This has very much been my experience in north east Scotland. Hoeing is a joke - the hoe sliding along the top of solid mud. Lavender plants I grew on from the microscopic "special offer" plants that arrived in the post are looking very sorry for themselves. I would love to be continuing with clearing the overgrown borders I've inherited, but I'm pulling out so much soil with the roots that it's not worth it. On the plus side, I had absolute tree trunks of Cosmos, and the kale is a forest. My apple crop has been the best ever. We have also had much less in the way of gales in this north eastern corner. You are quite right about the emotional downs as well as ups of gardening - so much of gardening social media these days features the stylish and manically happy people who have only just discovered gardening and look! perfect bountiful crops. Thank you for the realistic but still uplifting gardening writing.
Thanks Linda, I think it's important to show the downs, it's real. I don't believe a lot of what I see on social, or often it's people who are growing crops full time or with teams, which isn't realistic for normal people. It's useful to learn from the downs too :) hope your kale forest is still luscious!
That's a long and depressing list, Jack, and I can't really disagree with any of it. Today however was a cold day with blue sky and no wind. A lot of leaves are still on the trees so the colour is pretty good, the birds haven't found my callicarpa bodinieri which is covered with slightly sinister looking purple berries and, if it wasn't for the fact that tomorrow's forecast is for wind and rain, I'd be almost content!
Can you tell I’m in a grump about the rain? 😄 I love callicarpa, especially as they grow larger. They do look quite sinister, a good sinister. I didn’t mind this year too much until I had a vegetable photo shoot this week and the plot looked depressingly bad. Onward to 2024!
It has been hugely exasperating and so very hard when you put so much into it. I confess that it is hard being in the garden at the moment, but am trying to think how I can adapt it to cope better next year with new, water tolerating plants!
I confess it is hard to find positives with the amount of rain we have had ( though I keep thinking how marvellous it is to have full water butts!)My garden is currently teetering on the edge of being submerged and this was a very helpful piece to read.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who has found this year exasperating, ornamentally, many of the plants have been fine but the veg plot has been a real challenge. I guess also, it's important not to underplay the emotional toll it takes on gardeners because we put so much time and energy into being outside through spring, summer and autumn. This year it felt like I was barely able to just be outside as much, and it did affect me. But onwards as always to next year!
This has very much been my experience in north east Scotland. Hoeing is a joke - the hoe sliding along the top of solid mud. Lavender plants I grew on from the microscopic "special offer" plants that arrived in the post are looking very sorry for themselves. I would love to be continuing with clearing the overgrown borders I've inherited, but I'm pulling out so much soil with the roots that it's not worth it. On the plus side, I had absolute tree trunks of Cosmos, and the kale is a forest. My apple crop has been the best ever. We have also had much less in the way of gales in this north eastern corner. You are quite right about the emotional downs as well as ups of gardening - so much of gardening social media these days features the stylish and manically happy people who have only just discovered gardening and look! perfect bountiful crops. Thank you for the realistic but still uplifting gardening writing.
Thanks Linda, I think it's important to show the downs, it's real. I don't believe a lot of what I see on social, or often it's people who are growing crops full time or with teams, which isn't realistic for normal people. It's useful to learn from the downs too :) hope your kale forest is still luscious!
That's a long and depressing list, Jack, and I can't really disagree with any of it. Today however was a cold day with blue sky and no wind. A lot of leaves are still on the trees so the colour is pretty good, the birds haven't found my callicarpa bodinieri which is covered with slightly sinister looking purple berries and, if it wasn't for the fact that tomorrow's forecast is for wind and rain, I'd be almost content!
Can you tell I’m in a grump about the rain? 😄 I love callicarpa, especially as they grow larger. They do look quite sinister, a good sinister. I didn’t mind this year too much until I had a vegetable photo shoot this week and the plot looked depressingly bad. Onward to 2024!
It has been hugely exasperating and so very hard when you put so much into it. I confess that it is hard being in the garden at the moment, but am trying to think how I can adapt it to cope better next year with new, water tolerating plants!
I guess this is the challenge, that next year is likely to be drier again
I confess it is hard to find positives with the amount of rain we have had ( though I keep thinking how marvellous it is to have full water butts!)My garden is currently teetering on the edge of being submerged and this was a very helpful piece to read.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who has found this year exasperating, ornamentally, many of the plants have been fine but the veg plot has been a real challenge. I guess also, it's important not to underplay the emotional toll it takes on gardeners because we put so much time and energy into being outside through spring, summer and autumn. This year it felt like I was barely able to just be outside as much, and it did affect me. But onwards as always to next year!