Hi....

11 May '06 7:41 pm

Hi all. I'm new here. I was looking up info about fairy gardens, and I ended up here. What a NEAT site. I'm sure I'll have fun visiting here.

About myself, I'm 50 something, happily divorced,work in the housekeeping department of a hospital (hard work, low pay, great insurance Smile

) I had a nice house built on top of a small hill on 3.7 acres, about half is heavy clay soil Sad

I live w/ an older liver spotted dalmation & five cats & 4 rabbit.

I'm so excited because I was finally able to purchase a roto-tiller. I've already added a goodly amount of peat to the soil. Any ideas as to what else I should add? Thanx a lot!

11 May '06 8:58 pm

Welcome aboard, Laughing

youve come to the right place.
What are you wanting to grow? How big is your area?
Goose

11 May '06 9:22 pm

Hey Zoe

Stuff to add to clay....horse poo, sheep poo, cow poo Very Happy

Then add old straw and stable scrapings if you can get it, old hay, gypsum, kitchen waste etc..

In fact, anything which has organic origins Wink

Do you live in NZ?

12 May '06 7:36 pm

Pumpkin, I live in N.W. Ohio.

And Goose, I think the bed that has been tilled up is abt. 50 ft. long and abt. 5 ft. wide. It is backed by an OLD fence row, so the vines should look nice climbing it. Of course, I am ready to tear my hair out while trying to get rid of poison ivy and multiflora rose bushes.

As I said in my other email I bought several tomato plants. I am planting beans, carrots, radishes, grn beans & several types of lettuce.

As to flowering annuals, I went out & bought "baby plants" of marigold, pansy & petunia. To be honest, I don't really like petunias, BUT they will bloom in summer heat; pansies won't. Most of the plants are going into my flower boxes/containers.

I've purchased quite a selection of seeds, including larkspur, cosmos,cleome,cockscomb, columbine,stock,sweetpea, morning glory, 4 o'clocks, california poppy, forget-me-not, canterbury bells.

A lot of what I picked out will reseed.

My bro-in-law brought home some large plastic barrels. I have 2 sitting up on concrete blocks collecting water from the eaves. I plan to make manure tea.

My but I must get to bed. Thank goodness it is Friday.

12 May '06 8:59 pm

Thats quite a large size bed. I agree with Pumpkins advice
Put in as much Horse & cow manure as you can find but make sure it is old manure or your seedlings wont like it.
Have fun, & lets see some pictures soon.
Goose

13 May '06 10:03 am

Hi Zoe, would love to see sme pictures. We in NZ are struggling with the last colours of autumn, and aargh! Winter's nearly upon us. Just think how cheery it will be seeing your spring and summer pictures!

I like it that you've chosen self seeding plants. They are a real joy, as they often have a far superiour sense of placement and garden design than us mere gardeners!

What will you make the manure tea out of? Think comfrey leaves are good.

Welcome, again, nice to meet you.

19 May '06 8:28 pm

Pumpkin, I plan to make the manure tea using rabbit droppings. I have 3 angoras & a rescued dutch. I keep them in my basement ( tho, every-so-often I like to bring them up to the living quarters to socialize. I used to have comfrey root at my old house. It is rather hard to keep it in check! It does have it's uses, tho. If I ever plant it again it will noot be in the garden!!!!

And Goose....When I change the rabbit pans I just dump them over a hillside. It's a rather odd setting & far enough from the house that I needn't worry about odor or flies. It also helps keep the weeds down. It doesn't get turned like it should so it takes longer to compost. I went poking at it at the base of the hill & it looks pretty good. I'm thinking I'll just get myself a nice wheel barrow full of it when I'm planting this weekend.

Hi....

Hi....

Hi Zoe

Hi again...

Hi Zoe

Welcome

Comfrey & bunny dung