The gardening thread
- Thread starter ringo
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I have 4 pots of hardy geraniums too. Mine are in bigger 5litre pots so I am not that worried if I don't get them in the ground. But only because I am doing a garden overhaul, otherwise I would get them in the ground. Why are you not planting yours yet, two sheds? They won't bat an eyelid at frost. I plant any day of the year as long as the soil isn't too frozen to take a spade.
two sheds
Least noticed poster 2007
no real reason I'm not planting them yet - I just wanted to get them out of the packaging really. I've got nine of them, and I saw the other day that I ordered another 10 a while ago from somewhere else arriving by end of December
I do have to dig out and weed a couple of the areas I'm going to plant them, and where I'm putting three or four out front is very shallow soil so I'll have to try to build them up a bit with compost.
Now I have your attention though
I'm thinking of getting a magnolia
had one in a garden before and they're gorgeous. It's going to have to be full/partial sun which doesn't seem too much of a problem and grow to about only around 5m otherwise it'll start clashing with the sycamore above(ish) it. I'm thinking of Magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra' - black lily magnolia (looks favourite because lovely coloured flowers and June-Sept flowering, says out of stock but I'll order from elsewhere if I can)
Magnolia × soulangeana - magnolia
or tulip tree
It's in a spot that I've not been successful in before - possibly because it's shaded, but last shrub I let dry out this summer and it died
Any thoughts? And where would be best to get it from?
pretty please
two sheds
Least noticed poster 2007
yes just down the road from me, have been driven past it loads of times without going in.
A mate lives in Ponsanooth and owes me a favour so I may ask him to take me there.
And my sis phoned to ask me what I want for Christmas and they seem to take Garden tokens so most of the price will be sorted. Only thing I do wonder is that the garden can be a bit of a frost pocket but if it's flowering from June (for example) that'll hardly be a problem. Where I used to live in Herts the flowers were regularly killed off by frost but occasionally there was a second flowering after that.
A mate lives in Ponsanooth and owes me a favour so I may ask him to take me there.
And my sis phoned to ask me what I want for Christmas and they seem to take Garden tokens so most of the price will be sorted
. Only thing I do wonder is that the garden can be a bit of a frost pocket but if it's flowering from June (for example) that'll hardly be a problem. Where I used to live in Herts the flowers were regularly killed off by frost but occasionally there was a second flowering after that.
two sheds
Least noticed poster 2007
No rush on this by the way - I presume I'm best buying and planting in the Spring. And the ones I particularly like are the pink or pink-white or red flowers
. I should have done this 20 years ago when I first got here, but for some reason I thought they were full sun only and the ideal spot for it is partial shade. I'm happy to hack branches off the sycamore above it though if that would help.You really have to decide whether you want a spring or summer flowering one. Until recently (climate change) it has not been advisable to plant those classic 'southern magnolias' which grow all over the USA southern states. In the UK, we generally restricted ourselves to the asiatics such as soulangea, denudata, campbellii and stellata, while the bull bays (grandiflora, wilsonii) were too risky in our climate.
I work in a garden which has 2 of these summer flowering trees...and although they are gorgeous, they bloom sporadically and never in any amount. Personally, I still find my heart lifts at the sight of those goblet blooms against a clear blue April sky. I am going to suggest that you do indeed make a trip to Burncoose because they will be able to suggest the best magnolia for you. To be considered: soil - are you on clay or is your soil well draining. Do you know how alkaline/acidic it is (have a look at surrounding vegetation which will usually indicate the ph of your soil. While no magnolias are entirely happy in a very alkaline soil, some are more tolerant of lime than others. Aspect: You mention a frost pocket...so I would be looking to plant the latest flowering liliflora available...and the Burncoose people will be able to advise.
Size and shape: Some magnolias are very spreading trees whereas others have a more columnar growth. There is a huge difference in size with a campbellii able to grow to 20metres....while a stellata or loebneri tends to hover at around 5m.
Planting time. Actually, November is my favourite month for tree planting. They have just gone into dormancy, there is still residual warmth in the soil, they are happy to make use of winter rains and a generally moister atmosphere. Spring planted woodies will need weekly irrigation for a full year, with really careful emphasis on the first few spring/summer months in the ground. Roots tend to grow when top growth is less demanding....so those autumn months in the ground offer the plant a great start to life in a new garden. Herbaceous perennials do much better with a spring planting, than woodies...although if you do plant a tree in the spring, you just have to be aware that the plant will suffer from water stress unles you provide a tree reservoir which gets a weekly.
