The gardening thread

[gentlegreen]

Have they sprouted yet? I planted mine in pots in the conservatory in the first week in April. Was away for a week so they got put outside on April 7th. Still no sign of any growth. Can't remember how long they take.

I will pot them up tonight - along with several other things I'm late with.
Thankfully I have LED-illuminated shelves and warmth to spoil them

My seed ordering and plant buying is out of control as per usual.

 

[gentlegreen]

So I've ordered even more seeds - including some new tobacco crosses - nicotiana sanderae crossed with a species curiously called "forgetiana" and labelled as the "perfume" series ...
I once accidentally bought sanderae seed by mistake and wasn't impressed.
Hopefully the new crosses will be more tolerant of the dreaded downy milder than affinis / alata.



And I thought I would have a go at cleome - I can't resist another (slightly) smelly member of the cabbage (caper) family ...

 

[wayward bob]

And I thought I would have a go at cleome - I can't resist another (slightly) smelly member of the cabbage (caper) family ...

View attachment 132955

this is lush

finally got my clematis planted today, in a little bed by the back door. nothing i put in there lasts very long so fingers crossed

 

[Leafster]

I finally accepted that I was never going to get around to re-building the low retaining wall behind where the old wooden shed had been so I got someone in to do it. Three of us then carried the remaining metal shed across the garden and placed it in front of the new retaining wall.

Now the metal shed has been relocated I'm considering a DIY sedum living roof for it. It's not a particularly large shed - 2250mm x 2275mm and it's made of galvanized (and painted?) steel. Any suggestions on how I might go about it? Would I need to reinforce the roof, should I put something like a butyl layer and then a moisture retentive layer followed by some sort of membrane to retain the very thin layer of soil? I suspect that what ever I do will reduce the life of the shed but since I don't particularly like it (the eaves are too low for any useful storage) I'm not particularly fussed if I have to replace it a few years down the line. Over to you!

 

[seeformiles]

I’ve taken the strimmer to the weeds on the patio and have risked put my overwintered chilli plants outside for the next few days. Next couple of days will see the back hedge getting a serious haircut before everything starts budding (& birds start nesting) and mowing the lawn. This sunny weather is just the ticket

 

[ringo]

Do I need to put my brugmansia in a bigger pot? Stake it with bamboo? Anything else?
gentlegreen

 

[gentlegreen]

The bigger the pot, the better. Minimum 80 litres.
I used to put them in a 14 litre bucket the first year, but realised that's too small.
In the ground it will really go for it.
It's a bit early for outdoors though.

 

[ringo]

The bigger the pot, the better. Minimum 80 litres.
I used to put them in a 14 litre bucket the first year, but realised that's too small.
In the ground it will really go for it.
It's a bit early for outdoors though.

Minimum 80 litres! Nope. I've got a 50 litre spare I could use, but I'm not going any bigger

It's been outside since 7th April, albeit in a very sheltered spot on the decking, because we went away for a week. Seems very happy.

I guess I cut it back and trim the roots for it to go back in the same pot at the end of the summer when I bring it back into the conservatory?

 

[gentlegreen]

I guess I cut it back and trim the roots for it to go back in the same pot at the end of the summer when I bring it back into the conservatory?

Yes - apparently that works

 

[lamb1979]

Planted my pots... Mumbles274 is playing cricket.so I'm enjoying lunch

 

[wayward bob]

my place is starting to look almost cared for i've stashed away the last of the prunings, transplanted a load of strawbs, got some happy-looking herbs and sorted various piles of rubbish and compostables. the little trees are racing away apart from the silver birch. if it hasn't come into leaf yet does that mean it's carked it?

 

[Callie]

Some trees are still looking a bit dormant. Not sure about birch, have you seen any wild ones leafed up?

 

[wayward bob]

have you seen any wild ones leafed up?

i don't get out much

 

[Callie]

If I go upstairs I can see one out the window, it's got green bits but it's obviously going to be older than yours.

 

[gaijingirl]

Hey gardening folks - what can I plant here that will climb but that I can put in a very narrow (no deeper than 25cm) trough? I did buy a honeysuckle plant but I think it will need a bigger hole than that (and I have somewhere else to plant it if that's the case?). I was hoping to get something like these to line the bottom of the fence but I've also put up the little bit of trellis you can see there for something climbing-y.

 

[wayward bob]

i'm no honeysuckle expert but i'd think it would struggle in a shallow pot - cool, damp roots is what i think they want. how about a jasmine? ime they do well in containers

 

[campanula]

I can think of no perennial which would be happy in such a shallow pot...but annual climbers often have tiny little root systems (because it's all about setting seed for the next generation) so, as it looks slightly shady, I would suggest something like cobaens scandens (which is perfect to start from seed right about now) or possible thunbergia alata (black eyed susan) which can often be had from garden centres for a few quid. Still time for sweet peas (although blooming will be less without full sun)
Set up some sort of reservoir for watering (a porous clay pot or upturned pop bottle with perforated lid as watering is the single biggest headache with summer pot culture.

