Well, I’m definitely feeding my soil with a vast amount of composted horse manure. Some of the soil is great, but some is just dust, particularly in the shady areas. I think it’s perfectly ok to feed a new garden. Will I feed forever? Probably not. I like the idea of pellets though. Hopefully see you on Monday Mike darling. X
Oh! I thought your plants were bright and wonderful because they were also enjoying this increased warmth and sunshine of the summer weather you described. But then - I see they were just hungry! 😋 And you gave them very good meals.
Thanks so much for reading, as always. I try and keep a healthy soil, but also, working with the soil you have in your garden is most important. For me, with a largely sandy soil, I choose plants initially that will drive in well drained soil conditions in full sun.
I think it's possibly more to do with the weather than fertilisers, which I think we should all avoid outside pots.
Truth is, I'm a bit shocked and invite you to Veddw to see the glory of a garden with no compost or artificial fertiliser added anywhere. Except in pots.
Hi Anne, yes, agree fully with fertilising plants in pots. My dahlias have never been this size before and I put that down to the blood, fish and bone.
I have used chicken manure pellets on the borders, and although I think the rain and watering have been partly responsible for the significant growth spurt this year, the annual thick mulch of garden compost has significantly improved the structure of my sandy soil and the chicken manure pellets, I believe, have had a hand in feeding some of the greedier plants.
We have discussed this before, and you’ll remember I believe my approach is purely emulating what happens in nature, with leaf litter and garden debris falling on the surface of borders which subsequently breaks down and is taken into the soil by earthworms and micro organisms.
I’d love to come to Veddw, and I’m particularly interested to know what your soil is like there?
Yes, I’m largely onside with this one, and there are many reasons why we shouldn’t need to feed the soil - right plant, right place being the most important reason. But, ultimately gardening is manipulation. We prune, deadhead, weed, and propagate, all variations of what happens in nature. We’ve all seen people buy plants from nurseries, covered in blooms, larger than life and all through the actions of overfeeding and being kept in artificial environments ahead of sale. Come the following season, many of those plants I suspect are nowhere to be seen.
Aside from mulching, I see my feeding of the borders with the pellets as a very light hand on the tiller, and it’s probably difficult if not impossible to determine the crossover between the impacts of prevailing weather conditions or feeding and resultant growth of plants in a season.
Think we’ll need a very large bottle of Pimm’s so we can discuss this at length!
Your garden is stunning, Mike, and maybe it's better this year but it's always seemed gorgeous to me from your photos and Sunday Strolls. Let's not underestimate the power that sunlight gives to our plants, even without a feed. I always love the abundance of beauty that shows up everywhere in Spain and Italy as early as March! The light is energising to us and the plants. I'm absolutely loving it, though I do feel for the flower and food growers who desperately need the rain. Anyway, lovely post as always, Mike. Wish I could see you at Hampton Court.
Hi Franny, you are so right, light play such an important role both for the plants and for us. And yes, energising is the word. Shame I won’t see you at Hampton Court, but, hopefully there’ll be another time soon.
Isnt it a joy when the garden springs into colour and actually looks as you’d hoped?! 👏
Mine however is another story, overplanted in some areas gaps in others. Im making notes for the perfect patch next year - compost bin and chicken pellets top of the list!
Thanks for reading, Susie. And yes, it is a joy when it appears to come together, but like you, over planted in some areas and bear and others. Next year, it’ll be better still for both of us! 😆
Sorry I didn’t intend posting! Roses and dahlias (very early) have been in bloom for weeks, we have picked handfuls of Sungold tomatoes. Now in France, I’m hoping my late night deadheading on Monday will extend the flowers for when we return home. 🤞
Hello Brenda, thanks for reading. Yes, my garden too has been especially early this year. Dahlias has have been in bloom for a few weeks already. Enjoy France!
A thousand thanks for this ode to beauty that you narrate with talent, I can never repeat it enough.
You love your garden beyond what one can imagine and it returns the favor.
The garden is also in love with its gardener, it shows.
I must confess with great modesty that I apply your advice as best I can and that my garden and I are not yet in absolute love but the flirtation is well underway.
