# How is your garden looking?



## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Mine has taken a long time to get going this year but is now starting to look pretty

As usual everything is in pots down my end of the garden (OH has the back as a wild area where he has his bird feeders). The ones not in flower here are mainly the snap dragons and they are just opening up now.



Petunias - I've got pink, red, purple and yellow




Trailing begonia - I love these in apricot and plan to have a lot more of these next year



Chocolate plants which I can confirm smell of chocolate



Climbing Thumbelina - I should have 3 colours but only the yellow and orange have flowered, still have several others with no flowers yet so no idea what colour they will be




Campanula


and passion flower (which I thought I'd killed earlier in the year which upset OH as its his favourite but some survived)



I've also planted two more passion flowers and two Ipomoeas (morning glory) to climb over the arbour in the first photo.

Any one else want to share photos of their garden?


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Beautiful! 

I don't know what's happened to my garden but except for a tree and a fern everything has died off. I've been watering so I know that's not the issue. 
Going to go to the garden centre soon and start again once I've found out why everything has died.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Ohhhh you have reminded me to take some!!


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Peonies in my front garden, my clematis has died off,all 3 of them, dont know why unless its because they are in pots not in the ground, my only clematis that has survived IS in the ground ,but flowers have faded now, and a corner which has a lovely lavatera which is not fully out yet, also a tree which a couple of pigeons like to regularly sit in, also a lone camellia


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

It's looking a bit battered after 2 days of torrential rain 

Have taken some pics on my son's camera as mine is on the blink, and when I've worked out to load them I'll put them on 

RPH: Your pots look great - some lovely plants there. 

Jaycee: Your clematis have probably got wilt. Just cut them back to about 6 inches from the ground and give them a drink and they may come back next year from the roots. If they are in pots they can dry out and their roots get hot - they prefer their feet in the shade. Your peonies are better than mine. 2 plants that have each had just 1 bloom for the past 2 years! I think they need digging up and moving - something to do in the Autumn.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

oops! duplicate


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

I posted the wrong pic of my corner garden its much better than that that, but i have watered the Clematis well, i really think its because they are in pots, i have no soil nxt to my wall just a path, my other , against a fence was lovely
My garden is mainly trees, and i have some mountain ash just coming into lovey red berries now


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

So thanks to Rottiepointer I have taken some pics

Begonia non stop- bit red for my liking








Busy Lizzie








Pots on the fence

























Fuschia









Hosta corner









Window boxes

















Hydrangea - love that he cant make up his mind what colour to be









Mandevilla? New this year









Varigated Agapanthus- picked up for £4 at our local parish day


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

My peonies have done really well last year and this, but i have some in white not done as well,only 3 blooms on up to now, 
They are in full sun ,also my Hydrangeas are lovely some in the front and some in the back gardens
I love my garden, love cutting the grass, its nothing special really but very enclosed and mostly trees and grass


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Lexiedhb said:


> So thanks to Rottiepointer I have taken some pics
> 
> Begonia non stop- bit red for my liking
> 
> ...


Very pretty. I love your Hosta corner and the window boxes are beautiful.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> Very pretty. I love your Hosta corner and the window boxes are beautiful.


Awww thanks, the Hostas have to be up on a table, due to the amount of bladdy humongous slugs I have!

Do like a petunia, going to grow my own from seed next year


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

@jaycee05 I love the variety you have and your garden looks huge with lots of different areas.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Lexiedhb said:


> Awww thanks, the Hostas have to be up on a table, due to the amount of bladdy humongous slugs I have!
> 
> Do like a petunia, going to grow my own from seed next year


I love the hostas too - the table is working well. 

I have to keep mine in pots, with copper tape round as despite having a large frog population in my garden, slugs and snails are always an issue. I avoid most plants that they make a bee-line for, but I can't resist hostas!

Hydrangeas have made a bit of a come-back in recent years - Chris Beardshaw put some in his Chelsea garden (maybe last year?) and they seem to have become popular again. I have always loved them and think they are a really good value plant - make a large attractive shrub and the blooms last for ages  I'm on the hunt for a couple of new ones as there is always space for more plants in my garden!


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

I really like some of the new hydrangea varieties, especially the _Hydrangea macrophylla_ MISS SAORI - plant of the year at Chelsea 2014 - beautiful

The three in my garden were all free one from my mum, two came free with some bargain stone planters i got of a FB selling site for a fiver!!!!

the Hydrangea is also my flower of choice for my wedding next year


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Thank you, the garden isnt really huge but quite big,and i like that it is very enclosed for the cats,they only go out with me,but the high fencing and high shrubs and trees make it difficult for them to get out easily, my front garden is much smaller, but my house is back to front so my living room is facing the back garden, and no one can see in 
Your begonias are lovely,i had one that llasted ages a few years ago in a pot,


rottiepointerhouse said:


> @jaycee05 I love the variety you have and your garden looks huge with lots of different areas.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Lexiedhb said:


> So thanks to Rottiepointer I have taken some pics
> 
> Love these and all your plants are gorgeous
> 
> ...


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

I planted a climbing Hydrangea last year in a spot near the front door that is in total shade with brick walls to two sides. A gardener recommended it for the spot but its not done anything. Grown a tiny bit but no flowers yet and I'm not convinced it will.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Hmmmmm they dont like it to hot- thats for sure. I have one that needs moving. The one in the pic is in partial shade and doing very well the other is simply too hot, and wilts terribly on a hot day no matter how much its watered. Very few plants do well in total shade tho.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> I planted a climbing Hydrangea last year in a spot near the front door that is in total shade with brick walls to two sides. A gardener recommended it for the spot but its not done anything. Grown a tiny bit but no flowers yet and I'm not convinced it will.


It may take a couple of years to get going  I've had one in a pot that was given to me and it's been waiting for a suitable spot to be planted, so it's been restricted and hasn't done much. Planning to get it in the ground in Autumn and hope it romps away - and maybe flowers next year, if it's happy enough  They are meant to do well in north facing, shady spots.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Lurcherlad said:


> It may take a couple of years to get going  I've had one in a pot that was given to me and it's been waiting for a suitable spot to be planted, so it's been restricted and hasn't done much. Planning to get it in the ground in Autumn and hope it romps away - and maybe flowers next year, if it's happy enough  They are meant to do well in north facing, shady spots.


Yes I think that was why she recommended it because that spot gets no sun on it at all - I wanted to put a clematis there but she said that wouldn't do well so try the hydrangea. My Mum who has obviously been gardening a lot longer than me  said she had never heard of a climbing hydrangea so I would love it to grow and flower so she can see it. I think its been in about 15 months now.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> Yes I think that was why she recommended it because that spot gets no sun on it at all - I wanted to put a clematis there but she said that wouldn't do well so try the hydrangea. My Mum who has obviously been gardening a lot longer than me  said she had never heard of a climbing hydrangea so I would love it to grow and flower so she can see it. I think its been in about 15 months now.


I saw an established one at a house we viewed a few years ago - it covered practically the whole front of the house from floor to roof, was fully in flower and was spectacular!

There are clematis that will do OK in the shade - I was looking through to identify a clematis in flower for every month of the year and have this one in my notes:

Princess Diana: Sun/Shade, North/South, Summer to Autumn, Dark Pink, Group 3. 

I'd give a Montana a go too - as they are so rampant


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Montana will grow in a cupboard!!!
Climbing hydrangea are indeed spectacular when mature.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

I've taken some photos of where it is so will load them later on. Might put a Montana in a pot next to it and see what happens.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

That would be Montana 3270000 - Hydreangea 0


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Think I've worked out how to upload photos. Here goes

They are:

Iceberg Rose
Nicotiana Sylvestris
Hosta
Day Lily
Canna Lily
Godetia
Dahlia
Bird table project
Latest Project!


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Lurcherlad said:


> Think I've worked out how to upload photos. Here goes
> 
> They are:
> 
> ...


You have some lovely flowers - some I haven't seen or heard of.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Front garden. This little bed I had huge conifers taken down last November and couldn't decide what to do with it.



I planted lavender bushes all along the pavement side and dwarf lupins/snap dragons/rock geraniums in the bed. Not sure I like it. Most of the lupins didn't take anyway. Might change it.



This is the climbing hydrangea - you can just see it in the corner climbing up the pillar (if you get your magnifying glass out)



The pillar keeps the sun off it


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

I'd have been tempted to put patio roses in that little bed RPH..... but then i have a bit of an obsession with them at the mo LOL


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

RPH - The front flowerbed is a tricky site. It looks dry? Having the conifers there will have sucked the life out of the soil, but now they are gone and with a bit of help it will soon be revived.

Maybe leave the lavender and try some hardy, evergreen plants, mixed with some bulbs for spring. I buy Gardening News and they give away 1 or 2 packs of seeds every week and I get loads of free plants that way. Some you can just chuck straight in the ground. Good old pelargoniums are an easy plant for adding colour all summer, and they seem to thrive in places most other plants would sulk.

Alternatively, what about an Alpine bed? Bung some rocks in, a few plants and some gravel 

The pots around the steps and door look lovely! Very colourful 

I could just about make out the Climbing Hydrangea! It's got a way to go, but fingers crossed


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Thanks for the ideas @Lexiedhb and @Lurcherlad . I'm not keen on roses if I'm honest. I have got some hardy evergreen shrubs in pots that I could put in there but I want to avoid it getting too tall/bushy but I've got a feeling some of the ones I have are dwarf varieties so might do that. The soil is not good you are right, a lot of bits of old root and dead bits of conifer so I gave it a good rake, got a nice man to dig it over and get rid of all of the roots then dug in top soil and fertiliser before planting. I will have another go at it once the snap dragons have finished (which look more like a hybrid with carnations to me).


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

My garden pics, sorry there is a fair few!










Excuse the string I had to tie my lupin back when we had strong winds and forgot to remove it now.


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

And more


Our views








Pots and baskets around our home


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

@blade100 what a beautiful house and garden, looks like a real cottage garden, so pretty and lovely views.


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> @blade100 what a beautiful house and garden, looks like a real cottage garden, so pretty and lovely views.


Thanks Hun, it's taken me 4 hours today to cut the hedges and then mow the lawn.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

blade100 said:


> Thanks Hun, it's taken me 4 hours today to cut the hedges and then mow the lawn.


Beautiful flowers and gorgeous garden! I'm jealous of your outlook - backing onto fields!


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

ok just want blades garden now......... And maybe the doggy too!!!


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Lexiedhb said:


> ok just want blades garden now......... And maybe the doggy too!!!


Lol, you can take her. She can be a little madam at times! She's a gobby gsd. Likes the sound of her own bark....well at the birds anyway.
Thank you x


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

blade100 said:


> Lol, you can take her. She can be a little madam at times! She's a gobby gsd. Likes the sound of her own bark....well at the birds anyway.
> Thank you x


shed be the perfect match for my hobby staff x then!!!


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## Satori (Apr 7, 2013)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> Mine has taken a long time to get going this year but is now starting to look pretty
> 
> passion flower (which I thought I'd killed earlier in the year which upset OH as its his favourite but some suI've also planted two more passion flowers and two Ipomoeas (morning glory) to climb over the arbour in the first photo.
> 
> Any one else want to share photos of their garden?


That's looking very nice. 

I love Passion flowers. We're figuring out where to plant some but my borders are so overgrown I have just been focusing on what to pull-up this year, so we need to make room.

My garden has been distinctly unhappy this last month because of the weather. My lawn is like a bog. We're overrun with self heal and buttercups. My favourites are leggy and bent over with the constant rain and wind. I've just given up on some and cut them back.

But, this last couple of days has been nice and we've tidied up a lot. Quite proud of it really.

I'll just show you the nicer side ....


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Satori said:


> That's looking very nice.
> 
> I love Passion flowers. We're figuring out where to plant some but my borders are so overgrown I have just been focusing on what to pull-up this year, so we need to make room.
> 
> ...


Beautiful part of your garden! Looks a lovely spot to sit in.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

@Satori your garden looks beautiful - must take a lot of work to keep your lawn so smart, its looks so peaceful too.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Satori said:


> That's looking very nice.
> 
> I love Passion flowers. We're figuring out where to plant some but my borders are so overgrown I have just been focusing on what to pull-up this year, so we need to make room.
> 
> ...


Least the lawn is green..... mine is looking god awful this year!!


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## Satori (Apr 7, 2013)

Lexiedhb said:


> Least the lawn is green..... mine is looking god awful this year!!


What worked for me was liquid lawn feed. We had dry spell in May so I emptied two big water butts onto the lawn. Beforehand I threw a couple of bottles of feed in each one. Worked a treat.


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

Lovely photos everyone, love gardening 

A few of mine - out the front .....


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

Close ups from back garden ......


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

And Ralph - my garden doggie


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Westie mum your hanging basket is blumin gorgeous!!


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

I have two loves, my pets and my garden. I love being in the garden and take photos every year to compare and see how it was previously. We've had some work done on ours this year, trying to make it a bit less labour intensive. I love roses more than anything else.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Stunning @Westie Mum and @Charity - both of you have beautiful hanging baskets.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Thank you. I love the close ups of individual plants.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Stunning gardens and pics ladies!!
Those begonia non stops are just awesome throughout the summer arent they?


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

blade100 said:


> Westie mum your hanging basket is blumin gorgeous!!


Thank you 

It's currently wider than my front door!

Simple 14" basket, with sufinia's planted at the top (I find side planting never works very well), nepeta bottom planted and a few geraniums at the top.

The front of my house sits in the sun all day, hence why they grow so big. Takes a fair bit of water and feed but worth it 

The ones out the back don't grow half the size!


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Westie Mum said:


> Thank you
> 
> It's currently wider than my front door!
> 
> ...


They are still gorgeous though!
Yeh I feed mine once a week sometimes twice. I hate dead heading though. Do you find your fingers get sticky from de heading the sufinas?


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

blade100 said:


> They are still gorgeous though!
> Yeh I feed mine once a week sometimes twice. I hate dead heading though. Do you find your fingers get sticky from de heading the sufinas?


Lol yep! I tend to do a minute or so each day per baskets rather than leaving it to be a big job once a week.

Last year I planted million bells instead out the back, as apparently you don't have to dead head those. Wasn't impressed. They flowered great but then didn't dead head themselves properly so I ended up doing it, took forever and they never really did flower again well.


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

The front of mine today - lots of pink!


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Very pretty @Westie Mum


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

That's beautiful, the blue door really sets it off


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

Thank you  

I loved my blue door until next door painted their door the same colour!


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

When we lived in London we were on a little development of Georgian town houses/flats. We rented a ground floor flat - no. 21 and all the properties had that same blue front door and white windows. Your photo brought back some memories although we never had stunning hanging baskets in those days (students)


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> When we lived in London we were on a little development of Georgian town houses/flats. We rented a ground floor flat - no. 21 and all the properties had that same blue front door and white windows. Your photo brought back some memories although we never had stunning hanging baskets in those days (students)


Nice to bring the memories back 

I think ours would be Victorian, it was built in 1820. Narrow but very long and damn cold lol


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Westie mum ,your hanging baskets are beautiful i dont really think you can beat Surfinias ,every hanging basket i have seen with them are huge and gorgeous, must take more pics now my roses are are blooming better


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

Thank you  

Yes I dont think you can beat surfinias for big baskets!


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

I have given up with my Clematis, as someone said it could be the place they are planted, in full sun, the one in a more shaded are has been beautiful and thrived, [do i need to prune it now]
I am going to plant a climbing rose where the other 2 Clematis were for next year
The weather here is terrible today,pouring rain and chilly, where is summer,


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Have just come across this thread, all your gardens are absolutely beautiful. I have a big terraced garden that is just too much for us to maintain. Neither myself nor my husband are green fingered so just do the bare minimum to keep it at an acceptable level. I used to have lots of pots of colourful flowers but have not had them for a few years now. Seeing some of your pictures makes me want to do some again, maybe next year I will.

Here is a photo of my garden at the moment, it is quite overgrown and wild!


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

@wind1 you have a beautiful garden - its very inviting - the sort of garden that calls you to explore the different areas


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> @wind1 you have a beautiful garden - its very inviting - the sort of garden that calls you to explore the different areas


Yes, if only I could get those explorers to prune and weed on their way I'd be laughing!


