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Posted by David K (U2221642) on Wednesday, 1st April 2009
Hi, gardeners, welcome to April’s Potting Shed.
At long last we have some real spring-like weather here in the Midlands, which (for the first time this year) makes me feel like spending time in the garden.
Yesterday I spent most of the day reviving my two lawns. This involved cutting, scarifying, aerating and feeding..Hard work, but a good job done.
Last week I had my block paving cleaned professionally, it was quite expensive but given the decrepit state it was in, the results made it well worth while. The equipment used by these people bore no resemblance to that you can buy from B&Q or Argos or even hire and therefore does a fantastic job - in fact it looks as good as the day it was first laid.
Here are a couple of ‘after’ pics taken of my patio area, although this only represents a tiny part, as the block paving extents all around the house.
[IMG]/IMG]
[IMG]/IMG]
Wished I had taken some 'before' pics!
, in reply to message 1.
Posted by DeeKay Bee - Disenfranchised (U236881) on Wednesday, 1st April 2009
Bump
What a lovely day it's been today.
Oh, wow, David. Your garden looks really smart and tidy. I thought it would be overflowing with plants and you wouldn't actually have any paving, for some reason!
My new and larger allotment is beginning to look like home now I've got fruit bushes and potatoes in and have weeded and dug a fair part of it. I see it's due to rain at the weekend. It really needs it; I was surprised how dry the ground was when I was digging last weekend.
CC
, in reply to message 1.
Posted by Flightless Anachronistic Bird (U6437464) on Wednesday, 1st April 2009
DK, Love the topiary rabbit (that is a rabbit, isn't it?)
May I ask for some advice, please? My Cherry & Plum trees have grown suckers which are quite big & in the case of the Plum, about 5ft tall. The Cherry sucker is covered in blossom at the moment.
Are the suckers doing the parent trees harm & if so, how & when should I deal with them?
Politebirder - Because plum & cherry trees have lots of roots near the surface, they will often produce lots of of suckers for 3 metres (9 foot) around the trunk.
Regular cutting of these suckers will keep them under control.
A more permanent way is to dig away the soil to the point where the sucker joins the main root system. Simply pull the sucker away from the root, this will slow down the production of suckers.
DK, Love the topiary rabbit (that is a rabbit, isn't it?)Â
Yes, it is intended to be a rabbit. I'm quite proud of it inasmuch as I hadn't done any topiary before and I did it free hand..It has taken about six years though to reach this stage.
Thanks, David. Can I get rid of them now?
Curly Cake - The pic just shows my patio area at the top of the garden...the main garden (fruit & veg) starts beyond where you can see the yellow hose pipe.
Yes politebirder its quite a good time to cu them down before the new growth starts in earnest
, in reply to message 10.
Posted by Westsussexbird or Birdy aka Westie (U6316532) on Wednesday, 1st April 2009
Just sitting here on our new garden bench :0) Our old one collapsed when a friend sat on it! It is in front of our house and passing neighbours sit on it for a chat .... if you have room for a bench in your front garden then I can recommend it.
:0)
Westie - I do so agree with you, everyone should take time out and enjoy their garden.
Although mine is probably more secluded, I have an leafy arbour where I sit, relax and enjoy my garden.
[IMG]/IMG]
For any camellia fans out there, I would just like to show you this one, which is looking rather splendid at the moment: [IMG]/IMG]
belated birthday indoor tomato sowing greetings mr k.
did mine yesterday while the gas fitters were ripping out and replacing my heating system.
got some chilli seeds and corn kernels in too.
had a sort out on the balcony and got lots of containers ready for the onset of much greenery!
hope you're well and your garden is fine fettle
belated birthday indoor tomato sowing greetings mr k.Â
Wow! How spiffing to hear from you....time to clean out the fridge!!! :0)
, in reply to message 7.
Posted by Flightless Anachronistic Bird (U6437464) on Saturday, 4th April 2009
I hadn't done any topiary before and I did it free hand..It has taken about six years though to reach this stage.Â
I'm impressed!
, in reply to message 16.
Posted by douglas the rabbit (U13762692) on Saturday, 4th April 2009
Hello, David! I do like the camellia - I have one exactly the same colour which I rescued from Woolies' a few years ago, and it is now massive...
I'd be very grateful if you could give me a bit of advice about hellebores. I have two which I bought recently at the garden centre. At the moment they are in tubs outside the front door - north facing. I'd like to transplant them into a permanent location in the south-facing back garden, but I don't know where. I garden on heavy clay soil in north west England, not too much above sea level. Can offer them a choice of locations from sunny, south-facing border to woodland - well, under a couple of large trees - to a semi-shaded position near a tallish fence. All help gratefully received...
Douglas
We have a green hellebore doing fine in a shaded position near a fence, just as you describe. Not an expert so others may be along shortly to advise.
A flowering currant we inherited here is having its best year yet, looking out at it as I type. The magnolia also benefited from some barrowloads of compost last autumn when I was feeling energetic.
