Progress at last! I'm already looking forward to seeing how it looks next summer now the plants are settling in well. The cobble walls will set those first two beds off really well, it'll change the feel of it completely!
Well what can I say... That intro and some of the special camera affects were incredible. The piece on balancing family and work/ RUclips life really resonated with me. The update on the planting areas and fire pit were really interesting, leading to me wanting to ask you a million and one questions!! Finally nobody cares about the weeds. We all just look past that and admire the amazing plants 🪴 😀😃😁
Hi Kris and thank you very much! Your insights and perspective, both in terms of experimental planting, the whole RUclips experience and balancing being even busier than me with your family and projects, really mean a lot to me. I'm pleased the special effects added to it, they're probably a lot more amateurish than you might guess haha but I wanted to 'earn' the right to do quite a long talking bit. Yes, that's true about the weeds, I'm just the same but it can be hard sharing something that's less than you want it to be without prefacing it with reasons / excuses. If you'd have seen it a month ago you'd maybe have been saying more about my meadow of nettles though haha! You're more than welcome if you ever want to pop over for a vid or chat, maybe during winter for more of a focus on these evergreens?
As a tropical-style gardening wife and mum with a garden just a fraction of the size of yours, your transparency and honesty around life balance resonated with me so much! Thank you for a refreshing video. The garden will still be there, the vids, and your viewers can wait. And when we do…. Just look at the masterpieces you are able to create! Excellent video George. Do what you gotta do👏
Thank you very much for your kind words and I’m pleased the real life elements and honesty added to the video! I think anyone who finds the time to grow any kind of garden with a family is doing great so you have my respect and appreciation! I know I tend to focus on practicalities and things I’ve done wrong in it vids, they can often help others the most, but I am pleased how this part is coming together for sure. Thanks a lot for your support and all the best 😃
I love your update. It's honest. And that's lacking in RUclips and life. I motovlog, so appreciate the time editing, music and uploading takes. I can't imagine showing my garden, much as I love it. The content ideas are time consuming and with your beautiful baby you chose the right priority. Well done. And let's hope winters warmer. Pop a chair for you and Mrs george to have a cuppa (with a baby monitor) when you can.
Thank you very much, that's very kind of you to say so and I think it's the way you have to be. Things can be frustrating, there's days and weeks when you can't get done what you want but it's all a journey and I'll try to include that in the vids. Yes, it's definitely time consuming but I've come round to the way of thinking that it's not making the videos or looking after the garden that takes time - it's doing those things in the way that I want to do that takes the effort. As you know you could just do a quick vid on your phone but that's not what I get the satisfaction from and if there's one positive to come out of it, it's a greater focus on the videos I want to prioritise going forwards and not rushing for the sake of putting one out. Thanks for your lovely words and yes, I hope winter is kinder for both of us. All the best with your video plans and life balancing!
I don't know what your main job is but omg you are so talented in film making and presenting!! This gave me goosebumps. You are amazing and I love all your videos. Your garden looks great and the fire pit area will be incredible! Absolutely great job!!
Wow Marianne, great to know the extra effort that went into this one paid off! Thank you so much. My job has nothing to do with filmmaking and presenting - like everything though, if it's something you enjoy it's amazing how much you enjoy learning and progressing. I've been interested in photography for a lot of years but in terms of video work, literally everything has gone up on this channel in the past couple of years, from shaky vids with my phone through to my first talking vid and vids like this which are getting closer to what I'd like to produce. I'm pleased you enjoyed seeing the garden and hopefully there'll be many more vids and progress to share with you very soon. Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment and all the best!
You have done an amazing job! I had to watch this in 2 sittings it was so epic! Loved your little family elements you added to the film. Enjoy following the progress of your garden no matter how long it takes. Life gets in the way. Thank you for still finding the time to share stuff with us! I always look forward to your vids.
Thank you very much Richard, that's great to hear! I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed the mix of updates and family / life elements, even if it meant a longer vid this time round. I appreciate your support and hopefully it won't be quite as long before the next update...
I'm only at the start of your video... but 'yes!', when you're a parent, that time just disappears. I used to do a lot of my gardening in the evening after work. I bought a head torch and did some in the dark too! I had a very productive year before the little one arrived. It was probably the most productive, because you get more done when you know you're on a timer... I'm now reaping the benefits of that hard work, but as always, I'm also wishing that I'd started/finished some projects back then (both garden and house projects), because getting them done now is a lot more difficult. But... you will find time again! You can't predict when, but it will happen. Because when I look at my garden (and my house) I do realise that even post-baby there are a lot of projects that I have actually started and... completed!!! (now back to watching the video... can't wait to see where things are at now with the firepit project... might take me a while to actually finish watching the whole video though ;). I'm watching it in bits here and there!)
Thanks Jim, I appreciate you watching as and when you can! I’m also a fan of the head torches, there might be some winter digging done here as well. I know what you mean about productivity on a timer and that’s how I am more now, more focused on getting the most out of my free time, whenever life and energy allow it. I think we both would have wanted to do more beforehand but equally, a rushed project isn’t the same and I try to use the hindsight to help make the most of what I can do now, rather than focus on what I should have done 😂 I hope you’re able to make the most of the last weeks of lighter evenings!
Loved the pics of you enjoying time with the family! Your daughter is a doll! I remember last year you talking about your fire pit plans and also that you were expecting a baby. It seemed like a lofty goal then. Just realized that this might not be your season of productivity on projects. Once your child is a bit older you can get back to those other things, but for now, they might move along a lot slower or not at all. I also loved seeing the photo of how much your eucalyptus has grown in a year and a half! My jaw dropped! As always, thanks for the video and inspiration. Love your videography and catching your plants in the prime lighting
Thank you very much, we’re incredibly lucky to have a happy and healthy daughter and also the opportunity to share my garden projects with such a fantastic community 😃 You speak a lot of sense and this project was always ever going to be a longer term project while I save up for the cladding etc. I’m trying to break it down into smaller goals though and was very motivated to get on with the soil moving in spring knowing that I’d be able to do some planting afterwards! Those Eucalyptus trees are incredible aren’t they, I was flicking through the pics on my phone, saw that one and thought wow myself! Thanks for your kind words on my videography, I do try to make the most of good light with my camera and love to show off the plants at their best 😃
Thank you very much! Yes, I wanted to give a bit of context, it definitely changes your life but whether it's RUclips or the garden, having a more considered approach and focusing on what I really want to do when I can is not a bad mindset. It's amazing how different it looks with the plants in isn't it!
What a great video. The garden and fire pit are coming along brilliantly.😊 Conratulations, what a gorgeous baby you have.😍 Well done for finding the time and sharing your wonderful and unique garden with us.🌺🌴😊👍
Thank you very much Debbie, that's very kind of you! Yes, I'm pleased how well they're coming together given the time spent on them this year! Thank you, we're lucky to have a happy and healthy daughter and I'm lucky to have such a great community of supportive people like yourself on here. Take care and all the best!
Thank you very much Tony! Haha yes, we’re very lucky that ours don’t really seem interested in digging 😂 Hopefully you don’t have any holes quite this size dug in your garden though!
Oh WOW...it's gittin' good George...and that darling baby girl....WOW...I love your wonky cobble walls, they've given me some ideas to hold in all the mulch I've added to eventually raise the level of my yard to prevent water retention of the Florida downpours...my yucca, we call Spanish daggers have really taken off, as have the agave...my bananas are HUGE, one even has a bloom with many bananas, the dragon fruit is blooming and the bamboo has finally taken off, as have the Australian tree ferns...I have accomplished the pathways through my jungle food forest...now hopefully things are big enough if we should get another N. Florida freeze like last year...truly garden paradise in England and Florida...thanks for the update, it's looking great and I am inspired...!!!
Thank you so much, I'm really pleased you like it with all the incredible plants and planting opportunities in your garden! Yes, I'm a big fan of older stones and trying to create a pre-aged and more weathered appearance but I think a lot of these plants suit both a rustic or a proper modern look (even if it's not my thing!). Great to hear all your plants are growing so well, it always amazes me how such a variety of plants thrive in your hot and humid climate! Presumably they're edible bananas you grow?
Very nice! I wish we could grow a few edible bananas here, then again I'm pleased we don't have your sweltering conditions all summer so I guess it all works out! I'm pleased to here everything is coming on so well for you.
Great video George! What an intro! The planting is amazing. It will be an amazing place in the garden to chill out and also a great place for your daughter to bring her friends in the future! Cherish every moment with your daughter, believe me time flies! Can't wait to see the end result....
