Garden fails so far!

This year has been such a challenge for those of us who love to garden. Lots of us are having problems with slow seed germination, slow plant growth and a lot is to do with the really wet and cold weather we've been having so far this year.
In Ireland, we've had a few sunny days and in my chats at the end of the video, what I was trying to explain was that for a lot of us, because the weather has been so miserable, we're behind in the garden and on those nice, sunny days, we're not able to fully enjoy them because we're trying to catch up on our gardening jobs as we have to work when it's not super wet! I'd mentioned filming being the issue, but it's not, it's just the pressure to get out and garden when the weather is nice!
But as gardeners, we know we have to adjust what we do, how we garden and trust the process! And that's why I wanted to share my garden fails (so far) and I put those words in brackets because I know I'll have lots more and that's how I learn - from experience.
What's been so heartening this year is you guys leaving me comments, saying that you're also having similar garden struggles, so we're all in this together!
Have a wonderful week and let's send out good vibes that we get some more dry, warm, even sunny weather this week!
Visit my website at www.lovelygirliebits.com
Come find me on Instagram!
/ lovelygirlybits
/ lovelygardenybits
Music from Epidemic Sound

[@graceinthegarden9151]

At my age, I now consider my garden "fails" as garden lessons. Sometimes, we can do everything "right," but nature always does its own. Always remember to enjoy the journey and not worry about the destination. 😊 Take care...

[@deborahstuteville4768]

How smart to put seeds in color coded pots. Pink flower seeds in pink pots and yellow gold seeds in yellow gold pots. Genius if you ask me!

[@ericabriscoe]

I’m new to your channel I found you through Catherine, I have to say how much I’m enjoying watching , thank you 🙏🏻 x

[@Joy-zp5lv]

Don´t be sad - we all have our fails. I planted out my sweet little seedlings and since then I battle with SLUGS. I had my dahlias in pots in the basement to get a head start - and when I planted them out I was not careful enough and destroyed one of the shoots. 🙄 I forgot to water my lettuce and now some of them wilted and died. You want more .. I proclaimed 2024 a low spend year - well. I need to stop going to garden centers. 😅 Have a nice week!

[@lully381]

I am well behind also in the garden I have only had a chance to get out there Monday of this past week since last year for a tidy up before it rained again. However, it was lovely yesterday and I did manage some time in the afternoon, which was lovely. I managed to tidy up my patio and plant up some plants. I still have a mounatin to get done tho! You are not alone, I'm not the best plant mum either! Keep on keeping on as my mum used to say!! I say onwards & upwards with Determination!

[@irenesmith5676]

Hi Karen we are all in the same boat very cold & wet my seeds are very slow ! Your doing a great job 👏 lv Irene 😘 xx

[@kathysparks571]

Karen, you're a great gardener, ❤

[@rossdriscoll1905]

As soon as your seeds have germinated you need to remove the propagator lid otherwise your seedlings will die from damping off, get too damp from the condensation. As for slugs I don't know if it's available in Ireland but if it is try using Strulch. It's a mineralised straw mulch that stops slugs eating your plants, keeps moisture in, suppresses weeds and rots down to feed the soil.

[@gillianbradley8159]

I also love my wheelbarrow. We are on a water meter so I also use it as a rain catcher - every drop counts.

[@janetwalker1383]

I just planted potatoes. The garlic is up and daffodils are just starting to flower. Everything else will wait until June 1. Sometimes a fail is actually a great adventure as year 2 will show the rewards. Enjoy!

[@kimwatts5750]

Hi Karen, I’ve had a bit of trying time with my tomato seedlings, and sunflower seeds, I have a potting shed / greenhouse, Only a small heater to keep frost off, I had my tomato seeds in heated propagater,they sprouted fine pricked them out, In pots watered them, usually I keep them in side until they near the end of may, by then they are a good size. This year they don’t seem to be growing, soil is not drying out, went out one morning and three had collapsed over, so I have now brought them inside the house on heated bottom to dry soil out,☹️ They should be ready to go out in my fabric pots in two weeks. Also slugs getting inside greenhouse eating my other plants,never had this before, I live in the UK. Love your Chanel😀🌼

[@Lovelygirliebits]

So many of us are having a challenging start to the garden season this year 😭 But we’ll get there!😊

[@PlumebeautyDunsborough]

Loved todays video , I’m glad you have some sun x

[@suziejames7510]

I have lots of evergreen shrubs and plants in my garden and they've loved the wet weather that we've had. I've never seen so much growth so early in the season. I've already done some pruning, but I need to get out and do a load more, just need it to stop raining ☔ ☔

[@petro3441]

Hi i planted my potatoes in old motor tyres and they grow very happily

[@Stitchybecca482]

I hope you’re having a sunny weekend. I can’t believe we actually have sun over here for the May bank holiday. You’re doing better than me, I haven’t even planted my sunflowers or zinnia yet but me grown from seed dahlias are doing ok so it’s not all bad. I put my sweet peas out about a month ago and I wish I’d kept them indoors longer because they haven’t grown at all since they went in.

