h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Now the weather is good I have been getting out in the garden again. My lasagne rose bed is looking good, all the roses are thriving and there should be some great colour later on. I decided to get rid of my big lawn, and today I laid matting to stifle the grass and spread the first few metres of plum coloured slate. I have bought stepping stones, edged the slate area with natural rock and when it is finished the garden will have a kind of Japanese look(I hope). I was going to get my gardener friend to come and do the work but feel so fit decided to do it myself. With the money I save I am going to buy more plants. I have all the beds nearly full so I am going in for clematis and get the garden growing upwards!
My roses came because I chatted to Teuchter and she told me where to find them on the net. My lasagne rose bed came about because U.G. told me about lasagne gardening. Hootoo is more than just fun,I have learned a lot from the threads.
I have some spare time because I have finished my first set of essays in this block of my O.U.course.
The Boss is well and we have recovered from our excesses of partying a couple of weeks ago. I try to pop in here at least once a day to see what is going on but seem to have got out of the habit of playing the games, I guess it is because there is so much else going on. The Son is coming round tomorrow to give me a hand in the garden, the G.C are all coming as well. Should be fun

How about Bamboo Kif, grows like a weed down your way

I love the sound of the breeze through bamboo. Our local garden centre has an area outside its restaurant where you can sit in the summer, and it is surrounded by potted bamboo plants. On a warm summers day, with a gentle breeze and sitting in the shade of a couple of silver birch trees they have there also, it is bliss. I go there for a cup of coffee just for the experience.

Glad the lasagne garden is going OK - you've beaten me to it, I haven't started mine yet, but it's all in the pipeline. I like the idea of an upwards garden.

Cape Cornwall looked fantastic. Will Mistral this weekend.

Take care Kif and Triquack

UG

Bamboo is good. Maybe I could get some of the black stuff which has a real sense of mystery about it. Thanks Quack. Good thinking mate,.
glad youliked the pic U.G. The snow lasted about five minutes
s to all
Kif

Lasagne gardening? I'm intrigued - can anyone provide a link?

Glad you're enjoying both roses and garden, Kif.

I'm ashamed to say I haven't been out in the garden for ages, except to top up the bird feeders.
My big project this year is going to be doing something with the front garden. We have a burn running between garden and road and I'd love to plant the margins with irises, gunnera, marsh marigolds, primula etc - but worry they might all be washed downstream next time the burn's in spate.
Maybe that nice man in his helicopter, Chris Beardshaw, would come and instruct me!

If you go for a bamboo, be very careful which type you chose as some can be extremely invasive and impossible to get rid of if you go off them.

Glad you and the Boss are well, Kif.

Hey Teuchter
great to hear from you.Thanks for the tip about bamboo.
Here is a quick basic in lasagna gardening, so called because it is done in layers. NO DIGGING REQUIRED honest.
You can start the bed off on any surface.Cement, grass, earth makes no diff. You put in as many layers as you want to get to the height you need.
Bottom layer wet newspaper. Soak the paper until it is wet through but dont tear it and lay it over the ground several sheets thick, or you can use wet cardboard.Then a layer of peat or peat substitute. Then a layer of your own compost as long as it is free of white root etc.then a layer of old manure, if you don't know a friendly farmer you can buy dried manure then another layer of peat and then a layer of topsoil. Any weeds you get would be wind blown seeds which are easy to get rid of. You do all the layers as many times as you like as long as you only use top soil to finish.Anything in a lasagna bed grows like mad and they are so easy to make. My roses are coming on wondefully. make sure your paper layers are really wet, and if it is an ornamental garden like mine put chipped bark around the plants and you won't have to water much even in the hottest weather. I forgot to say that you need to contain the border with something like a plank or brick wall up to the height you need it. Mine is about a foot from ground level and contained by blocks and lawn edging.
Hope this is of interest

kif

Kif - I must tell Mr T about this - his raised veg beds apparently have to be dug half way to Australia before he can plant them .

Tell Mr.T that if he makes his lasagna deep enough for carrots and parsnips he can chuck his spade away

If the Bamboo gets out of hand you can always eat healthy Kif

http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/Salads/bamboo_shoot_and_beansprout_sala.htm

Quack