Thank you very much Heather, I’m pleased you enjoyed and it was worth the effort planning the intro out a bit more - just don’t expect it every video just yet 😂 Thanks, it’ll hopefully be a lovely place for us to enjoy, all about the plants but also the space and atmosphere too. Yes, we’ve been trying to do that, time went by quick enough before she was born but when I think back over this year it feels like we’ve done a lot which is good. I can’t wait to see the end result either, whenever it happens. The building work can wait for now though, I’m so pleased I focused on getting the plants in the ground and settling in this year and I hope they go from strength to strength in their new home 😃 It’ll be interesting to see how all the yuccas develop and how quickly they grow.
Love to see the progress George. Nice to see the real side of gardening, time, budget and family being spoken about. Also love to see the Mediterranean elements as I also have tropicals mixed with more med plants as my garden is sun baked one side and end the other side full shade and damp all year. 😊
Thank you very much, I'm pleased you enjoyed seeing the progress and other balance elements I wanted to feature! As for the Mediterranean bit, that's always been the plan for up there. Like your garden, I think having a variety of conditions in the same garden is definitely an opportunity and in some ways, if I continued the jungle planting all the way through, we'd be missing out on so much of the beautiful open sky and light down there. We're certainly both lucky to have different potential planting options in the same garden!
What an epic intro! 🔥 Great video George, I look forward to seeing your garden and fire pit continue to develop and mature over the coming years 🙂 Your daughter will thank you for the firepit when she’s at an age that her friends want to come over and chill on sunny summer evenings 👍
Thank you very much Craig, I filmed that Saturday night to add a bit of last minute drama to the editing! I'm really looking forward to how it'll look and feel completely different when the smaller palms and Yucca rostrata etc. are 1m+, it'll hopefully be really immersive like the jungle planting but with a different group of plants. Haha yes, I'm sure she will! It's at the far end of the garden away from other houses so we'll probably be happy they're up there and giving us peace and quiet! Thanks for your support and I hope everything is going well with your channel and other projects.
As always a brilliant vid. Your ethos as a father and family man 1st and gardener and content creator second is so wonderful to hear. The garden will wait but those 1st years can never be got back, so what if it’s a bit weedy, with a little effort that can be sorted when you have more time. Don’t apologise for putting your family 1st your skills as a gardener developed over time are still there and anyone genuinely interested in seeing what can be achieved in a tropical jungle style garden will know life happens Just the same in your garden too and be all the better for it. I can’t speak for others but I don’t want to see unrealistic Chelsea mock gardens with endless budget and a crew of 20, I want to know what can be achieved by one person with a little help from there mates! Enjoy your family and your garden it’s much deserved.🤩
Hi and thank you very much for such a kind and thoughtful comment. I'm pleased you enjoyed the vid and whilst I didn't want to make it seem like an apology, I think like you say the effort, journey and struggles are what makes the end result (and hopefully videos) worthwhile so I really wanted to stress that it's not some kind of instant or ridiculously expensive transformation. I went to Chelsea for the first time this year and whilst a lot of the plants and planting were very impressive (Sarah Price's garden particularly), I know what you mean by 'mock gardens' and some of them did leave me a little cold. There's big differences between an impressive and beautiful garden I'd plant up for a one off display and the one I want to grow, develop and enjoy for myself over the years but and hopefully the extra time and evolutions make it all the better. I'll keep trying my best to share it when I can as that happens to be one of the main ways I enjoy my garden and I'm pleased people like you appreciate the journey. Thanks for the support and all the best! p.s. I've become quite comfortable with the weeds and sorting them when I can but I'm still not quite comfortable showing them without mentioning them in case people watching haven't seen the garden before haha!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden well we’re all told to embrace the weeds now if this years Chelsea is to be believed! I still have trouble embracing bindweed, thistles and nettles though as once in they rampage over everything and are neigh on impossible to get out 😫especially the bindweed it looks so innocent when it starts with those pretty white flowers 😅😅😅
Haha very true! I definitely turn a blind eye to some things and actively encourage the foxgloves etc to self seed but given the amount of bindweed, thistles and brambles next door I have to keep on top of them otherwise I'd have a garden that might even be a little too wild and naturalistic for the most out there conceptual Chelsea display! Don't be fooled by the bindweed, nope, it's a tricky one... @@TheLittleGreenBee
I kept this video for Saturday night so I could enjoy it with a beer 🍺 or two. I've been looking forward to seeing the fire pit update for some time. You've done amazing with your daughter being the age she is to get anything done at all😂😂. Let's get onto what you have created...a truly special place. The finesse at the end will come in time but the main thing is the planting. Love the yucca collection, all the classy hardy varieties grouped superbly together with a more natural vibe than my "hotel chic" cheesy style😂. The jubutia just looks so good standing proud at the end. I share your optimism with the butiaygrys hybrid....it's gonna look so special in that position transporting the body and mind to the exotic. Superb work George, just superb. I'd love to come down and see it one day in person. Full marks mate👏👏
Thank you very much Mr Calzone, I was awaiting your presence and kind but analytical words! I'm pleased you enjoyed it and also scheduled it in for prime time viewing too, what an honour! Cheers, I'm pleased you like the direction of it and also understand that the planting is hugely more timely and important than the finesse at this stage. You can always chuck on a bit of gravel in a weekend but you can't go back in time and plant a yucca or palm five years ago! Well, you can buy larger but that's expensive and comes with it's own complications. There's nothing wrong with your 'hotel chic' style haha, I wouldn't use the word cheesy and I completely get the whole clean, tidy and modern look. I think when I clad the walls it'll look more simplified but I wanted to achieve a balance that favoured a natural vibe at this stage. Ultimately, as the Yuccas grow over the next 5-10 years it may (hopefully!) start to look even more balanced as some grow up, others spread out more and there's more visual difference in terms of crown heights. My fingers are very much crossed for the butyagrus, I am ready to protect it though if required while it's still small. I really appreciate your comment and if you're ever heading down into this part of the world, just let me know! All the best and speak soon.
@GeorgesJungleGarden Cheers buddy. I'm chickening out with my butyagrus and sticking it in my folks conservatory over the winter then planting out in May. Good luck with yours mate. It should be fine. My eriospatha took no damage whatsoever last winter here despite having zero protection👍
I don't blame you. Mine lived in the poly tunnel last winter (got a bit of spotting due to poor airflow during the cold spells but not much I could do about that) and then I planted it out in the last week of May so hopefully it's had a good while to settle in. Fingers crossed for us both! Eriospatha are tough for sure and whilst I guess any butyagrus is unlikely to be as hardy, hopefully the eriospatha influence gives them the best chance possible. One of those plants that's absolutely worth a go given the potential and I tried to plant it amongst lower growing Chamaerops to give it the space to shine. That said, if it reaches maturity it'll probably be battling with the Jubutia opposite but that's a problem I can only dream of haha!
Thank you very much, it's coming together isn't it! I'd have probably finished it last year if I wasn't filming these vids, but that's a compromise I'm happy with and it's great having such a supportive and interested community of people like yourself following the progress. I'll try not to leave it quite as long before the next update though!
Ahh, well done George! What a great video, I enjoyed the longer length. I too have gone for California Poppies this year after seeing then displayed at the Chelsea Flower Show. Absolutely love your firepit area and plans for the future. I also created a little desert area in my gravel path and have similar yuccas (still in pots), not brave enough to plant in the ground yet. My plan is to build a gabion wall behind them that will hide the neighbour’s fence. I thought this would work in yours too, behind the Rostrata’s. Also try low growing thyme for that Mediterranean feel and the scent. This is something I introduced, it also keeps the weeds down, and if it starts to take over, simply pull it, and cook it. Keep up the good work! And you're absolutely right, family comes first!
Thank you very much, I appreciate your support and kind words! It was always going to be a longer vid this one, even after a bit of trimming down but sometimes stories and the journey are more important that algorithms and all the other RUclips advice you hear! Nice one on your poppies and yuccas, I'm sure they'll both work well with the gabions. Gabions are something I initially considered to use around this area but decided against them to maximise the space I could use and also be able to attach the bench on the main inner wall. I'm thinking about having a backing row of cobbles to the rear of the rostrata border, just to hide the retaining slaps but I don't really mind the fence there just now - it may be getting painted black to become more of a feature in the future. I considered some of the silvery thymes too (great minds!), just didn't get round to finishing off the lower level planting this time round. I'm also a fan of leaving planting pockets in walls so that could work well where you're brushing past them on the entrance into the patio. There's always something else to add in or another great idea to incorporate isn't there! Thanks for taking the time to leave your suggestions and hopefully it won't take me quite as long to get the next update filmed. All the best!
