01-09-2004, 10:20 AM
Seeing as the season is now winding down (notice the chill in the air?) it seems like a good time to ask everyone how their gardening year worked out - did things go according to plan this year?
What successes and what failures can you report?
What are you planning for next year?
From my side the move to a new house at the beginning of May put paid to my gardening plans for the year - I gave my tomato plants away, and my chilli and eggplants are still sitting in pots - they did not flower this year (hardly surprising as it was so overcast) so will bring them in for the winter and hope for better luck next year.
The herb garden did well - most of these plants will overwinter indoors or on the patio but I lost my battle to keep the basils from flowering so all three varieties will have to be replanted next season.
On the fruit front the apple tree we inherited has produced an excellent crop of cooking apples, and by the look of it, we will have a bumper crop of blackberries as well.
Plans for the winter are to cut back the hedge on the back fence and remove the apple tree growing there and prepare that space as a vegetable garden. The other apple tree will be pruned back hard to encourage a bigger crop next year. New additions to the backyard will include blackcurrant bushes and a raspberry cane or two.
In the front garden we will go for herbs and flowers and a few architectural plants such as cardoon and artichoke. Am putting down a lot of bulbs for the spring and summer and have a few flower boxes to prepare for winter flowering plants. One side of the drive has a lot of trees and shrubs - these will be pruned back and/or removed and a better screen will be planted with amaranth (advantage being the leaves are edible).
What successes and what failures can you report?
What are you planning for next year?
From my side the move to a new house at the beginning of May put paid to my gardening plans for the year - I gave my tomato plants away, and my chilli and eggplants are still sitting in pots - they did not flower this year (hardly surprising as it was so overcast) so will bring them in for the winter and hope for better luck next year.
The herb garden did well - most of these plants will overwinter indoors or on the patio but I lost my battle to keep the basils from flowering so all three varieties will have to be replanted next season.
On the fruit front the apple tree we inherited has produced an excellent crop of cooking apples, and by the look of it, we will have a bumper crop of blackberries as well.
Plans for the winter are to cut back the hedge on the back fence and remove the apple tree growing there and prepare that space as a vegetable garden. The other apple tree will be pruned back hard to encourage a bigger crop next year. New additions to the backyard will include blackcurrant bushes and a raspberry cane or two.
In the front garden we will go for herbs and flowers and a few architectural plants such as cardoon and artichoke. Am putting down a lot of bulbs for the spring and summer and have a few flower boxes to prepare for winter flowering plants. One side of the drive has a lot of trees and shrubs - these will be pruned back and/or removed and a better screen will be planted with amaranth (advantage being the leaves are edible).