Mr Grinch's Garden

The one thing i felt about Great Dixter was that it felt like a "real" garden, by that i mean it wasnt meant to be perfect, there were weeds in places and certain things IMHO there were too many off, the poppies for one, but that is what a real garden is in my eyes, never finished, constantly changing. The mix of formal and informal, nothing was level, the hedges, paths were up and down and in my OCD brain i thought i would hate it, but i didnt, i loved it.

G

 

Got any of the exotic garden - or was it too early and not "ready" as yet?

I find National Trust expensive, and I dislike their pressure selling. I want to just buy a ticket, every time they lecture me about taking out membership even when I patiently explain that we visit National Trust properties at most twice a year and it is not cost effective. I also object that they automatically charge me extra for Gift Aid without asking whether I want to contribute, or not. No one has ever been able to explain to me why National Trust charges more than the cover-price for Gift Aid ... everywhere else I go I just sign a form and the charity gets its 25% (or whatever it is) refund from HMRC.

 

They're thick those Yew hedges aren't they? Been there a while, that's for sure

 

They were yes, an evergreen boundary to that part of the garden was an exellent idea as it would still have a good structure in winter.

I saw the tropical garden but to be honest, it didn't interest me that much so no pics.....sorry.

 

It's funny as the man on the car park gate warned us that they would try and sell the membership thing and he advisd not to go into the house and garden and just use the estate, I said to him that I was only there for the garden and he smiled and chuckled. I can see now why he told me that. Least he was honest I suppose.

G

 

I think its too early in the season to be "ready for viewing" ... the stuff in there grows like blue-blazes and probably wasn't planted out until beginning of June, or thereabouts, so won't look much cop as yet.

 

Possibly but I'm not really into tropical things and palms, look ok in the tropics but often feels just wrong in this country, probably me being boring again

 

I don't get very excited about Palms, although there are plenty of affectionados of course. For me its architectural leaves, particularly things that grow quickly and with large leaves, and there's plenty of those in Gt Dixter's exotic garden - stooled Paulownia, Tetrapanax papyrifer, and Ricinus as well as Bananas, and then things like Cannas which are both architectural leaf and flowers too, as well as Dahlias for a splash of colour. Old Christo Lloyd created a lot of waves in the garden fraternity when he planted his Father's old rose garden, originally designed by Lutens, with Cannas

 

Yes I did here about the rose garden but as the head gardener (can't remember his name) said, no garden should stay the same forever, they always change like the seasons.
I do like dahlia and canna to a certain extent and I was actually thinking of putting one in my new border just to bulk it out a bit as it fills out. This year it looks a little empty, next year though will look fuller I hope.

G

 

Fergus Garrett

I think they do a good job as "fillers". Watch out if you are buying Canna plants - many of them in the sheds are infested with virus (they don't seem to care that they are infected, and the Dutch nurseries they come from presumably don't care either ...). It will spread to your other Cannas, and any that your neighbours have etc. Might be best to buy from a reputable nursery, and I think best never to buy Canna rhizomes - at least with a plant you can see what it looks like, and quarantine it for a bit if you are being cautious.

 

I've been noticing, a little bit last year and more this year that some of my roses do not look healthy. Yellowing leaf with the vein looking darker green. I've also noticed that my Hibiscus and Witch Hazel also has the same. I've done a bit of googling it is one of two things, an Iron or Magnesium deficiency. I have clay soil and they say Iron deficiency is rare in such soils. Magnesium on the other hand often occurs in poor drained soils which mine is.

So, tonight i gave then a general feed and later i will by some Miracle Grow Magnesium Feed and in a few weeks give the effected plants a foliar and root feed. Hopefully, will do the trick.

G

 

Epsom Salts will do for Magnesium feed ?

 

Normal bog standard salts ? What would be the dilution ratio and where would i get garden use epson, see the bath stuff not no agriculture salt.

G

 

Just seen this:
http://www.boots.com/en/Boots-Epsom-Salts-B-P--200g_1209183/