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

I like your garden, i it looks very natural, my neighbour pulls all his plants up after te summer and plants new ones all in straight lines the next summer, but doesnt look natural


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

Looks lovely to me aswell - my dogs would love exploring in there!


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

One of my baskets they are half walled ones.
Although most of my summer bedding plants are starting to look a bit naff now.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

@blade100 those still look stunning, all of mine are looking the worse for wear since we had the heavy rains, they are at the straggly/leggy stage. Haven't decided yet whether to re pot with pansies etc of just leave them empty for the winter.


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

@blade100 They are still looking good !

The plants out the front are still doing ok, look great from a distance still.

The back garden isn't doing great, have started emptying pots already.

I replant the front garden baskets for winter but just a couple out the back. Pansies, violas, cyclamen, whatever else is cheap.

Edited to add .... I do the front garden as I like to add fairy lights to them at Christmas lol


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

I had to repot some of my baskets too as they started to go off and look bedraggled but they've done well since I planted them end of may. 
I don't tend to bother doing any tubs up in winter. I have spring bulbs but that's about it otger than any lasting shrubs that don't loose their leaves.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

It looks like a bomb went off in my garden!

OH and I started last week on doing a bit of cutting back. Yesterday and today I've got a bit carried away and practically anything over 4 foot is being scalped! Several old fashioned Rhododendrons which had grown to mammoth proportions have been cut back to between 1 and 2 feet. I've currently got piles of debris all over the lawn and lots of bare fences and large gaps in the flower beds. Haven't finished yet - still more cutting back to do but I have to pace myself 

Good opportunity to do a bit of fence maintenance - need to get some wood.

Will try and get some photos for a "before and after". So much more light in the garden now.

OH and I re-roofed one of the sheds too yesterday - my poor, aging body felt like it had been hit by a train when we finished! My poor knees! A very hot shower and some nurofen, followed by falling asleep in the reclining chair saw me right later - though it took a while to get moving again as every muscle and joint was very stiff. I hate getting older 

Jack's been helping - he keeps digging holes in the newly exposed earth!


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

This is my favourite plant in the garden at the moment...golden rod. It was newly planted last year and quite small but this year its over 5 feet tall and is covered in bees and hover flies who love it. I can't do it justice with a photo.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Charity said:


> This is my favourite plant in the garden at the moment...golden rod. It was newly planted last year and quite small but this year its over 5 feet tall and is covered in bees and hover flies who love it. I can't do it justice with a photo.
> 
> View attachment 246298


Beautiful!

I had a lovely patch of this a couple of years ago, but this year literally only one or two shoots of it in evidence. I think it will benefit from the cutting back I have done, because I don't think it has enjoyed being swamped and shaded! Fingers crossed.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Most of my pots are still going strong although I've pulled out a few of the straggly petunias and the hanging apricot begonias are dropping heads and stalks now. However the ordinary begonias still look lovely. I've got some wallflowers just arrived and am waiting on pansies/violas and primroses to arrive ready for when I clear out the summer bedding plants.


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

Replanted mine yesterday so will add some photos once they fill out a little bit. 

I brought some 'cool wave trailing pansies' this year as wyevale had them planted up in plastic hanging baskets for £11.99, buy one get one free. Brought 2 for the front and replanted them into the one big basket and then another two for the back garden, again replanted out of the plastic. 

Window baskets planted up with silver leaf, violas, primroses and ivy.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Westie Mum said:


> Replanted mine yesterday so will add some photos once they fill out a little bit.
> 
> I brought some 'cool wave trailing pansies' this year as wyevale had them planted up in plastic hanging baskets for £11.99, buy one get one free. Brought 2 for the front and replanted them into the one big basket and then another two for the back garden, again replanted out of the plastic.
> 
> Window baskets planted up with silver leaf, violas, primroses and ivy.


Wow you are weeks ahead of me.


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

Ahhh that's cause I'm a fair weather gardener, even with a heated potting shed, another few weeks and it's too cold to be spending hours outside! 

So pots and baskets all done, furniture all put away or covered up and everything been given its pre winter trim


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## Jackie99 (Mar 5, 2010)

Looking good for the time of year! Cut back most of it now as I don't like leaving it until the last minute and until its to cold to spend hours out there, planted some winter heather and other shrubs but still have quite a lot flowering well so leaving them for now! All that is left to do then is plant the apple pips I've had in the fridge the last few months!


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Slowly getting through all the cutting back and maintenance jobs. Managed to plant quite a few things that I had been keeping in pots and also dug up and moved a few things.

Three hours is about my limit these days, then the body starts to complain! 

Bought a sack of mixed daffs in Wilkinsons for £2.50 - amazing value and the bulbs are all good quality. 

Aldi are currently selling 2 types of Hebe for £2.49 each if anyone's interested


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

I had a lovely purple variegated Hebe...... lets just say it does not like dog pee :Jawdrop:Jawdrop:Jawdrop


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

Lexiedhb said:


> I had a lovely purple variegated Hebe...... lets just say it does not like dog pee :Jawdrop:Jawdrop:Jawdrop


That's the one here that Oscar mainly likes to cock his leg at and I have 4 in a row as a mini hedge, all grow like crazy!

Oscars other cocking plant is a green mound forming hebe (can't remember the name) but he is very much a hebe boy lol


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Who would believe its November, its 14-15 degrees here down south and these roses came out yesterday. I've also got an escallonia which is covered in buds just coming into flower and a lilac which thinks its spring and is flowering. I actually hate weather like this as everything gets confused, plants, animals and birds alike.


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## samuelsmiles (Dec 29, 2010)

I haven't got much of a lawn to look after.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

What lovely, neat garden! 

Mine has been undergoing a good cut back and maintenance programme, and is looking a bit worse for wear at the moment!


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## Catharinem (Dec 17, 2014)

No time for gardening at the moment, just chuck any pumpkin seeds in the manure/compost pile, and had sweet peas, tomatoes, runner beans, peppers and chilli this year as well. 
Picked and ate a blackberry yesterday!


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

anyone else's garden proper confused about the weather? I've got bulbs coming up, and things doing "spring" all over the place!!!


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Lexiedhb said:


> anyone else's garden proper confused about the weather? I've got bulbs coming up, and things doing "spring" all over the place!!!


Yes, very confused!

It's SO wet out there I can't spend any time out there at the moment otherwise I will just make a mess.

Luckier than a neighbour a few doors down who seems to get the run off from the back field through his garden. There was a stream running under his gate this morning and pouring down the nearby drain. Hope that doesn't block.

(Obviously, nothing compared to the problems elsewhere )


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

One good thing though, realised why my Sambucus ***** hadn't flowered last year.

Had read they should be cut back hard, but didn't read on to the bit that said if they were they wouldn't flower afterwards!

Had left it to do in Spring this year so will not touch it at all and will look forward to some lovely flowers, and thn prune lightly!


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2016)

Haven't even started


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

My back lawn is like a quagmire, so wet and slushy,hardly any grass left, it squelshes when you walk on it, 
Yesterday was a lovely springlike day so got rid of a lot of cuttings i had left from last year, trying to get as much in my garden waste bin as possible,as our council have decided to charge everyone £38 to empty each bin, a lot of people are refusing as the collection of these are supposedly covered by council ta payments, and someone is actually looking into the legality of it, we have to have a licence which will be attached to the bin, which we bought at the councils request, to get rid of more waste,
I already pay someone to cut my high hedge as i cant manage it,so i will not be paying it ,the council has now conceded and we can have the first collection of last years rubbish for free,but only because a lot of us complained
The rest of the garden is not too bad,and i have some Oleanders come out in flower and also some daffs
I am not even going to try to grow any more Clematis, apart from the one actually planted in the soil, the potted ones didnt do well and died off, so going to plant climbing roses instead


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

@jaycee05 we have a similar scheme in Poole. We have to pay an annual fee of £37.55 for our garden refuse to be collected, we are not allowed to put it in our normal household rubbish bin. It started out free in trial areas then when they wanted to roll it out across the whole borough they started to charge us. I do think its worth it as taking it all to the tip is a pain in the bum quite literally if you leave thorns in the car 

Nothing much going on in my garden yet, a few pansies and violas and primroses but not many. I think all the wallflowers I planted died but will wait and see if any come up.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

It is fine if people can afford it but there have been so many cuts from the Government recently a lot cant, i dont drive so no chance of me taking it to the tip ,but i will compost it instead, and will just have to cut down on pruning maybe, but i already have to pay a gardener to cut my hedge about twice a year,probably should be more, so another £38 on top is just too much, 
I think a lot of people are annoyed because we were persuaded to buy garden bins,which i didnt mind because it saves a lot of bending to put cuttings and grass in plastic bags,which is easier for older people like me
Someone has advertised their garden bin on ebay ,just as a joke i think


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

Wow that's shocking you have to pay to dispose of garden waste! 

We can have two green bins here, collected fortnightly. The council composts and resells it. 

To be fair, I don't have a big garden and we have no grass so spring time and Autumn I fill bins up cutting everything back, so easily fill my green bin plus all the remaining unused green bins that line the back alleyway (yes I do just help myself to everyone else's unused bins but I don't fill them up until the day before collection just incase anyone else wanted to actually use them) and then the rest of the time the green bin isn't used.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Dont speak too soon lol, it is happening all over, i thought council tax covered household waste etc, but i am sure there will be a lot of fly tipping, not everyone ha a vehicle to take to the tip, as i said i already have to pay someone to cut my hedge at the front as its too high for me,and im 73 cant grip for a long time ,and sometimes the back hedge needs cutting down, so have to pay for that too, but not as important as the front, i also have large trees at the back which i had to have cut back last year as my neighbours said it was cutting the sun from their garden, i dont own my own home and the trees were here before i was but the council wont cut them back or down
I will just put any large branches in one corner of my back garden as i did before, also i bet there will lots of bonfires, which wont go down well
Sorry meant to ask what part of the country you are in?


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

I haven't heard of any plans to do the same here and will be cross of they do, we pay plenty of council tax already for very little .... Our town has no street lighting at night either, they turned it off a few years ago to save money! The only places that have lights are around sheltered housing etc and thankfully we live opposite a big complex so our lights are on outside ours but round the corner they aren't. 

But most people here wouldn't pay, they'd just dump it. 

We are in the Midlands, near Leamington Spa/Warwick.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

OH OUR STREET LIGHTING IS TURNED OFF AT MIDNIGHT, [SUPPOSEDLY ] BUT OFTEN GO OFF BEFORE,ONLY A FEW WEEKS INTO THIS IDEA A FEW HOUSES AT EACH SIDE OF ME WERE BURGLED, SOME LIGHTS ARE KEPT ON, BUT THE ONE CLOSEST TO ME ISNT, WE HAVE OUTSIDE LIGHTS ON THE HOUSE,BUT NOT VERY GOOD REALLY AND DONT COME ON UNTIL ALMOST OUT OF THE GATE GOING OUT ,OR JUST INSIDE THE GATE COMING IN
There will a lot of people just dumping theirs here too,and its going to take the men collecting longer im sure as there might be a couple of bins in one street and more in another, having to check if the licences are on each bin, and still travelling as far
Sorry about caps on, didnt even notice until i got to the end lol


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

Does make you wonder what we are paying for doesn't it !


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PAYING FOR THESE SERVICES WITH COUNCIL TAX, BUT DUE TO CUTBACKS THEY SAY IT DOESNT COVER EVERYTHING,
Sorry blooming caps left on again, anyway i dont think many will be paying ,
Do you have a local Streetlife in your area. we have and i know from people on there that a lot ,in fact most will not be paying it
A few of us complained that we shouldnt be charged for last years garden waste which is still in our bins,as the last collction was early November, so the councilhave decided to let us have the first collection free,and said they intended to in the first place, they really didnt, untill we complained


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Our garden waste bin us £45 a year, less than a pound a week! Worth it to not have to store it, or traipse it to the tip every weekend. Council tax cant possibly cover everything, I'm just grateful its a service they offer, some councils still don't.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

That seems a lot, but if people can afford it thats fine,some cant, and some might think people spend more than that a month by smoking or drinking, or eating out, and dont own a car, i do none of these ,so nothing to give up,and a lot of people are really struggling already with cuts to their income ,one way or another,and i wont be paying it, as stated earlier,i already pay for m hedges cutting 2-3 times a year


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

First blob of frogspawn in the fishpond this morning! 

Spring is on it's way! Yippee!


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## Wee T (Dec 6, 2015)

How is my garden looking?

Dreadful. 

Lawn is sodden and desperately needs drainage which we hope to tackle this year as well as lay half in patio. 

Told son to stay off grass as too wet. He 'misheard'  and he and friend played several rounds of FA cup on it and it's now a big brown mulch swamp.

Dog is filthy coming in from doing her business and son is grounded for the forsee able. 

Not a happy bunny.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

My garden is in a terrible mess ,hardly any grass left, my dog comes in filthy too, and have to at least wash her feet when shes been out
One of my neighbours was actually cutting their grass today, so must be in much better condition than mine,but dont know how,they have 2 dogs


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Looking tidier than it was 

Spent several hours out there today in the lovely sunshine making and erecting some trellis, re-siting and clearing out the greenhouse, mending some fencing, sorting out stuff for the tip and tidying the back end of the garden. 

Couldn't walk when I'd finished! 

A hot shower and some ibuprofen saw me right! 

Need to keep the impetus up and get out there more regularly now that Spring is coming. Little and often, tackling all the outstanding jobs and planting, etc.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

I need to get out and start tidying up but cheery Spring is definitely coming even if the weather says otherwise. I've also noticed a rosebud today.


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## I love cats (Mar 31, 2016)

Such a beautiful garden Charity!!!


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

We are holding our breath and hoping that our ash tree has survived another year. It has been here for at least as long as the house which is about 98 years, we think from doing a little searching in archives it could be older. We’ve had someone out from the university to look at it all who is researching dieback and it was clear last autumn. But this spring we’ve got sooty marks on the buds and the bark has burn marks on it. It’s not looking good and it upsets me to write this as it’s one of the main reasons we loved the garden.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Recent potted purchases:

2 Winter Aconites
2 Aubretia
2 Euphorbia
2 Clematis
1 Jasmine
1 Lavatera Barnsley
1 Forsythia
2 Gooseberry
2 Raspberry

Seeds: 
Leeks (not to eat but to flower - cheap Aliums! )

Spinach (DS has suddenly got a penchant for adding it to his sandwiches and smoothies! )

Rocket - I love it! 

Added to the large number of freebies from magazines to go in the ground as hardy annuals plus the seedlings growing on in the conservatory, and cuttings grown outside through the winter.

Oh dear, I think I'm addicted! :Smuggrin


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

MollySmith said:


> We are holding our breath and hoping that our ash tree has survived another year. It has been here for at least as long as the house which is about 98 years, we think from doing a little searching in archives it could be older. We've had someone out from the university to look at it all who is researching dieback and it was clear last autumn. But this spring we've got sooty marks on the buds and the bark has burn marks on it. It's not looking good and it upsets me to write this as it's one of the main reasons we loved the garden.


I hope its OK. I love old trees.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

I have 2 Ash trees in my garden, looking a bit spindly these days,but beautiful when the berries are on them


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Just busy tidying my flower beds at the moment.This Geum in my front garden has been flowering all through the winter.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Still feeding my addiction ....came home from in-laws with several large bucketfuls of gorgeous native primroses and a couple of pots of freesia.

I bought myself a cherry tree to go in a pot to fill a gap left by cutting back a huge, tree shaped rhodi right to the ground. That corner looked too bare!


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

How is your garden looking?

Like crap tbh  Nothing is growing back yet except the very wild grass 
We had a bit of colour round the edges in the form of Dandelions, but kid soon put a stop to that when she bloody picked em :Banghead
That big bush on the right, can't remember what it's called is lovely in summer, with the purple flower cone things on it. We get a lot of Bees and Butterflies.
This could be the plainest garden ever lol


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## Catharinem (Dec 17, 2014)

Muttly said:


> How is your garden looking?
> 
> Like crap tbh  Nothing is growing back yet except the very wild grass
> We had a bit of colour round the edges in the form of Dandelions, but kid soon put a stop to that when she bloody picked em :Banghead
> ...





Muttly said:


> How is your garden looking?
> 
> Like crap tbh  Nothing is growing back yet except the very wild grass
> We had a bit of colour round the edges in the form of Dandelions, but kid soon put a stop to that when she bloody picked em :Banghead
> ...


