Mr Grinch's Garden

Now that's interesting Mr. Grinch! I can grow Lavatera and Sedum but Buddleia just keels over. I think we've got a pattern here. Rockery plants do very well in my garden, they prefer well drained soil and aren't that expensive, perhaps you could try a couple of those.

Now, it seems you have clay soil that's acting as well drained, sandy etc. as far as plants are concerned, this tells me you need to test your soil from various areas of your garden. It would also seem at this point you may need to do a complete re-think on type of plants. Out of interest I lost my Sorbus 'Vilmorinii' and know yours is sick.

 

Sorry to hear of the loss Sheal. Mine looked sick last year but has been ok this year. Maybe the extra year in the ground to get established has helped. The other two sorbus in my garden look bad especially Copper Kettle, looked like Vilmorinni did last year but with more stem die back. It may take year to get back to how it was, thats if it lives.

G

 

It looks like you are doing better than me with the trees then.

 

The Copper Kettle i fear is too far gone but will wait until the spring.

G

 

I honestly think the summer drought has caused by problems. With the Box and the Sorbus.

Healthy plants can fight off stuff better. Re think on soil structure and watering for next year.

G

 

I feel i have a connection to Monty. I seem to agree with everything he says, even to the extent to what i'm thinking, he mentions it on GW. Friday's program was no different. He mentioned autumn being 2-3 weeks earlier this year, and i was just thinking the same only a few days earlier. Wierd. I dont share his passion for veg/fruit though

My garden at the moment seems to look like a late September early October garden. Very misty mornings, heavy dew but still warm days. The Hibiscus has dropped completely, the Sorbus is now dropping aswell. The Roses look bare and the Echinacea look like they need to be chopped, yet the Aster have yet to appear but by the looks of it, will be a great show this year.

My garden is always early in everything though. I think the southerly aspect accounts for this. Im always early both in flowering, plant growth and the onset of autumn.

I did a direction test with a compass today. The border that looks as it should at this time of the year and i have less issues with i used to call the east border but on checking today, it actually faces north east. The border i have issues with with plants struggling is actually South West facing so i really do feel the hot intense sun coupled with the lack of water and much poorer soil structure are the issues. The garden actually faces South east not south.

I want to move the hibiscus as its never looked happy where it is. Early flowering and leaf drop every year, like its being forced. I will mulch heavily in winter. Can anyone tell me how deep i should mulch ? And can i just put the mulch over the herbaceous perennials ?

Over the past few weeks ive been spying out seedlings that i can use for next year. I already sowed 6 pots of Aquilegia and they are growing nicely, i found a 20 cm high, Verbena bonariensis seedling so i dug it up potted on to use next year also.

Never end planning for the garden. Still 50/50 on the Box. The plants in shaded areas look healthy, nice and green, the plants in the sun look a bit orange like, or bronzed. Some plants look like they could have blight, these i've pulled and burnt and replaced with new. The odd plant, still has the odd blight like leaf, these are removed but i think maybe the conditions they are in is the problem with the stress causing the issues. If it was blight then surely the plants in the shade would be affected to, they are not. I will assess over the winter, see if they green up in the darker months, those that don't will be pulled and burnt then replaced. With the mulch i plan for this winter, i will also re run my irrigation pipe along the under side of the Box for the whole length then next year i will see if by turning this on every night to give them a drink will make a difference. Again after seeing Monty's Box balls on Friday, i felt for him. Clearly he loves Box and the devastation in one year to these is immense.

I will also move the Sorbus in the middle of the kids veg flower patch, righty they have moaned about it being there so will move it to where my little Yew was near the patio. Again, it didn't make it. Pulled it up, no root run at all.

G

 

My Hibiscus is only just starting to drop it's leaves, however my Malus is well under way. You are talking about moving your Hibiscus Mr. Grinch, how long has it been in it's present position?

I'm surprised your Aster's are so late mine are just about finished, which is what I expect for this far north.

