I dont know about you but this last spell of weather has really had an effect on the garden.

First we had a mild wet spring, so I couldn't get onto the garden because it was too wet, then two scorching weeks in July where I had to do a lot of watering - but otherwise it turned out not to be the best of summers...

Then we had one of the driest autumns on record followed by what must have been one of the wettest winters. I certainly haven't had to paddle down the garden to rescue my containers from drowning...

The to top that off the ground froze solid for two weeks, so much so that the bulbs have had problems getting through...

Trouble is that we will not notice the damage until later this year. I should imagin that we are going to loose a lot more trees and shrubs whose roots have simply drowned.

What has been your disaster this last year?.

Angela

The trouble in my garden seems to be that everything in the garden is covered in that horrible green slippery slime! I think my plants have survived but like you say it remains to be seen. My garden is mainly patio with a pond and containers so im hoping that my plants didnt freeze in their pots. We got rid of the grass last year because it was either a mud bath or solid concrete, as we have terrible clay soil. Ive noticed some buds forming on my corkscrew willow so im feeling hopeful that spring is just around the corner.

Thanks for the reply I though no one ever would.

Oh what a yucky thing to have in the garden... have you invested in a power hose to get rid of it - if not how do you cope?.

I garden on sticky clay and I watch these gardening programmes and laugh when they talk aboug "friable" soil - mine is either too wet to dig or too dry - there is little time in between to get it right and you have to learn to live with it - you could make bricks with my soil... and in the past they did in this area...

Well its late and I must get home. Speak to you soon

Angela

Yes, I quite agree, a power hose would be a great idea. I 'll invest in one and come perhaps March, April time I'll give it a good douse! I've also got 3 rabbits and a sizeable run for them and they seem to delight in throwing sawdust and straw out of their hutches and watch it blow all over the garden! My garden seems to be a full time job but I really love it all the same. I seem to be quite interested in grasses just lately and I love cordylines. Going back to my rabbits, last year I couldnt believe it when a tomato plant sprang up out of nowhere on a small bed I have. I couldnt figure out where it had come from and then I realised. My rabbits eat tomatoes and I sometimes let them run round the garden. You have probably guessed! Where they had a call of nature hey presto! up sprung a tomato plant. I didnt really fancy eatimg them though!!

Sorry run out of space. Speak to you soon.

Deborah

I feed the birds and it is amazing how much they waste and which I have to clear up - which is a really mucky job when its wet like it has been...

I am hoping that the weather is going to improve enough so that I can get out there this weekend. But given the forcast the soil is most likely to be frozen again... :(

Angie

Hi, Angie,
The birds make quite a mess in my garden too. Sadly the other day a robin flew into my conservatory window and I found it on the floor. I was hoping it was just stunned so I put it in the shed, just in case maybe a cat would have a go at it, but unfortunately it was dead. Such a shame when you hear how our, birds even the sparrows seem to be declining. My budgie, who flies around inside my house, loves to look out into the garden and watches all the birds. I am looking forward to seeing the frogs again. Speak soon Deborah

You can't wait for FROGS!!!!!.......OMG birds and frogs are my BIGGEST fear . Need to go and have a lie down now just at the mention of them

Sorry about that!!! We actually had to have a frog put to sleep last summer. We found him with a mangled leg and he was very thin so we took him to the vets, but they couldnt do anything for him. We felt a bit strange though, because we had him in a bucket and everybody that walked past gave our bucket a funny look!!!

I hope you have recovered!!

Deborah

I dont know how you are going to manage in my garden in the summer Steph as I feed the birds all year around... however, I do limit it to the bottom of the garden and they rarely come up close to the house so you will be fine on the patio.

As for frog - I get toads - I do not know where they come from as I do not have a pond and I don't know of one anywhere in the area either.

The cat loves them and carries them around in his mouth, he is very disappointed when they wont play with them and when I take them off of him and hide them... :(

Its quite a game in the summer trying to stop the cat running away from me carrying a toad around in his mouth.

I love to see wildlife in the garden. There are certainly no shortage of sparrows in my garden but the birds which seem to have benefitted most from my feeding them is the Goldfinches - I am now up to a flock of about 30 of these highly coloured birds and when the mixed flock which includes sparrows and greenfinches descends on my garden to feed - the scene is reminicent of a scene out of The Birds.

Angela

Hi, Last year we took a away a small pond we had in the middle of the garden and built a bigger one at the back. When we emptied the small one, we must have had about 60 frogs in the bottom!!
I'm sorry steph I wont mention frogs anymore!!