Buddleia? Also called the butterfly bush. Self seeds everywhere,,pots easily,, and you can give to your charity of choice summer fayre to sell on their stall.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Garden centres are full of blooming plants that can go straight out at the moment. Daffs, mascari, primroses, pansies, etc. Plus lots of evergreens so very easy to fill some pots with instant colour and set them close to the house so you can enjoy them


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

Lurcherlad said:


> Garden centres are full of blooming plants that can go straight out at the moment. Daffs, mascari, primroses, pansies, etc. Plus lots of evergreens so very easy to fill some pots with instant colour and set them close to the house so you can enjoy them


Thanks, I think I am going to get some this year, now Muttly has grown up a bit :Happy


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

I am looking forward to going to the garden centre soon, but the weather at the moment is awful, very windy again tonight, a piece of fencing has blown across the garden,and the back lawn is still a mess


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

jaycee05 said:


> I am looking forward to going to the garden centre soon, but the weather at the moment is awful, very windy again tonight, a piece of fencing has blown across the garden,and the back lawn is still a mess


It's often tricky at this time of year. A couple of sunny days can fool us into getting too carried away and put tender stuff out too early. Then a hail shower or sharp frost comes along and wipes everything out! 

Ideal time to be putting some turf down on the skid patches Jack has created over the winter though, bit of sun then some rain ......


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Something a bit cheery as its so gloomy today. My first hanging basket this year.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

That is gorgeous Charity.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Had my second foray into the garden this year. Last go was to hack back and tidy up, but this time was planting up the pots and removing and replacing a dying shrub.

Had fun buying some new plants yesterday and got them all in today. I was very sad to see the pretty, but almost dead Daphne go. It was a handy bolt hole for the little birds to nip into when the sparrowhawk made a pass through, and had a lovely scent especially in the evenings. My FIL gave me the Daphne as a tiny cutting he had managed to persuade to root about 30 years ago. We lived in Yorkshire then, but I didn't leave it behind and it came South with us. It thrived here in the more alkaline soil and was just a lovely plant to have in the garden, but then it decided it's time was over (Daphne's are not long lived shrubs) and began to die off. 
I've bought a new one this time, a different variety, but still sweetly scented and currently about 8 inches high. That bit of the garden looks so bare now and I can see a wee bit of landscaping is needed to make it look a bit better.
Glad to get out into the garden today.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Siskin said:


> Had my second foray into the garden this year. Last go was to hack back and tidy up, but this time was planting up the pots and removing and replacing a dying shrub.
> 
> Had fun buying some new plants yesterday and got them all in today. I was very sad to see the pretty, but almost dead Daphne go. It was a handy bolt hole for the little birds to nip into when the sparrowhawk made a pass through, and had a lovely scent especially in the evenings. My FIL gave me the Daphne as a tiny cutting he had managed to persuade to root about 30 years ago. We lived in Yorkshire then, but I didn't leave it behind and it came South with us. It thrived here in the more alkaline soil and was just a lovely plant to have in the garden, but then it decided it's time was over (Daphne's are not long lived shrubs) and began to die off.
> I've bought a new one this time, a different variety, but still sweetly scented and currently about 8 inches high. That bit of the garden looks so bare now and I can see a wee bit of landscaping is needed to make it look a bit better.
> Glad to get out into the garden today.


I hate digging up plants and throwing them away, I see them as living things and get quite nostalgic about some if I've had them a long time. When we had landscapers in last year taking up a lot of the old garden I couldn't watch.  Daphne's are lovely, very pretty and gorgeous smelling.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

wind1 said:


> Have just come across this thread, all your gardens are absolutely beautiful. I have a big terraced garden that is just too much for us to maintain. Neither myself nor my husband are green fingered so just do the bare minimum to keep it at an acceptable level. I used to have lots of pots of colourful flowers but have not had them for a few years now. Seeing some of your pictures makes me want to do some again, maybe next year I will.
> 
> Here is a photo of my garden at the moment, it is quite overgrown and wild!
> View attachment 243024


Here's my garden now, I spent 2 weeks over the Easter hols tidying it all up. It was a long hard slog but so worth it. I now have areas that need re-designing. I have started another thread about the area on the top left that I am going to fill with shrubs and had some great suggestions. I hope to start getting it dug over soon (my son is doing that bit) then I will lay some weed control matting and bark. I have done some colourful pots too, it makes such a difference to have just a little bit of colour out there. I will be looking through these pictures of all your lovely gardens for inspiration and ideas!

Whoops forgot to post the picture!


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Just finished tidying the bottom half of our garden, everything is starting to shoot up now.These are some of the beds down near the bungalow.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Have been busy planting up some areas of the garden. I have planted a couple of honeysuckles to cover the new fence and put some new plants in the beds.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

This is an Acer Brilliantissima, we have two in the front garden and two in the back garden. These are in the front garden.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

The Azalea in the back garden is now in full flower.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

My back gardens gradually coming back to life,but is behind for the time of year. If it wasn't for the new plants that are in flower it would look very dull. Despite facing south it doesn't get a lot of sun due to some large conifers which we can do nothing about as they don't belong to us and the owner won't remove or lop. Also it's just been so cold up here on the hills.
I deeply envious of the azalea's @Honeys mum, they look beautiful. Not the right soil here.


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## S.crane (Oct 19, 2015)

My little bit of garden is still a bit of a green mess and needs a tidy but I have finally got my baskets up and while I was out this morning I spotted my first tulip has almost opened.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

No need to go down to the woods, just look out the kitchen window


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

All the pics are lovely, i went to the garden centre yesterday and bought a lovely clematis, going to have another try, my last ones didnt do well, except the Montana, which i posted a pic of,that variety is very quick growing and really blossomed
Also bought 2 Spirea, quite tall already, and some scented stocks , 3 plants which i dont know the name of in pink,white and red, but are perennials,
Quite a few violas,and pansy hanging basket, and one for my daughter who kindly took me as she was getting ready to go on holiday today, and had to g to work after taking me
Also bought some more bark, last years has almost disappeared, needed more compost to repot some plants, which i have spent all afternon doing
I have a lovely Camellia, which i bought last year with one huge beautiful flower on, since then it had lots of buds ,but they only opened about a month ago, and now the leaves are going brown at the edges, has anyone any idea ho














w i 
can revive it,
edited to say, since i repotted and changed the compost ,in only a day the Camellia is looking much better already
I started repotting it and the bottom of the compost was crawlng with woodlice and a few slugs, i have cleaned it off and replanted in fresh compost and a bigger pot, the smaller pic is of Camellia now poor thng


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Everything is really starting to fill out now. Some lovely things blooming at the moment.

Don't ask me what this is, I forget, but its lovely and delicate









This acer is very young but beautiful colour - Orange Glow.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

My first rose this year is out today


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

These are some of my Geums already in full flower, and will flower all summer long and well into Autum.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Honeys mum, they look gorgeous, I love geums.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Charity said:


> Honeys mum, they look gorgeous, I love geums.


Thankyou Charity,I love them too, they are my second favourite plant. I have lots of diiferent ones, all the red & yellow ones haven't come in flower yet. I think they give so much colour in the garden.

A couple of orange ones flowered all through the winter.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Anyone wondering what plants to have this summer, this might help. Wish my border looked like this.

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/video/topvideos/best-flowers-to-plant-for-summer/vp-BBsO3Qc


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## Claire222 (May 9, 2016)

Honeys mum said:


> That is gorgeous Charity.


Hi Honey's Mum- I'd love to speak to you re your trouble with MoreThan- is there anyway you could give me a quick call? Many thanks in advance


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Here are a few of my fave plants just getting going.









Pot of hostas just coming through before the slugs and snails find them! 










Pink dicentra








Solomon's Seal and Dicentra Alba










Clematis Montana


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Love montana, mine grew very well last year, growing another now,the last years died off and not come back,is this pic from last year?


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

That Montana looks gorgeous and I love the Dicentra.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

jaycee05 said:


> Love montana, mine grew very well last year, growing another now,the last years died off and not come back,is this pic from last year?


No. Just took it today about 7.30pm. It burst into bloom over the last couple of days


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Charity said:


> That Montana looks gorgeous and I love the Dicentra.


They are beautiful. Look so delicate, die back to below ground in the winter and burst into life again in the Spring


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

The pictures of the Dicentra reminded me that mine hasn't come up this year. It's been in the same spot for almost all the time we have lived here (25 years), but this year there is no sign of it. Will go and get another I think as they are so pretty.
I have a Montana at the front of the house draped over the drystone wall. It's come into leaf, but the flowers won't be out for a while, much colder up here in the hills and many plants are late. It's a lovely shell pink and is scented. Gets loads of comments from passerbys for about three weeks, then it's all over and just sits on the wall as a tangled heap for the rest of the year until I take the shears to it.


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## westie~ma (Mar 16, 2009)

Not got a good track record with plants, last year I bought a gooseberry bush reduced in Lidl, he's now full of leaves and lots of gooseberries are appearing, I'm thrilled.


















I've taken to calling him Cyril, he's still in his original pot but am planning on putting him in this bigger one.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Lurcherlad, your Solomon's Seal reminds me of my grandad's garden donkeys years ago where my Dad grew up. It was the most beautiful cottage garden and he had a lot of Solomons Seal which I loved when a child so I always think of him. It breaks my heart to see it now as the house was sold and turned into a business, its been an estate agents, hairdressers, nail bar, which is such a waste of a lovely family house and, worst of all, the garden is just a tip and dumping ground. :Arghh


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Charity said:


> Lurcherlad, your Solomon's Seal reminds me of my grandad's garden donkeys years ago where my Dad grew up. It was the most beautiful cottage garden and he had a lot of Solomons Seal which I loved when a child so I always think of him. It breaks my heart to see it now as the house was sold and turned into a business, its been an estate agents, hairdressers, nail bar, which is such a waste of a lovely family house and, worst of all, the garden is just a tip and dumping ground. :Arghh


Such a shame 

My mum was an avid gardener and many of my plants are what she would have grown too


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Occasionally in recent years my Soloman's Seal has had the sawfly and all the washing off of the wretched caterpillar things has made me even more fond of it than ever. It was one of the first plants I bought for my garden when I moved in thirty years ago.

Have other people had to wait for it to sprout this year. I felt bereft thinking I had lost it but suddenly it is all there again. The relief!


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

First one of my poppies came out a couple of days ago.This ones in the front garden.








Not sure what this is, it was in the front garden when we moved in a couple of years ago, but it looks lovely so have left it in.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

I love these Osteospurnums which have come out this week. They close up when its cloudy then really shine when the sun comes out. They'll be in flower right through to the autumn.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

QOTN said:


> Occasionally in recent years my Soloman's Seal has had the sawfly and all the washing off of the wretched caterpillar things has made me even more fond of it than ever. It was one of the first plants I bought for my garden when I moved in thirty years ago.
> 
> Have other people had to wait for it to sprout this year. I felt bereft thinking I had lost it but suddenly it is all there again. The relief!


I pick the larvae off and put them on the bird table! 

I did wonder about mine this year as it usually appears at the same time as the Dicentra - it was a bit delayed this year, I think too.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

They look lovely Charity. I always think they brighten up the garden. Like you say, they flower for such a long time. I had some in my chimney pot last year.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

I bought more plants yesterday! 

I can't help it! 

If anyone lives near Hylands House they sell hardy perennials at 5 for £10. Great plants


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Lurcherlad said:


> I bought more plants yesterday!
> 
> I can't help it!


I know the feeling Lurcherlad, I went to a plant fair last weekend, then to an open garden the next day.



Lurcherlad said:


> If anyone lives near Hylands House they sell hardy perennials at 5 for £10. Great plants


Wow, that's very reasonable. Just looked it up, good job I don't live anywhere near there.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

I've endeavoured to get my veg garden sorted this year, on a shoestring budget, hence the barrier netting & bit of old rat cage to keep the pooches off 

Started digging it over last weekend, loads of dock & other sturdy perennial weeds to contend with!

















And today's effort (I have no idea what the random plant is, decided to let it be as I've not seen anything like it), finished the digging around lunch time









Finished for the day, dug over & raked 'bed 1', there's a rhubarb in the far right corner by the compost bin but I didn't plan it's location very well so think it'll have to move!









And some of the babies who will be going in there once the beds are finished


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

WOW! You have been working hard!

I had a small veg patch for a while but I was much too lazy to do all that hard work. I cheated and made a raised bed, lined it with cardboard to cover the grass and filled it with soil, compost and manure! 

I had some success with it, but it wasn't really big enough to be worthwhile, so I filled it with shrubs and flowers!

Yours is "proper"!


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Must admit I haven't the patience for veg. Only ever do tomatoes and beans.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

My word, you have been hard at work, what a transformation, well done.

Looks like your going to have lots of veggies.

We have put in some potatoes, set some Kidney bean seeds, and some French beans so far.


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

Charity said:


> Must admit I haven't the patience for veg. Only ever do tomatoes and beans.


That's what I did last year but my tomatoes kept going missing. Found that Muddy was regularly picking and eating them as they ripened.
Only doing runner beans this year. Just about to plant them out


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

A dull day but a pic of my long awaited Solomon's Seal with unfurling ferns and seeding hellebores under my old apple tree.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

That looks lovely QOTN.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Charity said:


> That looks lovely QOTN.


Thank you. We don't do 'bright' in that part of my garden but I love the atmosphere. Still, it will soon be rose time. I have a few flowers so far but I have between 40 and 50 rose bushes in the rest of the garden.


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## HayBels (Jan 30, 2015)

Looks lovely! Nice work, I need to sort mine out this weekend!


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

QOTN said:


> Thank you. We don't do 'bright' in that part of my garden but I love the atmosphere. Still, it will soon be rose time. I have a few flowers so far but I have between 40 and 50 rose bushes in the rest of the garden.


Can't wait to see those when they come out.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Charity said:


> Can't wait to see those when they come out.


You will probably get fed up with them all but I will try to be restrained. They are all old roses or David Austin English roses.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Well, this morning I dug over & raked 'bed 2' & planted my tommies up in their grow bag, will be rigging up an extra long hose as an irrigation system as well today.

















The other 2 beds will have to wait until Friday now as I'm working the rest of the week so will be too busy to do much apart from watering everything in the pots & gro-bag.

Hoping to get everything I've grown from seed planted over the weekend, & also going to buy some companion plants & spring onions but I am indecisive about where to put each crop at the moment!


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Lurcherlad said:


> No. Just took it today about 7.30pm. It burst into bloom over the last couple of days


Its beautiful, i dont think mine came into bloom until later in the year,however i think it has died off,so bought another one,which i must say is growing very fast, only planted it 2 weeks ago, but could be because it is colder hee,maybe you are in a warmer part of the country


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Honeys mum said:


> First one of my poppies came out a couple of days ago.This ones in the front garden.
> View attachment 270804
> 
> Not sure what this is, it was in the front garden when we moved in a couple of years ago, but it looks lovely so have left it in.
> View attachment 270805


I wonder if its viburnum,, not sure of spelling,love the poppies,we have a plant stall just opened in the precinct,and i bought some poppies, i hope they do well, i try every year but dont seem to thrive for me,£2 each, could only carry 4 plants with my other shopping, but going again this week, i adore poppies,and would have a garden full if i could


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

jaycee05 said:


> I wonder if its viburnum,, not sure of spelling,love the poppies,we have a plant stall just opened in the precinct,and i bought some poppies, i hope they do well, i try every year but dont seem to thrive for me,£2 each, could only carry 4 plants with my other shopping, but going again this week, i adore poppies,and would have a garden full if i could


Poppies grow really well for me, these are some of my others from last year, which was there first year. This is how well they flowered.I have lots of them scattered arond my garden .Do you put your poppies in a sunny spot jaycee05, as they do like full sun and well drained soil.Good luck with them this year. £2 is very reasonable.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

jaycee05 said:


> Its beautiful, i dont think mine came into bloom until later in the year,however i think it has died off,so bought another one,which i must say is growing very fast, only planted it 2 weeks ago, but could be because it is colder hee,maybe you are in a warmer part of the country


Could be, I'm in Essex


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Maybe your conditions aren't entirely right for them Jaycee05, especially in winter.

