I would be the first to admit that it's only been in the past few years that I have gotten into gardening and growing fruit and vegetables. The house we moved into had a nice sized garden but being the end house was open to the kids playing in the turn behind the house. So it started out with just putting up fir trees to make it a little bit more private. Then I closed part of the garden of so that the dogs had their part and the humans had their part.
Then came the Greenhouse, which I got and built it in the Autumn of 2014 to get ready for Spring 2015.
In the first year I grew tomatoes and pumpkins which grew very well. I also had a go at growing a few fruit bushes in the greenhouse, these were Inca berries. They needed to be in the Greenhouse for atleast one year.
In the garden itself I started growing a Gooseberry bush, Blueberries, Blackcurrants and Whitecurrants.
There are Olive trees (small) growing, lavender bushes, Rosemary and Sage. Along with Honeysuckle, Star Jasmine and a Climbing Hydrangea.
Looking into the garden, I have roses (of many colours) growing over the arches with lanterns hanging from each arch.
You can see the BBQ over to the right which hopefully will be used a few times this year.
A Bay tree which has been growing for the last two years. I thought it had nearly died after the first year but I moved it last spring and it is flourishing in it's new spot.
Mint is taking over certain patches of the garden but it smells so, so good! I now dig some up but I pot them rather than throw them away because who doesn't love the smell of fresh mint and I set the pots around the front of the house.
One of my Olive trees, which has a few olives appearing. I hope to harvest them before the birds get them, to try to grow some more trees!
Potted Christmas trees from 2014, which I planted in the New Year 2015. It is growing nicely and had some fairy lights around it this Christmas.
I love our swing bench and have some Clematis growing around it and when fully flowered in bloom, should smell amazing. Wonderful mosiac firepit which is great to have on, on those hot sunny days, which turn into BBQ evenings and alcholic evenings surrounded by friends and mighty criac.
I forgot about the young trees that are planted around the garden. There is two Cherry trees, two Plums, a Pear and Apple tree growing there as well.
Here is one of the Cherry trees growing beside another of the seated areas in the garden.
Two of the Blackcurrant and Whitecurrant bushes. You can see I have a net roughly put over as because of my hip, I can't get in properly to secure them. Last year I let the birds feast on them but this year I'd like to try to maybe make something with them.
You can also spot in the bottom left of yhe picture a hedgehog house for any that pass our way.
On the other side of the seat, there is the Plum tree which is growing through it. It is only in it's second year, it really shot up last year, so hopefully fruit will grow this year.
Some of the Rosemary bushes and Cherry and Plum tree.
This part is edged and I have attached tope lights along the edge, which get lite up in late evenings when the sun has shown it's face.
Here we have the Gooseberry bush which yielded lots of fruit in it's first year, so I'm hoping for more this year for a jam or curd!
Then the rest of the bushes are Raspberries which really did well with fruit last year, I did get these netted last year as the birds earlier in the season had huge fun filling themselves with the fruit.
There is lavender, Rosemary and mint all growing together. With some of the climbers growing up the fence and the shed.
Here we are at the opening of my greenhouse. I enjoy pottering about in here and a few hours can disappear quite fast when I'm in here.
I have five Inca berry bushes growing at the back which I planted from seeds last year, they can be potted outside this year but I think I might keep them indoors again this year.
On the back shelf I am trying to grow Fig and Lemon trees from seeds with mixed success.
On the ground to the right I am growing Chamomile from tea and two pots of strawberries which I moved from around the house.
The pot to the left at the back is an Apple tree grown from a seed that my parents potted about Five years ago before they said for me to take it. The first year here, it didn't do well but once moved into the greenhouse it has really bloomed over the last two years and as you can see, the leaves are growing well again this year.
And the middle row on the ground has Brussels Sprouts and the trough has Scotch Bonnet chills just planted.
On the back shelf I am trying to grow Fig and Lemon trees from seeds with mixed success. On the right I have troughs full of herbs, growing away ready to be hung out on the iron fences in the next months. There is Basil, Pak Choi, Fenugreek, Oregano and Broccoli.
The pots on the floor have seven Garlic growing from an old pod of garlic from the fridge.
Another few Raspberry bushes which were growing from fallen seeds in the garden, which were growing in the wrong place and I uprooted and potted them.
All these pots have several different tomato varities (Red Cherry, Red Pear, Tigerella) growing as well as Atlantic Giant Pumpkins, Small sugar Pumpkins, Butternut Squashes, Cucamelons, Asparagus Peas. As well as Beetroots, Rhubarb, Tomatillos, Squashes, Courgettes, Cucumbers and Thyme which aren't in the pictures.
Another picture of the troughs with the herbs growing in them. The blue pellets are to stop the slugsand snails from feasting.
A closer picture of the fig and lemon seeds.
Odds and sods of pots and tools that come into use all the time.
All these pots will find a use, at some stage of growing.
More trellis which will be put up somewhere once I'm fully able to complete such manual work. Along with felt, which will be used for something, I'm sure.
Well, there we have it. A walk around my garden, I hope you liked it.
Follow me on Twitter to see garden images from the coming season and maybe some recipes that I've made from the fruits and vegetables
@becomingdadni
Becoming Dad......
