General Gardening Discussion

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...

and here are some tips on how to create a beautiful hanging basket. I can add that the vynil tubing can be purchased in a pet shop (aquarium kind of tubing)http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/pages/g00020.asp

what an amazing pic miraflores- the pink veins in that are amazing, what kind is it?I have lost the sink now - i had to move and had no room for it... but I have bought a cobra lily which is pretty special and a droserra capensis which is nearly dead....

It will not be noticeable after a while Rich,although that stem will remain and grow thicker. I think plants grown from seed will always have that different appearance at ground level as opposed to plants from cuttings. The leaf shape will also change to the usual flatterned type after a year...

I covered a cut down sanguinea with a large flower pot filled with straw last winter. It survived, but regrew from underground suckers, its not however made enough growth to flower, due to the stopping of growth in mid summer. The suckers do root easily, something that seems very difficult to...

Thanks Frogesque I've made a note of the name. I've been meaning to grow some from seed for years and now we have room I think I'll have a go. I assume that it's the Physali alkekengi that I should be looking for?

I have also just planted 'Queen of the Night' Tulips in plastic troughs. Instructions were 12cm deep and 8cm apart I managed to get 7 in each trough (about 0.5m long) along with a dozen or so Nacissi 'Minow' Used a 50/50 mixture of my own compost and commercial peat free compost.Generally...

Thanks Dave, so some do and some dont.

Yes, we were able to take pics but since we just have an old-fashioned camera and also a PC where we cannot put anything up, you will have to be patient while I ask around who can put pics up for me. Must still use the last film up and then take it to be developed, as the third visit pics are...