 

My Aster are usually out by September and mine just starting to flower. Will be finished by early October. I love Aster.

Its been there for 5 years i think, always looked sick, never happy but lives. Drops leaf's too early whilst others in surrounding roads still look great. Mine looks dead, but isnt.

 

Hibiscus are supposed to prefer clay soil, so I'm surprised yours isn't doing well. I had mine in a pot for several years but took the chance and planted it out the year before last, so far it's holding it's own in my sandy soil with feeding. It's never bloomed and I can't remember now what colour it's supposed to be. I hope to see flowers next year but won't hold my breath!

I'm still wondering whether your soil is a mixture and not 100% clay, which is why some plants that should do well aren't and others that shouldn't are.

 

Read your thread back enjoyed reading and seeing how your garden is evolving.
You really do have a lovely garden, your eye for detail is evident in its presentation.
It has been good that you have shared your frustration at the downs (like Monty) and I have learnt from the advice you have been given.
We are growing box in a Dutch wall in front of our house and we too have suffered blight and bronzing.
Loath remove it all completely as like you have found it has good rooting. I have taken advice from a good local gardener and cut all the blight out and burnt it. I have fed it regularly and sprayed with Scotts fungal rose spray. Mine has started regrowing and is much greener hopefully it will be saved.
Not a good enough gardener to know if this is a conventional approach but it seems to be working so far. I had loads of garden spiders in mine too, don't know if it was the spray but they seem to have disappeared along with the blight? The hedge was always full of webs, don't know if this helped hold any fungus or virus?
Hope you manage to save the box it looks good in the garden!

 

Yes they say that and looking at plants in other peoples garden a few miles around the area, there plants still look green and flowering. I think its clay, 100%, like rock in summer and i think the early leaf drop is because it is stressed. They say they like clay but still i good easy root run, Hibiscus roots look very fibrous. The spot i have for it, ive puts loads of organic in, still clay though so thinking the spot maybe better for it.

 

Thanks Adedoll. I started this to do just the thing you have said so im glad its helped in some way for you. Gardening is full of ups and downs, like life i think. Im gradually learning to take the rough with the smooth but it can be frustrating. Im like a child sometimes. "No i want that plant there" and "why cant i have it". Sometimes, you need to go with the flow. Its the new me.......ok its not but you know what i mean

Will have a look at the Scots spray. Ive heard that normal garden sprays do not work at all. The Copper Fungicide sprays used by GC and nurseries do keep it at bay but does not kill the fungus but this stuff is not available to normal folk. The broncing part im not bothered about, this happens in open sunny areas when they get a dry, my first lot did this, but now i have no problem as they are established. The often green up in winter so my advice, couple of foliar feeds, plenty of water until established. Its the fungal thing thats the issue but when plants get stressed, they become susceptible to these things more so im hoping after ive disposed of the obvious bad ones, cleaned up the rest that they will recover.

Im hoping.

G

 

Took out another 5 Box plants yesterday, all brown. Im convinced this is due to sun and scorch. Ive replaced them with new ones and i will watch the rest. Thats 9 now that have suffered. Im sure its conditions rather than anything else, so the new planting mix loads of organic good stuff and ive mulched around the rest. I also took up my irrigation pipe and re layed it to follow the line of them. Next year, i will turn this on every night in hot spells. Im convinced this is the problem. Cant see any more "blight". So fingers crossed.

G

 

Well ive had a Monty moment. The bloody Box. Inspection today i noticed 15 plants with signs of blight. Ive taken them out and burnt them but i fear the gene is out of the bottle. A disaster for my style of garden.
I need to think whether im going to continue with this theme or clear them all out. Any idea's for an evergreen plant that i can "hedge" that not fussy about soil conditions ?
Kristan are those Euronymous cuttings still on offer ? I just don't have the money now to buy 150 plants to replace this Box.

Help

 

I might need 200 cuttings Shiney