Minnie's Gardeners' Question Time - help for the new gardeners
- Thread starter Minnie_the_Minx
- Start date
geminisnake
a complex mass of conflicting ideas
Has it been frosty in the mornings in the last week? If the answer is yes leave the tree!!
ringo
Macaroni cheese controller
Ah, will do, thanks, we had a proper hard frost yesterday. When is too late?
May Kasahara
take me to the feeling
My cats have selfishly designated a patch at the end of our tiny garden as their shitting place. I removed a whole carrier bag of cat shit from there this morning <bleurgh> It's the bed by the back fence, currently home to a couple of climbing plants (jasmine and passion flower) but not much else. The climbers are pretty vigorous and well-established but I can't imagine being earthed up with cat shit is going to do them any good, not to mention it being horrible in all the other ways.
So I'm thinking of making it a sort of raised bed and would like to plant some low level stuff that would (a) look pretty and (b) put the cats off shitting there. Anyone have suggestions for plants that cats don't like? Apart from cacti, obviously.
So I'm thinking of making it a sort of raised bed and would like to plant some low level stuff that would (a) look pretty and (b) put the cats off shitting there. Anyone have suggestions for plants that cats don't like? Apart from cacti, obviously.
pennimania
still dre and drooling
If I have just planted something I stick loads of twigs around it quite densely.
This stops them scratching it up until its strong and dense enough to look after itself.
Then I pull the twigs up.
Privet cuttings work well.
This stops them scratching it up until its strong and dense enough to look after itself.
Then I pull the twigs up.
Privet cuttings work well.
ringo
Macaroni cheese controller
According to the RHS website mature cherry trees should be pruned from late July to the end August, so I'll leave it for now.
geminisnake
a complex mass of conflicting ideas
If it's anything like mine about October!! Ime it doesn't hurt to trim them in between flowering and fruiting(if yours fruits) but unless you remember where the flowers were you'll lose some fruit. Seeing as the bast*rd blackies get mine I don't care
May Kasahara If you raise the bed and put some plants into it to pretty much cover the soil that should deter the cats. There are plants they don't like, google will probably advise but I've never had to plant any. You could always plant catnip, they won't want to poo on that
Penni's cuttings suggestion is what I do too, cept I use hawthorn and holly
(coz it's what I've got!)
ringo
Macaroni cheese controller
If it's anything like mine about October!! Ime it doesn't hurt to trim them in between flowering and fruiting(if yours fruits) but unless you remember where the flowers were you'll lose some fruit. Seeing as the bast*rd blackies get mine I don't care
Thanks, neither of the two big vertical growing branches have flowered.
I haven't been there long enough to know what else fruits or even how the trees look in the summer, so I'm wary of pruning anything before I've seen it in full bloom. I've got my tree book ready for when the leaves start appearing to make sure I know what everything is, very exciting
geminisnake
a complex mass of conflicting ideas
It's still early for flowering, especially with the weather atm. The leaves aren't out yet here.
May Kasahara
take me to the feeling
Can I just say, my garden is making me so happy now the sun has come out and things are growing again
We tidied it up a few weeks ago, tied back the wilder bushes, and LOADS of new flowers and plants have appeared that I knew nothing about
The roses and honeysuckle are growing like crazy, the camellias are flowering, the peony I cut back with great misgiving last year is shooting up like weeds. My pots are doing well also: parsley is thriving, I bought some other herbs from the garden centre and they're looking pretty cheery, now have five tomato seedlings and four bean plants shrugging up from the earth. Very happy
I haven't sorted out the raised bed (bloody cat has cost us a fortune in vet's bills, again, so keep putting off going to garden centre) but have repotted a yucca and stood it on the crap-spot as a temporary deterrent. The yucca itself looks pretty sick - it was in dire need of repotting and has perked up a bit, but is still spotted with brown and looks dead in the middle. Will it recover?
So jealous of everyone who has fruit trees btw. I'm going to get a dwarf cherry once there is money to do so. But it's not the same!
We tidied it up a few weeks ago, tied back the wilder bushes, and LOADS of new flowers and plants have appeared that I knew nothing about
The roses and honeysuckle are growing like crazy, the camellias are flowering, the peony I cut back with great misgiving last year is shooting up like weeds. My pots are doing well also: parsley is thriving, I bought some other herbs from the garden centre and they're looking pretty cheery, now have five tomato seedlings and four bean plants shrugging up from the earth. Very happy I haven't sorted out the raised bed (bloody cat has cost us a fortune in vet's bills, again, so keep putting off going to garden centre) but have repotted a yucca and stood it on the crap-spot as a temporary deterrent. The yucca itself looks pretty sick - it was in dire need of repotting and has perked up a bit, but is still spotted with brown and looks dead in the middle. Will it recover?
So jealous of everyone who has fruit trees btw. I'm going to get a dwarf cherry once there is money to do so. But it's not the same!
