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The gardening thread

A third day and a third tiring session in the back garden.
My neighbour has ordered the materials for our fencing - quite pricey - but it's posh stuff - and I have the benefit of his skills in exchange for helping with labour on his...
I have until the 12th of April to prepare the ground.
I started on Saturday by pushing over the enormous 20 year old pink pampas that was mostly growing in its own composted material.
I'm breaking it down into manageable offsets - it took me two sessions just to get this far - and am heeling them into soil to see if any of them show signs of being viable to give away as plants.
I'm hoping to keep a decent size one in a tub so I have something left in my garden while I'm still living here - at least this year and next the way things are going ...

endofera.jpg

It must have anticipated what was to happen as it gave its best display ever last year -:-

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In the process I have been unearthing what was still something resembling a rockery when I moved in nearly 40 years ago ... I'm not sure what I'll do with it ...

rockerymoved.jpg

And my green waste pile is impressively large. I hope I can get a green bin service organised before long ..

pileofcrap.jpg
 
In 2020, I sowed some mixed lettuce in a container.
Last year there was just one plant which I allowed to flower and set seed ...
This year I'm transplanting the progeny as they appear :)
The bigger one and the claytonia were conveniently already in a pot ...


lettuceflowers.jpg


teenylettuces.jpglettucebig.jpg
 
And my self-sown peach tree is at least providing a food source for probably more than one leaf-sucking species - aided and abetted by ants - I spotted one adult ladybird so that will provide more interest ...
peacpustilence.jpg
 
I have a sunken pond at the allotment, RubyToogood but the half-barrel is just going to sit in a corner of the raised beds.
So, my main customer has a lovely Georgian rectory garden. When I started working there, I grew nearly all the plants myself, but have concentrated on smaller borders than the main, 6m x 40m main border because it was largely disguised by the usual tough shrubs and perennials (euphorbias, iris, viburnums, clerodendrum etc etc.) but mostly because it was just too daunting. However, the owners have gotten a little carried away with my current efforts and have mentioned the (horror) 'Yellow Book'...or open gardens for charity thing. Unfortunately, they have gotten used to getting all their plants for free while they only pay for my labour...and because I pretty much loved having the run of a (potentially) fantastic garden, I sort of encouraged them. However, my greenhouse just does not have the space for raising hundreds (1000s) of plants in a single season.

My eldest and I have ripped out the worst of the shrubs and have a bloody great space to fill. I would usually sow annuals in modules and plant up while small but I am going to have to do a direct sowing of 1000s of cosmos,various African daisies, zinnias, red flax, tagetes (this is not a subtle border!) along with a coupla dozen dahlias. Apart from the dubious 'meadow', I have only done direct sowing for vegetables and hardcore annuals like cornflowers, so I am a trifle anxious. I recall sowing an annual bed back in the early days of my allotment, which looked a somewhat untidy mess.
The positive aspect though - it has only cost 30quid (thank you Premier seeds and iona) for a generous sowing, including 4000 zinnias...which should make an impact. Will update (especially if this is a glorious success).
 
campanula said:
I have a sunken pond at the allotment, RubyToogood but the half-barrel is just going to sit in a corner of the raised beds.
So, my main customer has a lovely Georgian rectory garden. When I started working there, I grew nearly all the plants myself, but have concentrated on smaller borders than the main, 6m x 40m main border because it was largely disguised by the usual tough shrubs and perennials (euphorbias, iris, viburnums, clerodendrum etc etc.) but mostly because it was just too daunting. However, the owners have gotten a little carried away with my current efforts and have mentioned the (horror) 'Yellow Book'...or open gardens for charity thing. Unfortunately, they have gotten used to getting all their plants for free while they only pay for my labour...and because I pretty much loved having the run of a (potentially) fantastic garden, I sort of encouraged them. However, my greenhouse just does not have the space for raising hundreds (1000s) of plants in a single season.

