Gardening: Hints and Help!
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Coo, every day is a learning day Bakers. I had no idea they weren’t a natural UK species, we loved seeing them in the hedgerows in Cornwall. So much so, I bought some a couple of years ago and put them into a shady spot in my garden. They don’t seem to have spread, thankfully, but I shall keep a wary eye open now.
Looks like it’s either dig out the bulbs, which might take a few efforts, or it’s chemicals.
I have an invasive plant in one of our rockeries, called houttuynia. I bought a small pot, liking it for its multicoloured foliage and rather nice orange smell. It’s supposed to like damp and water, so I put it down by our pond. It did absolutely nothing, a few straggly shoots. Somehow or other, probably replanting a few bulbs, it’s got up into our warm, bone dry rockery, and has gone berserk😡 Every year I dig out as much as I can see, every year I am fighting a losing battle. Short of taking the whole big rockery apart, I am having to live with it. I though last year’s intense heat and drought might have killed a lot of it, but no. I can see shoots waiting to burst forth, again. Visitors often ask what it is, can they have some, but it comes with a garden health warning. It completely takes over around July each year and I take the shears to it.😡
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Bitten the bullet, weed killer it is. Good chat in the garden centre, recommends spraying while theres lots of green. A tad warmer and drier before applying, first of several treatments. Also suggested covering the area to stop the light getting to it. Once I've treated it I'll cover it using the bags the bark came in. Waste not want not 😉, I've got enough to do a couple of layers at least 😀
Someone asked for some when I dug it up. Having researched it I texted her to say I thought to much of her as a friend to pass any on! Can't lose newly made friends 😉. She's was very grateful I felt that way.
Beware ANY plants at bring and buy sales, generally there cos they spread well......
Your plant sounds pretty, but I'll pass thanks 😊
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Old carpets/ rugs are good as well Bakers if you have any. We used a huge old rug on a big patch of our allotment to kill everything off.
Saw an unusual item today, plant related. We were walking the grounds of Wortley Hall, and came across what looked like a huge stone carving of a tree stump. We found an information board close by that explained a bit more. It was actually the fossilised remains of a real tree that had been dug out of a mine. Reckoned to be around 25-30 million years old, back from when the are was a tropical swamp! 😁
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Do you know, we drive through Stanhope nearly every year, but I have never spotted that tree🤣 I had to look it up. On our radar now👍 The one at Wortley wasn’t as tall, but in one piece and you could see where the roots branched out from the bottom of the trunk. I should have taken a photo, will do next time we go.
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We had a neighbour, moved last year, who used our right of way (and others nearby) as a dumping ground for his garden waste. Now we have what I thought was wild garlic marching out into the countryside...will now check out which allium family member it is (the plant not the person.
) At least you can eat either type and the bees like it. I never use weed killer B2 so sorry to hear you have an invasion ...we will have to dig out any marauders if they appear. Due to another neighbour with a new beehive nearby I'm super cautious about what goes on the garden.PS will report back later!
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Brue I sincerely hope your previous neighbours haven't dumped it. Some people 😱🤐. I'm planning a double attack. I'll apply the weedkiller whilst it's nice and green as soon as it warms up a bit 🤞. As soon as the weedkiller is dry, I'll be watching the area carefully because of our dog and wildlife, then I'll put down plastic or carpet if I can secure some. And leave it like that.
Last year I dug out lots but made no impression whatsoever and fear I may have inadvertently spread it ...
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I put my wellies on and waded along the muddy footpath to the bit where they started to grow last year. Lo and behold they are the dreaded variety, just starting to flower! On our neighbours bit just now but advancing our way. One good thing they are totally edible even the bulbs, like spring onions. Free food anyone? 😋
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I have been collecting mushroom containers and coffee cups this last couple of years. A few holes in bottom of each and they make great seed trays, and then colourful planting on pots.
Sorted greenhouse out yesterday, put in some seeds, potted up some small corms and bulbs., all with a thunderous downpour happening outside. Lovely and cosy and warm in greenhouse though.😁 Nice to get some tender plants cleaned up and tidied, split and repotted ready for Summer. Gave some to neighbours as well. Looking forward to Summer now, but still enjoying Spring stuff.
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I bought a few more seed packets this morning, I fancy growing some darker coloured flowers this year. I also bought two dark red roses on special offer, 2 for £20. When we visited David Austin this week the roses were £30 each! They were 1p less at the garden centre today...dynamic pricing?!
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Might be Brue😁 They are expensive DA roses, as are Peter Beales. I quite fancy having a go at taking some rose cuttings this year, it’s something I have never done before. There’s a lovely rose nursery just outside Pickering that usually has lots of different varieties. Another not too far from us at Holmesfield area as well, got a couple of beauties for Mum last year. Just got back from our local cash and carry store (you name it, they sell it🤣) Three big sacks of bark for £10, and half a dozen lovely pansies for £1.50, love pansies and viola’s, they last forever with some deadheading.
