Gardens, plants etc 2020

Hi Pet1968

What a healthy looking group of plants, the two large blooms are hydrangea I presume. I have a couple in my garden but at this time of year the colour has gone leaving a head that is used widely for arrangements. Is there a reason for the covering overhead, part of a greenhouse perhaps? Or is it too hot where you live for a greenhouse.

Have you conquered the knack of sending photos? I'm looking forward to more photos, especially one with a 'roo at speed.

Take care and stay safe Pet

Tvman xx

Hi fellow gardeners and non gardeners of course

It's time now to be planting bulbs to brighten up the arrival of spring, which seems so far away. Also you can sow for a beautiful display of sweetpea as well as for broad beans. In the case of the latter I rather prefer to sow in late February under glass because if light levels aren't good over winter then the planis can become quite leggy. The seedlings would quickly catch up with those planted in late autumn and can be a sturdier seedling. 

I've been busy sowing wild flower seeds on a bank a few feet away from my bedroom window. It's the time in the growing year for that, although preparation, as always, is the key to success. I cleared the bank of grass and weeds then gave it a good raking to loosen the top 2 or so inches of soil then broadcast sowed the wild flower seeds that I purchased from one of the main seed companies. Most seed companies sell the seeds for making a wildflower area in your garden. The seeds should germinate in early spring and give a great summer and autumn display of a multitude of wildflowers. Then, after the plants have set their seeds, strim the area and the seeds fall to ground and will germinate in early spring again so you can have a perpetual area of wildflowers year after year. As a gardener that to me is a wonderful thought and a special picture in my head. A wildflower area is rich in flowers that attract bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects.

Time to tidy up the garden now folks while the soil is still workable. Starting next month Mrs Tvman and I are going to tackle 3 shrubberies in the garden. Every 5 or 6 years we cut them back and make room for some new shrubs. We're starting a new area to the right of the new wildflower area where we're going to plant a few azaleas and a couple of other low growing plants to be decided on to cover the other part of the bank. 

Also in one shrubbery we want to grow a few Japanese maples to add autumn and winter colour.

Happy gardening friends

Tvman xx

Sounds lovely.myou really look after your garden lovely to have enough size to grow wild flowers as well.

if you watch Monty Don he shows how to that .

though it is his last episode this week.

we have sown the broad bean seeds and have never done it at this time of year before .mtaken in the geraniums and have some wallflower seedlings growing in the garage from seed.

thank you for all the tips 

Ruth x

Hi Guys

Had a bit of good news, gardening wise. I sent a letter to the letters page of a national weekly gardening magazine, Garden News. That was about 3 weeks ago. The letter is about my journey with cancer and my spinal problem and how with Mrs Tvman and Woody we built raised beds in preparation for putting up a framework then covering it with plastic to make a polytunnel. Woody played a key role in keeping birds away from the soft fruit in the plot area outside of the proposed polytunnel.

A week later I had an email from the paper that said they are going to publish my letter, yayyy!!! Then a few days ago I had another email from the magazine stating that my letter has been chosen as the star letter for the issue dated 31st October 2020. I also win a £25 voucher for Mr Fothergill's catalogue. Even more yayyy!!!!

So Garden News dated 31st October. You can have a read of it in largeish newsagents. Some supermarkets also.

Tvman xx

Well done both for writing the article and getting it published 

Ruth x

Thank you Ruth. Is this group layout  looking strange for you or is it just my phone? Although I have looked at other groups and they seem normal.

Tvman xx

Yes it tnwas not straightforward replying to you 

all the old posts come up.

Ruth 

tvman wow that's great!!! You are now our new celeb .

But i'm so glad for you , it really has been hard work for you and Mrs Tvman..( by the way, is your wife called Tvwoman? Or TVwifey??

Hugs Pet

Thank you Pet1968

If I called her Tvwifey I'd need to duck to avoid a flying garden fork lol. She's happy to be called Mrs Tvman but then who knows what a woman really thinks???

Tvman xx

Hi everyone

Popped into the local shop (2 miles away) for only the second time since lockdown started in March and picked up the Garden News dated 31st October 2020. There on page 52 is my star letter, winning me a £25 voucher for use in Mr Fothergill's catalogue. I thought afterwards that I should have put something about the community but I never thought of it. Doh! 

Enjoy reading it guys

Tvman xx