Perhaps treat them as annuals and start new plants off from your own seeds in the late summer. Will survive outside all winter if kept sheltered and not too wet and can be planted out in Spring - all for free! 

I do this with a variety of hardy annuals and it gives them a head start and earlier flowers, backed up with some direct sowing around them to give a succession through the season 

I get most of my seeds free with Garden Answers monthly or Garden News weekly magazine.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Lurcherlad said:


> Maybe your conditions aren't entirely right for them Jaycee05, especially in winter.
> 
> Perhaps treat them as annuals and start new plants off from your own seeds in the late summer. Will survive outside all winter if kept sheltered and not too wet and can be planted out in Spring - all for free!
> 
> ...


I have planted lots of poppy plants and some from seed, but our soil is very clay like so maybe that is the reason, 
I did have some success a long time ago with a different variety of poppy, some with many petals that had a kind of frilly look to them but i am going to try to have a garden full this year,and these ones are quite well grown already when bought


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

jaycee05 said:


> I have planted lots of poppy plants and some from seed, but our soil is very clay like so maybe that is the reason,
> I did have some success a long time ago with a different variety of poppy, some with many petals that had a kind of frilly look to them but i am going to try to have a garden full this year,and these ones are quite well grown already when bought


Cold, wet feet could be their problem 

Planting on top of some grit in the planting hole can help


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

I used to have some beautiful poppies including Patty's Plum, Cedric Morris and Perry's White all bought at different times, but they did not reappear in Spring 2015. I could not understand it since it had not been a bad winter. Most of my garden is Essex clay but these were planted in a different area with plenty of rubble (unfortunately) if you dig down to any depth. I did wonder if there is some disease which kills them without any apparent symptoms. Does anybody know if this is so?


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

If your soil is clay, then it's more than likely to wet , as I already said, poppies like full sun and free draining soil.
Something like this will help condition and break down your soil.

Gro-Sure Farmyard Manure 50L - 295038 | B&M


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Honeys mum said:


> If your soil is clay, then it's more than likely to wet , as I already said, poppies like full sun and free draining soil.
> Something like this will help condition and break down your soil.
> 
> Gro-Sure Farmyard Manure 50L - 295038 | B&M


No clay in that area, just well drained soil over that layer of rubble I mentioned. The poppies were fine for years. It has plenty of organic material in it and looks the best soil in my garden.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

QOTN said:


> No clay in that area, just well drained soil over that layer of rubble I mentioned. The poppies were fine for years. It has plenty of organic material in it and looks the best soil in my garden.


Sorry QOTN, got you mixed up with jaycee05's post. That's very strange then, I have never lost any of mine. The leaves just stay in the winter.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Honeys mum said:


> Poppies grow really well for me, these are some of my others from last year, which was there first year. This is how well they flowered.I have lots of them scattered arond my garden .Do you put your poppies in a sunny spot jaycee05, as they do like full sun and well drained soil.Good luck with them this year. £2 is very reasonable.
> View attachment 271426
> View attachment 271426


Wow, those poppies are beautiful. I love poppies and used to have some small ones in my garden but they haven't come up the last couple of years. I have just put in a new tree poppy so I'm hoping that will be successful. I would also love some big red poppies, I might have to find somewhere to put some.


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Not a garden as such, just my own little raised bed, my favourite in there is my Japanese Maple.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

QOTN said:


> I used to have some beautiful poppies including Patty's Plum, Cedric Morris and Perry's White all bought at different times, but they did not reappear in Spring 2015. I could not understand it since it had not been a bad winter. Most of my garden is Essex clay but these were planted in a different area with plenty of rubble (unfortunately) if you dig down to any depth. I did wonder if there is some disease which kills them without any apparent symptoms. Does anybody know if this is so?


They can suffer from something called Pedicel Necrosis, fungal wilting and powdery mildew, as well as aphids - any one of which may be affecting your poppies.

You could take basal root cuttings in autumn as a backup plan.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Have got my French beans, peas, pak choi & sweetcorn in so far today, I need to dig the last 2 beds over & rake all the stones out but my motivation to do so is seriously lacking today!


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## ameliajane (Mar 26, 2011)

Weeds on the patio...


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

ameliajane said:


> Weeds on the patio...


Very attractive and if all weeds tasted as good as Alpine strawberries, I would be happy to encourage them. I am not so keen on the geranium and the forgetmenot but they are still pretty.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

I've bought some more herbs to go in my border along the garage, I'm still trying to think of a way to stop Bob weeing up them though- he killed almost all the ones I bought 2 years ago

Went to the garden centre this morning & bought twine & canes, 2 strips of spring onions, 2 strips of cauliflower (other half insisted, I don't have a good track record with brassicas though!), 8 tagetes plants (for companion planting), also got a tricolour sage, golden variegated sage, gold oregano & 3 types of thyme (one is silver posy, can't remember the other 2).

Just after planting the sweetcorn & pak choi









After watering everything in


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

ameliajane said:


> Weeds on the patio


I would call them wild flowers! 

I love Forget Me Nots and so easy to pull up if in the wrong place. My garden has masses at the moment 

As for the geranium, Herb Robert, I allow a few to grow on and flower and then pull up as again, they come up very easily and are an attractive little plant. Bit pongy though when grabbed!


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

ameliajane said:


> Weeds on the patio...
> View attachment 271782


Pretty weeds. I have lots of the alpine strawberries, too many really but I leave some of them to grow as the tortoise likes to eat them.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

This is my self sown wisteria 'hedge.' On the other side of the path I have my original pink wisteria which must be the parent. The 'hedge' winds round the bottom 3' of young cherry and walnut trees. I would not have chosen this combination but will definitely keep it now. Unfortunately, wisteria can be a difficult plant to control. It can also be annoying. I have dug up layers from my pink one in the hope of selling them on our welfare stall but they take absolutely years to flower.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Your Wisteria is beautiful QOTN.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Honeys mum said:


> Your Wisteria is beautiful QOTN.


Thank you but nothing to do with me! As I said I would not have done it myself but it knew better than I did. I do love wisteria but my pink one is not going to be very good this year. I am sometimes bad about doing the January pruning so I cannot complain about it. Still, at least this year I can enjoy its offspring.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

One part of my garden ready for summer


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

wind1 said:


> One part of my garden ready for summer


I am so envious of the different levels in your garden. I think I saw in another pic of yours that the back of the garden is a gentle slope upwards. When I was younger and fitter, I tried to do something similar by digging out a square by the house in the middle of the garden with 4' beds all round it and some steps down into it. The cats used it as a suntrap but it was really too small for anything else. People sometimes ask me if it used to be a pond! My garden slopes down slightly at the far end which is nowhere near as good for vistas.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Looks lovely @wind1

We have a sloping garden too. When we first came here there was the six foot patio to a small retaing wall, behind that was a steeply sloping grassy bank. We did a lot of digging 25 years ago. It's had some changes since then and we got a proper dry stone waller in to do the walls properly rather then my ham fisted attempts. Despite. Ring South facing we don't get a lot of sun really due to a neighbours trees and as it's usually cold and wet up here during the winter, I often lose plants. It's quite small, which is fine for us these days
Here's some photos


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## kiara (Jun 2, 2009)

Absolutely beautiful @Siskin

Picturesque


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

QOTN said:


> I am so envious of the different levels in your garden. I think I saw in another pic of yours that the back of the garden is a gentle slope upwards. When I was younger and fitter, I tried to do something similar by digging out a square by the house in the middle of the garden with 4' beds all round it and some steps down into it. The cats used it as a suntrap but it was really too small for anything else. People sometimes ask me if it used to be a pond! My garden slopes down slightly at the far end which is nowhere near as good for vistas.


My garden has always been a bit of a bugbear to me due to it's size and layout. We are not gardeners (well, not until this year, when I seem to have discovered a passion for it) so it has always just been hard work to keep it maintained. When my boys were little we had each section fenced and gated so they could play on the grass safely without falling over the edge of walls or down the very unforgiving concrete steps.

It does slope upwards at the top, in the snow we used to build it up on the steps down to the middle level and sit on the sledge and whizz down 2 levels! Wasn't such fun when my son rode his scooter down it though and split his head open on the steps. We spent his 10th birthday evening in A & E whilst his friends had their sleepover at our house!

I shouldn't complain about it though, it is a nice view from our back window.

Siskin, your garden is beautiful


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Siskin said:


> Looks lovely @wind1
> 
> We have a sloping garden too. When we first came here there was the six foot patio to a small retaing wall, behind that was a steeply sloping grassy bank. We did a lot of digging 25 years ago. It's had some changes since then and we got a proper dry stone waller in to do the walls properly rather then my ham fisted attempts. Despite. Ring South facing we don't get a lot of sun really due to a neighbours trees and as it's usually cold and wet up here during the winter, I often lose plants. It's quite small, which is fine for us these days
> Here's some photos
> ...


I absolutely love this garden,its my kind of garden, i wish i could do this ,its beautiful, but all these gardens are lovely, i wonder if wisteria is easier t grow than clematis?


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

I have just cut both my lawns this afternoon, and thank goodness they are looking much better after all that rain, although its raining again, after being a beautiful day


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

jaycee05 said:


> I have just cut both my lawns this afternoon, and thank goodness they are looking much better after all that rain, although its raining again, after being a beautiful day


Mine could have done with it, but I ran out of steam after two days of clearing out sheds, etc. 

Tomorrow!


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

jaycee05 said:


> i wonder if wisteria is easier t grow than clematis?


I would think that Clematis Montana is one of the easiest climbers to grow but I never had much success with other species or hybrids. My garden is densely planted so I always observed the rule of feet in shade but perhaps not the top growth in sun.

Wisteria is easy to grow as long as you only buy a plant in flower. They can take years to start flowering and it is much better to pay the grower for that time rather than buy a plant which may or may not flower for a long time and ultimately could be a disappointment. The other thing you have to remember is to prune in August to keep it in check and then in January to encourage the flowers. I take all the long tendrils back to about two or three leaves but my wisteria are freestanding so it may be slightly different with a wall climber.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Some of the plants in my sink are starting to come in flower now.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Things are starting to flower in the front garden now. This is part of one side.








This is part of the other side, not quite so colourful yet.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Your garden must look wonderful during the summer months when it's all out in flower @Honeys mum


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Siskin said:


> Your garden must look wonderful during the summer months when it's all out in flower @Honeys mum


Thankyou Siskin, I can't believe how all the plants have matured. We have only been here 2 half years, and we redid all of it. So this is only there second year.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Honeys mum said:


> Some of the plants in my sink are starting to come in flower now.
> View attachment 272008
> 
> View attachment 272009


Your garden looks lovely. What is the purple flowered plant in the sink?


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

wind1 said:


> Your garden looks lovely. What is the purple flowered plant in the sink?


Thankyou wind1, it's an Alpine geranium, sorry can't tell you which one the label has got lost.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Honeys mum said:


> Thankyou wind1, it's an Alpine geranium, sorry can't tell you which one the label has got lost.


Thank you, I have something similar in my garden but it's not in flower yet. Now I know what it's called!


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

My new Snowball tree I couldn't resist buying at the garden centre. It will have to stay in the pot for now until my garden is ready for it.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

wind1 said:


> My new Snowball tree I couldn't resist buying at the garden centre. It will have to stay in the pot for now until my garden is ready for it.


That is beautiful wind1, you will love it.
We had one in our other garden where we used to live, it grows very big, and is lovely.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

wind1 said:


> My new Snowball tree I couldn't resist buying at the garden centre. It will have to stay in the pot for now until my garden is ready for it.


It is the sterile version of Viburnum Opulus (Guelder Rose) which has amazing leaf colour in the autumn. Do you know if yours will be the same? Those snowball flowers certainly have plenty of impact.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

QOTN said:


> It is the sterile version of Viburnum Opulus (Guelder Rose) which has amazing leaf colour in the autumn. Do you know if yours will be the same? Those snowball flowers certainly have plenty of impact.


It is a Viburnum Opulus Roseum which says the leaves turn reddish in Autumn. One of the stems was broken so I cut it off, I was surprised at how soft the ball of flowers were. I love it, I'm hoping it will grow well in my garden.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

What a fabulous plant, it looks beautiful. I've just checked up on it on the RHS website and it would be ideal for my garden, hardy and can be sited anywhere. The only problem is that it would grow too big.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

wind1 said:


> It is a Viburnum Opulus Roseum which says the leaves turn reddish in Autumn. One of the stems was broken so I cut it off, I was surprised at how soft the ball of flowers were. I love it, I'm hoping it will grow well in my garden.


The only thing to beware of is the wretched viburnum beetle as this is one of the plants that can be attacked. Having said that I have had mine for decades and only had a problem a few times. I have two seedlings of my guelder rose and they are planted barely 20 feet away and they have been unaffected so I hope your bush will be spared.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

I hope so too. With my very limited knowledge of gardening and plants it probably will get eaten! Is there anything I can do to prevent it?


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

wind1 said:


> I hope so too. With my very limited knowledge of gardening and plants it probably will get eaten! Is there anything I can do to prevent it?


I am not really sure if removing the larvae by hand is a practical proposition and I cannot advise on sprays since I never use any. They only eat the leaves and if my experience is typical, it does not happen every year and it does not appear to weaken the plant. If yours is fine at the moment you are probably safe for this year so it has a good chance to get established. Generally Viburnums are trouble free plants.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

The top level I have been working on is starting to take shape now. It is all dug over, a few new shrubs have gone in and I've started laying the matting and bark. I need to put a couple more shrubs in, one of which is going to be a Christmas Box and I haven't decided what the other will be. I have tried to plant it so something is in bloom each season.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

I am watching the Chelsea flower show just now, i love seeing all the displays, 
I have been looking for one of those viburnums, someone told me about hers and she says its beautiful, and i can see it is, but i didnt know what to look for by name,as she just called it the snowball bush,i know now what to look for, 
I have planted another Montana ,so hope it grows as well as the last one which seemed to die off completely, although a few leaves have come through ,even though the rest of it looks dead
I bought some poppy plants at a street market, and planted them in my back garden, as my house is back to front that is the garden i look out on, but i think i am going to move them to the front, i am worried they might be poisonous for m cats, just going to check now
Someone on facebook, posted that her poor cat died after nibbling at a Heliotrope plant,


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Three more plants coming along nicely...








Allium








Iris









Cardoon (only 1/3 grown!)


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

jaycee05 said:


> I have planted another Montana ,so hope it grows as well as the last one which seemed to die off completely, although a few leaves have come through ,even though the rest of it looks dead


I am not sure if Clematis Montana suffers from wilt and you probably know this already but I thought I ought to mention that clematis should be planted deep with their lower growth beneath the ground so that, if they get wilt, new growth can sprout from under the soil.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

My Clematis Montana didnt suffer from wilt last year,it was beautiful and very thick , but it isnt in full hot sun,it gets the late sun really, the one on my back wall gets really hot sun, my back garden is a real sun trap, but i read that if you put pebbles or bits of stone in the pot round the plant it helps to keep it cool,although my neighbours clematis always looks lovely
A few years ago i had a Montana growing over a garden arch,which eventually collapsed under its weight
I have now moved my poppies to the front garden, they are toxic to cats,and i should really have realised,[the opium] but no animals ever go in my front garden


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Clematis Wilt is caused by a fungus but I have just looked up resistant varieties and Montana is on the list.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

I have a couple of Montana's growing over an arch. I only put them in last year and they both did really well but this year I am very disappointed with them. They have lots of healthy looking leaves but very few flowers. I cut them both down at some point, I can't remember exactly when so maybe that has affected them. I know Montana's don't need much pruning but I had read that with new ones you should cut them down to encourage more shoots. I will leave them this time and see what happens next year.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

wind1 said:


> I have a couple of Montana's growing over an arch. I only put them in last year and they both did really well but this year I am very disappointed with them. They have lots of healthy looking leaves but very few flowers. I cut them both down at some point, I can't remember exactly when so maybe that has affected them. I know Montana's don't need much pruning but I had read that with new ones you should cut them down to encourage more shoots. I will leave them this time and see what happens next year.


Cutting them back when planting does, but once they get going it can be too much of a shock.

