August - getting ready for near future

After spending hours and hours hunting all over the net for information applicable to my situation, I've completely befuddled myself.
I once again call upon you all!
I'm sorry, please be patient with me! :rolleyes:

Giving that i can only have plants in pots of various sizes outside, bar perhaps growing seeds inside, or having some plants that cant be outside in winter inside, where do i stand on the following?

I can get a nice big container outside with bulbs for the spring classics soonish right? Daffs, snowdrops, tulips, etc? Or do they need to grow inside first?

What should i have a go at growing inside seed-wise? And can someone explain propagation to me? Step by step on some examples would be wanderful!
I'd love to have a go at some!

When should overwintering pansies be planted outside? And what sort of age should they be then?

General growing, preparation, sowing and everything that can be done now or soon to get my garden going in the relevent months?

You see, i obviously got into gardening at the wrong time of the year, most things of interest are in flower now and will be going byebye soon, am i right? I guess i'm just half aware that i'll miss out on things in certain months if i dont do something about them now!
I would really appriciate some direction!

I've checked out a lot of gardeners calendars etc, but they are very much for established gardens, and as I only have Mr Geranium currently, they're a bit lost on me.

Going around some garden centres soon, so would love to formulate a shopping list and plan of action!

Eitherhoo, i'd really really appriciative of any mentorship that can be donated!

PS. other terms i'd like defined for me..

Layering?
Tubers??

Also, a little more info on the care and sowing and growing of strawberries, hibiscus and dahlias would be very much appriciated!

Sorry for such a long post, but i'm so keen to get going and to get it right! I thank you all so much for your help aready, but i'm afraid you're not shaking me off yet!

 

The bulbs you mention will be available soon, you will see them in supermarkets as well as garden centres. They can be planted straight into their containers and will produce flowers after Christmas. You will also be able to buy trays of winter pansies soon which could be planted in the same containers for some Autumn colour, and there are also Autumn flowering crocus.
If you haven't got your containers there are more available now than there will be in Autumn.

 

Oo thank you! I've got myself a shiny book for taking notes on garden care, and your help is going straight in there!

Oo! Crocus too! I'm in! Shopping list is now started!

 

hi WHILEY,its good to be keen, you will get loads of help and advise from the others be patient.


DONT BE LOST IN THE CROWD YOU WILL BE FOUND

 

Thank you both! Marley Farley, I have been doing so! And those images are lovely and give me a great idea of what i can do on those months, but i'm a bit lost on when those things should be planted and how to care for them, etc.

:D

 

Bedding Dahlias are easy Whiley. Sow them in spring following the instructions on the packet.
In the autumn you could dig up and save the tubers (the big fat roots) in a dry frost-free shed, and replant next year, but I prefer to re-sow from seed.You can also buy tubers if you don't want to grow from seed.

Stawberries can be planted in autumn. Conventional wisdom says don't let them crop in the first summer in order to build up good root systems. However we've ignored this and have had good success with three strawberry beds over the past 20 years. In a dry summer like the present one strawberries need regular watering and they'll also need liquid feed if you want nice sweet fat ones. Slugs can be a pest in some areas and membrane or straw under the plants helps avoid this. Blackbirds can spot a ripe strawberry better than we can, so netting when the berries are ripening is a worthwhile precaution.

"Layering" is a method for propagating plants. The most common and simplest method involves taking a shoot from the parent plant and pegging it into or just under the soil. After a few months the shoot will start to produce roots and can be separated from the parent thus creating a new plant. Stawberries can be propagated by pegging out the "runners" from plants.
Another layering technique is "air layering", but it isn't all that common, is more difficult and is used mainly on shrubs and trees.

[ 01. August 2006, 11:27 PM: Message edited by: Dave W ]

 

Thank you all so much! My note book is growing rapidly!

Boyfriend will be pleased about the strawberries info too, while i've been spending a lot of time on here there has been 'know about strawberries yet?' 'can you do strawberries now?' every few minutes!

Thank you for that link also! Wow, you're all going to make a gardener out of me sooner rather than later!

I cant wait to watch my garden grow!
I will likely keep posting on this thread and editing the title if i come across a question of what to do this month or something. Again, thanks so much!