General Gardening Discussion

I agree, the ones I've grown from seed have all been very slow to begin with but then suddenly explode with growth. I don't think that's too shabby for a 3 year old seedling.

It can also depend on the variety of lettuce as to how well they do against slugs, and how much sun they tolerate. I grow all of mine in containers because I don't have room for a dedicated veg. patch, and don't want to remove ornamental areas in order to have one as it wouldn't be worth it. Re...

I was going to say - Astilbes like moist conditions so I'd be wary of using them, but @fairygirl has beaten me to it!I started with 6 foxglove plants that I bought. I let some go to seed then I scatter them. I get lots of little plants that I thin out. They've been lovely this year. I've...

Hi,Yes, cut those brown stems off as low as you can get them, they are dead and serve no purpose.Your plant looks good and healthy with a new leaf emerging so you are clearly doing things right.Don't know if or when you are feeding them, but if not, now is a good time to give it a...

Marigolds, especially tagetes (French marigolds) contain pyrethrins which are natural insecticides. Any flower in the vegetable garden helps attract pollinating insects.

We had the same thing here when we first arrived nearly two years ago. Got a bird table and bird bath and now we're inundated. It's costing us a fortune in bird foodYesterday we installed a "sparrow loft" so hope they, or other small birds, find that comfy

It does sound like there's something else going on @RDB85 , so that may be trickier as further investigation would be needed. That depends on how keen you are to improve it all, and it could be worth trying a different approach with the planting first. A simple soakaway might even do the job. My...

Thanks, very interesting. I'll try the tongue test if I get any more like that this year. :-)

Have you not got anywhere it could grow in the ground? One specimen will cover metres of fence (7+ here) so even if the spot is some way from your patio you could plant it and then train all the growth towards your patio area

Thanks fairygirl, I will heed that advice.

There's gravel round it, so adding organic matter isn't really an option, but I could try some seaweed feed.

Yes, I’m a bit obsessed with trimming shrubs, keeping them tidy etc, it’s always flowered whenever I’ve trimmed it, but was thinking if I could resist the temptation I might be rewarded with even more flowers next January.

I agree with the others. If you are going away and can't water plants then it is worth moving any pots into a shadier position because it reduces their need for watering. I would give the loquat a bigger pot, a nice water and think about adding some mulch around it to help reduce water loss. You...

Geums do that late in the season.

I agree with the above, all those rocks will also hold and radiate a lot of heat which isn't ideal. Japanese Acers are understorey plants, they thrive in sheltered semi shaded conditions in their natural setting. But a lot of watering can help with more sun exposure from experience of growing...

I lift them, soil and all, and dump them into some old large plastic tubs behind the greenhouse. In the Autumn, I rummage through and any large, firm ones get planted into our wild area or occasionally an old pot. IMO it’s hit and miss how much of a show you’ll get from them the next year.I...

Thank you I'll give it a go

I tend to think Iris and crocosmia mostly have a flat fan shape. It could even be Yucca filamentosa.

Sounds and looks like my Dublin Bay. It's stubborn too. I've been battling it for years. Stems shoot up 12ft + into the air