Lots of photos - lots of questions

Hi Rosie , i don`t know a lot about gardening , but they`re great on here , i had the same problem with my climbing rose last year .It looked awful so i cut it right back. Its growing away nicely now and i`m spraying it with roseclear . My jasmine is`nt to good at the moment but i remember this time last year it was looking a bit wilted , but it soon came on in leaps and bounds . I should hang on in there

 

Rosie, thanks for your comments. I have been on holiday and only just seen the posts.

In my opinion there are GOOD plants, which you can often get from supermarkets. There are also VERY good plants - but you have to find out which these are and they are usually not available in supermarkets. And there are expensive plants, which could be very good or rubbish.

There are many definitions of a good plant, but for me it is easy, reliable and above all long flowering. For instance I have several hardy Geraniums. One is G 'Mrs Kendal Clark' - which is NOT a good plant. The flower is pretty but lasts only three weeks. I also have G 'Patricia' - which is a VERY good plant (though it will have cost no more), it forms a lovely mound covered in pink flowers for around 20 or more weeks of the year.

Likewise there are many Asters but Aster fricatii 'Monch' flowers for twice as long as any other variety, and doesn't get mildew. The main problem is finding the information, rather finding than the plant. Thats why I like talking to other people on forums and reading the opinions of people like Christopher Lloyd.

 

To prove that the efforts of all those lovely people who are kind enough to share their experience with us newbies are paying off, I thought I'd update this, too. Seeing as you give of your time giving good advice, I thought you might like to see how the advice is turned into action.

I decided in the end to leave the jasmine where it was. The colour of its leaves is beginning to look rather pretty against the darker trellis now, I think, and it's really grown a lot in the last few weeks. The aquilegia and geraniums which are shown on this picture were all given to me by kind people on Freecycle last year - they have done a wonderful job of filling the border and suppressing weeds. The fence and lawn were put in by us last May, when we got round to clearing all the rubbish from the garden (including 2 sheds, one play house and an ENORMOUS compost heap). I think it all looks quite well established now.



I have raked out the yellow & dead bits of grass, filled the gaps with soil and overseeded it. (Complete with anti-dog-damage cover as suggested by someone on here).



I sprayed the diseased rose, dug out the weeds and generally countered the overcrowding in this border, and I think everything is flourishing as a result of the increased space. It is looking quite pretty now (this border was here when we moved in, but it is infested with perennial weeds).



I am still propagating seeds according to advice from Peter S, and I have pruned every shrub and climber I can find, including this rather magnificent passion flower, which was literally hanging on one piece of string. I have cut out everything that was dead, painted the fence behind it, and constructed a new support out of wire. (All of these things I learnt about on here, by lurking and asking questions!)



I think you'll make a gardener of me yet! Not only is everything I do having a pleasing effect, but I am actually really enjoying it! So THANK YOU to everyone who answers my questions. There will be many more I am sure!

Forgot to add that in all my gardening efforts, I have been ably assisted by her ladyship:

 

Rosie - that looks soo good - you have done marvels.

Some good advice I heard was that however good the garden looks you should grow some new things every year. It keeps you on your toes and keeps you learning.

 

Is that Fiona Sunrise? Shiney.

 

looking good now Rossie.

The jasmine will thrive with a good regular feed