Get your friend to run you down to Burncoose and have a look about. You will probably find that a lot of the rarer specimens are only available to order anyway, so will have to go along with a spring planting whatever (although in the damp SW, this is nowhere near the bad choice it would be in dry East Anglia). Have a list of questions and requirements and ask to speak to someone on the staff who has expertise in magnolias (I think they have their own breeding programme). And, contrary to my usual advice, buy the largest specimen you can afford. These are not fast growing trees and, with care and attention, even a large plant will establish itself quite easily. We are not talking about giants here, either. I think the largest plants are still only in 10litre pots so not like planting a 4m tree.
I recall a bunch of Canada or BC bred magnolias which all had girls names (Susan, Eva etc.) which were warmly welcomed in the plant-y world...and generally favourably reviewed.
Finally, it is never too late to plant a tree - we have just planted a couple of cedar of lebanons, a deodar, several doug firs and a heap of maples. I am never going to see much but my grand-daughters will sit beneath them with their babies.
I work in a garden which has 2 of these summer flowering trees...and although they are gorgeous, they bloom sporadically and never in any amount. Personally, I still find my heart lifts at the sight of those goblet blooms against a clear blue April sky. I am going to suggest that you do indeed make a trip to Burncoose because they will be able to suggest the best magnolia for you. To be considered: soil - are you on clay or is your soil well draining. Do you know how alkaline/acidic it is (have a look at surrounding vegetation which will usually indicate the ph of your soil. While no magnolias are entirely happy in a very alkaline soil, some are more tolerant of lime than others. Aspect: You mention a frost pocket...so I would be looking to plant the latest flowering liliflora available...and the Burncoose people will be able to advise.
Size and shape: Some magnolias are very spreading trees whereas others have a more columnar growth. There is a huge difference in size with a campbellii able to grow to 20metres....while a stellata or loebneri tends to hover at around 5m.
Planting time. Actually, November is my favourite month for tree planting. They have just gone into dormancy, there is still residual warmth in the soil, they are happy to make use of winter rains and a generally moister atmosphere. Spring planted woodies will need weekly irrigation for a full year, with really careful emphasis on the first few spring/summer months in the ground. Roots tend to grow when top growth is less demanding....so those autumn months in the ground offer the plant a great start to life in a new garden. Herbaceous perennials do much better with a spring planting, than woodies...although if you do plant a tree in the spring, you just have to be aware that the plant will suffer from water stress unles you provide a tree reservoir which gets a weekly.
Get your friend to run you down to Burncoose and have a look about. You will probably find that a lot of the rarer specimens are only available to order anyway, so will have to go along with a spring planting whatever (although in the damp SW, this is nowhere near the bad choice it would be in dry East Anglia). Have a list of questions and requirements and ask to speak to someone on the staff who has expertise in magnolias (I think they have their own breeding programme). And, contrary to my usual advice, buy the largest specimen you can afford. These are not fast growing trees and, with care and attention, even a large plant will establish itself quite easily. We are not talking about giants here, either. I think the largest plants are still only in 10litre pots so not like planting a 4m tree.
I recall a bunch of Canada or BC bred magnolias which all had girls names (Susan, Eva etc.) which were warmly welcomed in the plant-y world...and generally favourably reviewed.
Finally, it is never too late to plant a tree - we have just planted a couple of cedar of lebanons, a deodar, several doug firs and a heap of maples. I am never going to see much but my grand-daughters will sit beneath them with their babies.
clicker
nanook rubs it....
Bloody blimey. I have been putting off planting a load of bulbs. Daffodil, tulips, irises, allium, bluebells and snowdrops...yesterday was the day. Planted in wind, rain and desperation.
I bet they'll be too shallow. I know it's too late in the year. But worse than all that, I'm now convinced I've planted them upside down...well some of them. Most were glaringly obvious, but some (possibly the tulips) were flat one end and hairy the other end. I planted hairy side up. Are they doomed?
I bet they'll be too shallow. I know it's too late in the year. But worse than all that, I'm now convinced I've planted them upside down...well some of them. Most were glaringly obvious, but some (possibly the tulips) were flat one end and hairy the other end. I planted hairy side up. Are they doomed?
two sheds
Least noticed poster 2007
Yes I'll swear the first load that I planted weren't deep enough - the soil's really shallow anyway (over a drainage pipe). I think I'll go out and put some compost over the top and tread it down.
