my garden

[panik]

It's getting there. The impenetrable rainforest of this time last year is no more, anyway. I've slashed but not burned (it never really dries out enough to burn, tbh *g*), evicted or restrained the rampant and planted mucho fruit trees, bushes, all kinds of veggies. Today I got the perpetual spinach in at last, also cress, rocket, salad leaves, more beans, more peas, more sweet peas, marigolds, radishes, nasturtiums, lilies and stocks. The strawberries, artichokes, cukes and tomatoes are still too tiny to plant out, that'll have to wait till next time and the watercress hasn't arrived yet.

Still much to do, but I'm getting there.


My pot awaits the strawberries. That wall in the back was smothered in Russian Vine, it was a mighty struggle but I think I finally killed it. I'm putting a fig and a kiwi; maybe a peach there this year.



The pond was so badly overgrown, all clear now, smelling gorgeously minty. The toads are back already.



And the bluebells are coming out.



The Burgi Oak! This little chap grew from an acorn Richard Burgi dislodged from an Oak with his golf ball. He did that a lot. :o) The prevailing sound of the weekend was the steady 'thunk' of Richard hitting trees with his balls ;o) - That and the screams of the crowd as his balls hurtled towards them at incredible force and speed. RB is no golfer. Anyway, I grew this from one of those acorns. I thought the wee one might have pegged it, he spent the last 2 years in such a tiny pot and the winter was so harsh, but he lives! He's one tough Oakling. I've re-potted him anyway, in  oak-mould from the woods out back. I hope he'll be happy in his roomy new pot.



Pea sticks . Spinach, radish, marigold, cress and beans also lurk under here. That's my spanky new whitecurrant against the wall. The strawberries are wild-woodland ones which grow like crazy all over my garden. They're only tiny but taste amazing.



alibongo calls him 'Jim in a snit'.
 


Ferns - I have a lot of them; cold and wet is my moorland world. I usually grow a trailing fuchsia in this pot but this little chap's seeded himself and I haven't the heart to evict him. The violets are wild ones that have also seeded themselves everywhere.





Still lots to do.
 
ETA: My free BBC seeds have just arrived. More stuff to plant. Oh joy.

Comments

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's lovely! I covet your rock wall :)

[betagoddess.livejournal.com]

What a beautiful, lush garden! Our is about the opposite - sunny, pretty dry and with mostly sandy soil. We DO have a shady bit which shelters a couple of ferns and soon our lawn will be absolutely covered with wild purple, yellow and white violets.

We also get lovely lily of the valley under our tiny poplar woods. =>}

I love your walls and rocks, pond and pots. Just lovely. =>}

[mab-browne.livejournal.com]

Looking good. :-)

[aerianya.livejournal.com]

Your back garden makes me very happy. The snow is mostly melted so there may be some green for us around the corner.

[snycock.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's lovely! I wish I had your garden tenacity... :-)

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

It all looks so gorgeous. Green and lushness. Don't you just love this time of the year?

I love your Burgi oak - two years old and still so wee, bless. I hope you can persuade him to live long and prosper.

Thanks for the pictures - you make me want to leap about outside and dig - except it's half past ten at night and it could prove a tad tricky... hmmm. Miner's helmet maybe?

[elmyraemilie.livejournal.com]

Such gorgeous pictures. There's something wonderful about the color blue in and around a garden.

::mind wanders to garden center and blue stuff...::

[epistrophia.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the picspam! Your garden looks so lovely!

I'm a little bit jealous of the Burgi Oak - and I love the "Jim in a snit"!

[boogieshoes.livejournal.com]

*snerks at the 'burgi oak'*

and i love 'jim in a snit' - that's just awesome. thanks for posting pics of your garden. mine's coming along as well. i planted a lot - for varying values of 'a lot' - of herbs and food plants. it's always fun to see what other people liek to plant and how they like to see their garden take shape.

-bs

[frostdoll.livejournal.com]

Loevely photos! I spy some peony shots growing near the greens :)

I'm so envious, I long for a garden, just a little place for planting and digging and enjoy my flowers, instead I have an undersized balcony full of pots.

Kiwis are sloooow growers, my father is tending some in a borrowed allotment and it's taking ages to see the first flowers, do you have only one plant? Or do you know if any neighbours have another? Because the female plants need the pollen from the male flowers to produce fruits.

[loligo]

Just wandering in from a search of interests to say that I've created a permaculture community, and we would certainly be glad of your expertise if you felt like participating!