My eldest and I have ripped out the worst of the shrubs and have a bloody great space to fill. I would usually sow annuals in modules and plant up while small but I am going to have to do a direct sowing of 1000s of cosmos,various African daisies, zinnias, red flax, tagetes (this is not a subtle border!) along with a coupla dozen dahlias. Apart from the dubious 'meadow', I have only done direct sowing for vegetables and hardcore annuals like cornflowers, so I am a trifle anxious. I recall sowing an annual bed back in the early days of my allotment, which looked a somewhat untidy mess.
The positive aspect though - it has only cost 30quid (thank you Premier seeds and iona) for a generous sowing, including 4000 zinnias...which should make an impact. Will update (especially if this is a glorious success).
Click to expand...
Best wishes with that project !
 
I harvested some seeds from some fallen seedpods from the vegetable garden in the park - I'm pretty sure it was a tagetes tenuifolia - perhaps a way to get the French Marigold effect without them being destroyed in days by the slugs ... :hmm:
The flowers seemed to hang around for ages - as to whether the colour will fit into however the front garden ends up remains to be seen.
Sadly the lovely old school nasturtium seeds I got from the same place appear to be duds so I'll order some ...

tagetessprouts.jpg
 
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I'm after a patio/potted dwarf cherry blossom and a similarly potted dwarf Acer, sized only because I'm a terrace garden with limited width and the roots would do a number on my drains. I could go Thompson and Morgan but I seem to recall campanula saying they're not all that. Any suggestions from anyone gratefully received.
 
Mogden said:
I'm after a patio/potted dwarf cherry blossom and a similarly potted dwarf Acer, sized only because I'm a terrace garden with limited width and the roots would do a number on my drains. I could go Thompson and Morgan but I seem to recall campanula saying they're not all that. Any suggestions from anyone gratefully received.
Click to expand...
When I was after some plants this time in 2020, I rang around a number of the smaller, independent "garden centre" / "plant nurseries" to see what was available, and who was open for business. I ended up with some plants [plugs by mail order] which were OK.
During last year, more local places were open, so I was able to make some visits to discuss options.
Finding somewhere with knowledgeable staff is the trick.
 
campanula said:
Unfortunately, they have gotten used to getting all their plants for free while they only pay for my labour...and because I pretty much loved having the run of a (potentially) fantastic garden, I sort of encouraged them.
Click to expand...
Ha, I'm awful for this too. I get to take plenty of stuff away for free, either for myself or other customers, as well though (the sad Ribes sanguineum I rescued from round the back of someone's shed is flowering like mad in another garden just down the road right now).

Gone into overdrive the last few weeks as my mum's church runs a plant stall for about a month in some nearby woods while their bluebell trail is open. It can be a good way to get extra bits of work and I'm a sucker for saving anything that might possibly make a viable plant at the best of times :oops: so soft fruit prunings have all been chopped into cuttings and rooted, loads of little bits of weeded-out volunteers that I'd usually chuck on the compost heap have been carefully kept and pricked out into cell trays, started going through random massive bags of home-saved seed (why did I need an entire pint of tagetes?!) for stuff to sow... Need to butcher some sedums tomorrow and do a trawl round the houseplant shops for more free pots.
 
Free pots ? iona

I wish you lived close to me, I've got loads of pots stashed away. Many around 3" and another load of 3l ... plus sectioned trays ...
Currently I have about a cubic meter of stacked pots in storage.

Maybe in a year or two I'll get organised and use them as intended, for bedding & plant propagation marathons.
 
StoneRoad said:
Free pots ? iona

I wish you lived close to me, I've got loads of pots stashed away. Many around 3" and another load of 3l ... plus sectioned trays ...
Currently I have about a cubic meter of stacked pots in storage.

Maybe in a year or two I'll get organised and use them as intended, for bedding & plant propagation marathons.
Click to expand...
Yeah a couple of shops here often have a load of the tiny 2" pots going spare after they've run a workshop, I like them for stuff like potting on propagated succulents. They let me take the moulded trays the pots are delivered in too, if there's any in the bin that I can fish out.