I'm also not sure where I've actually planted the bloody things and I want to put some geraniums in the area which I think will just compete and drown them out
I'm also not sure where I've actually planted the bloody things and I want to put some geraniums in the area which I think will just compete and drown them out
Still haven't done this myself yet lol. As for upside down, it's not ideal but they should do ok - it's only another inch or two the stem needs to grow and most can somewhat turn themselves around without our help.
plus put in most of the johnson blue geraniums now looking nice and snug some of them have even started sprouting Don't fret, Clicker. Tulips are quite astonishing. I have planted them in the first week of January and still had a flower. The worst which happens is the stem doesn't elongate as much so it might be a bit short. Narcissus, may sulk a little and even come up blind the first year, but they have a neat mechanism called dropper roots, which retract, once nicely anchored, thereby pulling the bulb deeper into the soil. A couple of bulbs will persist for years, steadily reproducing through daughter bulbs, and colonising an area, even in grass and weeds. for planting position: Their roots have a very strong sense of gravity and will try very hard to reorient themselves in the right direction. I would suggest you congratulate yourself for getting out there, bravely fighting wind and weather, to nurture beauty in the world. And yep, even the palest shoot is a flash of hope and renewal and always worth the time it takes to put them in the ground. Look forward to next year - I think you will not be too dismayed, clicker
two sheds
Least noticed poster 2007
Ello campanula
I spoke to Burncoose, thank you, and he was very good. The thing I hadn’t realized when I posted before is that I’m extremely space limited. The best place for it is in the small piece near the front gate. I measured it though and I’ve only really got 2m across. He immediately said Stellata which is what I’d thought after looking at their website. I’m not quite keen on the Stellata flower though, I like the cup-shaped ones like the flowers of the one I had in place I rented years ago.
So yes Spring flowering, and well draining soil. He said frost pocket won’t be a problem, and I do remember a couple of years with an early frost it flowered twice.
My favourite shape and shade (purply-white) I think is:
Magnolia X Soulangeana 'Satisfaction' from Burncoose Nurseries
MAGNOLIA x soulangeana 'Satisfaction' (tulip)
large fragrant flowers Apr-May, different shades of pink/red, 3m x 2.5m, neutral to acid, available now
Also smelly. I don’t want to prune so I think I’ll have to have one in a largish pot. I’ll check the maximum size (increasing 6” at a time, he said) to limit bush to say 2m across at 3m high. (So a question is if I confine it to that sized pot will it be more or less vigorous because it’s confined?)
He said buy in Spring because fertiliser will go by spring, but am tempted like you say to put it in now particularly because it looks reasonably warm to end of year at least, and add fertiliser in spring. And it’s nearly time for my sis and I to swap garden tokens.
Or (although I’d prefer deeper shade on flowers) this is even better for size.
Magnolia 'Sweet Simplicity' from Burncoose Nurseries
MAGNOLIA 'Sweet Simplicity' flowers Apr – May, neutral to acid. 3x1.5 m, available Apr – summer
I think mine’s slightly acid soil but not sure – I’d be adding compost first so presumably that’ll be neutral-acid which is ok. Also not available until April. Do love the colour of the soulangeana though.
Isn’t available until Aprilish to summerish time though
I spoke to Burncoose, thank you, and he was very good. The thing I hadn’t realized when I posted before is that I’m extremely space limited. The best place for it is in the small piece near the front gate. I measured it though and I’ve only really got 2m across. He immediately said Stellata which is what I’d thought after looking at their website. I’m not quite keen on the Stellata flower though, I like the cup-shaped ones like the flowers of the one I had in place I rented years ago.
So yes Spring flowering, and well draining soil. He said frost pocket won’t be a problem, and I do remember a couple of years with an early frost it flowered twice.
My favourite shape and shade (purply-white) I think is:
Magnolia X Soulangeana 'Satisfaction' from Burncoose Nurseries
MAGNOLIA x soulangeana 'Satisfaction' (tulip)
large fragrant flowers Apr-May, different shades of pink/red, 3m x 2.5m, neutral to acid, available now
Also smelly
. I don’t want to prune so I think I’ll have to have one in a largish pot. I’ll check the maximum size (increasing 6” at a time, he said) to limit bush to say 2m across at 3m high. (So a question is if I confine it to that sized pot will it be more or less vigorous because it’s confined?)He said buy in Spring because fertiliser will go by spring, but am tempted like you say to put it in now particularly because it looks reasonably warm to end of year at least, and add fertiliser in spring. And it’s nearly time for my sis and I to swap garden tokens
.Or (although I’d prefer deeper shade on flowers) this is even better for size.