The growth they put on after flowering (around now) is what carries the flowers, so timing is crucial


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

One of my English roses is beginning to do its thing. This is 'Geoff Hamilton.' I bought it in his memory but it is only really good in dry weather as the flowers ball as soon as they get really wet. Typically we have heavy rain forecast tonight.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

That's beautiful QOTN. Hope it doesn't rain and spoil it for you.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

My secret Fairy Garden is coming on, getting lot's of fairies coming to stay.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

That looks lovely Honeys Mum. Love all the little fairies.
My catmint is looking superb at the moment and has grown amazingly. I only put it in last year for the benefit of the cats but, of course, fickle creatures aren't the slightest bit interested in it. Blue is such a difficult colour to photograph.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Who likes Gnomes?

I have a strange hankering for one, to sit at the edge of my pond, fishing 

OH would groan and DS would be disgusted! 

Hmmmm, might keep any eye out for one! :Joyful


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Charity said:


> My catmint is looking superb at the moment and has grown amazingly. I only put it in last year for the benefit of the cats but, of course, fickle creatures aren't the slightest bit interested in it. Blue is such a difficult colour to photograph.


Thankyou Charity.
Your cat mint is lovely. I love it, I have lot's of different ones. My cat was never interested in it either.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Lurcherlad said:


> Who likes Gnomes?
> 
> I have a strange hankering for one, to sit at the edge of my pond, fishing
> 
> ...


I love gnomes and my OH hates them. I bought four once and put them round the garden just to get under his skin, they were only cheap ones so didn't last very long.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Love the fairies, not too keen on gnomes, i started growing some catmint last year and it hardly grew until about 2 weeks ago,it suddenly shot up,at the moment its still in a tray, but i have to say,no one seems bothered about it,will find a spot to plant it soon
I also have some hollyhocks i started growing last year, but again until a few weeks ago, they stayed small, now they are huge,but still only leaves,hoping they flower this year,i have grown them before


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Saw this in the garden centre this morning. I have to apologise to all the men on the forum but even my OH found it amusing.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Been busy this weekend adding to another new flower bed. Still needs a lot more plants though to fill it.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Geoff Hamilton has escaped unscathed. (No rain so far.)









Souvenir de St Anne's is full of flower but never takes a good pic from a distance









My Mutabilis never looks as good as in other gardens because I have to keep it in a pot to curb its ambition to cover my entire garden.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

I love looking at all your gardens. QOTN, your roses are beautiful.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Some plants that are looking good at the moment.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

I like the little plant with the round white flowers. What is it?


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Siskin said:


> I like the little plant with the round white flowers. What is it?


Me too, and the first one.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Siskin said:


> I like the little plant with the round white flowers. What is it?


It's a Ranunculis Flore Pleno Siskin, likes part shade.



wind1 said:


> Me too, and the first one.


It's a white orientale poppy wind 1.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Shrub area almost complete! I need to decide what to do where the line of bricks are. I was thinking of putting in a border or edging of some sort to keep that bit as a bed. I was planning on putting a Christmas box in where the salvias are but I think it may get too tall. I might have to go for something smaller. I could still have a Christmas box at the top where I'm planting some new shrubs too.

















Edited: Was looking at the wrong Christmas Box, the hookeriana humilis is a low grower so should be fine for where I want it.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Although i have put bark down a few weeds are creeping through has anyone got any tips for a fast growing ground cover plant please, ?
All the plants above are lovely


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

jaycee05 said:


> Although i have put bark down a few weeds are creeping through has anyone got any tips for a fast growing ground cover plant please, ?
> All the plants above are lovely


Ajuga (common name Bugle). Has purplish tinted, dark green leaves with blue flower spikes. Also comes in lighter green with cream variegation.

Sweet Woodruff. Pretty, small leaved with tiny white flowers. Spreads easily.

Lamium (Dead Nettle). Pretty variegated leaves with either purple, pink or white flowers. Spreads fast, but I find it easy to keep contained by digging round parameters regularly with a trowel/fork and removing stragglers.

Hardy geraniums. Come in all kinds, some stay small, low. Others grow quite big/tall. I tend not to cut mine hard back after first flush of flowers ( just dead head) to maintain the appearance.


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

Bushy and green! No colour as of yet


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## kiara (Jun 2, 2009)

Treated myself to a new camera and i love gardening so thought id join in.
Some of My front garden, a work in progress .

newly potted clematis


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## kiara (Jun 2, 2009)




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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

May 7th 2016, day we put the barrier up









And today, June 4th, lost a few plants to pigeons & 2 weeks of really cold, wet & windy weather but hopefully now the sun's out everything will get going


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## kiara (Jun 2, 2009)

spent the day at my mum and dads yesterday. so took lots of photos to share.


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## kiara (Jun 2, 2009)




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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

kiara said:


>


All looks lovely and so tidy!


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Some newcomers this week. Love this rose, its so pretty, excuse the snail which has taken up residence.










This erigeron is going mad now



























Hope this flowers soon, don't know what colour the flowers are









This started so small and is still going strong


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Bleeding heart is on my wish list of plants but I'm not sure where to put it in the garden. I see you have yours in a pot, do they do well in pots?


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

wind1 said:


> Bleeding heart is on my wish list of plants but I'm not sure where to put it in the garden. I see you have yours in a pot, do they do well in pots?


I've had them in the garden before but I haven't got much room left now and I wanted to give it space to flourish and not be crowded out by other plants. Its certainly done well in the pot, it was just a small plant when I bought it a couple of months ago, now its huge and has flowered really well. Its an early spring plant and won't tolerate a hot sunny border, it needs a spot where it is going to get a relative amount of shade, though mine is getting quite a bit of sun but I'll have to move it when the weather hots up.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

A few plants that have started to flower now


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

June is rose time so here are some more of mine. First another pic of Mutabilis which is going into its next colour phase.









Then English rose Shropshire Lad just coming into its own









Last comes shrub rose Nevada. I always think it is one of the most vigorous roses but it's still struggling against my rampant pink Wisteria this year.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

There is finally some action!!;


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Rhododendron














Ajuga (ground cover)


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Sweet Woodruff







Lamium, White hardy geranium, Allium








Iceburg Rose


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Streptocarpus - houseplant grown from a leaf cutting off a plant that was my late mum's








Couldn't find a Gnome, so bought a snail and frog!


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

lurcherlad that iceberg is just stunning!!! I planted well over 100 petunias that I grew from seed last weekend. - we shall be a riot of colour in a few weeks. The first put in an appearance yesterday


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Here are three of my David Austin roses up close. First is Wild Eve. (Please excuse the dead stick in front.)








Then Falstaff









Last of all is Swan. David Austin may have disowned her for some reason but people who see her in my garden love her.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

This is Heritage, my favourite English Rose. It may not be as disease resistant as some of his later ones but form and fragrance have not been bettered.









For a change here is the old rambler 'Veilchenblau'









Just to prove there are other plants in my garden, this is the first of the Hemerocallis, 'Lilioasphodelus.'


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## PennyTheCat (Mar 30, 2013)

I'm so pleased I've come over to the gardening section. I'm really enjoying looking at everybody's gardens and flowers, it's giving me more inspiration


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## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

Just for you


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

How lovely! I love slow worms 

I used to have one living in my horse's stable called Simon. (I had to muck out very carefully )

Then it looked pregnant so became Simone 

Then the horse flattened it, by laying on it during the night!


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## PennyTheCat (Mar 30, 2013)

Jonescat said:


> Just for you
> 
> View attachment 274013
> View attachment 274014


Amazing!  You must be so thrilled they've chosen to live there. Great photos, thanks for sharing


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## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

Ah - the slow worms were meant to be in organic gardening thread!! Must have been having a moment last night.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Sorry I prat on about roses, I love them. They are at their best at the moment -

"Just Joey"









Can't remember the name of this one









"Phyllis Bide"









"Lady of Shalott"









"For Your Eyes Only"


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## PennyTheCat (Mar 30, 2013)

@Charity, your roses are stunning  I esp like the "For your eyes only" species, it looks very delicate.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

PennyTheCat said:


> @Charity, your roses are stunning  I esp like the "For your eyes only" species, it looks very delicate.


Must admit I love that one, its more like a wild rose and the two deep colours which fade to pink is stunning.


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## kiara (Jun 2, 2009)

My front garden maturing nicely.













Magnolia Stellata



















Thyme



bloody deer


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## kiara (Jun 2, 2009)




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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

A bit battered at the moment - bloody rain!


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Lurcherlad said:


> A bit battered at the moment - bloody rain!


Same here :Arghh


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## PennyTheCat (Mar 30, 2013)

kiara said:


>


Very nice indeedy, you've clearly been working very hard and it's looking fab  Love the home grown white cat too - I also have one of those


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Yesterday- a couple of my pak choi have bolted due to the inclement weather but most of everything else is finally starting to grow!


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## S.crane (Oct 19, 2015)

This rose is realy starting to get going now I do love it even if i don't know what it's called its got one of its strange cream flowers again but it's so pretty I havnt removed it .








Pretty pink rose close up







creamy colour flower on same rose.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

S.crane said:


> Pretty pink rose close up creamy colour flower on same rose


Does the stem with the cream rose come up from below the graft?


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## S.crane (Oct 19, 2015)

I initially thought it could be the graft but it's growing from the main stem and has the normal pink roses growing on the same stem so it just seems to be some strange quirk.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Some of the plants flowering well in one of my borders


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

That's lovely Honeys mum, that plummy poppy is gorgeous.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Charity said:


> That's lovely Honeys mum, that plummy poppy is gorgeous.


Thankyou Charity, it's called Papaver Bolero.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

S.crane said:


> I initially thought it could be the graft but it's growing from the main stem and has the normal pink roses growing on the same stem so it just seems to be some strange quirk.


It is a pity you don't know what the rose is called because I suppose it could be a sport of the cream one. I know very little about rose genetics apart from the fact that simple diploid pairs of genes are not always the rule, so I don't know if it is likely that a pink rose would be a sport of a cream one. Instinct tells me it is more likely to be the other way round but if it is possible the cream flowers could be the rose reverting. The below rose is my Rosa Mundi, a sport of Rosa Gallica Officinalis which is very bright reddish pink and it can have the occasional flower that has reverted. It has never happened on mine but it is common enough to be well known in the rose literature.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Not all my roses have suffered badly in the torrential rain. This is English rose 'James Galway,' an extremely vigorous rose that would grow over 3 metres if it was allowed so hardly an appropriate name since the man with the golden flute is not the tallest of individuals!


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Harvested the pak choi today, sadly it had all bolted  but I've learned that it's apparently quite a common occurrence in spring sown ones, so I'm going to get some seeds (the ones I had were young plants) to sow in July & see how we go 
Not sure what to plant in the gaping maw that's left, had a bit of a tidy & weed again today, harvested the grand total of 2 spring onions, so I'm thinking of having a very small stir fry for my tea
Have picked lots of cabbage white caterpillars off the caulis (god I now remember why I hate growing brassicas!), sprayed them with a solution of washing up liquid & improvised a cage for them with mesh & my neighbour's old net curtains
@Lurcherlad as you can see, the 'mystery plant' on the path was indeed a poppy, quite an impressive one as well!


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

The Poppy is splendid!


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Last rose to come out, battling the rain "Marjorie Fair"










"Priviledge"


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

I haven't posted any of my garden this year because it looks horrid and not summery. I ordered all my bedding plants on line again (Thompson & Morgan) who I used last year and was very happy with but this year I went for "garden ready" which did say delivered by the end of June but I kind of assumed it would be earlier as I ordered Mid May. They have only just arrived and I'm not happy with their customer service - you can't get through on the phone and they take nearly a week to answer an email just to repeat "by the end of June". Two big boxes arrived with no warning which would have died had we been away in Devon for a few days and I'm still waiting for my hanging baskets and one I ordered as a gift for my Mum. Anyway I am gradually planting up my tubs so hope there will be some colour soon.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

No roses today except as a background. One of my neighbours calls this Aruncus Sylvestris, my 'firework' plant.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

QOTN said:


> No roses today except as a background. One of my neighbours calls this Aruncus Sylvestris, my 'firework' plant.
> View attachment 275741


Wow, that looks a bit Triffidy . Impressive though.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Charity said:


> Wow, that looks a bit Triffidy . Impressive though.


You have to be big and strong to survive in my garden!


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Some more of my Hemerocallis are flowering now.
This is Pink Damask









Then Janice Brown









Poor Joan Senior has been affected by the weather









but nowhere near as badly as Geoff Hamilton. You may remember what I said about his flowers balling in wet weather. (I would never buy this rose again.)


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

My smoke bush and cercis Canidensis Forest Pansy are coming along nicely .


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Some more in flower at the moment, the rain and wind has played havoc with everything


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Osteospurmum


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Dahlia









Astrantia









Penstemon


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Any idea what this is?










It's come up in 2 adjacent beds and I have no idea what it is. Couldn't find it on a weed website either.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

I feel very guilty about this rose. Its been in a pot in our garden for quite a few years and I must be honest, I absolutely neglect it other than pruning and watering it and its a bit of a sorry sight. At least it was until this week when its presented me with this.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

My cosmos have done well.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

When my mystery mallow started blooming, the flowers were pink but it is now producing white ones which go well with my Just Joey rose.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

It is a beautiful plant. You must be glad you did not pull it up. I wish my uninvited guests looked like that.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

QOTN said:


> It is a beautiful plant. You must be glad you did not pull it up. I wish my uninvited guests looked like that.


it is very pretty but it will have to go somewhere else for next year. Its certainly been full of surprises and a talking point.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

The first of the magetout were harvested today, hopefully we will have many more! Yum!


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

simplysardonic said:


> The first of the magetout were harvested today, hopefully we will have many more! Yum!


When I used to grow veggies, the first mangetout were always a big event so I know how you feel.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

QOTN said:


> When I used to grow veggies, the first mangetout were always a big event so I know how you feel.


They are something I really enjoy growing, so satisfying & easy to care for.

Very disappointed with my caulis (it was the OH's idea to get them- I personally have never had much luck with brassicas of any type), I've netted them, companion planted some 'sacrificial' nasturtiums, removed the caterpillars by hand & sprayed them with washing up liquid but they are still getting completely munched


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Sweet William (grown from seed last year)









Loosestrife


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Lavatera Barnsley









Borage (thought I had captured the bee that landed, but I was too slow!)









Rosa Glauca (I think)









An old, massive Rhodi that was cut hard back in Spring and was a bare stump until a few weeks ago, surrounded by a few plants just to cover the bare soil and fence.









Hydrangea


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

I have two dark hemerocallis flowering now. First Bridget









Next is Marianna (allegedly.) I have my doubts because I have bitter experience of J Parkers not providing the correct named plants. Never mind I like it whatever its name.









This last pic is part of my enormous Philadelphus 'Belle Etoile.'


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Salvia Hot Lips and a grass. Both bargain purchases at an open garden last weekend. £1 each! Saw the same size salvia for sale on a market stall today for £4.50 - result! 









Mystery Plant? A later pic - anyone recognise it yet?


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

[QUOTE="Lurcherlad, post: 1064591099, member: 1356501 Mystery Plant? A later pic - anyone recognise it yet?[/QUOTE]

I would love to see a close up of the flower spray. However much I enlarge it I cannot see the shape of the individual flowers.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

That's as good as I can get it on the ipad


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Lurcherlad said:


> View attachment 276735
> 
> View attachment 276736
> 
> That's as good as I can get it on the ipad


The flowers look very much like my Lemon Verbena though the leaves are different. Do the leaves have a scent?


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Charity said:


> The flowers look very much like my Lemon Verbena though the leaves are different. Do the leaves have a scent?


The flower does look similar, buy as you say, the leaf is different. There is no smell either.

I'm thinking more and more it's a weed! 

I quite like it though . I give a little room to pretty weeds: Herb Robert, Rosebay Willow Herb, even Dandelions have a pretty flower. I make sure not to let them seed or spread though!


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

If you like it and want it to stay, its no longer a weed  whatever it is.


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

right you lot, having looked at your wonderful gardens im after some advice
my garden is small only about 4m wide and possibley 8m long
I planted a shrubbery which established well and the rest was just ignored 
but this year I wanted to tackle it
however, thanks to the council no longer maintaining the 'ransom strips' along side the house 
i now have a garden fll of what i think is ground elder, although some of it has reached 6ft! so not as grounded as it could be

whats the best way of dealing with it
thank you


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Charity said:


> If you like it and want it to stay, its no longer a weed  whatever it is.