[@kimberley1195]

Looking so nice Karen 😊❤

[@paulajowett5469]

Garden fails happen to us all,its so frustrating when you think you've done everything right. I think it even happens to Monty occasionally 😄

[@jennyjohnson9012]

Same in southern Scotland. Seeds haven't germinated or very slow to get started! It's been cold and rainy and very windy most of the month, but at least it's starting to get warmer. Now the problem is nothing is staggered. Everything needs to be done at once 😂. I haven't planted my gladiolus either and they have sprouts on them.

[@TheEmpressgoth]

But gardens are up and down ❤you take a chance don’t give up hugs or feel bad❤ thanks for sharing 😊

[@paulakoflynn3368]

I picked the wrong year to start growing from seed 😏 I've normally bought young plants. Will just have to wait and see. Enjoyed your video, Karen. See you soon.

[@simplynow74]

Spring in Canada this year has a been a mixed bag!! It's not hard to get discouraged but, I just chalk it all up to a learning experience :) My goal this year is to try and enjoy my garden, rather than be a slave to it. We shall see 💚

[@jamieflint2550]

Your garden is looking great! Every year I have some failures, for many different unknown reasons. I wonder if leaving the dome on in the sun might be cooking the seedlings - just amplifies the sun scald. When I'm hardening off my seedlings that are ready, I usually put them in sun only for a few hours, then shade the rest of the day. Then increase sun each day. But I think they're bigger than yours, so maybe your just weren't quite ready yet, not sure. Also I bet at this point you could direct sow your peas, cucumbers etc, and some of the flowers too, with good success!

[@ellenokelly1321]

Everything is really slow this year and it has caused me to fuss. Of course every time I fuss, I kill something that would have probably been fine if I had left it alone!

[@lauralongton6630]

Lots of my seelings have died. Along the way or not really grown. The ones that were doing OK we had a heat wave last Tuesday. the hottest day they all burnt to a crisp in my conservatory I was gutted. One thing that is doing well is my daliah but sweet peas and tomatoes having on by a tread. I'm excited to see it all come together but feel this year it's taking its time and just going all wrong with seeds that should be so easy. Oh my sunflower they haven't even sprouted yet . Have a great week x x

[@debbyrickett3195]

Hello from California, Karen - you and Catherine have really inspired my gardening by seed. I purchased a greenhouse like yours 😊 this year from seed, I am growing lettuce, tomato, onion, 2 types of squash, peas, cosmos, sweet peas, sunflowers , morning glory, nasturtium and a few other flowers I am unfamiliar with as well as lots of gladiolas (bulbs) and seed potatoes. Also, I have a nectarine tree that's loaded with fruit, 2 plumb trees, and an apricot tree. Our weather is back and forth, I have lost some seedlings and some things didn't germinate, but I am loving it! I'm happy to see you in the garden today, enjoying some sunshine 🌞.

[@sharonsunshine2532]

Good luck with your plants. Keep us updated.

[@sharonbell7335]

In Gardener's World this week Monty was planting out his beetroot that he sowed 5 or 6 weeks ago. I was gutted because they were the same variety that I sowed about 11 weeks ago and the difference was astonishing. His were about 50 times the size of mine....I feel like a total failure.

[@ameliaschartel2863]

Oh I was to excited to start seed and had to keepnre sowing because the weather was to cold for them. Also in the recent gardners world Monty said zinnia like warm germination, totally started mine to early and explains why they haven't popped up yet.

[@katekozlowski2548]

Hi Karen, from south west UK. Feels like we've been stuck under the same cloud for months; a lot of my seeds are not germinating, and anything that does is getting demolished by slugs. Have sowed cornflowers 3 times now, so no, you're very much not alone. Fingers crossed for some sunshine!

[@miriammcguirk1693]

Praying for sun 😊 hope you get to enjoy the sun soo

[@terri.schenk]

I’m wondering if you could set up a BIG garden/patio umbrella over your veg area. In North America we sometimes set one up for protection from the sun but you need it for the rain. ☔☔☔

[@MsCourtJay]

I haven’t even been able to plant seeds yet. We’re suppose to get snow tonight. Dying for garden season. I’m also worried about my veggies this year.

[@LNChapalun562]

Not a good year for gardening for sure. I has been raining non stop since January in Brittany. Again today is stormy weather. Slugs ate my lettuces so now I grow them inside the house. I may have a mole in the veg patch as well, not good. At least I started all my seedling inside the house where it was warm enough and everything pretty much sprouted but for the life of me I cannot grow zinnias nor cosmos, they die on me. The green peas were planted back in February and they just "froze" like they are in stasis. I guess they got way too much water. I am waiting for warmer days so I can plant all the tomatoes, summer squashes, winter squashes and flowers. The only things I could plant successfully were the fruit trees. This year is very tough but water is life and I remember two years ago, the drought. Better to have rain than none at all.

