General Gardening Discussion

beginers luck PETE. NEVER SEEN THIS beauty before.

Hi Prastio ... love your avatar! Sorry, I can't answer your question but I do want to welcome you to GC!

you could use something like a fuchsia in the centre of the round pot, with trailing aubretia round it. 8" isn't very big, but if you use anything with a tallish stem, you can put traily things around it - but you need to feed and water well. For the trough type, how about a tallish plant in...

Fran, only the IoW from Plymouth and back!Sorry, DaveP, t'other half only stops for fuel along the way .... can't even have the cuppa with Marge that was offered! :(Thanks, Strongy, I've still got some of your seeds to incubate ... :D :D :D Will they be Stronlols or Lolstrongs or .......

I've not known them do it..... They were abundant in Hemel, not far from Fran - but I can't say I've seen little ones near the main bushes, so I guess not!

No, only to about 17 so far! It was fine last year. Have moved it from the one side of the outdoor living room to the other this year though, east rather than west facing.

Thats a good one Hornbeam, Its always much more satifying to bring on a half dead one, to flower. And its one thing that most orchids seem good at, coming back from the dead.

thanks for your fab suggestions all!BM - I have a large peony plant actually, it's under the pear tree and needs dividing so I will put a clump with the lupins. I really like that creeping dogwood - the leaves are like mini hostas! It will go perfectly.Honey Bee - well said, I must get some...

Primulas in bud and so are some narcissus - in September!! Very heavy rain last night put the lawn under water. Great flood swept down the hill, into my drive, poured into the garage where it rose to a depth of 2 feet. Greenhouse paving under water too, but luckily the heater is off the...

There is Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata)and Virginia creeper(P. quinquefolia). They have differing leaves, but are similar in habit, appearance and uses in the garden. The Boston Ivy usually has a palmate leaf ie hand like - bit like a vine (but this is variable - hence its old name P....

HelloSome Ivies can be very pretty. I have a sef-rooted Hedera hibernica (Irish Ivy) in the garden. Its a nightmare. I have dug it up so many times - and every time it grows back bigger and stronger. I have been trying to get rid of it now for 6 years. Therefore I don't like Ivies very...

I've just gone through the garden digging little Jacarandas up that are popping up here and there having seeded themselves. I have five now so I'll see if one or two can survive.I also have three offshoots from the Oleander to play around with also. Sometimes I get one that has seeded...

Well done Liz! I know where some plants are and they look to be very vulnerable by a pavement in town. Will try to get some seeds or even offsets if possible. If succesful I will raise some in my garden and share with any of you that want any.Looks like a good link Liz, I'm all for...

:D Isn't it great - some plants are so happy to grow for us!! I do the same with loads of plants, and end up with very odd mixtures. There are two happy little kalanchoes in with a ficus benjamina!! I really ought to repot the lot....

congratulations - celebratory piccies please :D

Most marginal pond plants sold are totally hardy, there's one or two that can be a bit tender but then only in a severe winter. I just cut the dead leaves down, to stop them rotting down in the pond, and let them get on with it.

A little bit of trivia I just picked up from the American Brugmansia & Datura Society ..."The genus Brugmansia belongs to the nightshade, Solanaceae family which includes tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco, many kinds of peppers, eggplant, and also includes Datura, petunia, nicotiana, solanum,...

I have to cut them back every month or two but I just love them. The blue one is definitely a different variety from the rest.

Also watch out for Narcissus bulb fly and/or bulb rots - either would have been apparent when you dug them up.One trick that may help if they are growing in poor soil or under grass is to feed them. they can absorb nutrients very early in the growing season, so a general or slightly nitrogen...

Re the pansies, I would plant them out now. They are tough plants, I have even found them flowering under snow. Frosts make them flow, but as soon as the frost is gone they perk up.If you have a particular busy lizzie that you want to propogate, and that may be difficult to find again - then...