General Gardening Discussion

Thanks, I had to pop into sainsbury's this morning and they actually had some new plants there so I bought two Gaillardias and two Coreopsis on the two for £5.00 offer. They did have rhododendrons for £10.00 but I've heard they can be quite difficult to grow so I left that!

Alan Gray, one of the owners, used to regularly write an article for the RHS Garden magazine. I'm not sure why it stopped as it was a highlight in an otherwise boring publication. They are both characters.

I like the Kalmia, never in my life heard of it before. Is it easy to buy here? And def a sarcococca too. Putting up a shed has drastically changed the levels of sunlight and forcing me to move a lot of things around. Always the same eh - you improve one thing and then find it's messed up three...

I was going to suggest Cuprinol ‘Garden Shades’ range, it’s always lasted pretty well. Not so good on smooth surfaces though.

Ok all Thanx for your advice

Will google these ty. Best avoid anything too big, and has to be fully hardy as that bit gets plenty sun but also wind.

A good way of keeping warm on a cold winters day. Usually you would cut half way through the main stem then pull i down towards the ground. Push some of the branches you cut off into the ground and fasten the bent over stem to these, traditionally would have used long bramble shoots or stems...

Thanks for the advice everyone. The border was already this size so we just altered the edge for a better shape, took out a few woody shrubs but left the Laurel. I intend to have a mini pond water feature in front of the Laurel as the soil isn’t very good there and to have a focal point. I...

Thank you both!The weather is supposed to be ok-ish from this weekend so out they'll go

I've been growing Fuchsias on the balcony almost the 20 odd years we've lived here. Never see gall mite damage on mine or on others around town either. I have seen hardy Fuchsia bushes die in a couple of years but no idea if the mite was responsible or something else. One died in the gardens of...

I remember once taking a light meter reading from a 100w incandescent bulb, close up, and it was not as bright as a human face in sunlight.

Thanks @Clueless 1 v2. It's glorious when it's in full bloom. It starts to bloom here just as the gorse flowers are on the wane.I do remember the thread and as it happens yellow is my favourite colour.

I'm not sure I have the space to do so. I handed control of my back garden to my kids and relegated myself to the role of labourer and consultant. Since then my lawn has already shrunk, a pseudo-Japanese garden with water feature is under construction, and apparently next on the list is a gnome...

We used 12" or bigger pots filled with Ericaceous compost for our blues, worked well for us.

I'll start off with one question, will do another thread for it if that's ok.

My dad had a billhook on a peg in the shed but I don't think it ever got used. They're just the job for splitting the thinnish stuff

Thanks all. I'll opt to prune after flowering.

I have a hanging basket by my north facing front door and always use some trailing fuchsias and begonias. Some of the newer begonias aren't as "blowsy" as the traditional ones if that's not to your taste so you could look for the Bossa Nova range or Bonfire/Burning Embers which have masses of...

I can grow the non-climbing aconitums without a problem. Although in Devon my garden can get dry, being on a hillside, has shallow soil in places and suffers from drying, cold east winds in spring. These winds scorch off young growth and I've lost a number of plants to them over the years.