I probably have several cubic meters worth of bigger pots + cell trays etc already :D I make pots out of plastic food packaging (recycling here is shit, won't take any plastics other than bottles) to sell veg seedlings in too.
 
Mogden said:
I'm after a patio/potted dwarf cherry blossom and a similarly potted dwarf Acer, sized only because I'm a terrace garden with limited width and the roots would do a number on my drains. I could go Thompson and Morgan but I seem to recall campanula saying they're not all that. Any suggestions from anyone gratefully received.
Click to expand...

If I want a particular plant I usually google to see if there's a specialist nursery, they tend to have a much better range to choose from and will give you excellent choice and help you choose the right plant.
I think these acer people are quite near to you?

Packhorse Farm Nursery – UK’s Leading Acer Nursery

packhorsefarmnursery.co.uk packhorsefarmnursery.co.uk

We love acers and currently have 3 planted in the garden and another half a dozen in pots on the patio and deck.
 
I just planted up my smelly lilies in pots - this time doing what I was told and planted them deep with a fair bit of grit-sand around them as I had some available.

And I tipped out the hanging basket where my favourite begonia had been completely disappeared by vine weevil larvae.
Bloody hell - never seen so many at one time !
I looked around for a friendly robin, but in the end drowned them. I suppose it might have been kinder to stamp on them.
It's not only my lack-lustre assortment of container plants I have to worry about, my new neighbour gardens for a living and has planted up a wide range of perennials..
 
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I've just separated out the seedlings in the seed trays and pulled apart the roots somewhat - does make it easier to transplant into final destinations.
 
iona said:
...and do a trawl round the houseplant shops for more free pots.
Click to expand...
It sounds like your needs are greater than mine, but I repurpose milk cartons into plant pots and they're much longer lasting than actual plastic pots. Cut just below the handle and put holes in the bottom. 1ltr cartons are ideal replacements for 3 or 4" pots, whereas the bigger ones are good for chilies/basil etc in the greenhouse. Everyone I give plants to knows that if they return them, they'll get more plants in future. I have some that have been in use for 5 years...

The biggest struggle has been that I switched from shop milk to milkman milk to reduce plastic so now my stock isn't growing.IMG_20220330_151357547.jpg
 
contadino I already do similar :)
iona said:
Yeah a couple of shops here often have a load of the tiny 2" pots going spare after they've run a workshop, I like them for stuff like potting on propagated succulents. They let me take the moulded trays the pots are delivered in too, if there's any in the bin that I can fish out.

I probably have several cubic meters worth of bigger pots + cell trays etc already :D I make pots out of plastic food packaging (recycling here is shit, won't take any plastics other than bottles) to sell veg seedlings in too.
Click to expand...
Plastic milk jugs are too useful to be cut up though, I keep those for worm bin juice.
 
I just ordered my salad and tomato seeds and couldn't resist a few flowers.
Castor oil (ricinus)
Giant sunflowers - which are topical and which I'm sure next door's children will also enjoy planting.
Old school nasturtiums
Nicotiana Alata "Sensation" mixed colours which they claim are fragrant and I hope may survive the dreaded mildew.
Also some wallflowers for next year.
 
I've got a south-facing 6m by 1.5m terrace that I want to plant up with nature and bird-friendly pretty things. Potentially some veg too (toms will probably do well) Other than a nice Jasmine I'm not sure what else would be good. Summers here are good, and average mid-twenties for June, July and August.
 
My unpromising nasturtiums seem to have sprouted :)
Just as Premier Seeds have dispatched 160 seeds (smallest size !!).
The ones in the park where I nicked my seeds from are consistently bright orange / red which is what I want - so I will take special care with these and plant the new ones liberally ...

I definitely want rampant nasturtiums in a future potager ...

