General Gardening Discussion

BeckW79 - don't worry over much about the watering, unless you can't get your fork in. That's what you need - not a rake - it has to ba border fork, dug in to its full depth, and the soil turned, checking every bit for weed-root, and get every piece removed!! Good clean fun!! I do it a lot...

Growing orchids from seed is difficult and requires specialist knowledge and skills. orchids raised commercially from seed are germinated in flasks of nutrient jelly in a controlled laboratory environment. they are some times also propogated by meristem culture: microscopic pieces of plant...

Hi Pete, yes, I have tried this with Amaranthus, some of the tiny purple seedlings had a lovely dark colour. The big fat green ones weren't so interesting. Also try to save tiny dark coloured Love-in-a-mist seedlings. I'm always in favour of the underdogs!

Hello all. Ive had the music lovers rose growing in a pot on my patio for 2 years quite happily but it's died on me this year, any idea why. My other potted roses are ok. Also in your opinion is there anything that wont grow in a pot given the right soil and feed etc?

thankyou Palustris,it wasnt black night but cool rockets and larkspur.

I'd agree, when we have discussed pollutants before the general conclusion has been that if there's enough in the soil to harm us then the plants won't do well either.

If you prune them hard in Feb/Mar to 12 or 18 inches, you should make them bush out. Its a bit late now but it might still be possible. This is recommended for all new plants, irrespective of their normal pruning requirements. As Palustris says if it is an early flowering type you might have...

Thank you, I'm going for the honeysuckle - love ivy but I know it gets a bit out of hand over the years. I've never grown honeysuckle, and fancy a go at that I think. Thanks again for your help!

My lilies are also sprouting but it looks like some of them are much smaller in diameter (they are third year plantings) - is it worth keeping them or buying some new ones although probably a bit lat for this year flowering.

no problem about putting the gereaniums in - they're perennials. (different with pelargoniums, the things everybody knows as geraniums - they're not hardy) :confused:

Congratulations to Corri. Now if you will excuse me I need to go and lay down. :D

Also, you get the green ones fresh all year - the white ones are in season only from 21st of April until 21st of June (a bit earlier for the Moroccan and Greek varieties). Outside these times it comes only from tins and jars and freezers - and in that state it can be like rubber sometimes and is...

Thanks Peter, good idea about wiring each panel independantly.

Hi Mrs T (great name BTW - you need a Mr T in a wig avatar now!)If the rhodie is in the right kind of soil, and it looks otherwise healthy it could be just a bit too young?There's a good article here:http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0301/nonflowering_rhododendrons.aspHope that...

I think they must be varieties bred for big seeds. I have eaten my sunflower seeds but they're much smaller than bought ones so it takes too long to get them out!

I will have a go at these names ?Armandii and cirhoco that I have in shade.

Mine vary from 1 ft. high in the conservatory to nothing (also in conservatory) - seems to depend on variety. Picasso is just shooting but Brilliant is well away. The ones which I left outside show no sign of growth as yet.All are well watered and feeding started last week.

Ouu err Nice South face - Wisteria, roses, clematis honeysuckle. You could underplant with lavender, a few verbascums if its dry soil, nerines against the wall. where abouts in North Yorks are you?As to your shadey area, is it all in containers? I used to hate my shady areas but now I have my...

this winter I was confined to quarters, so I had nothing better to do, but my great joy was to get fat from butchers render it down, mix it with wild bird seed and hang it in apple tree - oh the tits and woodpeckers saved me from depression all winter!not that we don't have loads of berryies...

A varient on painting it on is to put a bit of Roundup, which I think contains the chemical Glyphosphate, in a polythene bag, push the leaves into the bag and seal it up with sellotape. That way the plant is in contact with the weedkiller for a long period.The reason for suggesting Roundup or...