Harringay Open Gardens day on Sunday 1st July

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Alison P on May 18, 2012 at 11:29

So to kick us off, I have a north facing Harringay ladder garden with some paving and a bit of decking around the house. I've recently dug up the lawn to fit in a few more plants! I don't really do fruit and veg. Plants include roses, lots of ferns, a rowan tree, cornus, witchhazel, euphorbia, dahlias, japanese anenomies, daphne etc.

We have a small play house at the top of the garden for my son, and a sandpit.

I guess the overall feel is very informal - lots of self seeding all over the place (weeding isn't my strongest point!).

Permalink Reply by Sam R on May 18, 2012 at 14:24

Great  1st of July means I can make it.

I have a south facing ladder garden except that having two very tall Lime trees at the bottom means only half the garden is in sun.  I have no lawn just beds and a couple of seating areas and paths made of gravel and paving.  I try and keep it under control but my garden has a mind of its own so its very informal with mixed areas for flowers fruit and veg and a bit of a woodland feel down the end.  I try and garden organically and encourage wildlife.  My little pond even has a few newts!  My prize and joy Includes a 12ft Banana tree which I love to bits.

Looking forward to welcoming you round.

Permalink Reply by Dick Harris on May 19, 2012 at 2:35

In terms of size, shape and aspect my garden on Wightman Road is not typical of the ladder.

In the first place it is ten times the average area and is shaped roughly like a kite.  It is around 50 feet wide at the house, widening to 120 feet at the bottom and the longest side is 150 feet.  The rear of the house faces roughly west and the land slopes downwards so that the lowest point at the foot of the garden is about 8 feet lower than at the top by the house.

The house is the end of a terrace and the garden has a well kept neighbouring garden on one side.  The other side is Thames Water land carrying the New River footpath and with a short section of the river itself just where it goes into the tunnel under Wightman and Hewitt Roads.  The land over the fence at the foot of the garden belongs to the railway and a steep embankment rears up topped by a thick belt of sycamore trees.  These cast some shade on parts of the garden later in the day.  There are also a few ash trees growing at the foot of the embankment and these are more of problem because of shade and competition for water.

The garden has a large 70 year old pear tree, a 35 year old walnut, three 25 year old apple trees, a plum tree, an ornamental crab apple and three dwarf fruit trees.  There is a grape vine which probably dates from 1962.  Continuing with the fruit there are four gooseberry bushes, three blackcurrants, a 15 foot row of raspberry canes and two thornless blackberries.

There is some shrubbery with an ornamental Japonica, a Hebe, lilacs, a dogwood, Hypericum and a newly planted variety of broom.  There is also an ornamental cherry and a sizeable weeping willow and, mostly along the river path fence, several climbers, roses and Vyburnums.  The ground under the trees is mostly mown grass.  There are, at two different levels, clear areas of mown grass large enough for games such as badminton and archery.  There is a garden shed, built for goats and later converted to a play house and there is a swing suspended from the pear tree.

About 10% of the garden is cultivated soil and this is used for vegetables, especially potatoes, climbing beans, courgettes and beetroot. There are also some slightly raised beds near the house giving about 300 sq feet of space for growing herbs, salad, chard, rhubarb, broad beans and strawberries.  Various other plants are scattered about such as horse radish, globe and Jerusalem artichokes and angelica.

Altogether, it’s a lot of work and equipment to keep it all under control and to process the produce.  If I weren’t more or less retired, I would have to employ a gardener but, at present, this is my own job.  Although I have owned the house since 1979 and worked in the garden until 1990, I was then away for a long time and only resumed active gardening in 2008.  So far this year, it looks as though the apple crop will be very small because of the weather during the flowering season.  The pears seem to be well pollinated but have been badly attacked by something not yet identified.  The plums and gooseberries seem well set and the potatoes appear to be doing well.

Anyone visiting will be welcome to bring children (under their own supervision).  The garden is quite secure, has no street access and is well fenced on all sides.  They will be able to play swing ball and to climb about in the goat shed.