What a fantastic journey in Wonderland! It was definitely worth the wait! You did such a huge amount of work and the result is wow! Beauties only here... so i will just name a few of them: amazing Dasylirion longissimum, Stipa sp, Festuca glauca, all the Yuccas (especially the very big Y. linearis), the Sedums and these 3 gorgeous Eucalyptus! Of course, no offense intended to the ones i didn't name lol! All of you are beautiful. Congrats George! Hello Mommy and baby girl! She looks so happy! 💚🙋♂🌴
Hi Bernard and thank you for a kind and thoughtful comment as always! I'm pleased that you're enjoying the way it's coming together and you have a great eye for the highlights if I do say so. The yuccas are emphasised with the flowing grasses, the grasses brought to life with the colourful sedums and hopefully they all mature well together under the beautiful Eucalyptus backdrop. Haha I'm sure no offence was taken by the other plants waiting for their turn in the limelight! Thank you very much Bernard, your support is always appreciated and all the best to you!
Your best video yet George, stupendous, enjoyed every minute, you are such an inspiration, especially to novice jungle gardeners such as myself. Keep doing what you are doing, you are creating a show stopping, master piece of a garden and i feel priviledged to enjoy your journey to perfection with you 👌👍
Thank you so much, pleased you enjoyed it! I tried to make up for the lack of regular vids and huge progress with more of an explanation and sharing the journey, great to know that's appreciated. I don't know about perfection but I'm happy to go the long way round to creating the garden that I want to have and enjoying the process! Thanks for the support!
I think your garden is looking beautiful. I absolutely love the slate table that you have created with the cactus potted up on top! Your olive tree is spectacular! I have an old one myself - never fails to make my heart smile whenever I see it. Another very inspiring video! Thanks George! Much love to you and your beautiful family xxx
Thank you very much Samantha, it's certainly coming along well and I'm excited to see a lot of the younger plants develop as much as containing to enjoy the presence the older olive and palms bring. There's definitely something special about the larger olives, a real sense of maturity and beauty. The slate table was only a quick little job but it wouldn't seem right without it now, I'm pleased to hear you like it too! Thank you very much for your support and all the best to you too!
Thank you very much Peter, pleased you enjoyed it! It was tricky to get videos as I was doing it but I'm glad this ties it all together, even if it did end up being longer than I intended! Cheers for your kind words.
Hi George, I want to thank you for inspiring me into creating my own exotic garden, I finished mine back in June although gardens are never really finished. I spent most of my budget on a Jubaea, it looks great as the centerpiece surrounded by banana plants, trachys, ect... Your fire pit is gonna be something else, looking forward to seeing it finished. Might I suggest you run a power cable up there before you commit to the path as you may wanna add a water feature & lighting later. The pink flowers you have between your Yuccas sounded like ice daisies but I think I heard you wrong as I'm having trouble Googling them. It occurred to me that Aubrieta would look great cascading down some of the walls you have there. Mapei Rapid-Set Adhesive worked really well for me at setting down headstones on top of the garden walls, got mine from screwfix. Good luck with it all especially the fathering stuff.
Hi and thank you very much, great to hear that you've also made good progress and are enjoying your garden! My Jubaea were my more expensive purchases initially too and I 'saved' money by starting with a lot of smaller Trachycarpus all well, that's the way to do it I think! Thanks for your practical ideas and suggestions. I've actually got power up to the brick shed in the middle of the garden so there's potential to run a cable along the right hand fence side to this area (you'd never see it behind the planting!). I stepped the slabs on the yucca side in a bit so that leaves room for wiring behind there but it's definitely something I'll put trunking in for if it's going to cross any paths, thanks for the reminder. As for what I called ice daisies, I got them from a roadside stall and they weren't labelled but I believe they're Delosperma or Lampranthus, not entirely sure though so maybe that's a question I should have asked in this vid! We've actually got a self seeding Aubrieta growing in our front gravel and they look stunning in flower. They could certainly work on the cobble walls and bring some early colour but I didn't want to introduce too many colours in just yet. I'll have to have another look and see if any jump out at me! As for the adhesive, I may need to go with mortar to give me a bit more flexibility in terms of levelling the copings / headstones - these are are a variety of thicknesses but if I can make it work with an adhesive like that it'll be loads easier. Thanks for the support and ideas, I appreciate it!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks George for taking the time to reply, I'll have a look into those new plant names you've given me, enjoy what's left of your evening. Cheeeeeeeeeers!
Thank you very much Frances, I really appreciate it! Haha there’s nothing to be read into that comment, don’t worry 😂 We’re lucky enough to have a few nieces and nephews that I’m sure would love to run around and cause chaos up there too!
It’s coming along great you ought to pick those free blackberries and make a pie You have a lovely wife and Daughter The garden will look great in a few years nice to see an update
Thank you very much Iris, that's kind of you! We've actually had a couple of huge tubs of blackberries off it - the last went into a lovely crumble and I might have eaten more than my fair share when I've been out videoing the garden, has to be done. It's obviously been a good year for them! Thanks, I really hope so. There's definitely an element of chance with how the yuccas interact visually but I'm really looking forward to seeing it continue to develop and a lot of the red hot pokers come into their own next year.
Thank you very much Jason. I thought it was important to give a bit of context to the journey and hopefully help any other new fathers who're watching know that it's completely OK to not be able to do everything you want to do, or can do and that sometimes a bit of focus on making the most of your time (concentrating on the planting and making this one vid versus a series of shorter vids for me) is a positive that's not always easy to see. I'm pleased I prioritised getting the plants in the ground, and I'm also really looking forward to a lot of the younger plants grow up now and seeing it come together - thanks for your support!
I was bloody worried Angela would watch your fire pit video and want one herself, instead she watches it and wants a baby! Do I have to block you mate? Excellent content as always, thanks George!
Hahaha good luck, hopefully she doesn't want both! Thanks, not quite Stonehenge but I'm very excited to see the planting develop until I can get around to more building fun! Pleased you enjoyed it!
Nice one, great minds! I can see them working well with your theme. I think they're relatively tough and adaptable as long as they're not waterlogged, fingers crossed they do well for you!
Great video George. You have been busy. Looking fabulous. Can’t wait to see it when it’s finished. Keep being a great dad and we’ll remain patient fans.👍🏻
Thank you very much, I'm pleased you enjoyed how it's coming together! I probably went on too much but just wanted too give some context that in a time of instant transformations and relentless creation, sometimes you have to adapt and slowing things down might just make the end results better!
Thank you very much! Yes, I really wanted to go all out on the yucca theme. I've seen gardens with a good selection before but not so many in close proximity so that means it's either a really bad idea or something hopefully a bit different and cool! I've done a bit more since this vid at the far end which I've slotted into my next garden vid that'll be up in a couple of weeks. Thanks for your support!
There's more varieties available but I ran out of room haha! Hopefully I've got a good selection of the toughest ones whilst also allowing for enough multiples to tie it all together.
Thank you very much Kathryn, we're very lucky to have a happy and healthy daughter and I'm really pleased with how the raised beds are coming together. A lot of the plants are well suited to dry gardens etc so hopefully I've done everything I can do to make them happy in our corner of North Lincolnshire! It'll be amazing to enjoy it as a family space in the not too distant future. Thanks for your kind words and all the best!
Thanks Paul! With those plants it would be rude not to. Not something I'd use all the time, but for those summer nights or chilly winter evenings around a little fire, that would be an awesome view!
Oh Wow George, you have absolutely excelled yourself! What an amazing video , and so worth the wait. And what a Gorgeous baby as well as a fabulous desert planted fire pit. Thank you , I loved it all !
Thank you very much Helena, that's really kind of you! Great to hear you enjoyed the vid as well as seeing the progress and yes, there had to be a few baby clips in there! Thanks for your support and I look forward to sharing the next update (at some point...!)
Your a legend George been watching your videos since the start very inspirational and its certainly helped me sort out my own garden! 😃, all the best mate keep doing what your doing 🙌🙌
Thank you very much Tom, that's very kind of you and it's great to hear my vids have helped you with your project! Cheers, I intend to and all the best to you too!
