Gardening

[DubOudh]

First grass cut this spring...The song says "the first cut is the deepest." but I think the meant the hardest..😇
Well it's done now.

 

[Sproaty]

Here's a little timeline!

Thickness of the grass I was working with - think this is before I cut it back a bit in October




This is now this year - I chopped down the tree at the top right, didn't get a great 'before' picture until I was halfway through.

Gave the grass a mow/strim and decided to kill it off by laying cardboard (sheet mulching). 2nd pic is abut 1/3rd covered, we had a super windy day and I hadn't weighed it down. Woke up to find cardboard everywhere. I'm not going to let the cardboard decompose into the ground as that'll take ages and I want to start planting outdoors - just need a few weeks for the grass to die. This section isn't too weedy so hopefully I can practice "no dig" except for the odd bit here and there.

How it's looking as of Wed night.

I started digging out this bottom area as it's super weedy, heavy with brambles and dock. I uncovered this massive tree root


pic from this morning


Made a vegetable bed, I've never done any sorta woodworking before and think it came out okay! I guessed the angles - and didn't drill pilot holes and just drove the screws in....then I realised my "drill" has a torque setting to toggle between drill/impact driving.

I've also got permission from my neighbour who doesn't take care of his greenhouse to make use of it if I clear a path to it. I've gone a bit overboard - bought a tarp because the roof glass panels are missing, cleaned a path around it, cleaned all the glass (took 2hrs!). Struggling to get the tarp secure currently - the tent pegs I used to hold it down got owned by the wind (was weighed down with a rock!) and pegs that I bought were too big. Currently sitting unsecured!
Dunno if I got these in order...



I've also germinated some seeds for the first time (radish then aubergine), sowed some flowers in the ground and started more seeds earlier on in the week. I might get my potatoes into their grow bags tonight, they've been chitting for ages & I think they're ready!
It's been a massive project so far, I've also tidied up the shed.
It's been fun 🙂
I feel like I accomplish stuff on a daily basis, and as a computer guy it's been great learning much more physical things. I've been pretty useless all my life at DIY/handywork stuff. I'm good physically (e.g. exercise, martial arts, cycling, running) but rubbish at useful things. It's good to apply myself physically too, I'm waking almost an hour and half earlier and getting loads of stuff done in the morning before leaving for work.

 

[Mr.P]

Here's a little timeline!

Thickness of the grass I was working with - think this is before I cut it back a bit in October
View attachment 53716

View attachment 53715

This is now this year - I chopped down the tree at the top right, didn't get a great 'before' picture until I was halfway through.
View attachment 53714View attachment 53713View attachment 53712
Gave the grass a mow/strim and decided to kill it off by laying cardboard (sheet mulching). 2nd pic is abut 1/3rd covered, we had a super windy day and I hadn't weighed it down. Woke up to find cardboard everywhere. I'm not going to let the cardboard decompose into the ground as that'll take ages and I want to start planting outdoors - just need a few weeks for the grass to die. This section isn't too weedy so hopefully I can practice "no dig" except for the odd bit here and there.
View attachment 53711View attachment 53709
How it's looking as of Wed night.
View attachment 53708
I started digging out this bottom area as it's super weedy, heavy with brambles and dock. I uncovered this massive tree root
View attachment 53707

pic from this morning
View attachment 53706

Made a vegetable bed, I've never done any sorta woodworking before and think it came out okay! I guessed the angles - and didn't drill pilot holes and just drove the screws in....then I realised my "drill" has a torque setting to toggle between drill/impact driving.
View attachment 53710
I've also got permission from my neighbour who doesn't take care of his greenhouse to make use of it if I clear a path to it. I've gone a bit overboard - bought a tarp because the roof glass panels are missing, cleaned a path around it, cleaned all the glass (took 2hrs!). Struggling to get the tarp secure currently - the tent pegs I used to hold it down got owned by the wind (was weighed down with a rock!) and pegs that I bought were too big. Currently sitting unsecured!
Dunno if I got these in order...

