Let's share our garden setups

[enrico]

My front garden , approx 30 x 40 ft was in its former life a farmyard - so there is approximately a spades depth of clay over concrete (it must have holes in it otherwise it would not drain as well as it does). It faces due south and is sheltered by stone walls and the L shaped converted barn we live in - so a dry planting paradise. We have laid a weed membrane and gravelled it over and added raised beds to create better planting areas, Roses have thrived and the gaps have been filled with pollinator friendly plants. I have done the same with the rear garden, which was basically a large gravelled parking and turning area and an overgrown lawn and border when we moved here 5 years ago. So moreView attachment 38164View attachment 38163View attachment 38162View attachment 38160View attachment 38167 raised beds, containers and gravel planting. Interestingly, although I have planted predominantly for pollinators - I did not see that many honey bees foraging - until I planted Borage en mass. I have now covered several areas in the field beyond with old carpet and will mass plant borage there next spring. I have also spent the last few years developing a wild flower meadow area at the bottom of the field beyond the garden which is still a work in progress. I have always been passionate about the natural world - my garden and my bees are just part of that passion.

Wonderful cottage garden style

 

[elainemary]

Early in the pandemic, Gardeners' World asked viewers to make videos. My wife made this. (I just held the camera.)

It's not quite what the OP has asked for but if you have three minutes with nothing else to do you might care to watch.

(It wasn't shown on GW.)

Beautiful Archie, is that you playing the piano? Truly lovely garden & beehives look so well cared for

 

[elainemary]

My front garden , approx 30 x 40 ft was in its former life a farmyard - so there is approximately a spades depth of clay over concrete (it must have holes in it otherwise it would not drain as well as it does). It faces due south and is sheltered by stone walls and the L shaped converted barn we live in - so a dry planting paradise. We have laid a weed membrane and gravelled it over and added raised beds to create better planting areas, Roses have thrived and the gaps have been filled with pollinator friendly plants. I have done the same with the rear garden, which was basically a large gravelled parking and turning area and an overgrown lawn and border when we moved here 5 years ago. So moreView attachment 38164View attachment 38163View attachment 38162View attachment 38160View attachment 38167 raised beds, containers and gravel planting. Interestingly, although I have planted predominantly for pollinators - I did not see that many honey bees foraging - until I planted Borage en mass. I have now covered several areas in the field beyond with old carpet and will mass plant borage there next spring. I have also spent the last few years developing a wild flower meadow area at the bottom of the field beyond the garden which is still a work in progress. I have always been passionate about the natural world - my garden and my bees are just part of that passion.

Stunning and lovely soft colour combinations

 

[Michael Palmer]

My mid-summer vegetable garden.

 

[Curly green finger's]

My mid-summer vegetable garden.

View attachment 38211

Very nice is that hemp at the back left?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Very nice is that hemp at the back left?

Trust you
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/hobbies.49519/page-2#post-748447

 

[Curly green finger's]

Trust you
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/hobbies.49519/page-2#post-748447

Memory prevention would help!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Memory prevention would help!

?

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Beautiful Archie, is that you playing the piano? Truly lovely garden & beehives look so well cared for

Thanks Elaine, very kind. I honestly can't remember which of us played the piano for this video, but I can say that Esther wrote the music. Like my holding the camera for the video, so I do the music typesetting for her pieces.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

As the OP has a small space to develop for their garden, I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of our previous, small garden. Photos, because they have edges, can hide how small gardens really are. Visitors who had seen photos were invariably surprised when they saw our garden for real - so small! We went for features, especially as some take very little room. A mirror which looked like an opening to another area of the garden, a sundial, a pond, paths around beds, an arch, and a bower over the garden seat.

 

[Beegarden]

As the OP has a small space to develop for their garden, I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of our previous, small garden. Photos, because they have edges, can hide how small gardens really are. Visitors who had seen photos were invariably surprised when they saw our garden for real - so small! We went for features, especially as some take very little room. A mirror which looked like an opening to another area of the garden, a sundial, a pond, paths around beds, an arch, and a bower over the garden seat.

Beautiful, Archie. You've packed so much into that garden and so full of colour and interest. We don't have a large garden, but when I took up beekeeping on retirement in 2018, I tried to revamp the garden so that it had bee/bird/butterfly interest for most of the year. I am also a sucker for sculptures, tacky or aesthetic (the latter being Enrico's ) . In a smaller garden, I think a spring-flowering Prunus or summer-flowering crab-apple in one corner is a good idea and to try to hid fences with various shrubs and climbers. A summer Buddlea davidii will bring in butterflies and attract honey and bumblebees. Although I generally only buy plants said to be wildlife friendly, I find that some years they can be ignored, depending on what else is in flower and more bee-worthy. There are, however, some plants that honey and bumblebees will always work, eg Echinops, early Hellebores, particularly the yellow ones, Alliums, Cotoneaster, Russian sage, Helleniums (later in the summer), Thyme, Asters, Echiums ............ A Berberis darwinii in another corner will grow happily without much help.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Goodness, I don't think I've seen so many bees on a single flower! I guess it's echinops or sea holly. But you're right, sometimes the bees can be so ungrateful, the way they ignore what you're trying to provide for them

