Does anyone know anything about gardening?

I’m not short of space, and at the moment not short of time! I’ll take some photos at some point, we have the veg side garden, front garden with lawn and borders, middle garden which is decking, oak sleeper herb planters with lawn, then there is the kids play area and behind that there is the back garden which is currently a mud pit!

Thanks for the replies everyone, very useful.
It looks like some eBay people are still offering sleeper delivery as well.
What should I use against the fence line? Marine ply? Do I need to use a DPM inside the raised beds?

@hugo7 we plan to have a small section breaking out into the lawn area in the last 3rd which will have an apple tree in it, which will help break up the long run.
That photo was taken from the patio so there is room behind where I was standing for table and chairs.

Not really keen to terrace the lawn at this stage as our son is about to start walking and is like him to have as much step free space as possible to run (and eventually ride a bike!)

Any suggestions for the right hand side? I’m thinking small beds with some bushy type things and maybe some stuff growing up the fence. Keen to keep as much width as possible as the garden’s already long and thin.

did you make the concrete planter yourself?

I didn’t but wish I did, the guys who laid the turf included it in the quote and then used the wrong block - standard breeze when I wanted the wider hollow ones. I’d already hired a digger and graded the whole plot, there was a 4ft drop on the diagonal from the workshop to the rear fence but we needed some grass in a hurry so we could use it in the summer 2018.
Anyway, painted the bits I’d rendered last year before I have to barrow in a ton of topsoil tomorrow.
@Constable_Savage yep, we’ve got one of them pesky felines too. We decided to fork out for the proper fitted cover for this frame which was a kick in the nuts when we only paid £200 for the whole lot.

@Sam_w great work fella.

See 2. of my answers, a proper block wall or a sleeper wall, leave a gap of a few inches for inevitable fence repair/replacement. Not much point in dpm, in my experience damp will always get behind it.

Sorry missed that first time round.
Any reason not to use alternative timber rather than brick? It’ll only be around 600mm tall and sheet timber will be much quicker than brick and cheaper than sleepers.
For the dpm I meant to retain moisture in the bed, rather than preventing moisture behind it.

And do I need to bed the sleepers on hardcore/concrete to stop them moving?

And do I need to bed the sleepers on hardcore/concrete to stop them moving?

Better off using type 1 because y'know hardcore is rubbish

https://youtu.be/fGm_2_iZcTc

😉

b a n g e r

What #Bobbo said re Type 1, use concrete for brick or block.

You might as well use cardboard as use sheet timber for retaining soil, it will last as long. This is why you don't want soil against your fence in the first place!

Not really keen to terrace the lawn at this stage as our son is about to start walking and is like him to have as much step free space as possible to run (and eventually ride a bike!)

Any suggestions for the right hand side? I’m thinking small beds with some bushy type things and maybe some stuff growing up the fence. Keen to keep as much width as possible as the garden’s already long and thin.

Totally get having a simple space to run etc. You could always look into creating some sort of shape or maybe a gentle grass slope to a terrace - if that makes sense? Then there will be something to run, roll down, sledge down, etc. and you could even shape it to be a sort of green sunlounger on the southside. Remember he'll be walking for a lot longer than he'll be learning to walk. Also select a tough grass rather than a fine nicer looking grass.

I'm trying to find a photo of our Northside in summer but can't. So this isn't the best picture and I don't know what the plant is called in the second, deutzia I think - but it looks good in summer. If you like hydrangeas they do well. Also we have a rambling rose which works well now it's grow, as there is enough sun at the top of the fence (although it's brother on the sunny side is about x4 the size. Personally I would just have a few spaced decent size plants rather than a bed. That way you keep the visual width to the north fence in places, but it's broken up.

Something to think about is year round interest. We inherited most of our garden and it's really lacking in winter. Early spring these daffs look amazing in a bit clump, but otherwise it's only now that it's coming round.

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I meant sheet behind a waterproof membrane but I get your point. I'm pretty practical but have never tackled bricklaying, so this seems like a good project to give it a go on seeing as it'll be hidden!

It can't be difficult, I can do it. If I remember right, you're looking at 60cm, in which case 2 blocks high by 2 blocks wide with a brick capping won't be far off (see below but blocks not bricks to front). Ideally, lay your foundation 2" overwidth and about 4" deep and dead flat. Alternatively, if you follow the ground level, cut bottom blocks to angle of foundation with a grinder and diamond blade, top of the bottom course must be level.

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Peas and carrots in, bit of an experiment tbh.

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Well they do go together well

Lovely planter...

I finally organised all our herbs/edibles into terracotta pots, gotta figure out where they're going to go in the garden now... Also planted a bunch of leafy vegetables in our rusty old ALDI planters, two types of kale, spinach, rocket, garlic shoots... I threw loads of worm castings in before sowing the kale seeds and they've sprouted in only a couple of days... Amazing result!

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That's a lot of herbs! I often try to get round to planting some of my own but inevitably I don't use them and run out of enthusiasm. Trying Coriander at the moment...

Keep planting a new coriander every week or ten days. It is prone to bolting quite quickly, unless you are very good at caring for it. If you have a runway 0f pots coming through you'll not be caught short.

Talking of herbs:

A Mediterranean pot with a sage that came from a cutting last year - a large woody sage was hogging too much space in a bed so has given birth to this. A nice compact Thyme to keep it company.

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I've never succeeded with coriander but my mother-in-law says it's easy, gonna give it one last try... Maybe cuz I've always tried to plant the bunches with rootballs that I buy at the supermarket? Apparently they're grown in very specific soil...

We've been eating a lot of leafy greens and the herbs just get turned into pesto if they're getting out of control, good way of pruning them back and making a quick and easy supper...

It helps that we've had a bumper crop of macadamias this year, down under style pesto!

It was all the shop had!

@>>>>>> ta, not sure it’ll work but better than leaving it empty. Jealous of your climate for the kaffir lime tree, I’ve had one for a couple of years now and it’s had a rough ride - too much/not enough sun, water, citrus feed, soil changes etc. I think it’s lost all its leaves at least twice but then bounced back. Oh and having to remove scale insects is a ball ache. Pic was when I had to hack it back recently, shame to waste it.

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Wasn't criticizing, just couldn't resist the Forrest Gump Reference.

I think they are quite intolerant to repotting.

Go from seed and plant a new batch frequently.

Because I don't have any spare pots and I'm procrastinating over my other jobs, I've started work on making a ~40cm³ planter out of the broken fence panels.

It's going to be fairly rustic.

Well before the lockdown I'd ordered one of those bulk discounts on lobilia to split between my mum and a colleague. Now stuck with the whole order. In an effort to find a home for some I've planted some in pots and then put them in the top of the container of our Holly trees. Hoping they'll Cascade over nicely

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Seriously. Is there some magic to putting pics in order?

My apple tree - after a couple of seasons of being blighted by lead curling aphids - is also a riot of blossom. hoping for a decent crop this year. I’ve already given it a precautionary spray with neem & soap earlier when it was budding, and if I see the first hint of aphids then the fuckers will rue the day.

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