View attachment 53724View attachment 53721View attachment 53723View attachment 53720View attachment 53719View attachment 53718View attachment 53717View attachment 53725

I've also germinated some seeds for the first time (radish then aubergine), sowed some flowers in the ground and started more seeds earlier on in the week. I might get my potatoes into their grow bags tonight, they've been chitting for ages & I think they're ready!
It's been a massive project so far, I've also tidied up the shed.
It's been fun 🙂
I feel like I accomplish stuff on a daily basis, and as a computer guy it's been great learning much more physical things. I've been pretty useless all my life at DIY/handywork stuff. I'm good physically (e.g. exercise, martial arts, cycling, running) but rubbish at useful things. It's good to apply myself physically too, I'm waking almost an hour and half earlier and getting loads of stuff done in the morning before leaving for work.

this is excellent, a wonderful diversion and a great use of time I hope you enjoy it to the max

 

[jbs1]

I'll be doing work inside early, then later, outside with the grass and such.
First cut also.

 

[Shiningrobes]

Having access to someone else’s garden after 30+ years in NYC is heaven. Especially as one of the many who got hooked on watching Gardeners World during Covid lock down. Deadheading roses is a treat, and this is only three of the varieties and colors. Also, Scotch broom (the yellow flowers) smells amazing! I know there’s an absolute of Spanish broom AKA genet, but I don’t know if it smells the same. This is like a beefed up, more full bodied neroli laced with ylang ylang.

 

[Mr.P]

Sweet woodruff and angelica emerging! Both wonderfully aromatic plants, though the woodruff has to be dried before it smells good - the coumarin only forms when the leaves dry.

 

[Saudalhajri]

Ack, I hate to be "that guy" but the first pic looks more like wild lettuce than mustard.

Notice the latex on the cut leaf - that is one characteristic of the lettuces that the mustards don't share. Lettuces' latin names start with "Lactuca" which shares a root with lactating, lactose, etc. due to the milky sap. Interestingly I read that wild lettuce latex forms a brown sticky opium-like material when dry that is a mild sedative.

I’m back with the right answer finally!
It’s called locally عضيد Adheed, common sowthistle. It’s by western standards a “weed” whatever that means, but here it’s eaten, or added to tea to smoothe the nerves. Big leaves are papery but can be cooked or steamed to slightly soften and decrease the bitterness. I ate them raw and they’re not too bad, kind of like kale, herbal slightly bitter.

 

[DubOudh]

Am going to war in my small garden. Root and branch.

 

[DubOudh]

Am going to war in my small garden. Root and branch.
View attachment 53903

 

[DubOudh]

First time I had ever grew a St Patrick's Day shamrock to actual flower. A pretty little thing.

 

[Sproaty]

Had 6 days off work - spent about 10+hrs every day doing stuff. Some nice progress now, dug out both bottom 'beds' and pulled out all weeds, massive stones and mixed in compost & manure for extra fertility, but I think the soil here is good as there's nettles and brambles growing which like fertile soil. I got my 2nd bed dug out and filled in too.



Got a few plants/shrubs in the ground (some raspberry bushes!) and have a ton of baby plants indoors, and my radish are coming along okay now! I think some of the wildflower seed I'd thrown about and tried to plant have finally started coming through after over a month!
Also some potential stuff in my first (the less full) bed may be sprouting too, trying to think what I planted!
I dunno....I have all this space and really don't know what to grow in the ground with what I have. The more interesting things will need to be in the greenhouse: tomatos, aubergine, chilli, zucchini, lettuce, cucumber etc. I'll see if I can get away with any outside, and I'm gonna use some pots too. Figure out where to grow what based on heights - want to get some beans going but will need to support them. Lots to plan out



Seems like a lot of work to do all this and then to just grow a few rows of carrots.

 

[Mr.P]

Had 6 days off work - spent about 10+hrs every day doing stuff. Some nice progress now, dug out both bottom 'beds' and pulled out all weeds, massive stones and mixed in compost & manure for extra fertility, but I think the soil here is good as there's nettles and brambles growing which like fertile soil. I got my 2nd bed dug out and filled in too.