Some years we seem to produce more compost than we have time to spread about, so will have a session on that tomorrow.
Hi Douglas - I really like hellebores myself...they offer cheerfulness at a time when things are otherwise a bit drab in the garden.
They do well in most soils, they will even do well in acid soil.
However, their preference is for a neutral to slightly limey soil - a pH of about 7 would be ideal.
Most prefer semi-shade, especially where they are grown on sandy soil.
They hate being water-logged. These two preferences make them ideal for growing under the shade of a tree or large shrub.
Hope this helps!
Well, I thought I had all the fruit bushes I could possibly want, but came back today with a cranberry bushlet. It is reddish (attractive foliage), is a covering plant ( /very/ useful!) - and I may even look forward to picking our own berries for next Christmas! Not often I find 3 things I want in one plant.
OTOH, I've been tidying up and weeding today, but the ground is littered with horribly spiky cuttings from when I 'tailored' a couple of berberis the other week. The neighbours must have been wondering about my language!
, in reply to message 20.
Posted by douglas the rabbit (U13762692) on Saturday, 4th April 2009
Thank you, sagethyme and David. I'll add a bit of lime and put the hellebores in under the trees - which should still be leafless when the hellbores are flowering.
Your hellebores will do better in semi shaded woodland rather than full sun
, in reply to message 22.
Posted by corvid(ex mattyhislop) (U13819186) on Saturday, 4th April 2009
Has anyone here grown huckleberries? I am having a go this year cos they look nice on the packet.Anyone got any experience of growing them?
Sarah
Hello all - what a beautiful gardening day (at least it is here in Kent - hope it is where you all are)
Sorry sarah, I don't know anything about huckleberries but I'm sure someone will be along who does!
I have a question about my poor acer which is looking very sorry for itself. It lost a lot of leaves last summer, and now appears to have a lot of dead wood. I think there are still signs of life (buds) on a few branches. Should I cut back all the apparently dead wood and hope for the best?
Sweet-rocket - Sadly, Acers do suffer from frost (or more likely) wind burn and this may be the problem.
Cut out the dead wood and it will probably survive.
Sorry, I have no experience of huckleberries either.
thanks David I'll give it a go
I have four oleanders, which I have kept shrouded in fleece for the hardest part of the winter. Now unwrapped, they look rather shabby.
My question is, should I cut them all back, or just let them sprout as they are? One of them has started to grow so energetically from the bottom that I have in fact cut all the long brownish looking branches off, and it seems to be thriving. The others aren't sprouting the in same way, and I wonder if they would if I cut them back.
Hope someone can advise me.
Thanks
Ali
I am so pleased to have happened on this thread. Hubby and I are pretty much novices at gardening and have a quandary. Currently either side of our front window ( on a corner, very sunny) we have 2 Berberis planted by the previous occupants of our house. we don't like them (they are much too vicious to keep tidy!! And they attack the children!!)and would like to replace them. We have bought two 15" square planters with trellis at the back intending to select clematis or honeysuckle to plant instead. BUT we have now thought that that will give us little or no foliage in the winter. So my question ( at the end of all this rambling) is do any of the experts in ML have any suggestions of a climber - not too vigorous, preferably scented, evergreen and easy to look after please??
In reply to Ali-cat in message 27
I've not had any success with my 2 oleanders over the 4-5 years I've had them. Trouble was, I brought them inside for the first few years, and they flowered v.early - *indoors* - then I wrapped them up outside, but had cut them back and they didn't flower after that. This time, keeping fingers crossed that I've done the right thing ( /not/ cut back last year, and wrapped them up well this winter on the terrace). It is galling as I see these plants flowering beautifully everywhere else around here in the Summer!
Dessibel - You could always opt for an evergreen clematis; even grow it as a companion to a honeysuckle. However, the problem with growing both would be the restraints of a rather small container.
Just wanted to mention here that I liked GW and new presenter Toby Buckland.. Like his enthusiasm and sense of humour, lacking since Alan Titchmarsh left.
No one at TB seems impressed, wondered if you all felt differently?
Lil
, in reply to message 30.
Posted by Flightless Anachronistic Bird (U6437464) on Monday, 6th April 2009
DK, I wondered about the evergreen honeysucle Lonicera henryi, but it might be a bit too vigorous? Also, it's only described as borderline hardy by the RHS encyclopedia, although I had no problems with it here in NL (until the neighbours weed-killered it) and the winters are generally harsher here.
Dessibel, you could try trachelospermum jasminoides. It wants a warmish place (mine is on a south-facing wall - I'm in London) but it's evergreen and smells wonderful when it's in flower. You often see it in pots in Italy so it'd be fine for a few years at least.
, in reply to message 23.
Posted by DeeKay Bee - Disenfranchised (U236881) on Monday, 6th April 2009
We grew huckleberries the other year.