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This is the Dahlia I questioned about, it’s now a good 18” the other is one I planted about 10days after.
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Just my opinion, FWIW.
You’re a bit early. I think I would put it outside during the day, to slow it down a bit and to harden it off. You might find it’ll need potting on (they grow quick), bearing in mind it probably shouldn’t be planted out until mid-May at the earliest. Before then you are taking a chance. Hope this helps 👍
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Thanks for that Freddy, it’s the first time I’ve tried to grow Dahlias so yes I’ll remember for next year. 👍👍
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Thanks Brue, I must have a go.👍 Do you use any rooting compound, or merely stick in a pot?
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Agree F55, good healthy growth. We had a frost last night here in South Yorks, no way can I think of putting anything tender out yet. Gloriously warm in greenhouse though, things are budding up, putting new growth on.
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We had a frost last night too. Plum blossom is vulnerable!
Beautifully sunny today.
Not worked in our greenhouse, too busy licking the whole garden into shape. Did pop 2 buckets full of unidentified bulbs in there whilst clearing the beds of rampart plants. Turns out they're bluebells so I need to return some, but I'll have to offer lots to others. Did pop a peony dug up before hard landscaping started - still with us 😀. 3 strawberry plants survived in the one of the beds, chickweed is very plentiful 😉.
We had a lovely established, in completely the wrong place on a tight corner from the front to back of the house, yellow rose with fragrant flowers, lovely once the petals dropped. Landscaper dug it out with digger, dug in a new hole where I'd asked and "plonked" it back in before could add compost below it. Didn't need to water it in 😂. It's a vicicous blighter and I cut right back a few weeks back. Delighted to report its sprouting 🤞
Off to potter out there but I MUST cover that 3 cornered leek which is expanding as I blink......
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No chickweed here, but I am waging war on Sticky Weed/Cleavers. Gradually winning each year. I suspect dog fur was the original source of seeding. It’s a race to get each bit before it seeds🤣 Our chickens and ducks used to gobble it it, so it was never an issue.
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Dilemma time again. Bluebells are the Spanish variety so I'm in 2 minds about planting/keeping/giving them away.
Cleavers are present in this garden, last year I thought it bad, but I do my best to keep on top of it, but then it got demoted by an over sufficiency of 3 corned leeks!
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Must admit I am ruthless with Bluebells. Any hint of a Spaniard and it’s out🤣
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Had some very welcome garden help today. It's a long slow slog but.....
Not convinced I've got all the 3 cornered leek covered! Sacrificed a few plants including a rose which was swamped by it and it was growing amongst its roots. I think it certainly enhances my garden 😉. Only sprayed a small area with weedkiller and covered immediately. Didn't feel right.
I was surprised at all the bits I had on the 'may come in useful basis' in the garage. Old door mats here when we arrived. Old back seat dog covers, various bags containing compost etc and an oilcloth table cloth that fitted the huge outdoor table we had. I found some used tarpaulins but they were too unwieldy, so were returned to be useful another time. I think the area is definitely an enhancement and adds to the beauty of the garden! Fingers crossed it will do the job by this time next year.
Just the right hand corner and bed on the right to go. That bed is full of rose of Sharon and some non flowering trifolium so plenty of roots to chase about. Then I expect it'll be time to deadhead the hundreds of daffs and start weeding the first beds tackled....
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Progress B2, hope it all works out! Our lawns got cut today so everything looks a lot better, nice to be out in the sunshine for most of the day, rain tomorrow just when our garden help turns up after the winter break. I filled some seed trays today ready for sowing, OH grows the veg plants I stick to flowers. The veg plants are well on the way!
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Snap Brue😁 I got home from Mum’s a bit earlier than usual, had ten minutes on garden swing in lovely sunshine with OH, then found myself potting up dahlia tubers and some seeds. Greenhouse is full of stuff now, some tender plants waiting to go out for Summer, and then newly potted, seeded stuff. I even managed to make a start of some supports for our prolific raspberry canes. Still a bit of weeding to go in this area, but OH had got a few nettles out for me.
Bakers, I think you have done wonders in the last few weeks.👏👏👏
Last two days have been glorious here, full on sunshine, real warmth in the sun. Slight breeze which was cool, but get out of it and it has been a treat. Forecast isn’t as good for rest of week, but it’s just so nice to be outside pottering again. A lawn cut doesn’t half tidy things up Brue👍😁
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Bakers, I think you have done wonders in the last few weeks.👏👏👏
Thank you. I've had help, once it would have been OH on a more frequent basis 🥲 than I can afford help. It's been a hard slog even with the help. I did maintenance to the borders last year to see what was there - sadly little, but we do have a wonderful amount narcissus getting on for 500-600 I guess. All pale, no yellow save 4 tete-a-tete. Plenty of snowdrops, but little else. Apart from the expense 😉 I'm looking forward to choosing plants/shrubs etc. And adding other spring bulbs.