 

[wayward bob]

Set up some sort of reservoir for watering (a porous clay pot or upturned pop bottle with perforated lid as watering is the single biggest headache with summer pot culture.

ooh can you please expand on this? self-watering pots is high on my wishlist

 

[campanula]

An irrigation system is top of mine (now the sun has appeared) but as a sort of weekend standby for the enormous potted acers, I use a 6pint milk container with a few perforations in the bottom and sit it atop the soil under the branches. It is not pretty but does guarantee a trickle of moisture for 24hours or so. You can buy terracotta vessels which you also sink into the soil. The terracotta has just enough porosity for osmosis/diffusion (never sure which) to allow the water in the vessel to slowly leak into the surrounding soil.
You can also do wicking things with a bootlace and a bucket on a stool. The bucket must be higher than the pot requiring water as gravity is part of the system. Bury the end of a bootlace in the soil and the other end in the bucket of water and water will eventually be drawn from the bucket, down the bootlace and into the soil. I do this in my greenhouse...and also make a lot of use of capillary matting and clay pebbles...but tbh, the summer watering (and inevitable fails) is the single greatest cause of death and attrition of my seedlings. A timed irrigation set up really must be attempted this year (as I have said every year for the last decade).

 

[andysays]

i don't get out much

I've seen silver birch in leaf in north London. Does yours have any buds visible?

 

[gentlegreen]

I made another small foray outside and started tidying the back garden a bit.
My neighbour has just replaced the missing first fence panel, so I will be training something up it - it's on the north side so I'll probably train the Aldi purple clematis up it after fattening it up in a sunnier spot.
I also have a honeysuckle and an everlasting pea that I will plant somewhere sunny.

I found the local fox's day bed at the end of the garden.
Hopefully I won't disturb him much this year - though I will soon have to start glyphosating the bamboo thus removing some of his privacy.

I think I may have killed most of my brugs again, so will have to get an order off soon and not much going on with my trailing fuchsias I should have brought in during the cold snap...

 

[bellaozzydog]

My lawn appears to have more dandelions than grass and the foster dog has scratted up big patches of it. Just got myself a new little mower and a couple of pots of patch magic which patently weren’t enough to cover all the bald bits

My daffodils seemed to come out and just give up and my chiminea is cracked

Thrown out all the random broken black plastic pots.

I’m a shit gardener. When I get some cash i’m Patioing the lot

 

[BCBlues]

My lawn appears to have more dandelions than grass and the foster dog has scratted up big patches of it. Just got myself a new little mower and a couple of pots of patch magic which patently weren’t enough to cover all the bald bits

My daffodils seemed to come out and just give up and my chiminea is cracked

Thrown out all the random broken black plastic pots.

I’m a shit gardener. When I get some cash i’m Patioing the lot

That sounds like me all over except the patio bit. I convince myself every year that yes I tried and lost but at least the Birds, Butterflies and Bumble Bees were happy.

 

[Mumbles274]

Was mean to be doing Uni work today. Instead we went to a couple of garden centres. Got some herbs, an Acer, a couple of climbers, some flowers lamb1979 likes i cant pronounce, let alone spell, and some marginal aquatics for the pond. Only 4 weeks left till the deadline im avoiding for Uni!! Oops!!!

 

[Mumbles274]

Some night shots

 

[gaijingirl]

I can think of no perennial which would be happy in such a shallow pot...but annual climbers often have tiny little root systems (because it's all about setting seed for the next generation) so, as it looks slightly shady, I would suggest something like cobaens scandens (which is perfect to start from seed right about now) or possible thunbergia alata (black eyed susan) which can often be had from garden centres for a few quid. Still time for sweet peas (although blooming will be less without full sun)
Set up some sort of reservoir for watering (a porous clay pot or upturned pop bottle with perforated lid as watering is the single biggest headache with summer pot culture.

Thank you. I didn't really explain myself properly - the trough can be as deep as necessary but must be narrow (not more than 25cm from front to back). I think I will put the honeysuckle in a much sunnier spot in the garden so I won't use that. Also you are right that it will be shady as there is a big fig tree hovering over the top of it. Does your advice still stand? I just googled Black Eyed Susan and I think they're lovely.

 

[gaijingirl]

@mumbles - wow - your garden is gorgeous. I love all the coloured lighting too!

 

[campanula]

Yep, gaijingirl. Quite a lot of these tender climbers are used to growing under a leafy canopy so while they may not be so floriferous (and immense), they do surprisingly well. I have bought one (thunbergia) a few times and they are not expensive because they are easy to raise from seed (but we only need one so...) - usually no more than a £5 and good value all summer.

For a really lovely shady plant, you could do hardly better than to look at the hardy begonia (b.evansiana grandis). The bloody deer eat mine. It won't cover vast areas of space but such a lovely thing.

 

[gentlegreen]

I'm not sure if bulbs fit in with my sort of gardening. The snow didn't help, but the purple crocuses didn't last long.
The foliage is quite attractive ... there are purple alliums to come.



There are weird GMO diseased tulips to come.
The lurid pink hyacinths thankfully turned out a lot less mylittlepony than expected, but the first batch threw up two scrawny heads each.



The Spanish bluebells are as reliable as ever

And I will have to buy a new lot of smelly lilies because the molluscs and lily beetles always get to them before I do.

 

[gaijingirl]

Yep, gaijingirl. Quite a lot of these tender climbers are used to growing under a leafy canopy so while they may not be so floriferous (and immense), they do surprisingly well. I have bought one (thunbergia) a few times and they are not expensive because they are easy to raise from seed (but we only need one so...) - usually no more than a £5 and good value all summer.

For a really lovely shady plant, you could do hardly better than to look at the hardy begonia (b.evansiana grandis). The bloody deer eat mine. It won't cover vast areas of space but such a lovely thing.

Thank you. I have two long troughs to fill at the feet of a fence and a wall - so these are lovely suggestions... the black eyed Susan and Hardy Begonia. If you know of any others that aren't climbers I'd love to know - but don't want to take up all your time!