They do, but unfortunately they have absolutely no taste. We waited and waited for taste to develop, but it was in vain and they ended up on the compost heap, we couldn't even justify putting them with something tastier as it was just spoiling another ingredient. Some people have more success but if you google you'll find plenty who don't, apparently some people find an improvement after they've been frosted.
, in reply to message 28.
Posted by San Fairy Anneâ„¢ (U2230890) on Monday, 6th April 2009
Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:18 GMT, in reply to Dessibel in message 28
Dessibel,
Has it occurred to you that the berberis were planted near the windows as a very efficient burgler deterrent? Is it at the front? If so be aware that attractive pots with choice plant contents may well be 'lifted' if visible from the road.
I have always found long handled loppers and gloves fits me up to keep berberis in it's place!
I think the suggestions you have been given would suit and look good. The best potted thing I have is a Camelia, now in full bloom and evergreen, but needs watering with rainwater and a West or North aspect. SFAnneâ„¢
Thank you all very much for the suggestions, we will check the ideas out and make our choices. I think you have shown my dear hubby that ML amd its messageboards are maybe much more useful than he had realised!!!
San Fairy Anne I guess you are correct that the berberis could be a good burglar deterrent but we are literally the last corner in a cul de sac so can be easily seen by a number of other houses which I hope would also deter someone from breaking in the windows at the front. (There are 3 more berberis at the side of the house too so a change would be good!!)
Thank you again and happy gardening to you all.
, in reply to message 36.
Posted by Flightless Anachronistic Bird (U6437464) on Monday, 6th April 2009
Apologies for spamming, but I get out in the garden in the sunshine with the camera and the flowers are just irresistable
FB - I must congratulate you on the quality of your pics...excellent subject matter too.
, in reply to message 38.
Posted by Flightless Anachronistic Bird (U6437464) on Monday, 6th April 2009
Hi David,
Thanks. I take pictures of the flowers, so you can't see what the garden as a whole looks like It suffers a bit from me being very busy with work from mid-April onwards, so things inevitable get a bit out of hand. Also, I'm on poor soil, so things tend to sulk for years, then take off and get too big. However, providing the sun's shining there's always something in the garden that's pleasing to the eye if I look closely enough.
I know what you mean, FB! Much the same, this is one I took of a common old marigold. [IMG]/IMG]
, in reply to message 40.
Posted by Flightless Anachronistic Bird (U6437464) on Monday, 6th April 2009
That's gorgeous David. I love the intensity in some flower colours - you just don't get the same colours in artificial objects.
I don't really believe you about your garden - it looked lovely in the pictures you posted the other day.
Kind of you to say so, FB, but as my preference is for growing fruit & veg; it is never going to be pretty.
Wish I could grow begonias like so: [IMG]/IMG]
, in reply to message 42.
Posted by Flightless Anachronistic Bird (U6437464) on Monday, 6th April 2009
Blimey, they're pretty amazing. Are they as big as they look? I think you'd like it in NL - lots of plant breeding of ornamental flowers going on.
I did once grow some strawberries, and would like to grow more edible things, but it's just not practical when the garden gets neglected during the three months when everything's growing fastest.
Yes, every bit as big...see those tomatoes in the background as a comparison.
Shame if you can't grow edible stuff, but it does take up a lot of time and I give everything away.....daft, innit? :0)
Nite nite!
PS. The begonia pic was taken at Southport Flower Show.
, in reply to message 45.
Posted by Westsussexbird or Birdy aka Westie (U6316532) on Tuesday, 7th April 2009
David, just to let you know we followed your advice to leave last years tiny leeks overwinter, and you were right and they have suddenly come to life enough for us to decide to eat them. We had them yesterday and today and they are simply gorgeous.
;0)
Thort they would come good, Westie and thanks for having faith in me....nothing beats home grown, does it?
, in reply to message 47.
Posted by Westsussexbird or Birdy aka Westie (U6316532) on Tuesday, 7th April 2009
Yup, they taste a zillion times better than the ones we have had to buy in while these beauties put on a bit of weight.
Thanks for all your help.
:0)
, in reply to message 48.
Posted by Flightless Anachronistic Bird (U6437464) on Tuesday, 7th April 2009
Hooray, my Elder Guincho purple is alive! About a month ago I cut it back to hip height (it had got to over 3m), with half a dozen or so sawn off brances. Since then it's put out just one bud at the tip of one of the branches, and I was thinking that although it might live, it was going to be so badly deformed that I would have to put it out of its misery ... but ... today I looked and there are a fair number of *tiny* little buds growing at various places
It's a gorgeous shrub - purply bronze leaves and pale pink elder florets - to my mind vastly superior to the cut leaved yellow elder, whose foliage goes green and rank as the leaves age.
, in reply to message 40.
Posted by corvid(ex mattyhislop) (U13819186) on Tuesday, 7th April 2009
Thanks DKB for the gen on huckleberries.I must say I had suspected as much,if they were that good they would be more popular.Still,if they look pretty they can have a spot in the garden & we'll see how they go,if I am pleased with the results I shall let you all know.
Sarah
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