 

[viridens]

My front garden , approx 30 x 40 ft was in its former life a farmyard - so there is approximately a spades depth of clay over concrete (it must have holes in it otherwise it would not drain as well as it does). It faces due south and is sheltered by stone walls and the L shaped converted barn we live in - so a dry planting paradise. We have laid a weed membrane and gravelled it over and added raised beds to create better planting areas, Roses have thrived and the gaps have been filled with pollinator friendly plants. I have done the same with the rear garden, which was basically a large gravelled parking and turning area and an overgrown lawn and border when we moved here 5 years ago. So moreView attachment 38164View attachment 38163View attachment 38162View attachment 38160View attachment 38167 raised beds, containers and gravel planting. Interestingly, although I have planted predominantly for pollinators - I did not see that many honey bees foraging - until I planted Borage en mass. I have now covered several areas in the field beyond with old carpet and will mass plant borage there next spring. I have also spent the last few years developing a wild flower meadow area at the bottom of the field beyond the garden which is still a work in progress. I have always been passionate about the natural world - my garden and my bees are just part of that passion.

Wow, looks so colourful. I hope some day mine will look the same.

 

[viridens]

My mid-summer vegetable garden.

View attachment 38211

So much greenery... I almost envy you.

 

[viridens]

As the OP has a small space to develop for their garden, I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of our previous, small garden. Photos, because they have edges, can hide how small gardens really are. Visitors who had seen photos were invariably surprised when they saw our garden for real - so small! We went for features, especially as some take very little room. A mirror which looked like an opening to another area of the garden, a sundial, a pond, paths around beds, an arch, and a bower over the garden seat.

That's exactly how I picture my garden in the future. Thanks for the photos, they'll serve as inspiration to me!

 

[viridens]

I tried to revamp the garden so that it had bee/bird/butterfly interest for most of the year.

Great idea, I might do as well. Thanks for the tips.

 

[enrico]

I like my topiary too, can you spot Shrek?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

SWMBO likes a bit of topiary
But I'm not posting the pictures

 

[Ely]

My mid-summer vegetable garden.

View attachment 38211

How do you keep on top of the weeds? I struggle with my very small patch

 

[Aneebe]

What a lovely post.
You have a blank canvas.
I might start with a small garden friendly tree like an Acer or a flowering plum.

While this forum primarily caters to beekeepers, I assume that many of us share a common love for gardens, dedicating considerable time to their care and upkeep. After all, our gardens are our own slices of paradise. Let's take a moment to share pictures of our gardens and the furniture that adorns them. I'm eager to draw inspiration from the diverse and beautiful spaces you've cultivated.

I've initiated this discussion because my family and I recently moved and now have a small piece of land that we're eager to transform into a haven of tranquility. Below is a snapshot of the current state of our little plot of earth.

While it's not a vast expanse, we're determined to make the most of it.
A few days ago, we ordered a 6-seater round dining set. This one. That has a weatherproof aluminum frame designed to withstand for years to come.
My wife will decide about the plants and shrubs, while I plan to create a stone path to the perimeter area where the dining set will be placed.

Given the limited space, we're open to suggestions on maximizing its potential.
If you have any ideas on how we can enhance this little piece of heaven, please share them below.
I'm also excited to see photos of your gardens for additional inspiration.

My rather soggy north sloping quarter of an acre is a long, thin rectangle with the house plonked 3/4 way to the north. It's about 600' above sea level backing onto the Belfast hills. The garden was established nearly 60 years ago by my garden mad parents. Now, I HATED gardening but in the last years of my teaching career I was told to "teach horticulture to the bad boys". What a baptism of fire! I hated it initially of course but within the year... hmm something changed and by the time early retirement arrived, I'd inherited the now vastly overgrown garden and had started to think about that weird beekeeping thing my dad used to do. Fast forward 6 years and I've now some gardening structure and up to 10 hives at any one time split between here, a community allotment and a farm site. I had to hand dig the whole site/ put down cardboard as it was riddled by couch grass which im still battling. I've renovated the old greenhouse, built a bigger one, a bee shed and got an Arctic barbeque Hut as a nod to the Norwegian side of the family (great for Hallowe'en parties). This is the reason my honey is called Red Hut Honey! I love planting lots of wildflowers (several borage swathes just to see all sorts of bees work it) and I've also let the raised beds go a bit potager, so I've a jumble of anything from artichokes, tayberries, sunflowers, charlotte potatoes to salad stuff to nasturtiums. Rhubarb is dotted all over the borders as a gap filler. Oh and sungold tomatoes rule! Ps I despised Brexit as it's made getting interesting seed potatoes and other fun seeds hard not to say expensive (and that applies to mail order bee stuff too alas)..