General Gardening Discussion

Thank you, Verdun. Just going to have a look at the weather forecast, with a view to digging out the hedge cutters at the weekend.Silu, love your 'lollipops'! A great way of keeping people off the verges. I don't like leylandii either, but those were the best, quick, option a few years ago. ...

Thank you all. I have dug one up, compared it on Google (the app I mentioned still thinks its bindweed!) - the curl where it joins the stem is a bit of a giveaway. Maybe I won't be so brutal with it if it's not in the way. I certainly have never seen a flower. It's nice to have a name for when I...

Yes I would GardenGaz....prob wait until mid September now but soak rootballs, tease out roots if they look congested or tight, use john innes compost and water well. Your plants will thank you for it

Lovely sandy loam here. I guess I wouldn't swap either

Getting the autumn catalogues though the door and am interested in some of the above for a bit of winter colour.There are several varieties of garden ready plants listed , like Crescendo, Firecracker, Most Sented, Autumn Colours and Husky.Any suggestion /experience if any one variety gives...

Hard to believe that has been struggling on for 13yrs. Seems the roots are not moving to me.I think general watering, even when it's been raining might eventually get it going. Failing that, I'd dig it out and have a look at the roots.

Try green manure, over winter, it has similar effects.

They may well be right, it does look like Thuja. It may not have produced any cones if it has been kept trimmed as a hedge. They can grow pretty big pretty fast so if you are planting more, avoid putting them to close to the house and be prepared for the work involved in keeping them under...

I may mix with some of them but I make sure I have a wash afterwards!

I would pot them up Richcofton. Water them well and leave outside. Bring into the gh in early winter or fleece them outside. When growth is vigorous in spring plant them out

To a certain degree I can understand the 'fear' of poisonous plants , but this applies to nearly all the plants we grow ! When my son was a toddler he was under strict instructions NEVER to touch any plant in my somewhat well-stocked garden unless authorised .Having now left home I can now...

Verdun, I thought this was you and your family

Thanks for that noisette, thought that would be the case.

Thank you for the update, I was wondering how it was looking and now I know: Positively flourishing!So, I'm wondering, have you begun planning for next year? Anything which you tried which didn't work how you wanted it to? Anything you tried which exceeded your expectations?A magnificent...

Didn't you see the sign: "heavy plant crossing"? G.

Well I chopped out the large growths as suggested and I wondered if these pods (if indeed that's what they are) can be used to germinate new plants out of curiosity? Thanks

Hi @JoolsK - also, how about taking lots of photos of poppies (and finding them on the web) and get one of those digital photoframes so that it is constantly cycling through lovely summer pictures in the dark winter days? Also, seriously, get some daylight bulbs to ensure you both get plenty of...

Lovely Nessa - blue and silver with a touch of Ophiopogon. I think they look quite classy

Hi @silu -well done you! I have repeatedly bought tubers from a helpful seller on ebay. A couple of occasions I have had great flowering, but then the tubers rotted off over winter and nothing came through next time. And that's even when kept in large tubs rather than my clay soil. So just keep...

Thanks @pete , @Verdun Two years for tubers to form and tricky basal cuttings.... this sounds a little tricky for me. Also it appears I am to late this season . I may have a go next spring