Last year's 'help', let me down totally in August 🤐 but his 'skill' was limited but he was good a removing all the greenery from all our walls 😂. And he took away the debris, I'm currently relying on my neighbours having space in their garden bins despite having the maximum, 2, I can. That said it's very difficult to get gardening help in this area. 🤞this one stays the course. He's good.
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I know what you mean Bakers, I must have tried four or five different so called Gardeners for Mum in the last few years. Finding a reliable, knowledgeable person/firm is like discovering gold! I usually throw in a few discreet “do you know……” questions at some point, too often met with almost blank looks. There’s a huge difference between grounds maintenance (cutting a hedge, a lawn, a bit of strimming) and gardening. I did have to have a word last year after some over zealous use of a strimmer around a couple of Acers and some roses. Lad had no idea that he was cutting through bark, he had killed an Acer before I found out, annoying as Dad had bought it for Mum a good few years ago, it was a beautiful little tree. I didn’t make a huge fuss, because he’s a nice young lad, very willing, but I have now padded the bottom of other precious items, and told them to go easy with the strimming. I don’t use a strimmer at home at all, we have too many frogs lurking around, and the thoughts of hurting one of them is just too awful to think about. I’m not into speed gardening, much prefer to do things by hand and get all the roots out, etc…
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Oh how annoying about the acer. Not much you can do after the event, but it doesn't stop the annoyance.
I have never understood use of a strimmer in a general domestic setting, to me they are akin to a leaf blower 🤐🤐🤐. Both have their place but leave a mess unless cleared up properly after. With the strimmer you have additional hazards to wildlife and plants.
Our 'man' 🤣🤣 doesn't come with learn-ed qualifications, but has great gardening knowledge and skills, I'm not too worried that the name of a plant escapes him, as it does me from time to time 😉, or that he doesn't know the Latin name. He reminds me of 'an old country greenfingered gardener'. I had help a couple of times from a lovely lady gardener, who literally lived around the corner, in our last house. She was studying for RHS qualifications looking more towards a career than gardening full-time, her charges reflected that...... but she was a great help and I already had the garden structure in place.
I'm usually a slow and steady gardener. Much preferring to work on my knees and close up. I'd not thought much about my style of gardening until a neighbour, at the opposite end of the T of the cul de sac, made a cheeky comment about recognising me 😊😂 soon after we moved in. It made me laugh and I didn't consider it offensive it was true.
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I gave our strimmer away years ago, and the leaf sucker/blower has been on eBay twice with no takers🤣
Yep, an old style gardener is what you need👍 Might not know the Latin names, but good on what plant grows where, pests and diseases and how not to take the ring bark off! 😁 I’m totally self taught, both Mum and my Grandad were what I would call plantsmen, huge practical knowledge, utterly green fingered. Dad grew vegetables, waged endless war on wireworm and organised the annual trip into our local woodlands for leaf mould. It was a family thing, Grandad, Dad, couple of Uncles. all with those self built deep square wheel barrows, kids and a couple of dogs in tow, we loved it. I learned a lot more working as a volunteer at Brodsworth, and of course from family, plenty of reading, planning etc…. But I made some real bloopers in our garden in the early days, and still manage to succumb to the odd invasive mistake😱 I did think of doing an RHS course at one time, but to be honest, I spent decades studying while at work and Uni, and it got too much in the way of enjoying myself.
I get teased all the time about being upside down in a flower bed, and usually to be found in a somewhat grubby state, covered in mud or grass stains. Like you, I just laugh🤣
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We have been putting up a replacement garden arch this morning, what a fiddle, OH patience stretched as much as the arch as we struggled to get it straight and stop it falling apart etc.! Very cold so freezing fingers hurt. Now waiting for a cherry tree to be delivered. Would you believe at David Austin roses we were more impressed by the love sick peacocks and a couple of pretty cherry trees!
So we looked the trees up, they were called Accolade and we bought one on line to replace a flowering shrub lost in the freezing weather over this past winter.
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Best Rose nursery I have ever been to was in Cornwall of all places. Inland, between Hayle and Godolphin Cross, it was a huge private house, where the owner specialised in roses, and sold quite a few. I was so glad I found it, as she was possibly the most knowledgeable rose person I have ever spoken to, and provided me with two perfect roses for where and what I wanted them for, both doing wonderfully well each year. Sadly no longer there, place has new owners now, and no sales.
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