What a video! The production value is insane for a RUclips video. Be interesting tonsee how your Butyagrus Eriospatha fairs planted out over the winter as i also have one but it wont be planted until next spring and probably need it in a raised bed to give it good drainage. Are you going to do give it any addition protection? The fire pit area is looking epic 😎
Thank you very much! Pleased you enjoyed it and the extra time I put into the editing this vid. Nice one on the Butyagrus, I planted mine out in late spring so it's had a while to settle in before any cold. I will be prepared to protect it for any prolonged freezes, yes, it's certainly not getting left to it while it's small and easy to protect. The leaves / fronds are quite flexible so easy to pack and wrap it but only when it's properly cold. Thanks, I'm pleased I made the effort to get the plants in so they can be getting bigger and better while I slowly progress the hard landscaping!
paint the brickwork a nice dark colour george with some real good tikki torches all around the fire pit !! it will look awesome george ..even put some speakers in the wall and connect them to bluetooth .. great job george
Thanks! Interesting idea, I could see that working well. I want to go for something a bit more subtle but I like the idea of leaving room for speakers and lights, that could be interesting for sure cheers!
Great work George . Ive got a 2 1/2 year old and started my garden months before he was born so i feel your pain 😀. Was hard to justify gardening at the start but now he is out watering and " potti dem up" as he calls it and we get out each evening for a few hrs. Loving this long video and keep them coming they get me through my lunch break. Some small colourful phormium may look good in the transition up to the fire pit. Got a nice cocomint one the other day that stays on the small side and looks so good. 🏜🏝
Thank you very much and good to hear that you've also experienced the journey of free time sacrifices (plus sleep!) and are now at the point of enjoying time together outside. I'm sure your boy loves being out there with you and it'll bring some happy memories! 'Potti dem up' is cute! Phormium could really work for that area where the end bamboo is and would also tie in with the Phormiums behind the Jubaea opposite, that's a great idea thanks and one I'd overlooked. Maybe even one larger tenax with yellow variegation to cover the fence and link the yellow of the bamboo with the arid planting and spiky plants beyond - it would be a great linking plant. I might go for some of the smaller ones too, just a bit wary of their varying hardiness after last winter! I did consider chopping the video down more but a lot of people like yourself seem to enjoy them so I'll keep uploading videos of varying lengths, I'm more interested in sharing what I find interesting and cool in the hope that others do than trying to appease any algorithms! Pleased you enjoyed it, thanks for your support and all the best.
Great to see you back at it george, and there i thought you had been falling asleep with the wee one. 😂 love the planting style, very unique and ballsy to go all out spikes and palms, maybe a few echiums or get the larger succulents inbetween for that contrast. Actually really like how its not the end of the garden and the eucalyptus section is there. Brilliant well done!
Thank you very much Hugh, I appreciate your kind words! Haha yes, some days it's tempting but you do what you can, when you can don't you. I actually put a couple of Echiums in a fortnight or so ago as it happens, there's definitely more succulents to go in as I get more of the hard landscaping done too. It's hard to explain it exactly but for me it just wouldn't work without the Eucalyptus trees there, I guess there's something about actual trees that dramatically changes planting - a display soon becomes a garden or environment and you need a proper backdrop to give the wow factor. We'll see, I'm sure there'll be mistakes, editing, hard work and evolutions as always but they're all better than taking the easy road as you know!
Definitely alot of work in our little pieces of paradise and moving stuff around. I did a nice gravel path through the palms to the seating area ,looks awesome and very in keeping with the natural theme. Just a idea ?Keep up the good work mate 👍
There certainly is but the effort is never wasted! I'm actually mulling over going with bound gravel or something like that to be honest, it would flow well, go down relatively easily and be flat enough to have things put on it without being uneven. I do also keep thinking about a big mosaic patio though but that would certainly take more time!
absolutely love what you done. cant wait to see it finished. that dry stone wall is perfect cuz it looks like its always been there. and the one at the top. i think perfection looks to man made. oh and your little one is 10 times more beautiful than your garden.
Thank you very much, I really appreciate it! I completely agree and definitely don’t want anything that looks perfect, I’m all about aged materials and a more natural / rustic vibe. The cobble walls leading into the patio want to look a bit more regular and be structurally sound but I still want planting pockets and a bit of old fashioned charm in there for sure. Thanks, we’re lucky to have a happy and healthy daughter for sure 😃
George, what you’ve already achieved, especially when you consider what a busy time you’ve had, is miraculous. The bones are all there mate; You can only do what you can do. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
Thanks Don, I appreciate it! Yes, you're completely right, the structure is there, the rest will come together. I guess the intro was my way of saying the same as you, it's easy to put pressure on yourself and whilst there is a time and a place for repetition and hard graft, there's also upsides to taking your time, figuring out what really works and focusing on what you enjoy. It takes a bit of getting over sharing something that's less than what you want to due to time constraints, but equally, I think the journey, lessons and evolution can be more interesting for it.
Hi Robert and thank you very much. Being a bit slow with the building work actually had the benefit of letting me see what the base of the patio was like with holding water, and even though the soil was compressed after working on it, it didn't really pool. We are close to a sand quarry though so the ground is relatively well drained where we are. I won't be putting in large French drains etc like I originally planned but I will maybe be wrapping a layer of gravel in geotextile membrane under the permeable surface to give the potential to drain away any hard downpours as obviously the extra hard landscaping will channel it down quicker.
We'll see, it's all a guess at this stage but there'll be plenty of rubble under it which will act as a drain of sorts and whatever floor covering I use won't be entirely impermeable.
Looks amazing. Maybe an arid biennial like a Verbascum bombyciferum or Echium wildpretii could help fill out some gaps while you're waiting for everything to grow out too. Delosperma and Lewisia are commonly available groundcover succulents that'd work well too.
Thanks Joe, I appreciate it! I think it was you that actually gave me the idea of Verbascum bombyciferum originally and I got some seeds which I'll sow over the next few weeks, they'll fit in really well. Thanks for the ideas!
Hi Russell, it's just a slightly sunken patio surrounded by raised beds so nothing is tall enough that it would cause issues but combining the two height changes definitely helps it seem more dramatic. Obviously if you're planning anything more raised up or live in an urban area where it might affect neighbours then it's definitely worth asking or checking first.
Haha I'm not even going to apologise, I try to keep 'how to' and informative vids to the point, but this one is very much about my garden so the journey and context are everything!
Haha meant more in the spirit of there's no point prioritising algorithms and feeding the content machine over balance and making the videos you really want to, when you can. But yeah, selfish aren't they haha!
Haha yes, you've got it! I didn't want to refer to the Italian connoisseur of crisp edges and sparking gravel by name in case he took offence and sent some of his heavies round but yeah, it's a fantastic style, but just not mine for this garden!
Thumbs up for the fire pit fans 👍
Progress at last! I'm already looking forward to seeing how it looks next summer now the plants are settling in well. The cobble walls will set those first two beds off really well, it'll change the feel of it completely!
Well what can I say...
That intro and some of the special camera affects were incredible. The piece on balancing family and work/ RUclips life really resonated with me. The update on the planting areas and fire pit were really interesting, leading to me wanting to ask you a million and one questions!!
Finally nobody cares about the weeds. We all just look past that and admire the amazing plants 🪴 😀😃😁
Hi Kris and thank you very much! Your insights and perspective, both in terms of experimental planting, the whole RUclips experience and balancing being even busier than me with your family and projects, really mean a lot to me. I'm pleased the special effects added to it, they're probably a lot more amateurish than you might guess haha but I wanted to 'earn' the right to do quite a long talking bit. Yes, that's true about the weeds, I'm just the same but it can be hard sharing something that's less than you want it to be without prefacing it with reasons / excuses. If you'd have seen it a month ago you'd maybe have been saying more about my meadow of nettles though haha! You're more than welcome if you ever want to pop over for a vid or chat, maybe during winter for more of a focus on these evergreens?
@@GeorgesJungleGarden yes, let's make that happen. 👏
As a tropical-style gardening wife and mum with a garden just a fraction of the size of yours, your transparency and honesty around life balance resonated with me so much! Thank you for a refreshing video. The garden will still be there, the vids, and your viewers can wait. And when we do…. Just look at the masterpieces you are able to create! Excellent video George. Do what you gotta do👏
Thank you very much for your kind words and I’m pleased the real life elements and honesty added to the video! I think anyone who finds the time to grow any kind of garden with a family is doing great so you have my respect and appreciation! I know I tend to focus on practicalities and things I’ve done wrong in it vids, they can often help others the most, but I am pleased how this part is coming together for sure. Thanks a lot for your support and all the best 😃
I love your update. It's honest. And that's lacking in RUclips and life. I motovlog, so appreciate the time editing, music and uploading takes. I can't imagine showing my garden, much as I love it. The content ideas are time consuming and with your beautiful baby you chose the right priority.