Deborah

You will just have to spend time in my garden then Angie...lol

It's ok really Deborah.......

Thanks Steph, I would hate to think of you passing out everytime you came on here!!!

Have you got a nice garden? Angies sounds lovely.

Deborah

Just practising a smilie as I've never done one before!

Deborah

Steph will have a nice garden by the time its had its make-over in the spring... unfortunately her garden is very small so we have to figure out a way to make it as useable as possible.

That includes getting Andrew to move the piles of wood etc from it and finding a new home for them and the shed... we will see what can then be done... but hopefully we will transform it into the paradise which Steph is dreaming of...

Angie

I take it you and Steph live near each other or know each other in

Sorry my last message didnt come up properly! As I was saying do you and Steph know each other in

I give up! Ill try later!
Deborah

I am going too try this message again!!
Do you and Steph know each other in "real life"? Did you get any snow last week? Here in Peterborough we got quite a lot. When myself and my little boy tried to make a snowman the snow wouldnt stick together! Im sure snow was different when I was a kid!
Do you live in the warmer parts of England or up in the colder climes up north? The way it feels now it might as well be Siberia here!!!
Speak soon
Deborah

Hi Deborah,

Yes Steph and I have got to know each other - we managed to contact each other by getting the hosts to give our contact details to the other and got in touch that way.

Well it did seem silly - I live in Aylesbury and Steph lives in Leyton Buzzard - about a 20 minute drive...

I was up in Peterborough before Christmas as my friends partner lives there in an area which starts Dog.... I will probably be driving up in the summer as I am told he does a mean BBQ...

Anyway - we met, we got on as friends and are going to swap tallents - you see Steph is really, really tallented when it comes to decorating and has a good eye for colour - whereas my expertise lies in the garden - so it seemed a good swap.

Angela

Hi Angie. Thats nice how you met and got on. Isnt it a small world though? To only live down the road from each other. I think the place in Peterborough you are thinking of is Dogsthorpe. I actually used to live in Dogsthorpe Road. I know several people who live in Dogsthorpe. I only live about 10 minute drive from there. It really is a small world.

The good thing about Peterborough is we are pretty central and we have the A1 not far away. It only takes abour 1 hour to get to London straight down the A1. We are going to take my little boy to London for his first visit later this year. I actually come from the east end so I like to go back and have some pie and mash!

I had school friends who came from Aylesbury. Is it a big place? I remember being on a train once and it stopped at Leighton Buzzard but I've never visited there either. So many places in this country still to see!
Speak to you soon
Deborah

Hi Deborah,

Yes thats the place... all I know is you go on the by-pass or is it the A1 until you see signs for Dogs... then at the lights you turn left, you then turn almost immediately right, then first right and its on the left... I know I could find it again without much of a problem - but then I have a good sense of direction and can read a map... which cannot be said of most people including my friend Debbie or my sister-in-law Julie who can get lost going to the shops LOL unkind but true...

Aylesbury is a reasonably sized place - not up to Peterborough of course... and unfortunately it is on the end of a line but it does go to London which is why property prices have started to rise again.

When you take your son to London you must take him on one of those Bus tours as they are really good for seeing the sights plus you should combine it with a trip on the London Eye but remember to book your tickets in advance so you dont have to queue... have fun

Speak to you soon

Angela

Angie is my own personal landscape gardener.......Just waiting to apply for planning permission to get my wall built now!

Hi Steph and Angela, sounds like you two make a good team. Perhaps UK Style could give you both your own programme, Angela outside and Steph inside! What do you think! I'm sure you could come up with ideas just as good as they do on the TV if not better. I should think they are always on the lookout for fresh faces. You never know!!

The bus tour you mentioned, we went on one in Bournemouth a couple of years ago and it really showed us things we would have missed. I think it woould be a good idea in London. I would like to go on the ghost tours they have in most towns. Either of you been on one of those? Perhaps when my sons a bit older we could go together I think my husband would just be scared! He doesnt like things like that!!

Speak to you soon

Deborah

Deborah,

Hi again,

When visiting London you need to have an idea of what it is you actually want to do and see. Otherwise, you will spend you time rushing around getting frazled and missing things.

A bus tour and the London Eye plus a trip to either Madam Tousaud's or the London Planaterium (where oh where is a spell checker ) or similar is enough for one visit - plus you have to fit in something to eat, getting in, out and around London. That is a lot to fit in and could leave you

Other trips which are good are the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum - which has hands on exhibts and London Zoo (need better weather - but would beat the crowds)...

Angela