View attachment 53986View attachment 53985View attachment 53984

Got a few plants/shrubs in the ground (some raspberry bushes!) and have a ton of baby plants indoors, and my radish are coming along okay now! I think some of the wildflower seed I'd thrown about and tried to plant have finally started coming through after over a month!
Also some potential stuff in my first (the less full) bed may be sprouting too, trying to think what I planted!
I dunno....I have all this space and really don't know what to grow in the ground with what I have. The more interesting things will need to be in the greenhouse: tomatos, aubergine, chilli, zucchini, lettuce, cucumber etc. I'll see if I can get away with any outside, and I'm gonna use some pots too. Figure out where to grow what based on heights - want to get some beans going but will need to support them. Lots to plan out

View attachment 53983

Seems like a lot of work to do all this and then to just grow a few rows of carrots.

I think the journey has to be the destination on projects like this because it's only your enjoyment over time that will repay that intense energy investment initially!

So many cool things you can grow though, all kinds of interesting fragrant and medicinal plants.

Here are some good ones: Clary Sage, Angelica, Valerian, lavender, chamomile, borage, comfrey, lemon balm, monarda, marjoram, rosemary, oregano, basil

You could put in a couple of berry bushes as well if you have more space then you can fill with an annual plants you want to harvest.

Really nice seeing this project coming together

 

[Sproaty]

I think the journey has to be the destination on projects like this because it's only your enjoyment over time that will repay that intense energy investment initially!

So many cool things you can grow though, all kinds of interesting fragrant and medicinal plants.

Here are some good ones: Clary Sage, Angelica, Valerian, lavender, chamomile, borage, comfrey, lemon balm, monarda, marjoram, rosemary, oregano, basil

You could put in a couple of berry bushes as well if you have more space then you can fill with an annual plants you want to harvest.

Really nice seeing this project coming together

Thanks for the suggestions! Yes it's absolutely about the journey but getting a bit itchy on what to grow to make best use of the spaces. To grow a lot of carrots takes a surprisng amount of space, and you get one per plant! I was planting out a "row" of spinch in one of the beds and was thinking, "do I need 12 spinach plants?" . I mean, probably not

I've got rosemary and a lavender on the go and have been waiting on basil to sprout (nothing happened after 2 weeks to the first lot I planted 🙁 ). I think I'll buy a few plants instead of seeds as I won't need 20+ chamomile plants so makes more sense to get a few pre-started. I'll get more shrubs too - this weekend will be spent adding some life and colour to the place!
Also have a new pond liner so I can replace the current one and get it filled up and back to life 🙂 That'll be fun - I only discovered it after buying the house and clearing about 25m2 of space down the bottom because it was *so* overgrown

 

[Green Dragon]

@Sproaty if you are planting in garden beds as pictured I highly recommend using the Square Foot gardening method. You don’t use traditional rows but plant highly dense “squares” instead. Much more efficient and higher yields for the space.

 

[DubOudh]

Had 6 days off work - spent about 10+hrs every day doing stuff. Some nice progress now, dug out both bottom 'beds' and pulled out all weeds, massive stones and mixed in compost & manure for extra fertility, but I think the soil here is good as there's nettles and brambles growing which like fertile soil. I got my 2nd bed dug out and filled in too.

View attachment 53986View attachment 53985View attachment 53984

Got a few plants/shrubs in the ground (some raspberry bushes!) and have a ton of baby plants indoors, and my radish are coming along okay now! I think some of the wildflower seed I'd thrown about and tried to plant have finally started coming through after over a month!
Also some potential stuff in my first (the less full) bed may be sprouting too, trying to think what I planted!
I dunno....I have all this space and really don't know what to grow in the ground with what I have. The more interesting things will need to be in the greenhouse: tomatos, aubergine, chilli, zucchini, lettuce, cucumber etc. I'll see if I can get away with any outside, and I'm gonna use some pots too. Figure out where to grow what based on heights - want to get some beans going but will need to support them. Lots to plan out

View attachment 53983

Seems like a lot of work to do all this and then to just grow a few rows of carrots.