For the moment no installation of a permanent watering system in the flowerbeds and refusal to water the lawn which is starting to imitate the leopard. It remains to be convinced on this point. And Pimm's, thank you for taking me back 50 years, a time when Pimm's was my best evening companion. I had almost forgotten it, I am going to revive it. Thank you, thank yoj, thank you💚💚💚
Good morning my friend and thank you for reading/listening, as always. You are right, as with many relationships, the road can often be bumpy, but currently, I’m riding high on love’s bears embrace… it’ll not last, I fear! Let’s all raise a large glass of Pimms to friendship and gardens!
Ah it sounds as if your garden is looking fab this summer Mike! It's a good feeling when you have time to do the extra tasks to really make it extra special. I'm just about managing to keep up with the watering and a fortnightly liquid feed in my little garden at the moment, but we did find time last weekend to sit out there and appreciate the vibes for a while.
I look forward to reading the Hampton diaries in due course. I always enjoy your writing and the way you capture the reader's imagination.
Hi Danielle, thanks for reading, as always and your lovely comments. Yes, proud garden parent here this year. Will hate being away from it next week, but it’ll soon fly by. Glad all is going well in your garden too.
Well, I’m definitely feeding my soil with a vast amount of composted horse manure. Some of the soil is great, but some is just dust, particularly in the shady areas. I think it’s perfectly ok to feed a new garden. Will I feed forever? Probably not. I like the idea of pellets though. Hopefully see you on Monday Mike darling. X
Thanks for reading, lovely JP! And yes, I’ll see you Monday. Have a wonderful weekend x
🩷🩷
Oh! I thought your plants were bright and wonderful because they were also enjoying this increased warmth and sunshine of the summer weather you described. But then - I see they were just hungry! 😋 And you gave them very good meals.
Thanks so much for reading, as always. I try and keep a healthy soil, but also, working with the soil you have in your garden is most important. For me, with a largely sandy soil, I choose plants initially that will drive in well drained soil conditions in full sun.
Love love love your audio! Delightful accent. (Texas here)
Hehe thank you Janis. And similarly, I love a good Texan drawl! Thanks for listening.
Pimms incuded in such a visit! Xx
You clearly know how to get me on side! I’m on my way… get the Pimm’s ready! Xx
I think it's possibly more to do with the weather than fertilisers, which I think we should all avoid outside pots.
Truth is, I'm a bit shocked and invite you to Veddw to see the glory of a garden with no compost or artificial fertiliser added anywhere. Except in pots.
Hi Anne, yes, agree fully with fertilising plants in pots. My dahlias have never been this size before and I put that down to the blood, fish and bone.
I have used chicken manure pellets on the borders, and although I think the rain and watering have been partly responsible for the significant growth spurt this year, the annual thick mulch of garden compost has significantly improved the structure of my sandy soil and the chicken manure pellets, I believe, have had a hand in feeding some of the greedier plants.
We have discussed this before, and you’ll remember I believe my approach is purely emulating what happens in nature, with leaf litter and garden debris falling on the surface of borders which subsequently breaks down and is taken into the soil by earthworms and micro organisms.
I’d love to come to Veddw, and I’m particularly interested to know what your soil is like there?
I do think we should be cautious about encouraging soil feeding……
And - yes, do come: email me?? All details on our website https://veddw.com/
SOIL:
It’s Soilscape 6: uplands:
Freely draining slightly acid loamy soils
Texture:
Loamy
Coverage:
England: 15.5%,Wales: 24.4%,England & Wales:16.7%
Drainage:
Freely draining
Fertility:
Low
Landcover:
Arable and grassland
Habitats:
Neutral and acid pastures and deciduous woodlands; acid communities such as bracken and gorse in the uplands
Carbon:
Low
Drains to:
Local groundwater and rivers
Useful available map https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/26d61739-e05b-420d-8fd0-d11edffa8b27/soilscapes1
Yes, I’m largely onside with this one, and there are many reasons why we shouldn’t need to feed the soil - right plant, right place being the most important reason. But, ultimately gardening is manipulation. We prune, deadhead, weed, and propagate, all variations of what happens in nature. We’ve all seen people buy plants from nurseries, covered in blooms, larger than life and all through the actions of overfeeding and being kept in artificial environments ahead of sale. Come the following season, many of those plants I suspect are nowhere to be seen.
