General Gardening Discussion

Thank you all for the replies. I'm starting to think the bad bits are golden privet, that was a good suggestion. I currently plan to plant some green near the gold and then watch as it slowly takes over/replaces the gold. The gold isn't really filling out very nicely so it's gotta go!

Most of it is wrapped up in folk law, st swithins day, ground hog day, to name just a couple.

Thanks for all the replies.I fully expect to have to cut them back every year or two to keep them in check. I had 60ft of north facing fence to cover and I hate the look of fences so opted for BI as it would completely cover it.I'll wait until the plants are dormant then go for it and hope...

Sad news. May she rest in peace.What a wonderful tribute you posted

Snails used to do similar looking damage to my Christmas cacti when they were outdoors in the summer. A rounded largish hole that scabbed up. The damage in your Euphorbia is oddly bang in the middle of the stem though so has required some careful slithering up if snail was the culprit. I'd cut...

Colour is the only thing that matters for me. I can't smell anything anyway, unless my nose is right next to them!

What is on the other side of the hedge as it looks a bit bushy on this side so I was wondering what the other side looked like? Maybe the neighbours on the other side of the hedge has been at it. I for one would stop a neighbours leylandi hedge from growing if they tried to plant one. A friend...

I had one by the front door for several years. I never noticed a smell of any kind from it. One day it turned up its toes. It wasn’t missed.

Good to hear.

They don't tend to be affected by v. weevil in the ground - just in pots. The ones I have in the ground are fine, but anything potted needs checked every so often. I believe you can add a thick layer of grit/gravel to the tops of pots to help prevent them laying eggs, but I haven't tried it....

I had one this year that just keeled over for no apparent reason. I composted the stems but never got around to dumping the tuber. The other day, I picked it up bone dry to dump it, but it had sprouted all over so I've put it in a small pot with fresh compost to see what happens.

I can remember growing a faily vigorous dark purple one, one year, can't remember the name though. It self seeded the following year.I also remember growing the pale blue one which seemed much more tender and not so easy.I only grow a perennial type now in a large pot, it never sets seed.

The customers demanded that it be something they could buy at supermarkets like household items such as, glasses, cutlery, bedding BBQ accessories. Unfortunately plants are perishable. The house plants are often better treated as these are higher value. Our local Morrisons has a separate outdoor...

The nursery I often use has Alstroemerias for £12 in 2 litre pots. At this time of year, and into early autumn, they'll be filling those pots really well, and would split into 2 or 3 plants. They usually have a sale in September too, so it's even better value.I hope it survives for you...

Some have got rusty. I'll cut them back and move them into the oubliette and see what happens. I need to be more ruthless. I have too much ruth! They really belong on the compost heap.

Thanks everyone that's all very helpful. At the moment it looks as though it may not be done until January as the person I have contacted so far is busy until then.

Indeed @Selleri - annuals are just the extra bit of colour or drama, the real garden is the permanent 'background' and the base for anything different that can be added for seasonal interest. In a small space, there's no room for passengers. I rarely have annuals in the main beds or borders, as...

Although Carexes can manage drier conditions once well established, they actually do best with wet conditions - ie soil that doesn't readily dry out.

You need to physically disrupt the connecting root stems at your boundary fences, for one area will sustain the others; they are likely connected at depth.Trenching , cutting bindweed roots and inserting a barrier such as this* to at least 400mm deep should help.

You could do. It has time to put on a bit of new growth this yr if you do, so you could get flowers on those stems next yr.The time I would not do any pruning is after mid-October, in case an early frost gets in the newly cut bits.