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
I've got sod all flowering except a few buds of geraniums
Callie
Pivoting
My apple tree is flowering like a very flowery thing - its beautiful!
however the rhododendron at the back of the garden is looking fairly poorly. next doors looks amazing and is full of flowers but mine only has a few coming through and there are dead looking buds and quite a few of the leaves look eaten what care do rhododendrons need? its in quite a dark shady spot, is that good or bad?
Ive also been planting out petunias and various gladioli bulbs that i dont expect to flower this year but its all very EXCITING! Ive also get some veg (toms/runner beans/bell peppers/chillies) on the go ready to plant outside
however the rhododendron at the back of the garden is looking fairly poorly. next doors looks amazing and is full of flowers but mine only has a few coming through and there are dead looking buds and quite a few of the leaves look eaten
what care do rhododendrons need? its in quite a dark shady spot, is that good or bad?Ive also been planting out petunias and various gladioli bulbs that i dont expect to flower this year but its all very EXCITING! Ive also get some veg (toms/runner beans/bell peppers/chillies) on the go ready to plant outside
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Are the following weeds or seedlings, and if seedlings, what are they?
This one looks very suspicious and I'm thinking weed, and I've found it in a few pots, although I've never let one grow big enough for a flower to appear. It's like a dandelion. (Ignore the other stuff in there, that's a Fuchsia)
It has milky sap on it which reminds me of what people used to put on warts (or so I was told when I was little)
The leaves
This one looks very suspicious and I'm thinking weed, and I've found it in a few pots, although I've never let one grow big enough for a flower to appear. It's like a dandelion. (Ignore the other stuff in there, that's a Fuchsia)
It has milky sap on it which reminds me of what people used to put on warts (or so I was told when I was little)
The leaves
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
These are appearing everywhere. I'm guessing either Aquilegia or Nasturtium or something else?. The frilly one looks like Aquilegia, but the non-frilly one...?
This has also appeared in a pot. No idea what it is.
I've a feeling one of these is nicotine plant which I grew last year but ripped out, but it's reappeared maybe. Not sure what the one at the back is.
I've left this growing for a while. Last year it had begonias in it and one is growing out of the side as you can see, but I've no idea what's growing out of the top. Total mystery
The leaves
and finally, my umbrella bamboo got flooded earlier in the year (drainage must have been blocked). I repotted it, but it's not very green. I can't remember what it looked like this time last year. Is it dead or not?
This has also appeared in a pot. No idea what it is.
I've a feeling one of these is nicotine plant which I grew last year but ripped out, but it's reappeared maybe. Not sure what the one at the back is.
I've left this growing for a while. Last year it had begonias in it and one is growing out of the side as you can see, but I've no idea what's growing out of the top. Total mystery
The leaves
and finally, my umbrella bamboo got flooded earlier in the year (drainage must have been blocked). I repotted it, but it's not very green. I can't remember what it looked like this time last year. Is it dead or not?
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Hm, don't know how dandelions are getting in my garden other than wind/birds/however the sodding hell they do it
I will rip it out tomorrow and yes, that's a begonia as well that's been there since last year. Thank you. Any idea on the rest of them?
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Umbrella bamboo (at left edge of picture) was green in February 2012 and is apparently an evergreen, so I'm guessing getting drowned killed it?
Leafster
.
Hmmn, top one looks like a Herb Robert seedling - it's a weed.
Next one looks like some form of grass - it's a weed.
The thing at the back of the third one is a weed - don't know what it's called but it's the same one as in your hanging basket in picture four. The other thing in picture three could be a plant but I'm not sure what!
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
So the one at the back of the square planter and the one in the hanging basket is the same? I'm wondering if it's the weed I've had before that has little blue flowers on, like this, but it doesn't look the same as this at all.
In the square planter at the front? I'm wondering if it's nicotine plant?
I'm also wondering if this milkweed from last year has decided to go for a wander anywhere
geminisnake
a complex mass of conflicting ideas
Leave the first one, weed the grass, not sure about the others and I can't keep bamboo alive so I have no idea HTH 
Btw seeds get carried by the wind, birds, beasties etc, that's kinda the whole point of them
HTH Btw seeds get carried by the wind, birds, beasties etc, that's kinda the whole point of them
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Leave the first one, weed the grass, not sure about the others and I can't keep bamboo alive so I have no idea
Btw seeds get carried by the wind, birds, beasties etc, that's kinda the whole point of them
Weed the grass? I haven't got any grass! (Well, unless it's weeds). I only have containers
Well I wish the birds and beasties would carry the dandelion seeds elsewhere
Actually, I do have a long grass in a pot, but unfortunately I don't know what it's called, but it has a long stem with something on the end that looks similar to that stuff in pot 2 in post 434
I also have Japanese blood grass in a pot
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
oh, and I don't want to leave the first one if it's aquilegia or nasturtium. Aquilegia never grew last year so I'm in a strop with that and nasturtium didn't really do much either
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Bad humans getting their kicks from blowing stuff
I'm going for butchersapron although ground elder may have more experience due to his age
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
What on earth has happened there? butchersapron was meant to my bitch
Now you're calling butchersapron a bitch
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Cotyledons of what seedling though?
Willowherb? Is that a weed?
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