Aside from mulching, I see my feeding of the borders with the pellets as a very light hand on the tiller, and it’s probably difficult if not impossible to determine the crossover between the impacts of prevailing weather conditions or feeding and resultant growth of plants in a season.
Think we’ll need a very large bottle of Pimm’s so we can discuss this at length!
Well, if anyone is meanwhile interested in why I’m likely to be so damn difficult over a companionable drink this may be useful:
https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/wp-puyallup/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/soil-amendments-3.pdf
:-) XXx
I’ll definitely read this later. Thanks Anne Xx
Your garden is stunning, Mike, and maybe it's better this year but it's always seemed gorgeous to me from your photos and Sunday Strolls. Let's not underestimate the power that sunlight gives to our plants, even without a feed. I always love the abundance of beauty that shows up everywhere in Spain and Italy as early as March! The light is energising to us and the plants. I'm absolutely loving it, though I do feel for the flower and food growers who desperately need the rain. Anyway, lovely post as always, Mike. Wish I could see you at Hampton Court.
Franny
Hi Franny, you are so right, light play such an important role both for the plants and for us. And yes, energising is the word. Shame I won’t see you at Hampton Court, but, hopefully there’ll be another time soon.
Your garden sounds wonderful this year Mike, thank you for conjuring up the magic.
My pleasure, Mrs. Pearce, as always.
Isnt it a joy when the garden springs into colour and actually looks as you’d hoped?! 👏
Mine however is another story, overplanted in some areas gaps in others. Im making notes for the perfect patch next year - compost bin and chicken pellets top of the list!
Thanks for reading, Susie. And yes, it is a joy when it appears to come together, but like you, over planted in some areas and bear and others. Next year, it’ll be better still for both of us! 😆
Sorry I didn’t intend posting! Roses and dahlias (very early) have been in bloom for weeks, we have picked handfuls of Sungold tomatoes. Now in France, I’m hoping my late night deadheading on Monday will extend the flowers for when we return home. 🤞
I thought that’s what you were trying to say, Brenda! Have a lovely time in France and the deadhead will definitely help! Au revoir 👋
You’ve painted a beautiful picture of the colours, textures and joy your garden is currently giving.
My garden has been ‘early’ this year, dahlias have b
I’ve just arrived at our home in France.
Hello Brenda, thanks for reading. Yes, my garden too has been especially early this year. Dahlias has have been in bloom for a few weeks already. Enjoy France!
Thanks as always Mike… your words and photos paint such a beautiful picture of your wonderful garden. Thank you, as always, for sharing its beauty.
And thank you Alison, as always for reading and your kind words.
A thousand thanks for this ode to beauty that you narrate with talent, I can never repeat it enough.
You love your garden beyond what one can imagine and it returns the favor.
The garden is also in love with its gardener, it shows.
I must confess with great modesty that I apply your advice as best I can and that my garden and I are not yet in absolute love but the flirtation is well underway.
For the moment no installation of a permanent watering system in the flowerbeds and refusal to water the lawn which is starting to imitate the leopard. It remains to be convinced on this point. And Pimm's, thank you for taking me back 50 years, a time when Pimm's was my best evening companion. I had almost forgotten it, I am going to revive it. Thank you, thank yoj, thank you💚💚💚
Good morning my friend and thank you for reading/listening, as always. You are right, as with many relationships, the road can often be bumpy, but currently, I’m riding high on love’s bears embrace… it’ll not last, I fear! Let’s all raise a large glass of Pimms to friendship and gardens!
Cheers🙋🏻♂️🍹🍹🫂
Ah it sounds as if your garden is looking fab this summer Mike! It's a good feeling when you have time to do the extra tasks to really make it extra special. I'm just about managing to keep up with the watering and a fortnightly liquid feed in my little garden at the moment, but we did find time last weekend to sit out there and appreciate the vibes for a while.
I look forward to reading the Hampton diaries in due course. I always enjoy your writing and the way you capture the reader's imagination.
Hi Danielle, thanks for reading, as always and your lovely comments. Yes, proud garden parent here this year. Will hate being away from it next week, but it’ll soon fly by. Glad all is going well in your garden too.