True! But I think it's going to need keeping in check


----------



## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

mrs phas said:


> right you lot, having looked at your wonderful gardens im after some advice
> my garden is small only about 4m wide and possibley 8m long
> I planted a shrubbery which established well and the rest was just ignored
> but this year I wanted to tackle it
> ...


Bash it with a stick and spray and cover with tarpaulin for a season.

If you don't like to spray (I don't unless I can help it, but would in this case probably) then constant digging up and removing might eventually work, but you have to be persistent and remove every single bit of root.

Ground elder is a pernicious weed and takes some getting rid of.

I did the spray and cover method with a bed last year (not weedy but full of ivy), then this Spring I laid a membrane and planted through it, covering that with bark, to give the ground another year to be rid of any surviving ivy roots.

You could cover a membrane with bark or gravel and place some pots on it so you have something pleasing to look at this summer.


----------



## Cedar (Jun 17, 2015)

James Grieve apple tree planted last year.







Can't remember which clematis this is, but I love it!















Astilbes in flower.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Lurcherlad said:


> The flower does look similar, buy as you say, the leaf is different. There is no smell either.
> 
> I'm thinking more and more it's a weed!
> 
> I quite like it though . I give a little room to pretty weeds: Herb Robert, Rosebay Willow Herb, even Dandelions have a pretty flower. I make sure not to let them seed or spread though!


This plant is really perplexing me because flowers and leaves remind me of different families. Could it be an Ocimum, the family which includes basil? There are various species including one called Gratissimum.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

QOTN said:


> This plant is really perplexing me because flowers and leaves remind me of different families. Could it be an Ocimum, the family which includes basil? There are various species including one called Gratissimum.


I know what you mean!

I think I have discovered a new plant. ☺ A hybrid of basil, verbena and savory as it has characteristics of all three, but absolutely no scent on flower or leaf.

I was "trespassing" in my next-door neighbours garden yesterday, repairing my shed and cutting back all her weeds on the boundary and i spotted a small clump in there. That leads me more to "weed" as she is definitely not a gardener!

If I can get a really good picture of it I might send it to Jekka McVicar and Gardeners World!


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

This is an old faithful I've had around for years.










I nearly took this rose out in the spring but it keeps telling me why I shouldn't


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

I finally........ Finally have some colour!!


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Can't take credit for this, saw it at my local garden centre :Bear


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

My Hydrangea's are looking good at the moment. There are eight of these in our front garden, they were here when we moved in. Here are a few of them


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Honeys mum said:


> My Hydrangea's are looking good at the moment. There are eight of these in our front garden, they were here when we moved in. Here are a few of them
> View attachment 277605
> 
> View attachment 277606
> ...


They're gorgeous, especially the blue one. I love hydrangeas. I've only got one in a pot and it was beautiful last year but not doing well this year, only flowering on one side for some reason and only a few flowers..


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

In March, I threw some wild flower seeds down to try and make a wild flower garden. This is the result so far, but there is still a lot to come into flower.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

I love a wild flower garden but they never seem to grow for me, i have tried this several times,that is lovely


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

I would love to try a wildflower garden. Yours looks great. When you say you threw some wild flower seeds down, did you literally throw them down or did you prepare the ground first? It doesn't look like there are any weeds coming through. I'm sure if I tried it I would have loads of weeds.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

wind1 said:


> I would love to try a wildflower garden. Yours looks great. When you say you threw some wild flower seeds down, did you literally throw them down or did you prepare the ground first? It doesn't look like there are any weeds coming through. I'm sure if I tried it I would have loads of weeds.


Thank you wind 1.We had grown pototoes on it last year, and my husband rotovated it and raked it level first. Then i just threw the seeds on it.
I did put a lot of seeds down though. There is a few weeds come up as well, I just try and pull them up, I think you will always get a few.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

jaycee05 said:


> I love a wild flower garden but they never seem to grow for me, i have tried this several times,that is lovely


Thank you jaycee05.
I got some boxes of wild flower seeds from Home Bargins store, didn't think they would grow, but it was a nice suprise.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

My new seating area.

.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Here are a few of my Day Lilies.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

This is my favourite Geum,she's called Geum Emily.

















another day lilly


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Does anyone know anything about peonies? mine were lovely last year,this year i have only had a couple of flowers,but lots of half opened ones that look all dried up,and never opened


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

I'm not looking forward to the end of summer, its been such a really good year for everything. Not really anything spectacular here but just love the colours


----------



## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Jack's been helping in the garden!....









He's very good at digging!


----------



## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

First flower on the Cardoon to come out - size of a large fist!









Morning Glory (from free seed)


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Lurcherlad said:


> Jack's been helping in the garden!....
> View attachment 278121
> 
> 
> He's very good at digging!


As long as its in the right place .

Love Morning Glory.


----------



## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Lurcherlad said:


> Morning Glory (from free seed)


I love Morning Glory, and free seed as well, can't get any better than that.


----------



## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Charity said:


> As long as its in the right place .
> 
> Love Morning Glory.


Well it wasn't, but I refilled the hole and stuck a plant in it anyway!


----------



## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

This is one of my old roses that I brought a cutting of with me when we moved, it's flowered very well . It's called Chevy Chase.


----------



## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

This is part of my large flower bed I planted last year.


----------



## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Crocosmia Lucifer








Achillea Vintage Violet








Lavender Hidcote, my favourite Lavender. I am making a hedge round one of the flower beds with it.


----------



## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

My wild flower garden is looking even more colourful now.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Hanging baskets



















and others


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Your hanging baskets look lovely Charity. Is the last plant Verbenna Lollipop ? ( It looks like it.)


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Honeys mum said:


> Your hanging baskets look lovely Charity. Is the last plant Verbenna Lollipop ? ( It looks like it.)


Close, its called Verbena Rigida.


----------



## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Hello, green fingered friends!
The veg garden is looking bountiful, albeit a little scruffy- will be rectifying this over the weekend as I'm now off work for the summer 

















Anyone know what this intruder is? I'm thinking some sort of thistle, I like the pretty leaves so it's staying for the time being even though it's in the way!









First picking of asparagus peas & French beans this evening, plus a couple of cherry toms









Courgettes & loads of mangetout!









And a couple of my flowers:
Hydrangea









Bergamot


----------



## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

simplysardonic said:


> Hello, green fingered friends!
> The veg garden is looking bountiful, albeit a little scruffy- will be rectifying this over the weekend as I'm now off work for the summer
> 
> 
> ...


Can't help with the mystery plant, very attractive though. Lovely veg, makes me feel hungry.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Charity said:


> Can't help with the mystery plant, very attractive though. Lovely veg, makes me feel hungry.


Well, I just typed 'thistle with yellow veined leaves' into Google & discovered that it's possibly a milk thistle!
Looks just like it!


----------



## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Charity said:


> Close, its called Verbena Rigida
> 
> I love Verbena's. my Rigida has grown really tall this year, and my Verbena Bonarensis has seeded everywhere.


----------



## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

simplysardonic said:


> Anyone know what this intruder is? I'm thinking some sort of thistle, I like the pretty leaves so it's staying for the time being even though it's in the way!



Milk Thistle: Pictures, Flowers, Leaves and Identification

Think you could be right, looks like this.

Your veggies look really good.


----------



## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Charity said:


> I'm not looking forward to the end of summer, its been such a really good year for everything. Not really anything spectacular here but just love the colours
> 
> View attachment 278042


I love the colour of this one.



Charity said:


> View attachment 278702


Love this one too, do the slugs eat it? I have a newly planted verbena and the slugs have pretty much destroyed it. The flowers look lovely but the leaves are all chewed.

Honey's mum, all the pictures you put on of your garden are lovely. Can we have a picture of the whole garden, I imagine it's quite big, you seem to have lots of different areas. Your wild flower garden looks great.


----------



## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

wind1 said:


> Honey's mum, all the pictures you put on of your garden are lovely. Can we have a picture of the whole garden, I imagine it's quite big, you seem to have lots of different areas. Your wild flower garden looks great.


Thankyou wind 1, I'm afraid i only take pictures on my phone, as my camera doesn't work. So i don't think i would work on my phone, but i will try.
Iam trying to create seperate areas.
Our garden isn't all that big to me as we had 3/4 acre before we moved here. I suppose it is bigger than average,and it is quite a wide plot. But we also have a good sized front garden as well, making it a 1/5th of an acre in all.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

wind1 said:


> I love the colour of this one.
> 
> Love this one too, do the slugs eat it? I have a newly planted verbena and the slugs have pretty much destroyed it. The flowers look lovely but the leaves are all chewed.
> 
> They haven't so far, I think they are too busy eating other things and this has quite thick rough foliage which hopefully puts them off.


----------



## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Geraniums put in this morning, I should have taken the picture after I had swept!









I bought this hanging basket 4 weeks ago half price and it has done really well. I wish I had bought 2 now. I will have to remember next year to go back to the same garden centre and get some.


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Here's my baskets/borders and tubs.
All done by myself!


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

And more


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

blade100 said:


> Here's my baskets/borders and tubs.
> All done by myself!


Well done blade 100, all your hanging baskets are gorgeous.
I bet they take some time watering. Do you feed them as well.?


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## S.crane (Oct 19, 2015)

Some of My sunflowers have finally opened I love the bright colours of velvet queen.


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Honeys mum said:


> Well done blade 100, all your hanging baskets are gorgeous.
> I bet they take some time watering. Do you feed them as well.?


Hey, thank you. Yep once a week they get miracle grow feed.
When it's hot and sunny I water every evening. Then if it's been a dull cool day every other day. The baskets dry out so quicker than the tubs.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

@blade100 I remember how pretty your garden was last year - its beautiful again this year.

Mine is still nothing to write home about, my peach begonias are only just flowering and my Buzzy Lizzies are still small with about one flower per plant  Never mind perhaps I will have a riot of colour in the Autumn


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> @blade100 I remember how pretty your garden was last year - its beautiful again this year.
> 
> Mine is still nothing to write home about, my peach begonias are only just flowering and my Buzzy Lizzies are still small with about one flower per plant  Never mind perhaps I will have a riot of colour in the Autumn


Good memory thanks Hun.
Do you feed your plants?


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

blade100 said:


> Good memory thanks Hun.
> Do you feed your plants?


I do when I remember which isn't often. This year I made a boob and ordered all my bedding plants (same place as last year) on line but I ordered "garden ready" which said they would be delivered by the end of June. I thought that was a "worse case scenario" but they literally arrived the last day of June and although a reasonable size there were no blooms to be seen. I planted them all as soon as I could but they are only just starting to look nice and that is really only the apricot begonias. I will give them a feed this weekend and might take some photos if its sunny


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> I do when I remember which isn't often. This year I made a boob and ordered all my bedding plants (same place as last year) on line but I ordered "garden ready" which said they would be delivered by the end of June. I thought that was a "worse case scenario" but they literally arrived the last day of June and although a reasonable size there were no blooms to be seen. I planted them all as soon as I could but they are only just starting to look nice and that is really only the apricot begonias. I will give them a feed this weekend and might take some photos if its sunny


You might find if we have a good Autumn they'll still be going and so have a lovely colourful garden come sept/October. 
My sufinas in the hanging baskets last a long time if fed and watered reg, I had them going till end of sept last year and I planted them early May.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

blade100 said:


> You might find if we have a good Autumn they'll still be going and so have a lovely colourful garden come sept/October.
> My sufinas in the hanging baskets last a long time if fed and watered reg, I had them going till end of sept last year and I planted them early May.


I hope so as otherwise I wasted well over £100 :Jawdrop Next year its definitely back to the garden centre as they also messed up an order I made for hanging basket as a present to my Mum, I ordered apricot trailing begonias which I had last year and were stunning but they apparently ran out and sent her a very ordinary geranium instead without telling me. Yes they gave us a £5 voucher off our next order to compensate but I won't be making another order with them after this years pickle. Do you buy your bedding plants or grow them yourself from seed?


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> I hope so as otherwise I wasted well over £100 :Jawdrop Next year its definitely back to the garden centre as they also messed up an order I made for hanging basket as a present to my Mum, I ordered apricot trailing begonias which I had last year and were stunning but they apparently ran out and sent her a very ordinary geranium instead without telling me. Yes they gave us a £5 voucher off our next order to compensate but I won't be making another order with them after this years pickle. Do you buy your bedding plants or grow them yourself from seed?


That's is blumin terrible!! I would be fuming with them.

I buy mine from the garden centre usually do a 4 for £10 packs.
And then my surfinas I get from a small family business garden centre as they trail so well and bush out unlike others I've bought from large garden centres.
I'd like to try growing from seed but it's the time and effort.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

A buddleia I almost dug out because it was very leggy and looking past it. So glad I didn't!










And some new Salvia's and Crocosmia.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

wind1 said:


> A buddleia I almost dug out because it was very leggy and looking past it. So glad I didn't!


Your Buddleia looks super wind 1, and such a lovely shape.



wind1 said:


> And some new Salvia's and Crocosmia.


I love that Salvia, I planted two of them last year, unfortunatley I lost them both, although i was told they are hardy.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

My new gnome 









Clematis Nelly Moser










My poor Hostas today!


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

The Salvia is supposedly hardy, hope mine survives.

Can anyone tell me what the bush is behind the crocosmia in that picture? I have 2 in the garden but don't know what they are called.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

wind1 said:


> The Salvia is supposedly hardy, hope mine survives.
> 
> Can anyone tell me what the bush is behind the crocosmia in that picture? I have 2 in the garden but don't know what they are called.


Weigela


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

wind1 said:


> The Salvia is supposedly hardy, hope mine survives.
> 
> Can anyone tell me what the bush is behind the crocosmia in that picture? I have 2 in the garden but don't know what they are called.


I thought Weigela but that flowers in Spring. I think its Abelia


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Charity said:


> I thought Weigela but that flowers in Spring. I think its Abelia


I think you could be right Charity.

Buy abelia Abelia × grandiflora: Delivery by Crocus


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

My fairy garden is growing like mad.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Charity said:


> I thought Weigela but that flowers in Spring. I think its Abelia


Thank You.

Here's the other one


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

wind1 said:


> Thank You.
> 
> Here's the other one
> View attachment 279692


That looks gorgeous, I think they're very pretty



Honeys mum said:


> My fairy garden is growing like mad.
> View attachment 279688
> 
> View attachment 279689
> ...


That looks lovely @Honeys mum or perhaps I should say enchanting


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Today's harvest for the guinea pigs


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Looks delicious. The cat looks like it might like to try them too!


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

I got a little bit distracted in the yellow section of the garden centre today!


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Rudbeckias - from free seed









The sole surviving Lavatera from a packet of seeds


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Most of my roses are on their third flowering, don't think I've ever had a year like this where all roses were still blooming in mid August. 
You might remember the one called 'For Your Eyes Only'. While at the garden centre recently, I saw her sister rose which is called 'Eye of the Tiger' so had to have that.

_For Your Eyes Only (taken today)_









_The Eye of the Tiger_









_Lady of Shalott, not ready to be put to bed yet_









_Just Joey, which has 20 new buds on it_


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

My sunflowers are out!
They must be getting on for 8ft tall & their stems are as thick as my wrist









And the milk thistle is also out, glad I kept it, it's beautiful!









Everything's going a bit mad in the veg garden now! I won't be growing 4 courgette plants again as I'm inundated with them!


----------



## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

Single Gladioli bulb - it failed to grow at all last year and I had forgotten it.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Lovely pics,the sunflower looks huge,i cant get my photos on to my computer for some reason
I have some Hollyhocks which i didnt think were going to come to anything ,
I planted them last year and they have taken ages to grow ,they are just flowering, but look very delicate,and the leaves look very limp
Does anyone have any idea what could be the reason? thanks in advance
Also any idea what would be good to plant in large containers ,that would last through winter, or would come back next year
My daughter is moving and she has given me these 2 large containers,so i would like to make as pretty as possible with lots of colour


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Hollyhocks can suffer with rust.

As for the pots, maybe put in evergreens of some kind, conifer, euonomous, Hebe, skimmia, sarcococca, with bulbs under planted round the edge.

Add some other seasonal plants for colour. I've just put some pelergoniums in to fill the odd space, pansies and violas are always good value and give colour most of the year.