[@grisespino5342]

Hello from California We all have garden fails. That’s the best way to learn. From your previous garden videos I don’t doubt it’s going to be beautiful 💚🌱 Gorgeous tulips 🌷 I have sprouted dahlia tubers, fig cuttings, zinnias, eggplant 🍆, tomatoes 🍅 , basil, lemon verbena, echinacea, verbena bonariensis, 1 cosmo and rosemary sprouted all from seed. 🤓. I’m in an apartment with balcony pots. I placed grow bulbs in a regular lamp. 💡One on my fridge, 💡dinning table and in my 💡 living room. But I agree the weather is all over the place.

[@RedPhone-mz5lv]

Back in my garden this year after three years of being unable to get out due to illness,my son moved back home and has never been interested in the garden but today we planted potatoes in bags together and he asked so many questions he is really helping and enjoying it at last one of my kids might be a gardener I started gardening at about six years old following my sister's father in law around his allotment

[@priscillacummings4780]

Hi Karen, my garden here in San Diego has done so well with certain plants & terrible with others this year. Most of our tulips didn't do well. When I dug them up, they were rotten, I believe from too much rain!! Maybe next year will be better. I'm beginning to wonder if I should just plant indigenous plants to our area. Getting tired of being disappointed!!

[@Lovelygirliebits]

Yeah, I think we're all going to have to think about how and what we plant to help minimise the disappointment!

[@Haberdasherheather]

💚

[@lisaquigley9543]

Karen, I killed a fern houseplant and I don't even know how I did it. It was lush green one day, I came down the next morning and it was brown, burnt and stinky .. totally baffled. I've since given it a few days outside and a haircut and I see new green shots coming back at its base 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤯

[@georgemaxwell4984]

Maybe it's a garden fern and nit a houseplant fern? 🤔

[@Lovelygirliebits]

Nature is keeping us on our toes 😂

[@lisaquigley9543]

@@georgemaxwell4984 it was sold in the garden centre as an indoor plant and I followed the instructions on how to water it etc. which I asked for on the day I purchased 🤷‍♀️

[@patdelaney191]

Ooh, what a beautiful new rose🌹. Have you thought of rounding off your grass? It would give you nice triangular planting beds which equals more plants 😊👍.

[@margaretwalsh310]

Hi Karen I was late planting my daffodils in pots their flowering now I just love them so you never know l love all tips 💕

[@TheEmpressgoth]

Trimmed my pines and had to cut back roses they developed spots 😢 front flowers no blooms yet

[@carolynb2457]

You can’t really fight Mother Nature. You are a good plant mom.

[@georgemaxwell4984]

Plant your sweetcorn in a block instead of straight row as they're wind pollinated.

[@Lovelygirliebits]

Oh I know! This is my 4th year growing them now!

[@heartofdixieprepping4797]

I’ve been so bummed. Our weather was so cold so things were planted later. My seeds did so well but after planting them in pots they just haven’t thrived. My sweet peas are running but they are lanky looking. All of the others I planted aren’t doing well either. It’s sad because I was so hoping I’d have so many flowers this year. Rain, rain, rain has everything so wet. We finally got sunshine and warmer weather last week but it quickly turned extremely 🥵 hot. Temperatures are in the 90’s this week. I still have so many seeds and bulbs yet to plant. I don’t know if it’s too late or not. I hope you continue to have sunny days. 🌞🌱🪴🌻

[@kithill6817]

Oh I'm having no luck with sunflowers this year. What is going on, eh?

[@thelimeysretreat4976]

Everything is way behind but nature has a way of catching up. Just leave your plants in the greenhouse with the door open to harden them off it will act like a cold frame that way. I grow my potatoes in pots and all but the main crop are coming up. I have just planted out my sweet peas , peas and runner beans and I am in the north of England xx

[@jillbrowne5820]

Thank you, great video, i was just wondering yesterday what to do with my pots of daffs

[@Lovelygirliebits]

Glad I could help🥰

[@angesews8110]

Hi I loved gardening but this year I seem to be behind and not interested. My garden is full of slugs and lost so many plants and seedlings. How do you get your pepper plant to get more leaves mine is tall but not bushing xx all my lupins have been eaten HELP needed

[@karenmerhalski9406]

Karen, if you put salt around your plants, it will kill the slugs. Just don't put salt on your plants. But the salt will kill them and they just dry up. Try it, it really works.

[@jannielarsen2728]

I hope your ranunculus work out for you🤞🏻. I love them but have given up now, first year nothing, and last year only a few miserable little flowers that didn’t even look like ranunculus🤣. Crossing fingers for you!

[@Lovelygirliebits]

I hope so too!Thank you!

[@mariannehellandvik6180]

I'm wondering about the nepeta... all mine look dead too! Could they just be very slow to start growing??

[@stevencookson9924]

Thinking of getting a lilac aster after seeing yours in flower last year but I can’t see yours now does it go under ground after flowering or have you dug it up?

[@janefaulkner2055]

Just keep in mind that glads are very toxic for cats and dogs

[@marshagaravaglia8149]

❤