Container Gardening

For my early, early potatoes in the past I have used an old dustbin with drainage holes; put about a foot of compost on top of a couple of inches of crocks in the bottom, space out four seed potatoes ( I always used "Charlotte"), cover with another 9 inches or so of compost and then as the...

Apart from the obvious like tomatoes, peppers and strawberries in nice sunny positions, french beans do quite well and you could always try a dwarf lettuce like "Little Gem" and radishes; herbs also do very well. I suppose you could try most things apart from root vegetables. The down side is...

Hi julia,trying gartenperle myself (free with amateur gardening mag)I think Tumbler is usually the tom of choice for baskets and containers

Hi, if your tubs are in the shade as you said, I'd plant begonias in the summer, they are really bright and colourful or bizzy lizzies,and ornamental kale or caulis in the winter, with a small conifer or an evergreen you can clip, like a box or variegated euonymus. pansies or primulas are good...

Hi, I agree with ladybird- most of the common conainer plants are easier to grow from seed than to overwinter, if you have room you can start them early on your windowsills. I had a little plastic greenhouse and found that my main problem was mildew etc. because it's hard to keep the plants...

As an addendum - just bought some evergreen ceanothus - lovely plant, lovely flower

If you've treated with Pravado, it will kick in and deals with whitefly too in the greenhouse as its a systemic - but yes, checking containers now and removing any seen should be done too. Fortunately they quite often nestle in the compost close to the container wall.

There are some things that will grow OK - after all you can grow mustard and cress on a piece of wet blotting paper.What you have seen growing in poly tunnels is probably a winter lettuce. There's quite a few varieties and they might be suitable for cloche growing in a small garden. They are...

A two pack "West System" epoxy resin would do it too. It can be used to waterproof plywood aquariums, so it`s safe for fish and plants. Most fibreglass stockists would have it and probably boatyards.

best thing to do is put the pots into position first, then put compost in, then plant. get some SWELL GEL add to compost, this absorbes 20 times more water and releases it slowly, so less watering!

Fill the barrel half way with compost, one of the large half barrels will do. put about 5 pot's in evenly spaced, cover with compost, water. when the top growth is about 2" high, cover with more compost, repeat till the barrel is filled to within a couple of inches from the top of the half...

hi robbo,i suppose it depends on what you like.i love crocosmia, Lucifer, in pots (or anything)i have them in old chimney pots in my back yard .you can buy at wilkinsons (good price) and cos they`re bulbs(they`re less hassle,you can also leave these-dont have to dig up and overwinter- in the...

plastic grow-bags - plasticisers again!! :eek: :rolleyes:

I've kept mine outside since I had them as the cold hardening off actually helps the plant apparently.I know what you mean about those three tier polythene greenhouses though - they are right sweat boxes.Keep a battery thermometer in mine which records high and low temps and already this...

Many years ago when I had a nursery, an old chap came in with his 42 year old plant that he grew in a big washing-up bowl. The tuber was huge - about 45cms. in diameter and although the individual flowers were just an ordinary shade of red, there were well over 200 of them. He told me it would...

Thank you both for your help I cant wait to have a go

Lupins are not very long lasting in flower. Sounds like the heat has stressed them. If the flowers have died then dead head them and you may get another small crop - feed too.I love them but they give a disapointingly short display for the ammount of room they take up.

If your going to increase the size of the pot, I'd do it now to give the roots time to establish - and I would look to put it in the pot that it will remain in.I don't know this particular rose, but if it will only grow to 3 foot, then its quite small - so you won't need a huge pot - but it...

The nursery that I work at have hardy cyclamen, a bit too far away for you, I realise, but we have them every year so I'm sure they shouldn't be too difficult to locate locally. In our winter containers we use mini shrubs (we buy them in as small shrubs for containers, but they are also sold at...

I've used these for the first time this year, and am converted from now on.Ive used them for: Runner beans, french beans, broad beans, courgettes, sweet peas, pumpkin , and as of yesterday carrot too.The roots seem to really form well. Cant see me buying pots any more !