Well done. And let's hope winters warmer. Pop a chair for you and Mrs george to have a cuppa (with a baby monitor) when you can.
Thank you very much, that's very kind of you to say so and I think it's the way you have to be. Things can be frustrating, there's days and weeks when you can't get done what you want but it's all a journey and I'll try to include that in the vids. Yes, it's definitely time consuming but I've come round to the way of thinking that it's not making the videos or looking after the garden that takes time - it's doing those things in the way that I want to do that takes the effort. As you know you could just do a quick vid on your phone but that's not what I get the satisfaction from and if there's one positive to come out of it, it's a greater focus on the videos I want to prioritise going forwards and not rushing for the sake of putting one out. Thanks for your lovely words and yes, I hope winter is kinder for both of us. All the best with your video plans and life balancing!
I don't know what your main job is but omg you are so talented in film making and presenting!! This gave me goosebumps. You are amazing and I love all your videos. Your garden looks great and the fire pit area will be incredible! Absolutely great job!!
Wow Marianne, great to know the extra effort that went into this one paid off! Thank you so much. My job has nothing to do with filmmaking and presenting - like everything though, if it's something you enjoy it's amazing how much you enjoy learning and progressing. I've been interested in photography for a lot of years but in terms of video work, literally everything has gone up on this channel in the past couple of years, from shaky vids with my phone through to my first talking vid and vids like this which are getting closer to what I'd like to produce. I'm pleased you enjoyed seeing the garden and hopefully there'll be many more vids and progress to share with you very soon. Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment and all the best!
You have done an amazing job! I had to watch this in 2 sittings it was so epic! Loved your little family elements you added to the film. Enjoy following the progress of your garden no matter how long it takes. Life gets in the way. Thank you for still finding the time to share stuff with us! I always look forward to your vids.
Thank you very much Richard, that's great to hear! I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed the mix of updates and family / life elements, even if it meant a longer vid this time round. I appreciate your support and hopefully it won't be quite as long before the next update...
I'm only at the start of your video... but 'yes!', when you're a parent, that time just disappears. I used to do a lot of my gardening in the evening after work. I bought a head torch and did some in the dark too! I had a very productive year before the little one arrived. It was probably the most productive, because you get more done when you know you're on a timer... I'm now reaping the benefits of that hard work, but as always, I'm also wishing that I'd started/finished some projects back then (both garden and house projects), because getting them done now is a lot more difficult. But... you will find time again! You can't predict when, but it will happen. Because when I look at my garden (and my house) I do realise that even post-baby there are a lot of projects that I have actually started and... completed!!!
(now back to watching the video... can't wait to see where things are at now with the firepit project... might take me a while to actually finish watching the whole video though ;). I'm watching it in bits here and there!)
Thanks Jim, I appreciate you watching as and when you can! I’m also a fan of the head torches, there might be some winter digging done here as well. I know what you mean about productivity on a timer and that’s how I am more now, more focused on getting the most out of my free time, whenever life and energy allow it. I think we both would have wanted to do more beforehand but equally, a rushed project isn’t the same and I try to use the hindsight to help make the most of what I can do now, rather than focus on what I should have done 😂 I hope you’re able to make the most of the last weeks of lighter evenings!
Long awaited and I have really enjoyed, thank you. Your rocking being a family man too, enjoy every minute George and family 😘
Thank you very much Michelle, that’s very kind of you! I’m looking forward to the area coming together and being able to enjoy it as a family too 😃
Loved the pics of you enjoying time with the family! Your daughter is a doll! I remember last year you talking about your fire pit plans and also that you were expecting a baby. It seemed like a lofty goal then. Just realized that this might not be your season of productivity on projects. Once your child is a bit older you can get back to those other things, but for now, they might move along a lot slower or not at all. I also loved seeing the photo of how much your eucalyptus has grown in a year and a half! My jaw dropped!
As always, thanks for the video and inspiration. Love your videography and catching your plants in the prime lighting
Thank you very much, we’re incredibly lucky to have a happy and healthy daughter and also the opportunity to share my garden projects with such a fantastic community 😃 You speak a lot of sense and this project was always ever going to be a longer term project while I save up for the cladding etc. I’m trying to break it down into smaller goals though and was very motivated to get on with the soil moving in spring knowing that I’d be able to do some planting afterwards! Those Eucalyptus trees are incredible aren’t they, I was flicking through the pics on my phone, saw that one and thought wow myself! Thanks for your kind words on my videography, I do try to make the most of good light with my camera and love to show off the plants at their best 😃
Looks amazing George. And such a lovely thing to say in regards to how much your family means to you, and they come first ❤
Thank you very much! Yes, I wanted to give a bit of context, it definitely changes your life but whether it's RUclips or the garden, having a more considered approach and focusing on what I really want to do when I can is not a bad mindset. It's amazing how different it looks with the plants in isn't it!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden It really does, you will have many evening's sat there, watching the changes over time 😊
What a great video. The garden and fire pit are coming along brilliantly.😊 Conratulations, what a gorgeous baby you have.😍 Well done for finding the time and sharing your wonderful and unique garden with us.🌺🌴😊👍
Thank you very much Debbie, that's very kind of you! Yes, I'm pleased how well they're coming together given the time spent on them this year! Thank you, we're lucky to have a happy and healthy daughter and I'm lucky to have such a great community of supportive people like yourself on here. Take care and all the best!
Really impressive George. I love it. I'm also impressed that , unlike our garden there are no Dachshund self dug crators!!
Thank you very much Tony! Haha yes, we’re very lucky that ours don’t really seem interested in digging 😂 Hopefully you don’t have any holes quite this size dug in your garden though!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden 😂 our wire haired, Irbis loves trying to dig to Australia!!
Oh WOW...it's gittin' good George...and that darling baby girl....WOW...I love your wonky cobble walls, they've given me some ideas to hold in all the mulch I've added to eventually raise the level of my yard to prevent water retention of the Florida downpours...my yucca, we call Spanish daggers have really taken off, as have the agave...my bananas are HUGE, one even has a bloom with many bananas, the dragon fruit is blooming and the bamboo has finally taken off, as have the Australian tree ferns...I have accomplished the pathways through my jungle food forest...now hopefully things are big enough if we should get another N. Florida freeze like last year...truly garden paradise in England and Florida...thanks for the update, it's looking great and I am inspired...!!!
Thank you so much, I'm really pleased you like it with all the incredible plants and planting opportunities in your garden! Yes, I'm a big fan of older stones and trying to create a pre-aged and more weathered appearance but I think a lot of these plants suit both a rustic or a proper modern look (even if it's not my thing!). Great to hear all your plants are growing so well, it always amazes me how such a variety of plants thrive in your hot and humid climate! Presumably they're edible bananas you grow?
yes, many varieties including plantain, plus the ten pineapple starts...YUMMY for sure...!@@GeorgesJungleGarden
Very nice! I wish we could grow a few edible bananas here, then again I'm pleased we don't have your sweltering conditions all summer so I guess it all works out! I'm pleased to here everything is coming on so well for you.
Great video George! What an intro! The planting is amazing. It will be an amazing place in the garden to chill out and also a great place for your daughter to bring her friends in the future! Cherish every moment with your daughter, believe me time flies! Can't wait to see the end result....
Thank you very much Heather, I’m pleased you enjoyed and it was worth the effort planning the intro out a bit more - just don’t expect it every video just yet 😂 Thanks, it’ll hopefully be a lovely place for us to enjoy, all about the plants but also the space and atmosphere too. Yes, we’ve been trying to do that, time went by quick enough before she was born but when I think back over this year it feels like we’ve done a lot which is good. I can’t wait to see the end result either, whenever it happens. The building work can wait for now though, I’m so pleased I focused on getting the plants in the ground and settling in this year and I hope they go from strength to strength in their new home 😃 It’ll be interesting to see how all the yuccas develop and how quickly they grow.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden fingers crossed for a better summer next year 🤞
Hopefully! Although I have enjoyed a break from watering this year!