Permalink Reply by Sonya Prentice on May 19, 2012 at 20:18

My garden is south-facing in Rutland Gardens. I like to add more into it each year - just had a great day filling it up with some more vegetables. I like to plant edible plants (although not all are), mainly lots of fruit, herbs and veg. We have 5 apples and 4 pears trees and loads of currants bushes - have just found space for new french pink-currants, so am looking forwards to see and taste them. Tayberry is fab this year after being nothing for two years, blackberries are flowering well. We also have a roof-top alpine garden on top of our shed.

Would like to have a visit slot on the 1st July - Alison, can I have a time before 12 as my kids might be ratty after then.

Dick- the potatoes you gave me are doing well - growing them upwards in tyres.

Hear from you guys soon,

Sonya

Permalink Reply by Alison P on May 20, 2012 at 14:35

Sure Sonya, will make sure it is before 12.

 

Permalink Reply by Alison P on May 20, 2012 at 14:34

Thanks so much Sam, Dick and Sonya, they all sound fantastic. Keep them coming folks...

Permalink Reply by Matt on May 23, 2012 at 13:47

Hi there, 

I would love to be a part of this, but may be moving house to Seymour Rd that very weekend (we won't know this for a few weeks yet). If people wanted to see our 20 squared metre roof terrace in Stamford Hill/N15/1.1 miles east of the Salisbury, could we possibly book in an early showing; say 9.30am/10am with a view that we may need to cancel if we are moving that weekend, or would it be easier to leave us out this time round?

It would be nice to have people round before we say goodbye to it. Our roof terrace is the hottest place in London and we have lots of palms, grasses and a few herbs (all in pots). Photos can be seen in the 6th, 12th and 14th pictures in the following gallery:

http://www.mortongamble.com/residential/gallery/

I really hope we can make it as we would love to see what people have done with their gardens on the ladder, so we can get inspiration and ideas for our new garden, as seen below : ), and to meet local people. 

Permalink Reply by Matt on May 23, 2012 at 15:11

Sorry guys, I have just realised that from mid June I am going to be moving plants to our new garden, so our garden is going to be quite bare. Can we still please come and see other peoples gardens though and you can see our one next year, once we have turned into a proper garden rather than the car park which it is now! 

Permalink Reply by Alison P on May 25, 2012 at 14:12

Of course Matt - please do. Very sorry to miss the chance to look at your roof garden, which looks amazing. Your new one looks like a bit of a challenge! Reminds me of mine when we moved in.

And welcome to Seymour Road (I'm there too).

Permalink Reply by Matt on May 25, 2012 at 14:49

Thanks Alison and many thanks for the welcome to Seymour Rd. We shall hopefully meet you soon : ) 

I can't wait to get stuck into our new garden - I had it planned before I even saw the place! 

Permalink Reply by Kamila on May 27, 2012 at 14:29

HI folks,

I have a 100 foot long by 30 foot wide south-facing garden on Stapleton Hall Road, more or less opposite St Aidan's Primary School.  It has a patio leading out from the French doors - or at least it did have until I dug most of it up for some raised beds for veg.  It doesn't have a lawn at all,but two wide borders separated by a railway sleeper path (appropriately running down almost to the Gospel Oak to Barking railway!  It has a large pond in need of attention and a greenhouse at the bottom.  Lots of trees, shrubs and perennials plonked any old how - and weeds (but they seem to be OK as some of the Chelsea show gardens had carefully planned weeds this year!).

Would be delighted to show my garden on 1st.  If I am last on the route I could make tea and scones and we can sit and relax (to be honest I will probably do that anyway!)

Permalink Reply by James Putzel on May 29, 2012 at 13:28

Dear All,

We would like to join in and open our west facing garden on Sirdar Road. It is a small garden behind the house about 5 x 15 meters, which we have unusually shaped around a tiny bit of lawn with front and back patios and a winding brick-paved path, combining fruit trees (cherry, apple and fig), grapes, blueberries, red currants, with flowering trees (evergreen magnolia, ornamental cherry) and perennial flowering shrubs (roses, choisa, celmatis, Mexican orange, many types of jasmine and others), bamboo and a tiny pond, and rhubarb, strawberries and a range of kitchen herbs variously grown in the ground and in pots. We have begun a small annex on the roof of the old one story kitchen extension growing tomoatoes, mangetout, red beets and beans in pots.

We would be happy to participate on the 1st and since the morning seems in high demand are content with a late afternoon slot.

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