Large pots with lots of a single plant, such as pansies look good.

At the moment there are plenty of colourful perennials around. I've bought a couple of salvias and they will flower on now for the rest of summer. Dhalias will also flower their socks off until the first frost and can be either left in the pot if protected or stored dry until next year.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Jonescat said:


> Single Gladioli bulb - it failed to grow at all last year and I had forgotten it.
> View attachment 280625


Beautiful!

I've never had much luck with gladioli, first year they are fab, but then nothing


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

jaycee05 said:


> Also any idea what would be good to plant in large containers


As Lurcherlad says, Salvias are good in pots, there are some lovely ones about now which flower late.
Ive just got this one to put in a big pot, which will start flowering end of this month. Its called salvia Conteriflora.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Dry, very dry 

Keeping pots and new plants going with the hose/watering can and giving them a good soak every few days.

It has just started with a light mistle - hope we get some proper rain for a few hours today.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

I has some sort of mould - and its very annoying.......... sweet peas covered in it, its moved on to my petunias......... think I might give up this year......


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Lexiedhb said:


> I has some sort of mould - and its very annoying.......... sweet peas covered in it, its moved on to my petunias......... think I might give up this year......


It's possibly powdery mildew - actually common when conditions are very dry as they are now. Plants become stressed and more susceptible to bugs and diseases.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Lurcherlad said:


> It's possibly powdery mildew - actually common when conditions are very dry as they are now. Plants become stressed and more susceptible to bugs and diseases.


Yup.......... tis rubbish, especially with the amount of watering etc I have put in........


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## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

This is my lovely and very new raised bed, built around a tree stump that would cost to much to remove (OH's back etc), so we came up with this. I am very pleased withit but a bit split what to put in it. At the moment it is very much instant colour just to stop me buying plants before I find the perfect ones but the original plan was for it to be for butterflies and bees (hence the verbena at the back).The fence is new too - added a trellis to it so that we can have some climbers.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Jonescat said:


> This is my lovely and very new raised bed, built around a tree stump that would cost to much to remove (OH's back etc), so we came up with this. I am very pleased withit but a bit split what to put in it. At the moment it is very much instant colour just to stop me buying plants before I find the perfect ones but the original plan was for it to be for butterflies and bees (hence the verbena at the back).The fence is new too - added a trellis to it so that we can have some climbers.
> 
> View attachment 280959
> View attachment 280960


That looks lovely @Jonescat. Love the raised bed, what a good idea to hide the stump.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Late bloomers

This Golden Rod, or as I call it Golden Rodney  is a thug and has practically taken over half the border but the hoverflies and bees just love it










and I love this Nandina just for its colour










So not looking forward to the end of summer this year


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

My Golden Rod seems to be the exception to the rule!

Had a large clump that seemed to disappear completely last year, but a small amount reappeared this year. Not sure why. Could have been that end of the garden ended up quite shaded and I cut back a lot of high growth which let in more light an air? Not sire, but happy it's back! 

I need to take stock of the garden - certain areas have struggled with the dry weather and look a bit sparse and untidy.

Certain plants taken to be taken in hand as they are starting to crowd the borders.

I bought 3 bags of soil improver and well rotted manure yesterday to boost some plants and areas.

I will head to Hylands House to buy a few more hardy perennials to fill some gaps - I *must *resist the temptation to buy one of each plant that takes my fancy. I need to buy say 3 of just two or three to give a fuller look.

My problem is I want them all!


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## Dave S (May 31, 2010)

My garden is full of shrubs, fruit trees, fruit bushes and a big grass area. This week I have dug up the raised strawberry bed, approx 9x6, filled it in with more top soil and planted 4 gooseberry bushes and 3 rows of carrotts. There is a big space for some more veg. Then, I retrieved all the 3x3 fence posts I have saved over the years, cut them to size, nailed them all together 4 feet x 4 feet 6 inches and have a new raised bed for strawberries which I will finish off tomorrow by pinning on the inside corners, digging over the base, in-filling with a mix of top soil and compost and then plant the 10 new strawberry plants I have.
Getting set for next years growing season.
Rhubard is still growing, raspberries, apples and plums are also doing well.

Local garden centre is over-stocked and has lots of things including fruit bushes and strawberry plants at only £1 so got to give it a go.

Getting the chain saw out and revved up possibly tomorrow to cut down a large laurel bush which puts next door dining room in the shade, could be quite noisy but the result would be worth it as it is putting a young Magnolia tree in the shade.


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

I have been busy finished up my shed - I am going to use it for my print work (picked up a new printing press today!!) and glass work.

We got it in April, it stands on a bed of recycled sleepers.

This is taken in May, we took out a wiegelia and moved it elsewhere. But access is still hard and the Japanese anemone began to spread.









This is the shed now. We've uncovered a rather lost stone circle that still needs a good clean, and given the rose which has been in the garden for many many years, room to breath. And all my own work as Mr S isn't well. 









And finally, my gorgeous Molly in her bed in the shed!


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

My tomatoes have got blight.... The only veg I've grown this year.


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## Dave S (May 31, 2010)

As reply above, have now finished a raised strawberry bed and planted 4 different types of strawberries, am pleased with the result and now look forward to lots of fruit and veg next year.
The bed is the square in front, the original bed went from front to back of the raised bed next to it but that is now home to gooseberies and carotts with room for more veg later. At the back is about 9 rhubard plants of 3 different types.
The laurel bush is still standing but has a limited life -










The rockery I planted last year is well covered but I need to prune the Thuja(sp) and Lavender.










Been a good productive day in the garden.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Just came back after a fortnight away and found these in full flower.
Golden Rod fireworks









Verbenna Bampton


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

And also this Eupatorium.










Brought this Salvia while i was there, amongest other things as well.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Have you got anything flowering out of season?

Lilac - in September??? :Jawdrop


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

MIL has some flowers on a Montana clematis, and there were a couple on one of my Rhododendrons in the last month.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

My Weigela is flowering again, not sure if that is normal for this time of year? Have also had a few flowers on the Choisya which I don't think is normal.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Think it's caused by the plant undergoing stress. We have barely had any rain this summer in Essex and the ground is so dry, so suspect that could be it.

I concentrate on supplementing the watering on container or new plants. Established plants and grass have to suck it up, I'm afraid. Pardon the pun!


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Had some of our home grown sweetcorn last night for tea, it was so much nicer than the stuff in the shops  plus the guinea pigs & rabbits had the husks & silk in their evening salads


----------



## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

simplysardonic said:


> Had some of our home grown sweetcorn last night for tea, it was so much nicer than the stuff in the shops  plus the guinea pigs & rabbits had the husks & silk in their evening salads


Those bowls of salad look yummy, wouldn't mind that myself.


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## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

Not jealous at all @simplysardonic. Badgers ate all of our sweetcorn again this year - 36 plants on our plot and about 20 on the next one - really hope he had tummy ache! We had ONE meal from them first! So next year we will be looking to grow something different, as I can't take the disappointment again!


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Jonescat said:


> Not jealous at all @simplysardonic. Badgers ate all of our sweetcorn again this year - 36 plants on our plant and about 20 on the next one - really hope he had tummy ache! We had ONE meal from them first! So next year we will be looking to grow something different, as I can't take the disappointment again!


Aah gutted for you  if it's any consolation, all my brassicas did very poorly this year- we didn't get enjoy any pak choi or caulis, & I'm not sure I'll grow any again, although I'm going to give spring cabbages one last try indoors this month, & sow lots of spring onions & spinach once I've cleared away the things that are now over.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Not my garden, someone else's.

I'm watering the plants in a neighbours greenhouse for a few days and they said to help myself to stuff in the veg plot. So I've just come home with a heap of runner beans and some raspberries. Nom, nom.


I've occasionally tried to grow a few veg in the garden, but it's not at all suitable and nowadays we are away a lot during the growing season that it would all go to waste. To have some fresh runner beans is truly manna from heaven.


----------



## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

I finally have a sunflower. I planted them very late and moved them a couple of times. I love sunflowers and will make more effort next year!


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

wind1 said:


> I finally have a sunflower. I planted them very late and moved them a couple of times. I love sunflowers and will make more effort next year!
> 
> View attachment 284183


That's gorgeous @wind1, there's something so cheery about sunflowers.

I'm really pleased with this coleus which I planted in a pot at the beginning of the summer. I didn't expect it to survive the snails but it has. Its grown well and was originally a lovely bright red, now its turned to a gorgeous maroon colour with purple tints.










I went to the Garden Centre today specifically to buy some Michelmas Daisies but came home with this Rubedeckia instead. Just couldn't resist, its bigger than it looks in the photo but should make a lovely addition to a sunny border. The flowers are passed their best but there are some buds.


----------



## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

It's my birthday today so OH is taking me to Waterperry Gardens in Oxford 

I bought 10 new hardy perennial plants for the garden with some money MIL gave me the other day, and BIL gave me 2 Hakonechloa grasses which I've wanted for ages


----------



## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Happy Birthday @Lurcherlad , hope you have a really enjoyable day. Don't spend too much.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Happy birthday, enjoy your day out.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!

Had a lovely walk round the gardens at Waterperry, but I did not buy any more plants! 



















Fantastic boarders!


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Asters at Waterperry


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Lurcherlad said:


> Had a lovely walk round the gardens at Waterperry, but I did not buy any more plants!


Pleased to read that you had a lovely day Lurcherlad,the borders look beautiful. You were very good not buying any more plants.
Doubt if I would have been able to resist.


----------



## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Honeys mum said:


> Pleased to read that you had a lovely day Lurcherlad,the borders look beautiful. You were very good not buying any more plants.
> Doubt if I would have been able to resist.


I made up for it with cake! 

I really don't have room for any more plants, if I'm honest


----------



## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

It looks beautiful, love those asters. Glad you had a good day.


----------



## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Over the last few weeks my garden has finally got some colour and my late arriving/planted bedding plants finally put on a display

I've got 3 of these hanging baskets of trailing apricot begonias.



and lots of pots but these aren't the trailing ones





Steps up to my front door



cheeky couple of the dogs lying in the patio doors taken from outside





This year I got a few Coleus plants which I've never had before but remember my MIL used to love them

This one has been flowering for quite a while and the bees love it



This one has just got a few little sprigs of flowers coming out



and this one hasn't flowered at all



I'm hoping they will survive the winter but I don't have a greenhouse and the insulating hessian style bags I got from the garden centre last year didn't work - all the plants were dead when I took them off so may have to try to bring them indoors.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

The Coleus will be OK as house plants


----------



## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Lurcherlad said:


> The Coleus will be OK as house plants


I don't have any house plants though and they are quite big/in big pots. I might try them up by the front door which is an open porch or if I have to bring them in I'll make some space in a spare bedroom where the dogs can't get to them


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

You could always take some cuttings.


----------



## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

My Azalea is flowering again. I only planted it this year, in April when it was flowering. On the tag it says it flowers April/May. Is it normal for it to flower now?


----------



## MatildaC (Oct 6, 2016)

I am not much of a gardener but all of these photos look great.I would like to really appreciate the effort you all take to make your garden look this good


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

This grass is full of flowers at the moment, don't know what its called as Ive lost the label.









A new Savia I have brought


----------



## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Brought this while we were away. It has pink flowers in the summer, and purple berries in the winter.


----------



## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Honeys mum said:


> Brought this while we were away. It has pink flowers in the summer, and purple berries in the winter.
> 
> View attachment 286442
> 
> ...


What a lovely colour. How big does it grow?


----------



## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Siskin said:


> What a lovely colour. How big does it grow?[/QUOTE
> 
> It says 10 ft x 6ft 6in. Couldn't resist it, like you say Siskin the berries are such a lovely colour.
> 
> It's a Callicarpa Profusion, never seen it before.


----------



## evel-lin (Jul 1, 2010)

I think you need more than one of them so they can pollinate each other? We got 3 tiny ones from an online seller, wish they looked as healthy as yours!


----------



## Aimee Howard (Oct 13, 2016)

Hi there, I wanted to share how my flower garden looks like now. I am superproud as I had idea about planting flowers,
but I have registered some progress and here it is right now. My small paradise


----------



## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Aimee Howard said:


> Hi there, I wanted to share how my flower garden looks like now. I am superproud as I had idea about planting flowers,
> but I have registered some progress and here it is right now. My small paradise


That looks lovely and colourful


----------



## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Last year i had a lovely Clematis, which was full of small flowers, this year, nothing, not one flower,it is in the same place and has grown really well, but not flowered, anyone any idea why,im so disappointed
Should i prune it and when, cant remember exactly when i did it last year


----------



## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

jaycee05 said:


> Last year i had a lovely Clematis, which was full of small flowers, this year, nothing, not one flower,it is in the same place and has grown really well, but not flowered, anyone any idea why,im so disappointed
> Should i prune it and when, cant remember exactly when i did it last year


Which one is it?

That will make a difference as they need specific pruning depending which one.


----------



## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

It was the Montana, which is a very fast growing oe,had 2 before and always covered in flowers, nothing at all his year,grown in the same place , thick as before now but just green


----------



## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Taken this morning, the photo doesn't do the red of the tree justice.


----------



## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

jaycee05 said:


> It was the Montana, which is a very fast growing oe,had 2 before and always covered in flowers, nothing at all his year,grown in the same place , thick as before now but just green


Check that you aren't pruning it at the wrong time of year. Montana flower in the spring on growth put on after flowering the year before.

Generally, Montana don't require any pruning (except when getting too big so a slight prune immediately after flowering to keep them under control).


----------



## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Does anyone have autumn coloured shrubs? I'm thinking of planting a couple of Acers in pots for the patio to give me some autumn colour. My garden is still quite colourful from flowers. Is it usual for all these plants to still be flowering at this time of year or is it because it has been so mild? I have fuschias, margharites, salvias, plumbago (some of the leaves are turning a nice red and gold), abelia, azalea, all still in flower.


----------



## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Quite a few plants are keeping going a bit longer cos it's been so mild.

Don't be caught out by a sneaky frost if you have tender plants. I've moved a few inside or under evergreen trees for protection.

FYI Aldi selling winter bedding packs for £1.79 each. I bought 6 Bellis Perennis, 8 pansies, 4 chrysanths 

Also some large evergreen shrubs.


----------



## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Lurcherlad said:


> Check that you aren't pruning it at the wrong time of year. Montana flower in the spring on growth put on after flowering the year before.
> 
> Generally, Montana don't require any pruning (except when getting too big so a slight prune immediately after flowering to keep them under control).





Lurcherlad said:


> Check that you aren't pruning it at the wrong time of year. Montana flower in the spring on growth put on after flowering the year before.
> 
> Generally, Montana don't require any pruning (except when getting too big so a slight prune immediately after flowering to keep them under control).


My Montana flowered about September -October last year. i particularly remember because my son visited me in July and when i saw how it came on, i was disappointed he hadnt seen it, 
It was pruned right down and to be honest i didnt think it would come back, couldnt see a bit of it,then it came back as thick as last year ,bu no flowers,


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

This is my montana now, a bit thicker really than it looks here, no idea what has gone wrong


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

jaycee05 said:


> This is my montana now, a bit thicker really than it looks here, no idea what has gone wrong


Don't touch it until after it has flowered again next year, which should be in the Spring.

I have one that covers two 6' fence panels and 2 sides of the shed (to a depth of 2-3 feet) plus half the roof! It flowers like crazy in Spring and I give it a light trim after flowering, then it grows some more


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Siskin said:


> What a lovely colour. How big does it grow?


yesp they get big if allowed to,...... I have one love the purple berries


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## 1290423 (Aug 11, 2011)

A bit baren at the moment, other half has taken it upon himself to remove two trees


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

my garden looks terrible. last year what with the continual rain it got churned up, so I had a footpath put down the middle in the spring. the trouble is the rest of the grass is still bad and we haven't had much in the rain yet. I was wondering about having it all taken up next year and start again. the problem is, it is going to be expensive and I don't know if it will be worth it


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Lurcherlad said:


> Don't touch it until after it has flowered again next year, which should be in the Spring.
> 
> I have one that covers two 6' fence panels and 2 sides of the shed (to a depth of 2-3 feet) plus half the roof! It flowers like crazy in Spring and I give it a light trim after flowering, then it grows some more


Oh right, so dont cut it down at all? i will try that, thank you


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

wind1 said:


> Does anyone have autumn coloured shrubs? I'm thinking of planting a couple of Acers in pots for the patio to give me some autumn colour. My garden is still quite colourful from flowers. Is it usual for all these plants to still be flowering at this time of year or is it because it has been so mild? I have fuschias, margharites, salvias, plumbago (some of the leaves are turning a nice red and gold), abelia, azalea, all still in flower.
> 
> View attachment 288628


I have an Acer, it has green leaves in the summer and goes a beautiful orange/red in the winter with purple coloured bark, it's my pride and joy 
One warning I will give, it hates wind, last winter we had terrible wind round here and it damaged the leaves, it healed itself and looks brilliant this year.