Magnolia 'Sweet Simplicity' from Burncoose Nurseries
MAGNOLIA 'Sweet Simplicity' flowers Apr – May, neutral to acid. 3x1.5 m, available Apr – summer
I think mine’s slightly acid soil but not sure – I’d be adding compost first so presumably that’ll be neutral-acid which is ok. Also not available until April. Do love the colour of the soulangeana though.
Isn’t available until Aprilish to summerish time though
O, I think they are good choices for a soulangea., two sheds I have only ever had a stellata in a container (which, to my shame, met a horrible death during the 'year of the spraying fuck-up').All of my potted shrubs eventually escape into the brick paviours so obviously, my advice is a bit rubbish. On the whole, I am quite relaxed about this because it does mean mine have a chance of fending for themselves (as summer watering is onerous and I am neglectful or harried). If the plants are available now, I would probably buy them, but it isn't so crucial if they are going to stay in a pot (get a really good size...I would expect the nursery would have better advice than me, and would put my trust in the hands of an expert). You should be able to pre-order if you have coupons which are time dependent. The second, smaller one is probably a better choice because they are a bit sniffy about being pruned - you can go in and do the odd ferocious cutback but they sulk for a couple of years, but these compact spring flowering types have been bred for our urban gardens. They are long-lived trees - worth waiting to get the best specimen for your specific circumstances. I honestly think it would be a lovely investment.
I have a terrible weakness for spring shrubs with white flowers - philadelphus, deutzias, abutilon, exochorda., cherry blossom..and, of course, the enormous rambler roses...but my east anglian chalk has generally deterred me from magnolias and camellias or the gorgeous eucryphia.
I have a terrible weakness for spring shrubs with white flowers - philadelphus, deutzias, abutilon, exochorda., cherry blossom..and, of course, the enormous rambler roses...but my east anglian chalk has generally deterred me from magnolias and camellias or the gorgeous eucryphia.
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
Carrots are very small but at least not all oddly shaped.
Just some of them.
Just some of them.
Leafster
.
I was out in the garden at the weekend tidying up. There's still a few flowers on the Salvia Amistad but the plants are looking a bit ropey now.
The Viburnum x bodnantense "Dawn" have been flowering for the last month or so. The large Skimmia has some fat red buds which is when it always looks at its best.
The odd primrose is out and there's still the occasional flower on some of the roses. The hellebores are starting to push up some flowers so I've cut back the old foliage. What I was surprised to find was a forget-me-not in flower.
It won't be long until the spring bulbs begin to flower. I've got some crocuses emerging from the ground and some shoots on the early daffs. I've struggled with snowdrops previously and I thought I'd cracked it last year with managing to keep some a neighbour gave me but I can't see any sign of them yet. I guess it's early days and perhaps they'll start to emerge from the ground soon (fingers crossed!)
The Viburnum x bodnantense "Dawn" have been flowering for the last month or so. The large Skimmia has some fat red buds which is when it always looks at its best.
The odd primrose is out and there's still the occasional flower on some of the roses. The hellebores are starting to push up some flowers so I've cut back the old foliage. What I was surprised to find was a forget-me-not in flower.
It won't be long until the spring bulbs begin to flower. I've got some crocuses emerging from the ground and some shoots on the early daffs. I've struggled with snowdrops previously and I thought I'd cracked it last year with managing to keep some a neighbour gave me but I can't see any sign of them yet. I guess it's early days and perhaps they'll start to emerge from the ground soon (fingers crossed!)
.
orient slacker
Active Member
Had a satisfying month or so tidying up and prepping for next year.
Ten 10 by 4 allotment beds deturfed, weeded, de-stoned and tilled. My farmer neighbour has offered me as much well-rotted manure I want, so time to build them up. The bedrock is a very close to the surface in a couple of them, and no more than 6 inches deep in any of them, so it'll have to be raised beds with a border. Having hated maintaining skip-dipped decking etc - also a great slug hotel - I was thinking about using plastic scaffold boards this time....until I inquired about the price. Well over a grand, so it's probably back to the Forth Bridge job of wooden planks...
