The Lawn is a disgrace!

Will we be able to renovate this lawn or shall we have to start again from scratch?

It is full of couch grass. It was cut about a week ago but it made it look worse.

Ive asked my friends on Sheffield forum to help.

What do you think?

Plant a tree in '73 plant some more in 2006

Doesnt quite scan so well does it? Plant a tree in 2006. Anyone else remember the slogan 'Plant a Tree in '73'?

Well I bought some trees from Netto. A bargain at £3.99 each. Listed below:

Helderfinger Cherry - a good choice for garden use and a good pollinator for other cherries. Good Flavour with juicy flesh, or so the blurb says.
The label says its a self pollinator. I googled it and couldnt find Helderfinger but found Hedelfingen which I presume is the same, but many sites say it needs a pollinator, so if you know about this tree let me know please!!! Picking time late July. Never had a real cherry tree before so we will see.

Bramley Apple - Needs pollinator: Elstar, Granny Smith or Cox's Orange (nearly typed Cox's orgasm for some reason).

Elstar Apple - Pollinator G. Smith or Cox's (couldnt find either of these)

Golden Delicious Apple - Pollinator Elstar, Granny Smith or Cox's Orange

On the back of the apple label it gives pruning info which I will reproduce here because Im bound to lose the label:

• Regular pruning of apple trees is necessary to promote more fruit bearing growths, and therefore more fruit. In early summer prune the current years growth back approximately 6 or 7 buds from the main stem. This will encourage more fruiting spur growths to form. In winter simply prune out any overcrowded branches and remove any diseased branches and any crossing branches. The aim of this is to open up the centre of the tree. With apple trees it is important to remember when shaping your tree, that horizontal branches bear more fruit than vertical branches do.
• Use a good general fertiliser which as a large potash content in early spring.
• Use a good multi purpose spray for mildew and aphid.

Malus Crab Apple John Downie - bears white flowers in spring succeeded by large red-flushed, orange crab apples in autumn.

Sorbus Aucuparia - Ornamental tree. White flowers in spring followed by red berries.

I planted these today. Worked in a bit of compost with them all. All the fruit trees are in the back garden around the fence, hope they get enough sun in summer. The Rowan is in the back, too in the sunny spot for some reason. Mr P wouldnt let me change my mind as he was labouring today. The crab has gone into the front.
Photos to follow (hopefully).

We also planted some more bulbs.

Bought some more stuff from Netto like heathers, box, skimmia, red hot poker, helenium. Havent planted these yet.

Moving in - a blank canvas - September 2006

We moved into our new home on 23rd September 2006. I am the gardener of the family - and answer to Peaches. Mr Peaches is a mere labourer. We have two little peaches too which aid and abet my attempts at gardening.



What struck me at first was that the previous occupants were definitely not gardeners. All we had were two unkempt lawns, which were too wet to cut.



14th October 2006

This weekend I started to do a bit of work. I bought some shrubs from Morrisons and commenced planting. I dug over the bed at the side of the patio, under the kitchen window. Despite being heavily shaded the soil seems to be in quite good nick. I plant a couple of pyracanthas against the fence, a couple of fuchsias which I brought from my old house, a couple of last year's lavender cuttings from old house a pair of Christmas Roses, several bulbs and a few primula.

I then dug over the bed just past the outhouse which was covered in almost grass (dont know what its called but its that shallow rooted stuff which sends out runners). I plant two more pyracanthas against the fence, and think I probably need two more! Then the young lad helps me plant several mixed daffodil bulbs, a Viburnum Tinus and a heuchera. I remove quite a few slugs and snails and decide I need some pellets or something.

The slabs on the path are quite uneven and I make a mental note to tell Mr P to attend to them.

I get out the strimmer and attempt the so called lawn. It is so long and doesnt strim well. The strimmer keeps dying. I try the flymo with a bit more success, but Mr P comes along with the rotary mower and cuts it after a fashion. It looks a mess. Its lumpy and bumpy and the grass is barely grass. Vile. I decide it needs to be redone but I darent tell Mr P yet as he is struggling with laminate flooring.

A couple of days later I add an Acuba as its good in shade. The garden has lots of that! Also I plant an old fuchsia from my previous garden and a sedum from the same place, a few more bulbs and I also have a go at some Irishmens cuttings or hardwood cuttings. These are from the old garden and are basically foot long lengths of forsythia, ribes, mock orange and euonymous cut from the old garden and stuck into a sheltered patch near the patio door.