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    My, there’s a couple of mighty fine root veg up the page. Wonder if the taste was compromised by their size?

    My crops were the usual mixed bag this year. Tomatoes, beans, herb and salad crops were excellent. Beetroots were meh again. Chillies were prolific but sweet peppers yielded only a few fruits from 6 plants. Celeriac is still in the trug, but sadly look like they’ll be no bigger than tennis balls.

    Anyways, looks likely I’ll be swapping our small-ish cottage garden in The High Weald for a 3 acre plot down in Pembrokeshire soon. Half of that’s woodland, but I suspect I’ll be ramping up the veg patch and adding a flock of chooks. Our place is under offer and limping along towards exchange/completion, and our bid for a bigger place where we’ll have the mother-in-law live with us was accepted just yesterday (though we aren’t looking to match up sale and purchase on the same day - we’ll aim to squat at the MiL’s current home down near Tenby as an interim measure and, assuming the deals go though, then do some do-er upper work on the new place before we move in).

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      Good news, Slacky. I hope everything proceeds smoothly to a happy conclusion.

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        Seconded.

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          Thirded (and liked, cos these other folk don't understand the internet).

          Having bought this new house in the fall, we are in the awkward spot if not knowing what grows where and also planning a garden. The house faces south, so there are pockets if heavy shade.

          I think I know where the veg garden will go, and - being in a corner - will allow me a lot more ease to set up. The work on what else to do will be fun - I remain agressively native and butterfly / pollinator supportive. There is at least 10ft on the side of the house (west) that I can plant before we learn what else exists.

          With this house I feel I have turned a point in the curve of the US home owner. I am now in the "fuck Hostas" camp. There must be 100-150 of the fuckers.

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            A few years ago Mrs. S and I visited RHS Rosemoor (Devon) and saw an Oak Leaf Hydrangea for the first time, which was spectacular. A couple of years ago we tracked down a supplier here who shipped us a seedling. It’s just yielding its first flower.

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              My, it’s been quiet on the green-fingered front here, ain't it?

              Anyways, I’ve been the bewildered owner of a 3 acre “garden” down in Pembrokeshire for a week now, after swapping it for a small cottage garden in the High Weald of Kent, and I’m just trying to work out how to tackle what currently seems a mammoth task. I’m one of those oiky Boomers that’s come quite a way from Shoreditch council flat origins, who has inherited the gardening gene from my Dad and paternal grandmother, so looking forward to the challenge.

              The property we’ve bought has been empty for 5 years (it was a probate sale, but before that it had been run as a boutique B&B, and before that -80s thru 2005 - owned by a lady who was a Chelsea Flower Show medalist who specialised in roses and had both an ornamental garden open to the public and a garden centre/shop on site), so it’s gone to ruin. A third of it is woodland, half ornamental gardens/lawns/paddocks, and the rest driveway/parking.

              My first job is to clear old paths throughout, then tackle a jungle of brambles and overgrown (20ft plus) laurels and bamboo clumps. Then I’ll get to clear the obvious weeds in the borders (pendulous sedge seems very happy in spots, indicating damp ground), tidy up fallen trees, branches and rampant shrubs, and uncover/repair decorative stone walls. That should keep me busy for 12 months, I reckon.

              A trip to the garden machinery store is required, as I need a sit-on mower, heavy duty strimmer, chainsaw and various other tools to do the tasks.

              Don’t think I’ll be planting anything this year, and just see what’s already there, but next year one of the paddocks will be turned into an allotment and another into a wild flower and fruit tree meadow.

              As well as the main house, there’s a 1 bed cottage, 2 stone “sheds” and the former garden centre store which has 4 rooms, which we’ll use as fitness studio, bike store, DIY workshop and cold-store larder. All buildings need renovation to some degree, but that’s a different story and we’ll get tradesmen in to do much of that work.

              I’ll be posting some updates and photos as we get to it.
              Last edited by slackster; 22-03-2021, 20:44. Reason: Correcting a few stupid autocorrects...

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                Good luck with the project, sounds quite exciting of you have the time.

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                  Well, best of luck with all that slackster! Make sure that you put up lots of photos, ideally of the situation now and then as you progress. I, for one, would be fascinated to see what it looks like now and then to follow the transformation.

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                    For those interested, here’s the Estate agent spec that includes plenty of “before” pics of the garden and woodlands.

                    https://www.drysdaleproperties.co.uk...75-000o-i-r-o/

                    I’ve today completed the first outdoor task: do a first fix clear of all the paths of debris and brambles, so that they are passable. Already got about 10 big bonfire piles, and wrists slashed up by those pesky brambles.