And I'm going to be over-run with tagetes - the single plant I nicked those seeds from was ginormous ...



nasturtiums.jpg
 
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Your (ahem) garden is always something of an experiment, gentlegreen. Sorry to say that the blisetering on your peach is not caused by aphids but a nasty virus - peach leaf curl. While it won't ill off the plant, the horrible red, bloated leaves look awful, Can be prevented with a fungicidal spray at budbreak and again at leaf fall...so if you want to keep it, I would suggest an autumn spray.

Horrors! I am watching my local council workers installing a 'green roof' on some garages...in utter disbelief. First of all, they are using polythene which looks awfully flimsy - like the stuff farmers put on fields to warm up the soil. Hopeless as a waterproof layer. Next, the substrate they are using is totally not right - rather than a lightweight medium with lots of perlite, they have a huge heap of what looks like heavy duty topsoil topped with 3inches of building sand.. Dread to think what they are using for plants but suspect it will that ready-planted (and uninspiring) sedum turf.
I visited Sheffield uni a few times cos I have friends in the horticultural dept. where I learned the principles of green roofs. Can look really great...but this tragedy is going to be complete shit...and then the local Parkour teams are gonna jump all over it. Sigh - it's the usual arse-end of council spending before 5th April, when we get dumped with the leftovers (again) along with some cheap, lowest tender cowboys. Will watch (and laugh) when the next lot of rain makes the entire edifice fall through the roof.

iona, I got fed up with the whole random pot thing. Get a copy of LBS horticulture supplies and buy 1000 8cm pots. I bloody love mine...they are sturdy enough for several seasons, all square so fit nicely into seed trays (15 at a time) and maes potting on and pricking out a pleasure.
 
campanula said:
Your (ahem) garden is always something of an experiment, gentlegreen. Sorry to say that the blisetering on your peach is not caused by aphids but a nasty virus - peach leaf curl. While it won't ill off the plant, the horrible red, bloated leaves look awful, Can be prevented with a fungicidal spray at budbreak and again at leaf fall...so if you want to keep it, I would suggest an autumn spray.
Click to expand...
My peach is self-sown - I was amazed when it flowered this year :)
I'm hoping to have packed up and left this place in a couple of years' time so it will eventually get pulled up.
I've had self-sown dates and avocados too ...

At the moment I'm trying to work out how I can incorporate both giant sunflowers and kale into my front garden without completely shading out everything else...
 
campanula said:
@iona, I got fed up with the whole random pot thing. Get a copy of LBS horticulture supplies and buy 1000 8cm pots. I bloody love mine...they are sturdy enough for several seasons, all square so fit nicely into seed trays (15 at a time) and maes potting on and pricking out a pleasure.
Click to expand...
I did, last year. I'm using them as a bedside table at the moment :D

It really is only the tiny pots for selling or giving away little bits of stuff that I ever get short of, and honestly fuck buying those when I can nip up the road to get some for free. I just finished a big planting job (three people, two full days) and kept all the pots from that and it hasn't even increased the stash I already had by a huge amount.
 
Ah, iona, I found I really got off on having rows and rows of identical small square pots (haven't used round pots for years). Looking at a coupla hundred perfectly matched pots is definitely part of my enjoyment...as is reaching over into the box of 1000 shiny, new 2inch pots -they are a perfect size for pricking out and growing on until I get them in the ground...somewhere. I am a cheapskate, so understand the reluctance to spend cash on giveaways but I admit, I am never going back to random containers. Seed trays were banished years ago - I sow seeds in 4inch, half-litre pots and upend them for pricking out.
I would love, love, love to work in a plant nursery, tbh. Propagating, and even a bit of hybridising is my true horticultural interest. I only really grow vegetables out of a misplaced sense of duty.
I have a horrible almond/peach hybrid at the allotment which I only keep for the blossom. gentlegreen. Always the very first to bloom (then plums, cherries and finally apples) - lights up the plot during grim February gloom. I ignore the inevitable peach leaf curl.
 
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