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

simplysardonic said:


> Had some of our home grown sweetcorn last night for tea, it was so much nicer than the stuff in the shops  plus the guinea pigs & rabbits had the husks & silk in their evening salads


I grew sweetcorn on my allotment this year as well. I've never tasted sweecorn as good! I was eating the cobs straight off the plant, in fact I ate nearly all of them they were so irresistible I intend to plant loads next year. Very easy to grow as well.

That bowl of veg looks very tempting, bet your piggies really enjoyed munching into those lol


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

noushka05 said:


> I grew sweetcorn on my allotment this year as well. I've never tasted sweecorn as good! I was eating the cobs straight off the plant, in fact I ate nearly all of them they were so irresistible I intend to plant loads next year. Very easy to grow as well.
> 
> That bowl of veg looks very tempting, bet your piggies really enjoyed munching into those lol


That sweetcorn looks delicious, everything home grown tastes better, i might try this next year,


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Had a visitor in the garden this week, came right up to the patio doors.


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

we get a lot around here albeit not in the garden. unfortunately they are being flushed out for shooting for Christmas.


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

because I have two gorgeous dogs I have a very muddy lawn. last spring I had a paved path put in up the middle of the garden but they choose to use the grass. I have one fairly large patch which is completely muddy so I am going to lay bark down and put a few juniper plants in. don't know if it will work but it has got to be better than mud


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

jenny armour said:


> we get a lot around here albeit not in the garden. unfortunately they are being flushed out for shooting for Christmas.


We get them in the fields, but never in the garden before..


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

probably trying to get away from the poachers


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

My garden is so confused today.

Is it still summer?




















Or is it winter?








or is it spring?


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

jenny armour said:


> my garden looks terrible. last year what with the continual rain it got churned up, so I had a footpath put down the middle in the spring. the trouble is the rest of the grass is still bad and we haven't had much in the rain yet. I was wondering about having it all taken up next year and start again. the problem is, it is going to be expensive and I don't know if it will be worth it


It's not too expensive if you do it yourself.

Wait until Spring and maybe do it then?


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

jenny armour said:


> because I have two gorgeous dogs I have a very muddy lawn. last spring I had a paved path put in up the middle of the garden but they choose to use the grass. I have one fairly large patch which is completely muddy so I am going to lay bark down and put a few juniper plants in. don't know if it will work but it has got to be better than mud


My garden is in two sections so that I can keep Jack off the grass when it's too wet which makes a big difference IME.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

A neighbour 4 doors down had two monster leylandii cut down in the week so the view has improved a bit. Didn't realise just how much they spoiled the treeline.

Before:










After:










Spent an hour in the garden in this morning's lovely bright sunshine tidying the fish pond, cutting back a few straggly plants and clearing the last few leaves off the lawn.

Still a few hardy flowers battling the elements


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

At the moment a mud bath, can't even walk on the lawn


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

I'm so looking forward to my garden again this year. I don't think it has ever looked so tidy!
The daffodils were all put in last autumn but I don't like them on the right. They look messy, lots of them have fallen over. I think they are too exposed and the wind battered them so I'm going to dig them up and plant them in front of the wall underneath where they are now.








The bare area this side of the trellis fence, I have thrown a load of wild flower seeds down. I hope some will grow!








These tulips were put in last autumn too. They are huge, I will be planting more this year.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Up with the Lark this morning and looking back through this thread at everyone's lovely gardens and plants.

Back in July 2015 I posted some pics on #25 and the last one was a project I had started. Can't get the photo to copy over to here, but this is the spot today. A bit of an improvement but still needs work!


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Some other shots of the garden starting to grow:


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## 1290423 (Aug 11, 2011)

Lurcherlad said:


> Some other shots of the garden starting to grow:


Just wow lurcher lad looks shamazing


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

Lurcherlad said:


> Some other shots of the garden starting to grow:


It looks beautiful LL. There's so much to look at & I love your little wildlife pond. Our pond looks grim at the moment (the garden doesn't look much better lol), my hubby decided to reshape the pond - about 6 months ago Hope he gets round to finishing it soon. He's good at not finishing what he started lol


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

noushka05 said:


> It looks beautiful LL. There's so much to look at & I love your little wildlife pond. Our pond looks grim at the moment (the garden doesn't look much better lol), my hubby decided to reshape the pond - about 6 months ago Hope he gets round to finishing it soon. He's good at not finishing what he started lol


Thanks. 

I'm a bit like your hubby and generally have several projects on the go, none finished! 

A pic of the fish pond and a wider angle:

(Must do something with the canopy on the swing chair!  - another project! )


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## 1290423 (Aug 11, 2011)

noushka05 said:


> It looks beautiful LL. There's so much to look at & I love your little wildlife pond. Our pond looks grim at the moment (the garden doesn't look much better lol), my hubby decided to reshape the pond - about 6 months ago Hope he gets round to finishing it soon. He's good at not finishing what he started lol


Duh! Wot you doing ere, lovely sunny day though you'd be on your allotement barbara x


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## 1290423 (Aug 11, 2011)

Lurcherlad said:


> Thanks.
> 
> I'm a bit like your hubby and generally have several projects on the go, none finished!
> 
> A pic of the fish pond and a wider angle:


Just wow at the pond! Bet noush is at the moment showing the other half x


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

noushka05 said:


> It looks beautiful LL. There's so much to look at & I love your little wildlife pond. Our pond looks grim at the moment (the garden doesn't look much better lol), my hubby decided to reshape the pond - about 6 months ago Hope he gets round to finishing it soon. He's good at not finishing what he started lol


Put up some pics so you can plot his progress!


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Looks lovely @Lurcherlad, its amazing how everything fills out in just a couple of weeks once the warmer weather starts.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Lurcherlad said:


> Some other shots of the garden starting to grow:


Your garden looks lovely. You have the sort of look I would like to achieve but even though I've put in a lot of hard work over the last year, and I am very pleased with the results, my garden to me still looks a little random (if that's the right word!), it doesn't all fit together and flow like yours. Have you always been interested in gardening? I'm using the excuse that I am fairly new to all this green fingered lark!


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

wind1 said:


> Your garden looks lovely. You have the sort of look I would like to achieve but even though I've put in a lot of hard work over the last year, and I am very pleased with the results, my garden to me still looks a little random (if that's the right word!), it doesn't all fit together and flow like yours. Have you always been interested in gardening? I'm using the excuse that I am fairly new to all this green fingered lark!


Thank you! 

Well, my mum was an avid gardener and maybe I have her green fingers, but I'm just an enthusiastic amateur! 

The garden has just evolved over the 18 years we have lived here. When we came it was basically a lawn with small narrow beds at the side and enormous rhodis, euonymus, old knackered roses, monster conifers and everything clipped square.

It was used as a football pitch by DS until he got too strong kicking the ball for the plants to contend with, then a place for a large circular pool left down in different spots two years running, which destroyed the grass. Those scruffy circles became the island beds you see now 

They were easy to cut round with an edging tool and the turf taken off. A bit of manure and compost dug in - hey presto! That was about 6 years ago that I reclaimed the garden from DS and started filling it with plants and dug the two ponds myself.

I don't really know what I'm doing but just read the labels and follow the instructions (mostly) and hope for the best!

I put the trellis and arch up to split the terrace from the grass and because I love Clematis! . Handy too to have a place for Jack in the wet weather to save the grass from total destruction! 

I've been to Chelsea a couple of times and love to visit gardens, including those in the National Garden Scheme for inspiration (and cheap plant buying!).

I prefer to buy perennial plants that can be divided to make more for free and use the free seeds from magazines a lot.

The garden gives me a lot of pleasure and I'm often pottering in my pj's early in the morning! 

Your garden looks lovely too - you should be pleased with yourself! 

What areas bother you?


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

Lurcherlad said:


> Thanks.
> 
> I'm a bit like your hubby and generally have several projects on the go, none finished!
> 
> ...


Yes we've got half finished projects all over the place I shouldn't moan really cos hes really good at DIY & he's a real grafter with a really hard job.

Yours looks great LL, I bet it a little haven for wildlife.



DT said:


> Duh! Wot you doing ere, lovely sunny day though you'd be on your allotement barbara x


Nope, not had chance to get up to my allotment as yet. I've been sorting our Dads out all morning & both of them had the heating on full blast - it must have been a hundred degrees I honestly thought I was going to pass out at my Dads. So much for global warming, hey! x



Lurcherlad said:


> Put up some pics so you can plot his progress!


Yes I will do 

I found this pic on the forum of our pond (with my beautiful little Indi xx). So its gone from this >>










To this


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

Lurcherlad said:


> What areas bother you?


I don't seem to be able to get that full bed look, mine are quite stark. It also all looks a bit messy at the moment, like this which is right outside our back window. The crocuses are lovely when they are out, but that is only for a very short time, then it just looks a mess.









I don't know what the green things behind the hebe are, are they weeds or flowers? I think I pulled them all out last year before they had a chance to do anything.

I also have lots of celandine which is very messy and then I have this which I don't know the name of, it's lovely when in flower but just takes over. There wasn't half this much there last year


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Things are starting to come up now.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

wind1 said:


> I don't seem to be able to get that full bed look, mine are quite stark. It also all looks a bit messy at the moment, like this which is right outside our back window. The crocuses are lovely when they are out, but that is only for a very short time, then it just looks a mess.
> View attachment 305832
> 
> 
> ...


The plant behind the Hebe looks like a Hardy geranium. Looks like one I have with blue flowers. They can be dug up now and divided to create more plants for gap filling. Looking again at the leaf, possibly an acquilegia? Hard to say as it's a bit blurred 

The one along the edge looks like a Campanula - again easy to divide and spread.

Celandine is difficult to get rid of once established. I manage to contain the few bits I have by puddling round them with a hoe regularly to stop them spreading.

As for the crocuses, I know you aren't meant to cut them back until they have died back fully, but for me it's an acceptable trade off to maybe lose a few and cut them back to tidy, or dig some up and pot up or plant elsewhere to allow something else to go in. Maybe clear space in the middle of them and plant something that will regrow now and cover the untidyness?


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

This has come out this week in the front garden, thanks to the sunshine.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Honeys mum said:


> This has come out this week in the front garden, thanks to the sunshine.
> View attachment 305902


Wow, that looks lovely. I've just planted a new plant of this so hope it flourishes like yours.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Charity said:


> Wow, that looks lovely. I've just planted a new plant of this so hope it flourishes like yours.


Thanks Charity it was there when we moved in 3yrs ago, it just keeps getting bigger every year.
Hope your new plant does as well. What have you planted.?


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

noushka05 said:


> Yes we've got half finished projects all over the place I shouldn't moan really cos hes really good at DIY & he's a real grafter with a really hard job.
> 
> Yours looks great LL, I bet it a little haven for wildlife.
> 
> ...


First pic yay! 

Second pic  

As they say: "a work in progress"! It has potential


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

Lurcherlad said:


> First pic yay!
> 
> Second pic
> 
> As they say: "a work in progress"! It has potential


I know! This better not be my hubbys idea of progress Hes got a week off soon & I want to see some results!


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## Lurch-er (Apr 6, 2017)

Don't think I'll be posting any pretty flower pics 2 lurchers and a nice garden isn't gonna happen lol


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Lurch-er said:


> Don't think I'll be posting any pretty flower pics 2 lurchers and a nice garden isn't gonna happen lol


Ha ha! My lurcher does like to "help" but I watch him like a Hawk most of the time he is out there! 

He's very good at hole digging


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

My Geums are starting to flower well now, here of some of them.


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## Rockingrobin (Feb 26, 2013)

My garden is woefully dry and even the trees look like it's mid July rather than the lush greens of spring. Broke my dads spade helping him in his garden as the ground was so hard. If it's rains over the bank holiday blame me as i'll be doing a rain dance pretty soon. Nice to see pictures of other gardens that are looking a bit more colourful though.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

We've had a bit of rain over the last couple of days and a hail shower yesterday which has put a bit of moisture down, but the pots and newly planted perennials have needed the watering can


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

noushka05 said:


> Yes we've got half finished projects all over the placeA I shouldn't moan really cos hes really good at DIY & he's a real grafter with a really hard job.
> 
> Yours looks great LL, I bet it a little haven for wildlife.
> 
> ...


My hubby hasn't finished our pond yet, but we're getting there. Here's the progress so far.

And last pic is of my wild n weedy border


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Your pond is looking lovely noush.x


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

Honeys mum said:


> Your pond is looking lovely noush.x


Aw thank you very much. I just hope it attracts loads of wildlife now - the midges have moved in already. I've been admiring your beautiful plants & garden too. I'm going to get one of those white rambling roses for my pergola. Its one of the nicest I've seen


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

noushka05 said:


> I'm going to get one of those white rambling roses for my pergola. Its one of the nicest I've seen


It is lovely noush, it's very rampant.Its one of the old fashioned roses, and is also perfumed.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

noushka05 said:


> Aw thank you very much. I just hope it attracts loads of wildlife now - the midges have moved in already. I've been admiring your beautiful plants & garden too. I'm going to get one of those white rambling roses for my pergola. Its one of the nicest I've seen


Pond is coming along really well!

I've got pond envy now - I want an extension on mine! 










Last night there were 8 frogs all getting ready for their night time slug and snail chomping!


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

I have Fatsia envy, thats one heck of a specimen @noushka05


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

Honeys mum said:


> It is lovely noush, it's very rampant.Its one of the old fashioned roses, and is also perfumed.


I'm definitely getting at least one of these. I love white flowers as well & my garden definitely needs a splash of white.



Lurcherlad said:


> Pond is coming along really well!
> 
> I've got pond envy now - I want an extension on mine!
> 
> ...


lol I was beginning to lose hope he would ever finish it tbqh But I'm really pleased with how its coming along now.

I do love your little pond though, its very much like my Dads & his pond is absolutely teeming with life too .



mrs phas said:


> I have Fatsia envy, thats one heck of a specimen @noushka05


I love that plant, it has real sentimental value for me because my kids bought it for me as a pot plant for mothers day when they were little


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Wow your pond is lovely Noush, very impressed. How are you going to keep the dogs out though?


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> Wow your pond is lovely Noush, very impressed. How are you going to keep the dogs out though?


Aw thank you RPH. Until recently the small pond had to be fenced off, not to prevent them jumping in but to stop them dragging all the pond plants out & eating them We're down to our last 2 huskies now & these two must have mellowed a bit because they've been really good - so far! lol


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## MiffyMoo (Sep 15, 2015)

Lurcherlad said:


> Pond is coming along really well!
> 
> I've got pond envy now - I want an extension on mine!
> 
> ...


I keep finding a solitary little frog in the corner of my garden, but I don't have a pond. Anything I can do to make him a little more comfortable? Poor little guy must be miserable right now


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

MiffyMoo said:


> I keep finding a solitary little frog in the corner of my garden, but I don't have a pond. Anything I can do to make him a little more comfortable? Poor little guy must be miserable right now


There must be one nearby 

They don't actually spend all their time in ponds - they get their food around the garden - slugs, snails, etc.

I would just make sure he has somewhere dark and damp to hunker down in this hot weather - maybe a shallow did of water with some stones in? And, of course, be safe from the dogs.


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## MiffyMoo (Sep 15, 2015)

Lurcherlad said:


> There must be one nearby
> 
> They don't actually spend all their time in ponds - they get their food around the garden - slugs, snails, etc.
> 
> I would just make sure he has somewhere dark and damp to hunker down in this hot weather - maybe a shallow did of water with some stones in? And, of course, be safe from the dogs.


I discovered him when I went to clear a little pile of leaves away, so have left them, but gave them a little bit of water, so hopefully he's feeling quite happy there


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