General Gardening Discussion

Thnakyou very much, I haven't given it any tlc since it was planted so you're probably right there.I'll give it a good feed and cut it back in winter.One last thing - there's self seeded campanula crowding its base - would it help if I cleared them away?

Might I suggest that if you buy a couple of clematis they should fall into the same pruning group, as they will get all tangled up immediately and if you are like me you will snap many of the shoots trying to extract one from the other. Judging from response here I would suggest sticking to the...

Excellent! A living tapestry of colour

Why not paint the concrete with G4. Usually takes about 4 coats and is available in black or clear. It is totally waterproof and is used to seal concrete ponds so a stream should be no problem plus you wont have creases from the liner to worry about.John.

Thanks, that doesn't sound difficult technically. Good idea about the cut turf! My bricks are buff coloured but I can't complain.

Once you've salvaged what you can - instead of planting it in compost - fill a small pot with ordinary soil from the ground, the sandier the better - dampen it and then plant it. In my experience mint, marjoram, oregano like a lot of herbs do better in soil without the addition of nutrients....

Bougainvilleas flower on new wood, so I feed mine furiously with Hi N for 3 or 4 weeks to encourage shoots, then Hi K for 3 or 4 weeks to encourage flowers, alternately all through the summer. If you can stop them loosing their leaves during the winter they get a flying start the next year, but...

I use pelleted chicken manure too. No smell and it really does a grand job. Mulch with garden compost in the autumn, two handfulls of pelleted chicken poo per bush in the spring and two more in the summer and that's it.

Thanks guys, I think I'll hold onto it but keep it isolated from everything else and see what happens.

Rain...what rain? yes it is a very vibrant blue tending to purple most eye catching the leaf is like yours.

Lowest for essex was 5, but may think about getting in my summer bananas cause the leaves might crisp. Not sure if the nights are long enough now for frosts are they? I need a fleece that stretches from corner to corner, or one of those stadium roofs that close up. [ 29. May 2006, 12:26 PM:...

Thanks for that thought Liz. I will give it a try. Dicentra has been very disappointing this year. The last couple of years it flowered for 10 weeks, but this year - short and battered.

Oh my word, don't blame you, you'd be there forever!!Think i'll give it a go on mine.

That sounds reasonable pete. I have this year cut back again in the hope that goodness wuld go back into plant and not into something I was going to remove in early august, but I see your point about it stimmulating more growth, so will re think my schedule.

Good to hear...You are very welcome!

dont know what size jervis balcony is mine is quite big part of the flat structure iff it is a balcony attached to the building will have to be carefulrosa

Right, hot water, sand and cement it is! Thanks!!

i like heuchera's myself, i have sown some purple palace,bressingham and green finch?, buyer was not able to identify, but said it looks like green finch. Also have a 2nd year strawberry candy one in my wee greenhouse. :D

They are truly a delightful spring flower, and bring back many memories for me too.

Golden euonymus should also do OK - and hosta's should manage there as well ferns. Primular vulgaris (the wild primrose) should also manage as well as fuchsias - especially magenallica, which I've grown in similar shady positions.Take a look at the RHS site, which should expand on the...