Does anyone know anything about gardening?

Mine’s looking primordial this morning. The alliums that towered above everything a month or so ago are skeletons hidden by waist-high green.

I’m happy that my three water butts are completely replenished and the scorched tree at the front is producing fresh leaves. Not so happy I’ve got to go and pitch a tent in a couple of hours.

Can the tent be pitched on a pontoon?

Any recommendations to help give our raised beds some height?

Pretty pleased with how much they've filled out considering they were bare dirt in April but they're a bit uniform and could do with something to break up the fences. Worth mentioning that they have a sleeper at the back...

Also, super pleased with how lush the new grass is looking now we dug down and added an inch of good topsoil before laying new turf. Really filled in beautifully.

3 Attachments

Verbena? Probably only a couple of feet though so you might want something taller at the back.

My verbena bonariensis are more like 4ft at the moment, but not really a back of the border plant as they're so light and airy. What about salvias or echinaceas?

I would also make the most of the fence by training climbers all the way along.

And something like nasturtiums to trail over the front?

Any of these fence panels south facing?
If yes, espaliered fruit trees are the obvious choice.

Or go mad with tree echiums. Good to have some drama!

Ha they look like massive ganja buds!

Bees go flipping crazy for them, you get a buzzing column of busy bees buzzing like bastards. Also they seed everywhere so you get eleventy billion seedlings.

Foxgloves are a couple of feet, verbena anywhere up to 6' if in a sheltered spot. I like those big yellow achilleas too.
Climbers - jasmine or clematis for something permanent, sweetpeas and nasturtiums for annuals that will scramble up a bamboo stake or two. Although nasturtiums sometimes decide to go across rather than up.

The panels are all south facing... if you're on the other side of them :')

They get full sun from 5am until about 11am in the summer, as the sun comes from the left of the frame.

Those look ace. Do they actually grow in the UK? Looks a bit tropical there...

I have some in the ground. If they survive the winter (Bristol, sheltered urban garden), they ought to flower next year. I've seen one in flower a few streets down.

So yes, they can, but I think they are borderline hardy so may need protection in a bad winter.

Have seen photos of them looking incredible in Cornwall.

This photo is apparently from Dorset

Ha. They're mental. Definitely on the list for lols.

Thanks all for the other suggestions - will pop to a garden centre on Sunday.

Our foxgloves are about 4' tall. Good for some height and self seed like mad, but they're biennials and probably happiest with a bit of shade.
Bumblebees love them.
Sweet peas are a good bet if you can put something in for them to climb

Foxgloves

Possibly not the best thing if there's a little one roaming the garden.

If it doesn't get that much sun then check out ferns, as theres a huge variety. Likewise Seedum.

These will grow well with minimal sun
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/54731/Persicaria-bistorta/Details

We've got Holly hocks, verbena, verbascum and delphiniums for height. I've actually tried digging the delphinium out three times now and it's always reappeared so given up and just let it be

Left field suggestion; dill.

If I leave ours unchecked it'll hit 6' or 7' some years. Admittedly that's in a sunny spot.

Yeah good point. I think sweetpea maybe more hazardous (appealing to eat) even if less toxic.

I believe verbena and achillea are fairly safe, nasturtiums definitely edible.

I've been wondering about this. Baby is currently way too small to go rummaging in the garden, but we have quite a few toxic plants.

The way I see it though, there are so many toxic plants around, not just in our garden but all over the place, that there's no point grubbing out our foxgloves when what we really need to do is instill the lesson to never eat plants unless you know they are safe.

^this.
We don’t have kids but I certainly grew up being told what was/wasn’t ok in the garden. I certainly remember there being a ton of foxgloves in our garden and my Nans...
Getting stung by nettles etc is all part of growing up!

We steered clear of foxgloves after my sister got stung trying to pet a bee in one!