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                      Originally posted by slackster View Post
                      For those interested, here’s the Estate agent spec that includes plenty of “before” pics of the garden and woodlands.

                      https://www.drysdaleproperties.co.uk...75-000o-i-r-o/

                      I’ve today completed the first outdoor task: do a first fix clear of all the paths of debris and brambles, so that they are passable. Already got about 10 big bonfire piles, and wrists slashed up by those pesky brambles.
                      Bloody hell Slackster, you have some work to be doing for quite a time with that amount of land. Are you retired? Just that looks like a real full-time job.

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                        I'm exhausted just looking at the pictures!

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                          Looks great while at the same time challenging but are you sure you want your address published on the net?

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                            Sporting I’ve never been that fussed about putting my address out there. It’s on numerous databases anyway, and if anybody fancies sending me correspondence addressed to Mr Slackster good luck to them. Plus if any of you lot fancy blagging a bed if down my way (once we’ve renovated, anyway) be my guest.

                            I am retired caga, so I’ve got the time - and more importantly, the enthusiasm - to put the grunt work required in.

                            Off to look at splashing some cash on some garden machinery today - need a sit-on mower and heavy duty strimmer pdq as the grass has started galloping away.

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                              I'd be happy to sleep in an outhouse myself.

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                                slackster very nice. Enjoy yourself!

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                                  That’s great slackster - looks like an amazing project and one that is a good amount restoring what you know is possible. Looks like it could be amazing.

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                                    The sit-on mower and other petrol garden machinery is due to be delivered tomorrow. I’m as excited as a child at Xmas. As I’m a novice with these, the seller is going to show me how to use everything. Expect a photo soon of me on my new “motor” soon.

                                    The shop was in the strangest location: right on the beach at Newgale, Pembs. Looked like a house from the front, but was a real Santa’s Grotto of tardis proportions with all sorts of quality brands (they are a Stihl dealer). I could (and did) spend a small fortune in there...Don’t think I’ll look elsewhere much for my gardening, diy tools and ironmongery needs.

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                                      Bloody hell slackster, that's an incredible thing you've taken on there. How amazing to have your own 'lost gardens' to restore, and even the little outbuildings look kind of fairytale cottagey. The fact that it belonged to a Chelsea medallist suggests there must be some terrific plants in there still somewhere – are the roses still present/thriving despite their long neglect? Have a fantastic time recreating it all to your own specifications, best of luck.

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                                        Meanwhile, I can't help but feel that any of the rest of us just posting a picture of some nice flowers we've got coming out won't really cut the mustard now, in comparison with that project.

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                                          Well I did some weeding earlier, if that helps. And dead-headed the roses.

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                                            Yesterday I planted my early potatoes. Some went in to grow bags, others in to large pots. This job for me is always the start of the gardening season.

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                                              Originally posted by DPDPDPDP View Post
                                              Yesterday I planted my early potatoes. Some went in to grow bags, others in to large pots. This job for me is always the start of the gardening season.
                                              Just as well I got the spuds in yesterday. Done my back in this morning. In bed most of the day, looking for sympathy from the wife and getting none. She’s a nurse, who went to the Attila The Hun School of Nursing, so unless you’re at death’s door or there’s multiple limbs hanging off, it’s “shut up. Stop being a pussy. Man up”.

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                                                My earlies are at the chitting stage in egg boxes on the windowsill.

                                                In the ground we have broad beans, spinach, beetroot, lettuce, rocket, carrot, radish.
                                                Under glass we have tomatoes, broccoli, sweetcorn, peas, mustard greens, cucumber, chick peas (new for 2021!).
                                                Both of the above are first wave, planted with optimism and enthusiasm when it's probably too early and cold for them, but many more waves and different plants to come.
                                                Last year's final frost date of May 15 is firmly etched on my mind after last year's Sweetcorngate debacle.

                                                Among the perennials/semi permanents, strawberries have survived quite well, rhubarb is exploding as usual, artichokes have had a bad winter, but two survive out of four. Herb patch is waking up.

                                                Day off for the good weather on Tuesday, so looking forward to a full day at the allotment.

                                                I've also managed to snaffle a 3 day Easter break starting on the Sunday, for which the forecast is less kind.

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                                                  Look at my new boy racer toy!

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                                                    In British racing green too.

                                                    Very smart.

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