Also had a fallen 5m birch tree with about 5 trunks and a vigourous honeysuckle bound round it topple over in the first lot of gales (Arwen?), so I've had plenty of chain saw practice plus created about 5 large bonfires worth of top-growth piles.
Jan and Feb will see me dealing with extensive bamboo patches, unwanted pendulous sedge, hacking back the overgrown dogwoods, and of course continuing the fight against triffidy bramble infestations in the woodland bits.
If only the hedge trimmer bloke would turn up to blitz the equally out of control laurels (it will need an industrial chipper and a few days graft to deal with these unruly monsters) I'd be a happy man. Been on a promise since September...
At least I can turn my attention to creative stuff again soon. Need to plan and get seeds etc to repopulate the borders with desirables...
Ten 10 by 4 allotment beds deturfed, weeded, de-stoned and tilled. My farmer neighbour has offered me as much well-rotted manure I want, so time to build them up. The bedrock is a very close to the surface in a couple of them, and no more than 6 inches deep in any of them, so it'll have to be raised beds with a border. Having hated maintaining skip-dipped decking etc - also a great slug hotel - I was thinking about using plastic scaffold boards this time....until I inquired about the price. Well over a grand, so it's probably back to the Forth Bridge job of wooden planks...
Also had a fallen 5m birch tree with about 5 trunks and a vigourous honeysuckle bound round it topple over in the first lot of gales (Arwen?), so I've had plenty of chain saw practice plus created about 5 large bonfires worth of top-growth piles.
Jan and Feb will see me dealing with extensive bamboo patches, unwanted pendulous sedge, hacking back the overgrown dogwoods, and of course continuing the fight against triffidy bramble infestations in the woodland bits.
If only the hedge trimmer bloke would turn up to blitz the equally out of control laurels (it will need an industrial chipper and a few days graft to deal with these unruly monsters) I'd be a happy man. Been on a promise since September...
At least I can turn my attention to creative stuff again soon. Need to plan and get seeds etc to repopulate the borders with desirables...
O, climbing roses, clicker. As a slightly crazed rose fan, I can't help commenting and do just want to mention size and aspect. Both Indigoletta and (Madame)Alfred Carriere do surprisingly well on a north wall, whereas Golden Showers will appreciate the sunniest spot. And also, feel it is worth mentioning that MAC (as she is referred to by rose afficionados) is a rabidly thorny whopper which actually benefits from a fairly savage pruning at least twice a year. Once before flowering, while dormant (February), and also after it's first (and main) flush of bloom, in June. It is a noisette rose and will flower sporadically through the summer after its first enormous bloom cycle...but personally, it is worth sacrificing a few blooms by giving it a haircut, as it is a very vigorous rose (I know this looks implausible at the moment but it will easily reach 6metres, with abundant laterals growing in all directions). It is a classic rose, healthy and intensely fragrant, and worthy of inclusion in any garden which has enough space. Golden Showers always makes me smirk a bit (and is a slightly feral rose which always looks at home in informal borders and even vegetable gardens. Finally, Indigoletta can be a bit miffy and benefits from a companion such as one of the viticella clems such as Jackmannii or Rooiguchi (because it can be a bit of a fungal magnet).
I am also adding a new rose on the allotment - Paul's Scarlet, another old cottage rose - only flowers once, but abundantly - tough enough to co-exist with an unruly honeysuckle.
I am also adding a new rose on the allotment - Paul's Scarlet, another old cottage rose - only flowers once, but abundantly - tough enough to co-exist with an unruly honeysuckle.
O yes, seeds, orient slacker. This is the prime month for sowing hardy perennials. I will be sowing primula, adenophora, heliophilus, hellebore and geranium seeds (from my stash) and, because I have avoided Xmas debt, I will be awarding myself a visit to Derry Watkins 'Special Plants' seed catalogue. At £2 a packet, I am going to buy at least 10 packets of seeds...
Chris Bowers seem to have sorted their shit out after last year's chaos, in case that's useful for anyone to know. I ordered some fruit bushes last week and they showed up the following afternoon even after I'd emailed to changed the delivery address, all look to be in good shape and freshly dug too.
I was just about to ask about Carbon Gold
though thinking more about the fertilizer than the compost itself.
That's Charles "no-dig" Dowding right?
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