Well hello all!

I'm new so by way of an introduction: I'd like to be a gardener, but I really don't have a clue or the inclination! But the prospect of spending another summer out in a weed ridden jungle was just too depressing and I've picked up my spade for the first time this millenium I reckon.

So let me show you round my patch.......

It's a very small area (25 foot square tops), main soil type appears to be clay and what looks like coal clinker? It's east facing and is rather dominated by two mature, flowering cherries. (But we love them!) There's a (very tall) privet hedge to one side and fenced to the other two. (Up until last year, one of the fenced sides was a mixture of hawthorns and privet - but since our neighbour has erected 6ft solid fence, they seem to have died. Grrr!)

Half of the small lawn is totally moss as it's been under heavy shade from a cherry and a low growing lilac bush. A few weeks ago, I tied the lilac up and raked out all of the moss - leaving a very bare looking muddy patch. Subsequently I read a book which said don't scarify until autumn...... We're intending to reseed as soon as it's either not so frosty or waterlogged. (Or loved by birds who just went under netting and ate the seed when we tried over Easter!)

Sigh - shall I go on? I'm just depressing myself!

I'd love a greenhouse - but husband won't sacrifice the garage so my kitchen worktops are covered in seedlings and compost. (I'm hoping he'll give in soon!)
I'm on the waiting list for an allotment - but apparently the last plot came up over 3 years ago and there are 5 people before me on the list - so isn't looking likely! So my vegetables have to be grown in pots in the back yard - which is lovely and sunny (when it shines!) but rather exposed, being on the side of a hill in the outermost reaches of Tyneside as I am.

Sooo - if I may pose a few questions of you good folks.

1) I have a very healthy looking passion flower trained up the west side of my house - it's well established for about 5 years now. But it's never flowered. I know they can take a long time to produce flowers, but is there anything I should be doing to help it along?

2) I have a very lovely fatsia in the garden - about 5foot high and long established. All the growth is (obviously) at the top but it looks a bit nude on its bottom half. Can it be bushed up at all? Or is it a strictly up and down sorta thing?

3) About ten years ago, my neighbour gave me an umbrella tree, which has sat being ignored ever since. My husband recently said it had to go on account of being too leggy (didn't think that would be a problem to most blokes! Ahem...) At which I jumped instantly to its defense and said that it was sentimental to me and I wanted to keep it. So how can I improve its cosmetic appearance? Yes it is leggy, it has three to be precise - two projecting sideways opposite each other (about 2 feet long each) and a shorter forward projection - so you see, it's rather ungainly? I have pulled the two sideways legs together into sort of a loop - but that's not going to do much is it? Can I prune it hard? Also, in summer its leaves get covered in sticky stuff which then attracts dust and makes it look even more ugly!

4) And finally..... I was a bit over eager with the Gardeners World pumpkin trial - and I got seeds for all 3 varieties. Which is great (as I love pumpkins) and they're all doing really well. It's just I don't really have the garden to put them in. Can they successfully be grown in pots? Or will I have to give them to my friends with huge gardens, grrr (I have a severe case of garden envy! It's a terrible thing...)

I would be grateful for any advice on these things for starters!

I have no doubt I'll be back with more as the season progresses. If I can offer any advice, I'll gladly do so - but suspect it'll be a case of the blind leading the sighted!

I promise to be a more dedicated gardener!

Thanks in advance.

Cheerio for now

Mandy

"Stargirl" wrote in message
...

Well hello all!

I'm new so by way of an introduction: I'd like to be a gardener, but I
really don't have a clue or the inclination! But the prospect of
spending another summer out in a weed ridden jungle was just too
depressing and I've picked up my spade for the first time this
millenium I reckon.-snip snip snip-
Cheerio for now
Hi- it may be too exposed for the passion flower,I'd give up on the mossy
part of lawn-plant a few small fatsias instead.You can cut the top off the
fatsia and they can re-sprout lower down-try getting the cutting to
root.Move-the council in Hull advertise allotments at 18 quid a Year!