Gardening: Hints and Help!

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  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,036 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2020 #152

    Sadly no sign of our visitor, but we shall keep looking. 

    Something I have noticed this year, and I’m going to whisper it.......no slug damage (been extremely dry) and no sign of any greenfly so far on roses🤞Hope it stays this way.

    All we have is a bit of drizzle....

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,192 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2020 #153

    Just returned from a walk. Only my second in 42 days! But I need to avoid bringing 'IT'  back, nice morning and I stuck to pavements, still several folk about just after 8am,  just distance issue with young lad 10 ish? on a bike, face covered, ride up behind me and passed within inches. Said excuse my distance and got a glare! Why pavement and not road? Especially at the moment. I digress!

    Beautiful yellow to apricot  climbing/rambling rose out with delicate perfume. Looks like it's been there years, not noticed it before. Lots of beautiful blossom everywhere, certainly lifts the spirits.

    Takethedogalong maybe you hedgehog was a one off? Hopefully you've had some decent rain and itll be finding natural food again?

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #154

    Sounding like Lady Fortescue of CT Manor I ate my first globe artichoke from the garden the other day, laughing I grew some from seed two years ago, they got a bit big last year with very small "globes" we transplanted them ("we" = OH) and at only three feet high this year they are producing proper full sized globes already, quite surprised by this. 

    Cucumber plants arrived by post, two out of three survived the journey, these are small cucumbers and we'll find space in the greenhouse for them.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,036 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #155

    We do have hedgehogs around us, but seldom in our garden, probably because of pooch, although he doesn’t touch or worry them.

    Had to chuckle when I watched this, takes “garden visitors” into another level😱 imaging having this in pond😂

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-52496494/angry-alligator-visits-us-family-s-home

    Going to check water butts today, we have had a bit of the damp stuff.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #156

    Have been handing over some seed grown veg to a village friend this morning, a sort of continuing swap going on. OH is putting in veg wherever he can, convinced we'll need them later. Lets hope the uk gets enough fruit and veg pickers...maybe those of us over a certain age will be allowed (or sent) out to help?! Back to holidays in the fields, I've got a late forties photo of my MIL with OH covered in mud in a Warwickshire potato field! wink

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,036 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #157

    I have found a rather nice Rose I fancy, called Devoniensis. It’s a climbing tea rose, surprisingly old, 1838, but it repeats, is supposed to be quite hardy and looks and smells lovely. Could be my out of lockdown treat......if I can find one for sale!

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #158

    I noticed that Millie had written about not being too happy with a Parkers delivery. We had to "rescue" several of deliveries from the nurseries this year, including Parkers. It looks as though some have been too long in the post and have been thrown around. Suttons refunded after I complained about one batch. We had a plum tree from NI earlier this year and that's not looking too good either! Obviously too much demand and lack of the usual care. We did have an excellent delivery from Garden Blooms in Fishlake, Doncaster. Very happy with that one. 

    I took a few photos outside this morning, still warm at the moment. Part of our front garden and a nice rose from one of the borders, "For Your Eyes Only."

    Then I took a photo in the veg plot and the Sweet Williams. Also the struggling Parker's plants and the good Garden Blooms plants! Happy gardening everyone.🌼

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,036 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #159

    Beautiful brue, thank you😁

  • RedKite
    RedKite Club Member Posts: 1,717 ✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #160

    Great photos brue, just wish we had better ground here to much limestone everywhere but have got some raised beds and I have to go with what grows locally and the Salvia shrubs at present are full of flowers and the bees do love them.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,036 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #161

    Salvias🤔 Now they are a plant I really like. Haven’t had any in garden for quite a while........

    I did get some lovely osteospermums yesterday, and a gorgeous dianthus. Wrapped up warm in greenhouse today though!🥶

  • scoutman
    scoutman Club Member Posts: 441 ✭✭✭
    edited May 2020 #162

    Just a gentle reminder to all who have planted out any tender bedding plants or veggies such as runner beans or have early potatoes up to provide some protection at night for the next few days. Particularly North of the M4 corridor. Temperature likely to be quite low outside major urban areas.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,036 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #163

    Brrrr🥶 Not half, last few days have been very chilly here, but luckily no rain. All my Summer stuff is still in greenhouse, wrapped up warm.

    Made a start on getting rid of forget me nots for this year. They will have seeded ready for next year, so all yanked out, Borders need a bit of a weed and dig over now, then all my home sown seed plants, delphiniums and holly hocks Etc.... can go in for Summer. Took drastic action on some bindweed, (hateful stuff), tomorrow it will be cutting back wild geraniums to stop them seeding all over. Great seeing more and more stuff coming out now, loads of alliums doing well, some London Pride, and roses budding up lovely. One is a happy bunny at the moment😁

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #164

    The roses are looking good, these are the front runners just now, the "old" roses aren't far behind. My favourite is the big shrub rose Princess Anne, very reliable, tall, scented and old rose style. Near our back door, we have perfume in the air! smile

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,192 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #165

    Takethedogalong posted on the lockdown thread re teabags and bananas skins. I postedtherebut have also posted here

    Thanks for the reminder, I don't like roses in the garden but have recently bought some from my late mum's garden for sentimental reasons. 

