General Gardening Discussion

Well I'm not exactlly a leading authority on olives, only been growing them for three years :D So I havent got much of my own experience to share, I do understand that some fairly old plants are around in the UK and growing pretty well, I think its obvious that you should find a sheltered...

Well, you picked the right time of year, although if you're looking at seeding a bent / fescue (fine) mix, you ought to get on with it as soon as possible, as the temperatures are starting to drop.Over the last few years though, I've been happily seeding as late as December and still had good...

I have recently bought a planting plan off the website below, it gives you a plan of where to place the plants included, and if i remember rightly, you can choose which colours you like and if your border is in shade, semi shade or...

Nik Was forgetting about limescale problem that plagues the southern end of the UK. Only left London 5 years ago - funny how quickly you forget these things - or is that age creeping up on me? :confused:

there is a weedkiller you can paint onto the leaves it does take a long time but it would be better than spraying it would kill to much grass which i found out by bitter experience you do not need to paint all leaves just a few on each plant :D :D

Never tried to move a holly bush, so this is a bit of guesswork. Best time to move shrubs and trees tends to be the autumn - late October mainly - gives them the winter to settle their roots down. Lift as much rootball as you possibly can, and make sure the hole you put in is a) bigger, and b)...

Hi Birdy I have three large Rhodo's in half barrels. the leaves turn yellow after flowering dry up and fall off. If I see any of the other leaves starting to lose their colour which they sometimes do I give them a bucketful of water with about an eggcupful of (Seeweed plus Sequestered Iron)...

thankyou annas will try chicken sounds lovely :D :D

Your very welcome

Thanks again, the leaves are still lovely and green and very healthy looking so I will leave until they go brown. Never heard of Lily beetle Fran so I looked it up on internet to see what it looked like. Nasty red little thing which I have never seen before. There was a Map showing where it had...

Gorse, berberis (thunbergii), Holly (slow growing though and you need male and female for berries which can take up to 20 years before the bush matures), Hawthorn (a native with superb scented blossom in either white, red or pink varieties) and sloe (blackthorn, Prunus spinosa) will all fill the...

For those of you with pictures of colour in your garden any month of the year (berry leaf or flower)- don't forget to add them to the message sections for that month. January to September is there and can be found by using search - and additions would be very welcome to build a searchable...

Thanks, I have now planted them up and they look great. Mad mickw

Thanks Sam I have Rhododendrons and Azaleas in wooden barrels and they do fine,also hostas in pots which I cut down and top dress with compost. I was thinking more of bamboo and ferns but I could always move them into the greenhouse if they don't get too heavy. Could I keep a red hot poker...

My neighbour planted periwinkle as ground cover before removing and turning front garden into a car park - and now I can't get rid of it.

Great project to have!As well as the advice given by Paladin I would also add look carefully at the lay of the land Does it slope N-S, E-W, S -N etc? What's the relationship of the house in all this and what shaddows, (summer and winter)will be cast once you have the garage built. How exposed...

lichen at the moment is a problem i was told it is to do with cleaner air if it is not that large try to run your hannds along the branches to scrape it off the lichen it will not damage the plant though it does look like it will smother the plant good luck :D :D

Best way to 'cut back' pampas is to set fire to it! OK it may not be practical if you have a small garden, or a local council that frowns upon anything smokey (but you'll see loads of 'them' outside their offices lighting up during a cigarette break :rolleyes: ) Fire brigades can also be a bit...

Bulbs need to grow and make leaf for the following year's flowers. Flowering in the first year isn't important, it's the leaves and roots that produce the goodness which the bulb stores. Left unplanted they will attempt to shoot but starved of nutrients from soil via roots and sugars from the...

Skimmia can be either hermaphrodite (self polinating) or dioecious (like Holly, needing both male and female plants for the females to bear fruit) Sorry but I can't find anything specicific for 'Olympic Flame'and I don't know if it would cross pollinate with a hermaphrodite variety.