Cheers for sharing George. Always enjoy the balance
Thank you Barry, I’m pleased you enjoyed it 😃
Love to see the progress George. Nice to see the real side of gardening, time, budget and family being spoken about. Also love to see the Mediterranean elements as I also have tropicals mixed with more med plants as my garden is sun baked one side and end the other side full shade and damp all year. 😊
Thank you very much, I'm pleased you enjoyed seeing the progress and other balance elements I wanted to feature! As for the Mediterranean bit, that's always been the plan for up there. Like your garden, I think having a variety of conditions in the same garden is definitely an opportunity and in some ways, if I continued the jungle planting all the way through, we'd be missing out on so much of the beautiful open sky and light down there. We're certainly both lucky to have different potential planting options in the same garden!
good morning sir..very good sharing
Thank you very much, I appreciate you watching and all the best!
What an epic intro! 🔥 Great video George, I look forward to seeing your garden and fire pit continue to develop and mature over the coming years 🙂 Your daughter will thank you for the firepit when she’s at an age that her friends want to come over and chill on sunny summer evenings 👍
Thank you very much Craig, I filmed that Saturday night to add a bit of last minute drama to the editing! I'm really looking forward to how it'll look and feel completely different when the smaller palms and Yucca rostrata etc. are 1m+, it'll hopefully be really immersive like the jungle planting but with a different group of plants. Haha yes, I'm sure she will! It's at the far end of the garden away from other houses so we'll probably be happy they're up there and giving us peace and quiet! Thanks for your support and I hope everything is going well with your channel and other projects.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden11111111111111111111111111111111111111¹
As always a brilliant vid. Your ethos as a father and family man 1st and gardener and content creator second is so wonderful to hear. The garden will wait but those 1st years can never be got back, so what if it’s a bit weedy, with a little effort that can be sorted when you have more time. Don’t apologise for putting your family 1st your skills as a gardener developed over time are still there and anyone genuinely interested in seeing what can be achieved in a tropical jungle style garden will know life happens Just the same in your garden too and be all the better for it.
I can’t speak for others but I don’t want to see unrealistic Chelsea mock gardens with endless budget and a crew of 20, I want to know what can be achieved by one person with a little help from there mates! Enjoy your family and your garden it’s much deserved.🤩
Hi and thank you very much for such a kind and thoughtful comment. I'm pleased you enjoyed the vid and whilst I didn't want to make it seem like an apology, I think like you say the effort, journey and struggles are what makes the end result (and hopefully videos) worthwhile so I really wanted to stress that it's not some kind of instant or ridiculously expensive transformation. I went to Chelsea for the first time this year and whilst a lot of the plants and planting were very impressive (Sarah Price's garden particularly), I know what you mean by 'mock gardens' and some of them did leave me a little cold. There's big differences between an impressive and beautiful garden I'd plant up for a one off display and the one I want to grow, develop and enjoy for myself over the years but and hopefully the extra time and evolutions make it all the better. I'll keep trying my best to share it when I can as that happens to be one of the main ways I enjoy my garden and I'm pleased people like you appreciate the journey. Thanks for the support and all the best!
p.s. I've become quite comfortable with the weeds and sorting them when I can but I'm still not quite comfortable showing them without mentioning them in case people watching haven't seen the garden before haha!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden well we’re all told to embrace the weeds now if this years Chelsea is to be believed! I still have trouble embracing bindweed, thistles and nettles though as once in they rampage over everything and are neigh on impossible to get out 😫especially the bindweed it looks so innocent when it starts with those pretty white flowers 😅😅😅
Haha very true! I definitely turn a blind eye to some things and actively encourage the foxgloves etc to self seed but given the amount of bindweed, thistles and brambles next door I have to keep on top of them otherwise I'd have a garden that might even be a little too wild and naturalistic for the most out there conceptual Chelsea display! Don't be fooled by the bindweed, nope, it's a tricky one... @@TheLittleGreenBee
I kept this video for Saturday night so I could enjoy it with a beer 🍺 or two. I've been looking forward to seeing the fire pit update for some time.
You've done amazing with your daughter being the age she is to get anything done at all😂😂.
Let's get onto what you have created...a truly special place. The finesse at the end will come in time but the main thing is the planting. Love the yucca collection, all the classy hardy varieties grouped superbly together with a more natural vibe than my "hotel chic" cheesy style😂. The jubutia just looks so good standing proud at the end. I share your optimism with the butiaygrys hybrid....it's gonna look so special in that position transporting the body and mind to the exotic. Superb work George, just superb. I'd love to come down and see it one day in person. Full marks mate👏👏
Thank you very much Mr Calzone, I was awaiting your presence and kind but analytical words! I'm pleased you enjoyed it and also scheduled it in for prime time viewing too, what an honour!
Cheers, I'm pleased you like the direction of it and also understand that the planting is hugely more timely and important than the finesse at this stage. You can always chuck on a bit of gravel in a weekend but you can't go back in time and plant a yucca or palm five years ago! Well, you can buy larger but that's expensive and comes with it's own complications. There's nothing wrong with your 'hotel chic' style haha, I wouldn't use the word cheesy and I completely get the whole clean, tidy and modern look. I think when I clad the walls it'll look more simplified but I wanted to achieve a balance that favoured a natural vibe at this stage. Ultimately, as the Yuccas grow over the next 5-10 years it may (hopefully!) start to look even more balanced as some grow up, others spread out more and there's more visual difference in terms of crown heights. My fingers are very much crossed for the butyagrus, I am ready to protect it though if required while it's still small.
I really appreciate your comment and if you're ever heading down into this part of the world, just let me know! All the best and speak soon.
@GeorgesJungleGarden Cheers buddy. I'm chickening out with my butyagrus and sticking it in my folks conservatory over the winter then planting out in May. Good luck with yours mate. It should be fine. My eriospatha took no damage whatsoever last winter here despite having zero protection👍
I don't blame you. Mine lived in the poly tunnel last winter (got a bit of spotting due to poor airflow during the cold spells but not much I could do about that) and then I planted it out in the last week of May so hopefully it's had a good while to settle in. Fingers crossed for us both! Eriospatha are tough for sure and whilst I guess any butyagrus is unlikely to be as hardy, hopefully the eriospatha influence gives them the best chance possible. One of those plants that's absolutely worth a go given the potential and I tried to plant it amongst lower growing Chamaerops to give it the space to shine. That said, if it reaches maturity it'll probably be battling with the Jubutia opposite but that's a problem I can only dream of haha!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden 🤣🤣. That'll be a great problem to have and an epic gladiatorial palmy battle
That’s the dream isn’t it! Huge palms battling it out like those at Ventnor 😃
I love you.and your garden.😅
Pleased you enjoyed it thanks, it's slowly coming together!
Nice job quite an undertaking you are very industrious
Thank you very much, it's coming together isn't it! I'd have probably finished it last year if I wasn't filming these vids, but that's a compromise I'm happy with and it's great having such a supportive and interested community of people like yourself following the progress. I'll try not to leave it quite as long before the next update though!
Yes. So true. ❤
Thank you very much, I'm pleased you agree!
Ahh, well done George! What a great video, I enjoyed the longer length. I too have gone for California Poppies this year after seeing then displayed at the Chelsea Flower Show. Absolutely love your firepit area and plans for the future. I also created a little desert area in my gravel path and have similar yuccas (still in pots), not brave enough to plant in the ground yet. My plan is to build a gabion wall behind them that will hide the neighbour’s fence. I thought this would work in yours too, behind the Rostrata’s. Also try low growing thyme for that Mediterranean feel and the scent. This is something I introduced, it also keeps the weeds down, and if it starts to take over, simply pull it, and cook it.
Keep up the good work! And you're absolutely right, family comes first!
Thank you very much, I appreciate your support and kind words! It was always going to be a longer vid this one, even after a bit of trimming down but sometimes stories and the journey are more important that algorithms and all the other RUclips advice you hear! Nice one on your poppies and yuccas, I'm sure they'll both work well with the gabions. Gabions are something I initially considered to use around this area but decided against them to maximise the space I could use and also be able to attach the bench on the main inner wall. I'm thinking about having a backing row of cobbles to the rear of the rostrata border, just to hide the retaining slaps but I don't really mind the fence there just now - it may be getting painted black to become more of a feature in the future. I considered some of the silvery thymes too (great minds!), just didn't get round to finishing off the lower level planting this time round. I'm also a fan of leaving planting pockets in walls so that could work well where you're brushing past them on the entrance into the patio. There's always something else to add in or another great idea to incorporate isn't there! Thanks for taking the time to leave your suggestions and hopefully it won't take me quite as long to get the next update filmed. All the best!
