Will I ever finish what I have started?

[Susan Band]

This winter I was a bit over zealous in ordering my American seed and now they are germinating with no where to put them.
I have decided to renovate the long defunct Rockery and thought if I wrote a blog it might make me finish the task!
It started with a little bit of prunning and removal of a few dwarf conifers.
All that will be left before reconstruction is the Blue Cedar, the Sorbus vilmorinii and a large fern.
Here's the result of the first 2 days work. Hopefully the blog will continue

[David Nicholson]

Looking forward to it Susan, I suffer from the same problem!

[mark smyth]

I need to update my garden also. The peat bed needs all plants to be removed and replaced with the smallest Rhododendrons I can find. Maybe Maggi will help? Two other beds  have never been good and although bulbs grow well mosses grow too well

I'm watching what you do Susan!

[Susan Band]

Luckily Mark there wasn't anything worth saving in the rockery. Peat blocks do need replacing often and some plants do too well in them!

Just in from clearing of the grass and moss, too dark now to take pictures.
I am wondering how to rebuild. The bulk was made well with round boulders in the 1950's and although I prefer more terraced look I think I will have to keep it all in the same style. I have plenty of flat stones for a crevice garden but I think it will look out of place.

Susan

[Tim Ingram]

Susan - having just ordered a whole lot of seed (a bit late) from Alplains, and got a nice lot from Euroseeds I would be really interested in your plants from seed, especially in a really different environment. I am keen to try a lot more legumes on sand beds, and possibly also male an all year round covered bed for real drylanders (so far I have't been able to source any tufa but will keep looking). Best wishes - I don't think there is ever much chance of finishing but a lot of fun trying!

[tonyg]

Good luck in the renovation.  I am trying to execute a similar recovery here ..... of the whole garden!  Two years into the blog and still a long way from finishing the first clearance.  A bit like painting the Forth Bridge (or at least how it used to be) in that as soon as you turn your back on a cleared bit the weeds creep back in 

Seeing this reminds me that I should update my blog!

[Susan Band]

Tim, Most of the seed has either come from Alplains or czech seed. They are sown in fine perlite and looking good at he moment.I am planning to make up my own perlite plugs to see if that gets them passed the first stage. I have grown with various success, plants from alplains seed . The problem tends to be the atmospheric moisture more than any thing up here and of course my own neglect.

Here are a few pictures from this weekends work. The rockery was made from the subsoil from building the house in 1952. It is very sandy with a lot of stones in it. There are gravel quaries nearby. The large stones are also from the subsoil, Try putting in a fence post here!
The weeds have been taken off and some of the accumulated humus mixed in along with the origional top dressing of gravel. Drainage is not a problem.

So far a small proportion has been uncovered, still loads to do. The rather naff construcion that the clippers are leaning on is a sundial stand which will be removed but it has no intention of going quietly after standing for 60years

Worked was helped by one of Peter Korns shovels, unfortunatly only me at the end of it.

Susan

[Susan Band]

Tony, I know what that feels like. I half renovated the rockery about 20 years ago but gave up. This time, now I have made it public knowledge I had better finish. The seedling Muscari and Chinodoxa will be the worst weeds but at least I can see them at this time of year.
Yes, you should update your blog if only to encourage you not to give up.
Susan

[Gerry Webster]

.........The seedling Muscari and Chinodoxa will be the worst weeds but at least I can see them at this time of year.

Susan - I'd be interested to hear how you plan to get rid of these. My garden is full of them -  over 20 years worth.

[tonyg]

Tony, I know what that feels like. I half renovated the rockery about 20 years ago but gave up. This time, now I have made it public knowledge I had better finish. The seedling Muscari and Chinodoxa will be the worst weeds but at least I can see them at this time of year.
Yes, you should update your blog if only to encourage you not to give up.
Susan

It's about twenty years since we visited Pitcairngreen and took tea with your Mother.  Now I know what was keeping you busy when we were there!

Gerry is right, the bulbs will be the worst.  Good Luck!

[zvone]

Hi Susan!

Beautiful!

Best Regards!  zvone

[Helen Johnstone]

I'm a newbie alpine enthusiast and am anxiously waiting for seeds to germinate that were sown in January.  I haven't thought about where the seedlings will go just want to see some sign of life.

[Susan Band]

Thought I had better update the progress of the rock garden.
Adrian is doing most of it, I just have to bring the selected stones over 
The seed is all germinating and is getting pricked out to wait for completion (well part completion) The top 4 inches of soil with the bulbs in it have been removed and dumped on the road verge to provide colour next year. No doubt after a couple of years some will appear from under the rocks.
Progress has stopped due to the frozen ground but we hope to start again next week. We can only do an hour at a time as nursery duties are beginning to build up.

Patient gardener, I would suggest a trough for your new plants 

Susan

[Helen Johnstone]

Hi Susan
Yes I am thinking of getting some troughs but struggling to work out where from.  I have an old Belfast Sink but they are so heavy.  Any ideas?

Helen

[Susan Band]

Hi Helen,

If you can get hold of some polystyrene boxes you can make 4 or 5 troughs in a day which you can aim at different types of plants and place them in different positions. I would place them where you want before filling with compost because they are heavy when filled.
Look at Ian's bulb log to find out how to make them. There was also talk here recently.
I can never find links but our talented maggie will no doubt let you know.
Good luck

Susan