Great work there @Sproaty
I work in a community garden area where people have small allotments to grow whatever they want. Most gardening rules fall by the way side here but the results are always quite staggering. Always check out the neighbor's gardens. The soil type will determine how successful your work can be. The soil looks good in these pictures. Cracking job you are doing there bro.

 

[Mr.P]

Sweet woodruff and angelica emerging! Both wonderfully aromatic plants, though the woodruff has to be dried before it smells good - the coumarin only forms when the leaves dry. View attachment 53876View attachment 53877

dag nab it! most of my "angelica" turned out to be wild parsnips. Which are really just the same as garden parsnips but they've become endemic around here after escaping from gardens… Onto the compost heap they go I don't have any time for parsnips. It's going to free up a lot of space in my garden I was sitting here nurturing freaking parsnip seedlings thinking I was going to have an Angelica bonanza. If I get on my bike and travel a quarter mile there's literally an acre of the stuff

 

[Shiningrobes]

Yesterday I discovered that some iris flowers have a scent. A soft, fresh, lovely scent that reminds me of baby aspirin. A subtle orange flavor that I used to sneak the bottle and eat as a kid. Also, I’ve been staying with/helping my parents and the cistus plant that I “tricked” them into buying, mostly because I wanted to smell it, has just started blooming. It’s small and just getting established and was looking so scraggly I thought it wouldn’t make it. But it’s been producing and dropping a couple of flowers every other day. It’s not a cistus labdanum but it still smells amazing.

 

[Saudalhajri]

Caught my sambac blooming this morning, so I threw them in lamb tallow I rendered a while ago so they wouldn’t go to waste. I’ll keep charging it.

I’ve smelled a few dozen sambac oils and extracts, but nothing beats the smell of the flowers themselves

 

[Mr.P]

Caught my sambac blooming this morning, so I threw them in lamb tallow I rendered a while ago so they wouldn’t go to waste. I’ll keep charging it.

I’ve smelled a few dozen sambac oils and extracts, but nothing beats the smell of the flowers themselves

that will be an excellent aroma I'm sure! It's amazing to me how short most extractions fall compared to the fresh flowers. With grandiflorum I feel like something exotic and beautiful and narcotic, the transfixing quality comes through in many of the extracts.

For sambac oils essentially never. I find them pleasant, I wear them pretty regularly, but it's a very simple pleasure compared to some other florals. I have one carbon dioxide select extract that I got from White Lotus aromatics, and it is so lifelike that I find myself wondering if it's a reconstruction of the headspace of the flower or something like that and not an authentic natural oil.

By the way everything I've read on solid enfleurage suggest the flowers remain on the surface and not be submerged in the fat, so they can stay alive and continue to manufacture fragrance for some time. You will get a better yield if the flowers don't get smothered and as long as it's in a closed container the aroma will transfer to the fat they don't have to literally touch the fat with all the surface of the petals. I recognize this may not be practical depending on the proportions of the jar you're doing this in

 

[Mr.P]

I moved into my house a few years ago to be closer to my parents' place - it was basically a small house surrounded by a lawn. For the ornamental beds I gathered seeds and cuttings and seedlings of woodland plants from around my parents property, anything that looked like it was abundant and healthy and thriving I tried putting around the edges of my house and now I've got these beautiful small woodland gardens growing on the shaded side - every plant here you would be likely to encounter in nearby woods and meadows. I did not have the time when I moved in to really research choice ornamental plants so I decided to let nature guide my choices.

Some plants include blood root, Solomon's seal, violet, may apple, maiden hair fern, jack in the pulpit, bracken fern, mountain mint, valerian, meadow rue, elecampane, wild thyme, wild ginger, ramps, some kind of iris, coltsfoot, sweet woodruff, and a few other others I can't think of the top of my head. There's something nice about gardening "with the flow" (unlike a vegetable garden for example).