What a fantastic journey in Wonderland! It was definitely worth the wait! You did such a huge amount of work and
the result is wow! Beauties only here... so i will just name a few of them: amazing Dasylirion longissimum, Stipa sp,
Festuca glauca, all the Yuccas (especially the very big Y. linearis), the Sedums and these 3 gorgeous Eucalyptus!
Of course, no offense intended to the ones i didn't name lol! All of you are beautiful.
Congrats George! Hello Mommy and baby girl! She looks so happy! 💚🙋♂🌴
Hi Bernard and thank you for a kind and thoughtful comment as always! I'm pleased that you're enjoying the way it's coming together and you have a great eye for the highlights if I do say so. The yuccas are emphasised with the flowing grasses, the grasses brought to life with the colourful sedums and hopefully they all mature well together under the beautiful Eucalyptus backdrop. Haha I'm sure no offence was taken by the other plants waiting for their turn in the limelight! Thank you very much Bernard, your support is always appreciated and all the best to you!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden My pleasure George. Yesss, the limelight for everyone! 🎥💛
Your best video yet George, stupendous, enjoyed every minute, you are such an inspiration, especially to novice jungle gardeners such as myself. Keep doing what you are doing, you are creating a show stopping, master piece of a garden and i feel priviledged to enjoy your journey to perfection with you 👌👍
Thank you so much, pleased you enjoyed it! I tried to make up for the lack of regular vids and huge progress with more of an explanation and sharing the journey, great to know that's appreciated. I don't know about perfection but I'm happy to go the long way round to creating the garden that I want to have and enjoying the process! Thanks for the support!
I think your garden is looking beautiful. I absolutely love the slate table that you have created with the cactus potted up on top! Your olive tree is spectacular! I have an old one myself - never fails to make my heart smile whenever I see it. Another very inspiring video! Thanks George! Much love to you and your beautiful family xxx
Thank you very much Samantha, it's certainly coming along well and I'm excited to see a lot of the younger plants develop as much as containing to enjoy the presence the older olive and palms bring. There's definitely something special about the larger olives, a real sense of maturity and beauty. The slate table was only a quick little job but it wouldn't seem right without it now, I'm pleased to hear you like it too! Thank you very much for your support and all the best to you too!
You said you’d be back George with your fire pit update….well worth the wait. Keep up the good work
Thank you very much Peter, pleased you enjoyed it! It was tricky to get videos as I was doing it but I'm glad this ties it all together, even if it did end up being longer than I intended! Cheers for your kind words.
Hi George, I want to thank you for inspiring me into creating my own exotic garden, I finished mine back in June although gardens are never really finished. I spent most of my budget on a Jubaea, it looks great as the centerpiece surrounded by banana plants, trachys, ect...
Your fire pit is gonna be something else, looking forward to seeing it finished. Might I suggest you run a power cable up there before you commit to the path as you may wanna add a water feature & lighting later.
The pink flowers you have between your Yuccas sounded like ice daisies but I think I heard you wrong as I'm having trouble Googling them.
It occurred to me that Aubrieta would look great cascading down some of the walls you have there.
Mapei Rapid-Set Adhesive worked really well for me at setting down headstones on top of the garden walls, got mine from screwfix.
Good luck with it all especially the fathering stuff.
Hi and thank you very much, great to hear that you've also made good progress and are enjoying your garden! My Jubaea were my more expensive purchases initially too and I 'saved' money by starting with a lot of smaller Trachycarpus all well, that's the way to do it I think! Thanks for your practical ideas and suggestions. I've actually got power up to the brick shed in the middle of the garden so there's potential to run a cable along the right hand fence side to this area (you'd never see it behind the planting!). I stepped the slabs on the yucca side in a bit so that leaves room for wiring behind there but it's definitely something I'll put trunking in for if it's going to cross any paths, thanks for the reminder. As for what I called ice daisies, I got them from a roadside stall and they weren't labelled but I believe they're Delosperma or Lampranthus, not entirely sure though so maybe that's a question I should have asked in this vid! We've actually got a self seeding Aubrieta growing in our front gravel and they look stunning in flower. They could certainly work on the cobble walls and bring some early colour but I didn't want to introduce too many colours in just yet. I'll have to have another look and see if any jump out at me! As for the adhesive, I may need to go with mortar to give me a bit more flexibility in terms of levelling the copings / headstones - these are are a variety of thicknesses but if I can make it work with an adhesive like that it'll be loads easier. Thanks for the support and ideas, I appreciate it!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks George for taking the time to reply, I'll have a look into those new plant names you've given me, enjoy what's left of your evening. Cheeeeeeeeeers!
Wonderful video, the garden is looking great!
Kids? 😍
Thank you very much Frances, I really appreciate it! Haha there’s nothing to be read into that comment, don’t worry 😂 We’re lucky enough to have a few nieces and nephews that I’m sure would love to run around and cause chaos up there too!
It’s coming along great you ought to pick those free blackberries and make a pie You have a lovely wife and Daughter The garden will look great in a few years nice to see an update
Thank you very much Iris, that's kind of you! We've actually had a couple of huge tubs of blackberries off it - the last went into a lovely crumble and I might have eaten more than my fair share when I've been out videoing the garden, has to be done. It's obviously been a good year for them! Thanks, I really hope so. There's definitely an element of chance with how the yuccas interact visually but I'm really looking forward to seeing it continue to develop and a lot of the red hot pokers come into their own next year.
Great Video George! Wise words about parenthood.
Looking forward to seeing it develop and flourish.
Thank you very much Jason. I thought it was important to give a bit of context to the journey and hopefully help any other new fathers who're watching know that it's completely OK to not be able to do everything you want to do, or can do and that sometimes a bit of focus on making the most of your time (concentrating on the planting and making this one vid versus a series of shorter vids for me) is a positive that's not always easy to see. I'm pleased I prioritised getting the plants in the ground, and I'm also really looking forward to a lot of the younger plants grow up now and seeing it come together - thanks for your support!
I was bloody worried Angela would watch your fire pit video and want one herself, instead she watches it and wants a baby! Do I have to block you mate?
Excellent content as always, thanks George!
Hahaha good luck, hopefully she doesn't want both! Thanks, not quite Stonehenge but I'm very excited to see the planting develop until I can get around to more building fun! Pleased you enjoyed it!
I bought some Lamb's ear's this year for my front North Facing garden, not sure if they will cope but so far so good
Nice one, great minds! I can see them working well with your theme. I think they're relatively tough and adaptable as long as they're not waterlogged, fingers crossed they do well for you!
Great video George. You have been busy. Looking fabulous. Can’t wait to see it when it’s finished. Keep being a great dad and we’ll remain patient fans.👍🏻
Thank you very much, I'm pleased you enjoyed how it's coming together! I probably went on too much but just wanted too give some context that in a time of instant transformations and relentless creation, sometimes you have to adapt and slowing things down might just make the end results better!
Love your garden! Especially the variety of yuccas. Look forward to your updates.
Thank you very much! Yes, I really wanted to go all out on the yucca theme. I've seen gardens with a good selection before but not so many in close proximity so that means it's either a really bad idea or something hopefully a bit different and cool! I've done a bit more since this vid at the far end which I've slotted into my next garden vid that'll be up in a couple of weeks. Thanks for your support!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden excellent. I live in the pacific northwest US and haven’t seen that many varieties. Going to look great!
There's more varieties available but I ran out of room haha! Hopefully I've got a good selection of the toughest ones whilst also allowing for enough multiples to tie it all together.
I'ts looking great! I hope the plants do well in the raised beds and look forward to future updates. Enjoy time with your daughter, so cute!
Thank you very much Kathryn, we're very lucky to have a happy and healthy daughter and I'm really pleased with how the raised beds are coming together. A lot of the plants are well suited to dry gardens etc so hopefully I've done everything I can do to make them happy in our corner of North Lincolnshire! It'll be amazing to enjoy it as a family space in the not too distant future. Thanks for your kind words and all the best!
Coming along great George 😀 love it. Spot lights around the dry areas would look fantastic 👍🏻
Thanks Paul! With those plants it would be rude not to. Not something I'd use all the time, but for those summer nights or chilly winter evenings around a little fire, that would be an awesome view!
Oh Wow George, you have absolutely excelled yourself! What an amazing video , and so worth the wait. And what a Gorgeous baby as well as a fabulous desert planted fire pit. Thank you , I loved it all !
