Welcoming Ian

[ideasguy]

A very warm welcome to the forum Ian - I'm delighted you have joined us here.
I hope you like it and I hope you see enough in the forum to convince you to join in.

I had a short chat with Ian on the phone this evening and by way of introduction to our members he is an amateur gardener from the South of England.

Enjoy the forum Ian

[grumble]

Thank you George and greetings everyone. 

[ideasguy]

You've found your way around already Ian so thats a good start!
Please join in anywhere you feel inclined!

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Welcome from us too Ian, Another Southener.

Malcolm

[NightHawk]

Welcome Ian.

It's always a pleasure to greet new members to the Forum.

We hope you join in whenever you want to.

Laurie.

[grumble]

Welcome from us too Ian, Another Southener.

Malcolm

I have to say I visited your garden in the early part of last week Malcolm. Impressive in the extreme.

[ideasguy]

Do you mean you've actually been to Lyn & Malcolm garden on an open day, Ian?

[grumble]

Yes, Sunday before last I think it was. It was because of what we saw there that we actually decided to to make some real effort into creating a garden to be really proud of. In fact our own garden is only slightly bigger than Lyn and Malcolms garden however it's going to take some time to lick it into shape (heavy, green, gelatinous clay you could make pottery with)!

[ideasguy]

Brilliant All I can say is - how lucky you are to have seen the Lyn And Malcolm garden in person.
Malcolm will be pleased to read this.
Did you get a chance to talk to them?

I can well imagine why you are inspired to make the effort to create a garden to be proud of Ian. As you can read all over this forum from his postings, Lyn and Malcolm are very enthusiastic and extremely energetic. Personally I don't know how they not only cope with such pressure, but excel in their achievements.

That soil needs some conditioning, thats for sure. What was your soil like before you created your garden paradise Malcolm?
Have any other members had to deal with such conditions? Any advise for Ian?

[Palustris]

heavy, green, gelatinous clay you could make pottery with
Boy, does that take me back. Our first ever garden was 'grow taller clay'. We called it that 'cos when you walked across it you grew taller as it stuck to your shoes.
At least clay is rich in nutrients unlike say a sandy soil, so all (he says with a cheeky grin) you need to do is to flocculate your clay.
Welcome to the site!

[ideasguy]

Thanks for your input Eric.
By way of introduction, heres Erics web sites, Ian.

The making of his garden:
http://www.ideasforgardens.net/Berghill-FGT/

The list of plants:
http://www.ideasforgardens.net/palustris/

and an August garden tour:
http://www.ideasforgardens.net/berghill/AGT/

May I ask the next question, Eric.
RE:

all you need to do is to flocculate your clay

How have members dealt with this?

[Palustris]

I do not know what Ian's background or gardening knowledge is, so if I am teaching my grandmother to suck eggs please forgive me. 
Putting it very simply, clay is made up of flat particles of silica. The 'soapy' feel to it is because these particles can slide over each other. When the clay is wet there is a layer of water between these particles, that is why wet clay is slippy. When dry the water can easily eascape and so the clay dries out and cracks. So, what one has to do is to insert 'grit' between the clay particles, a. to stop them sliding and b. to keep them apart so that water cannot drain away so quickly.  Lime has the effect of 'clumping the silica particles together, flocculation. Sharp sand introduces the grit between the particles. Humus acts as a moisture reservoire.
The answer then is to dig in as much gritty material as possible in varying sizes from sand grains upwards. Important point is that the material should be angular not rounded. Next as much humus should be added, anything from garden compost, good animal manure, spent hops or mushroom compost. Peat is sometimes recommended, but to be honest I found that it did not mix well with our clay.
Also it helps no end to do a soil test to find the pH of the soil and add lime according to the results. Don't just add lime willy-nilly, my son's soil is clay, but with lumps of chalk in it and the pH shows the soil to be already limey.
That is what we did, 40 years ago now, sheeesh. Mind the stuff that grew..................As I said clay is offten fertile.

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Just back from a plant collecting expedition, not to foreign climes, unless Hampshire could be called so.   

A member of the Ideas Genie Community that has been to our garden, Fantastic. And we are delighted that we have inspired you.
I hope you were not one of the dissapointed visitors, when we ran out of cake that Sunday afternoon, it was a bit busy to say the least.

A couple of things I must say, and I am not being paid for it.

Do keep a photographic record of what you do to your garden, and keep a record of what plants you have, and when you buy new plants, where you bought them from.

We are always trying to work out where we purchased a certain plant some years ago, so wish we had kept those records ourselves.
All this information can then be stored in Georges Ideas genie software.

If you have been on our website, I am sure you will have seen our Plant Guide  http://www.plantguide.lynandmalc.co.uk/  which was made using the software.

May I ask how you found us here on the forum ?

Malcolm

[ideasguy]

Thats a very in-depth advice, Eric. An excellent article.
 
On the subject of clay, Ive posted this new topic:
http://www.flowergenie.co.uk/ideas/forum/index.php/topic,1207.msg7810.html#msg7810
You've got the inspiration, so all you need now is the perspiration, Ian!

[ideasguy]

RE:

May I ask how you found us

Yes, I thought about asking that in a previous posting but left it to you, Malcolm.
Lets hear from Ian now, so we get to know how your advertising campaign works

As you say, it really is great that a member of the Ideas Genie Community that has been to your garden.
The first of many I hope!

[grumble]

May I ask how you found us here on the forum ?

Malcolm

George pointed me toward the forum when I ordered FlowerGenie.

[grumble]

That is what we did, 40 years ago now, sheeesh. Mind the stuff that grew..................As I said clay is offten fertile.

40 years???!!! I don't think I'll live that long! Still, at least I'll have made a start.

[grumble]

May I ask how you found us here on the forum ?

Malcolm

George pointed me toward the forum when I ordered FlowerGenie.

We found your garden through the NGS website.

[Eric Hardy]

A rather belated welcome from another southerner. Well not quite as far south as Lyn and Malcolm, we are in the Chilterns. I am glad to see you are already joining in. I have been otherwise occupied otherwise I would have done this before. You are very fortunate to have visted Lyn and Malcolm's garden. I have only admired it from photos on this forum and their excellent website. I hope you enjoy the forum as much as I do.

Eric H (to distinguish me from  Palustris who is another Eric, much more of an expert, and joined a long time before I did))

[roiphil]

Another belated welcome from another southerner    southern ireland that is   

[Palustris]

That is what we did, 40 years ago now, sheeesh. Mind the stuff that grew..................As I said clay is offten fertile.

40 years???!!! I don't think I'll live that long! Still, at least I'll have made a start.

That was our first house, we are now in our third and the soil here is a sandy, peaty silt and very easy to work, even if it dries out very quickly.