    I've lost one but the others are doing ok I think. I'm keeping them in containers at the mo and the jury is out about the future 😱, sister in law dislikes them more than me 🤣.

    • How many teabags per rose?
    • How many banana skin per rose?
    •  Should I give both?
    • At the same time?

    Actually I'll add this to the gardening thread too

    Brue you Rose's look beautiful, see I can admire them 😉

    Our rambling rector rose, scrambles up theunintersting tree just begging to bloom. Hope it doesn't get caught like it did last year - as it came out looking splendid we had high winds and heavy rain 😢😭.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #166

    Nice to have a big rose like Rambling Rector B2, even if you're not keen on roses, at least it's going skywards! OH isn't very keen as they always "get him" marks on his head to prove it. wink

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,036 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #167

    I usually do one banana skin per rose, and OH just lobs his tea bags anywhere😂, so it’s not precise!😁

    I have come to love roses. Always thought they needed a lot of work, pampering, but so long as you get a few things right, they are actually easy and give so much in return. We use them for security as well, better than razor wire!

    Ours are out way early this year. My Winchester Cathedral is in full bloom, and sadly got nipped by frost last week, so a few blooms are a tad damaged, but it’s doing well now. I get roses out of pots ASAP if I can. They don’t seem to like being in pots for very long, get straggly and weak.

    Currently out...... 

    Charles de Mills, Gallica

    Scentimental, hybrid tea I think

    unknown B&Q cheapy 😂

    Winchester Cathedral, Austin English

    Climbing Lady of Shalott.

  • Impy
    Impy Forum Participant Posts: 257
    edited May 2020 #168

    Lovely roses, I especially like the orange one smile  At one of the houses we moved to a few years ago there was a rose in the garden that was pink and white, similar to your photo, I remember it was called Handel.

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #169

    Update on the raised beds , there’s growth , you then find out where the seed went ,or not ! , sowed so more seed on the bare bits 

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,036 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #170

    It’s more peach in real life, a real beauty though, nice and healthy. It was a special birthday present last year. Put lots of healthy growth on in 12 months. 

    Raised beds looking good HD👍 

  • Impy
    Impy Forum Participant Posts: 257
    edited May 2020 #171

    smile Peachy colour....that's even better laughing

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #172

    The "peachy" colour rose on my photos is Heritage, a big shrub rose. The apricot rose in a pot is Lady of Shallot and the two tone rose is good old Masquerade. 

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #173

    I forgot to say it's good to see progress with the raised beds HuskyD.

    Wonder if Freddy is still doing his?

    We are so dry outside now we're having to water the veg plot. No rain on the horizon at all. There was a picture on local TV tonight of a dust "tornado" in Devon (I think that's what it was called?)

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,036 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #174

    I was going to ask what the two tone one was!😁 

    Bone dry here as well brue. We fitted a new water butt back in last week of March. I think all it has had in is around half an inch weeks ago. Tomorrow is forecast to be 27c here, so I wouldn’t be surprised if our little garden micro climate tops 30c tomorrow. Last week frost, this week scorching.......🤷‍♀️

    I have some lovely Osteospermums to use in pots for Summer, but am humming and hawing about getting them out of greenhouse.  

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,192 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #175

    Started applying teabags, never a shortage and the blinds man more addicted than me!, to the roses in containers. Not had a banana as yet.

    Good to see gardens progress 😃

    Our rambling rector rose looking promising. We need rain but not until it's bloomed properly last year high winds and heavy rains came at its peak. 😢

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #176

    Built a potting Bench today from some scrap wood I had laying about 

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,036 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #177

    Excellent bench HD.👍

    More roses out today, Dublin Bay Climber (Red), Albertine Climber, and Blue Moon Climber.

  • Impy
    Impy Forum Participant Posts: 257
    edited May 2020 #178

    More beautiful roses smile  This year seems like a very good year for roses, other half and I have commented on many stunning roses in peoples gardens when out on our daily walk.

  • Phil n Tracy
    Phil n Tracy Forum Participant Posts: 34
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    edited May 2020 #179

    My hubby had a rose bought for him for his retirement a few weeks ago. It has a little stalk growing from the base of the main stem. It's new (green) and has larger non shiny leaves, which are different to the main plant. Shall I cut this off at the base? Altho a keen gardener, roses are new to me..... 

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited May 2020 #180

    Yes take it off, it's just a sucker from the rootstock and will turn into a wild rose if left. smile

  • Phil n Tracy
    Phil n Tracy Forum Participant Posts: 34
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    edited May 2020 #181

    Thanks Brue. Will do. Only just looked at this discussion. It's really positive and helpful. We have just adopted a new allotment which has bindweed..... So, will try the vinegar advice! 

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