Thank you very much Helena, that's really kind of you! Great to hear you enjoyed the vid as well as seeing the progress and yes, there had to be a few baby clips in there! Thanks for your support and I look forward to sharing the next update (at some point...!)
Your a legend George been watching your videos since the start very inspirational and its certainly helped me sort out my own garden! 😃, all the best mate keep doing what your doing 🙌🙌
Thank you very much Tom, that's very kind of you and it's great to hear my vids have helped you with your project! Cheers, I intend to and all the best to you too!
What a video! The production value is insane for a RUclips video.
Be interesting tonsee how your Butyagrus Eriospatha fairs planted out over the winter as i also have one but it wont be planted until next spring and probably need it in a raised bed to give it good drainage. Are you going to do give it any addition protection?
The fire pit area is looking epic 😎
Thank you very much! Pleased you enjoyed it and the extra time I put into the editing this vid. Nice one on the Butyagrus, I planted mine out in late spring so it's had a while to settle in before any cold. I will be prepared to protect it for any prolonged freezes, yes, it's certainly not getting left to it while it's small and easy to protect. The leaves / fronds are quite flexible so easy to pack and wrap it but only when it's properly cold. Thanks, I'm pleased I made the effort to get the plants in so they can be getting bigger and better while I slowly progress the hard landscaping!
paint the brickwork a nice dark colour george with some real good tikki torches all around the fire pit !! it will look awesome george ..even put some speakers in the wall and connect them to bluetooth .. great job george
Thanks! Interesting idea, I could see that working well. I want to go for something a bit more subtle but I like the idea of leaving room for speakers and lights, that could be interesting for sure cheers!
Great work George . Ive got a 2 1/2 year old and started my garden months before he was born so i feel your pain 😀. Was hard to justify gardening at the start but now he is out watering and " potti dem up" as he calls it and we get out each evening for a few hrs. Loving this long video and keep them coming they get me through my lunch break. Some small colourful phormium may look good in the transition up to the fire pit. Got a nice cocomint one the other day that stays on the small side and looks so good. 🏜🏝
Thank you very much and good to hear that you've also experienced the journey of free time sacrifices (plus sleep!) and are now at the point of enjoying time together outside. I'm sure your boy loves being out there with you and it'll bring some happy memories! 'Potti dem up' is cute! Phormium could really work for that area where the end bamboo is and would also tie in with the Phormiums behind the Jubaea opposite, that's a great idea thanks and one I'd overlooked. Maybe even one larger tenax with yellow variegation to cover the fence and link the yellow of the bamboo with the arid planting and spiky plants beyond - it would be a great linking plant. I might go for some of the smaller ones too, just a bit wary of their varying hardiness after last winter! I did consider chopping the video down more but a lot of people like yourself seem to enjoy them so I'll keep uploading videos of varying lengths, I'm more interested in sharing what I find interesting and cool in the hope that others do than trying to appease any algorithms! Pleased you enjoyed it, thanks for your support and all the best.
Fantastic video George. Thanks for sharing all your hard work and vision. You are inspiring.
Thank you very much Linda, that's very kind of you! I'm pleased you enjoyed seeing what I've been up to.
Thanks for uploading!
Thanks for watching, I appreciate it!
thank you for an informative video once again. Amazing backyard and plant display.🙂
Thank you very much Helena, I'm pleased you enjoyed it!
Great to see you back at it george, and there i thought you had been falling asleep with the wee one. 😂 love the planting style, very unique and ballsy to go all out spikes and palms, maybe a few echiums or get the larger succulents inbetween for that contrast. Actually really like how its not the end of the garden and the eucalyptus section is there. Brilliant well done!
Thank you very much Hugh, I appreciate your kind words! Haha yes, some days it's tempting but you do what you can, when you can don't you. I actually put a couple of Echiums in a fortnight or so ago as it happens, there's definitely more succulents to go in as I get more of the hard landscaping done too. It's hard to explain it exactly but for me it just wouldn't work without the Eucalyptus trees there, I guess there's something about actual trees that dramatically changes planting - a display soon becomes a garden or environment and you need a proper backdrop to give the wow factor. We'll see, I'm sure there'll be mistakes, editing, hard work and evolutions as always but they're all better than taking the easy road as you know!
Definitely alot of work in our little pieces of paradise and moving stuff around. I did a nice gravel path through the palms to the seating area ,looks awesome and very in keeping with the natural theme. Just a idea ?Keep up the good work mate 👍
There certainly is but the effort is never wasted! I'm actually mulling over going with bound gravel or something like that to be honest, it would flow well, go down relatively easily and be flat enough to have things put on it without being uneven. I do also keep thinking about a big mosaic patio though but that would certainly take more time!
Its about time.
Haha yes, better late than never!
I would gladly take 1 or 2 of them palms off your hands 😬😂👍
Hahah I bet! I might be having a little plant sale in spring to raise money for the building materials required to progress things but we'll see!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden just let me know 👌👍
Haha yes, don't worry, I will pop a link out.
absolutely love what you done. cant wait to see it finished. that dry stone wall is perfect cuz it looks like its always been there. and the one at the top. i think perfection looks to man made. oh and your little one is 10 times more beautiful than your garden.
Thank you very much, I really appreciate it! I completely agree and definitely don’t want anything that looks perfect, I’m all about aged materials and a more natural / rustic vibe. The cobble walls leading into the patio want to look a bit more regular and be structurally sound but I still want planting pockets and a bit of old fashioned charm in there for sure. Thanks, we’re lucky to have a happy and healthy daughter for sure 😃
i couldnt agree more! really nice.@@GeorgesJungleGarden
Thank you very much!
George, what you’ve already achieved, especially when you consider what a busy time you’ve had, is miraculous. The bones are all there mate; You can only do what you can do. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
Thanks Don, I appreciate it! Yes, you're completely right, the structure is there, the rest will come together. I guess the intro was my way of saying the same as you, it's easy to put pressure on yourself and whilst there is a time and a place for repetition and hard graft, there's also upsides to taking your time, figuring out what really works and focusing on what you enjoy. It takes a bit of getting over sharing something that's less than what you want to due to time constraints, but equally, I think the journey, lessons and evolution can be more interesting for it.
Looks amazing George . Are you going to put drainage in the fire pit ?
Hi Robert and thank you very much. Being a bit slow with the building work actually had the benefit of letting me see what the base of the patio was like with holding water, and even though the soil was compressed after working on it, it didn't really pool. We are close to a sand quarry though so the ground is relatively well drained where we are. I won't be putting in large French drains etc like I originally planned but I will maybe be wrapping a layer of gravel in geotextile membrane under the permeable surface to give the potential to drain away any hard downpours as obviously the extra hard landscaping will channel it down quicker.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden interesting
We'll see, it's all a guess at this stage but there'll be plenty of rubble under it which will act as a drain of sorts and whatever floor covering I use won't be entirely impermeable.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden as long as you don’t have clay as your subsoil then I think you’ll be fine . Good luck with everything
Looks amazing. Maybe an arid biennial like a Verbascum bombyciferum or Echium wildpretii could help fill out some gaps while you're waiting for everything to grow out too. Delosperma and Lewisia are commonly available groundcover succulents that'd work well too.
Thanks Joe, I appreciate it! I think it was you that actually gave me the idea of Verbascum bombyciferum originally and I got some seeds which I'll sow over the next few weeks, they'll fit in really well. Thanks for the ideas!
hiya buddy did you see chris on gardeners world !!
Hi, I did indeed, it was a great section and they showed off his amazing garden really well! Good to see him featured.
Hi George did u have to have planning permission to do uou fire pit?
Hi Russell, it's just a slightly sunken patio surrounded by raised beds so nothing is tall enough that it would cause issues but combining the two height changes definitely helps it seem more dramatic. Obviously if you're planning anything more raised up or live in an urban area where it might affect neighbours then it's definitely worth asking or checking first.
Dont talk to mush.
Haha I'm not even going to apologise, I try to keep 'how to' and informative vids to the point, but this one is very much about my garden so the journey and context are everything!
5.16 George slaying pensioners ha ha old sods couldnt br arsed back in the day with there kids ha ha ha ha
Haha meant more in the spirit of there's no point prioritising algorithms and feeding the content machine over balance and making the videos you really want to, when you can. But yeah, selfish aren't they haha!
30:43 shout out @vincenzecalzone 👀😄
Haha yes, you've got it! I didn't want to refer to the Italian connoisseur of crisp edges and sparking gravel by name in case he took offence and sent some of his heavies round but yeah, it's a fantastic style, but just not mine for this garden!