5 tips for begginers

Sadly I don't see too many Dietes bicolor as I wander around (five years from seed and the first flower stems are finally emerging )

Another top tip - keep your eyes open for village plant sales. It's surprising what can be found for a few pennies................
Saxifraga stolonifera by longk48, on Flickr

 

Blimey, someone want Melianthus major, thought I was the only one still growing it.
I can dig up some roots and bring them along to Shiney's if you want John.
Its pretty much a weed once established, only flowers in mild years, with me, but once killed to the ground regenerates to get to 4 or 5 ft easily.

 

Patience is a definite requirement which I am somewhat lacking in. Hands up who hasn't had a rootle about to see if a cutting has rooted or seeds are about to sprout only to wreck what was about to emerge?. Use labels. I constantly think I'll remember what I have sown/planted and therefore think no need to use a label....wrong, this could be of course be caused by the onset of the age related (usually) condition beginning with A!

 

My Viz Top tip....i mean gardening top tip....buy old school tools, theyre so much better than the new ones and have been built to last.

 

longk your sister is the same as myself but I only cut certain plants back...I was mainly on about leaves in the autumn as they start early here

 

Thanks, all very informative!

 

If you need any help with anything just add a discussion and members find pictures very useful in helping you

 

What a great thread this is, chatty, friendly, informative etc etc. Perhaps I've said this befor but. Gardening is like another world. Without realising it, you enter the university of the natural world. You learn about soil structure, botany and practically life itself.

What type of soil do you have? Really, does it matter that much? Perhaps a century or more ago but not so much now. I think, 'climate' might be a problem to most. Soil, what to plant! So you like acid lovers. Ooops my soil is very chalky. So out you go and buy a load of ericacious compost...plant away.

Do I sow or do I plant? OK I have my hard hat on. You sow seeds. You plant, plants, bulbs, trees & shrubs.

Do we read the instructions? Tic toc, tic toc...time for thought. NO. Scenario. In the greehouse, seed trays filled with whatever, now the packets of seeds. Here we go, sprinkling the seed and gently covering. Have we noted the type of seed. Is it an annual, a perennial or a biennial or perhaps a half-hardy annual. Are we aware that some seed will germinate more-or-less over night, mustard & cress for instance. Other seeds may take a year or two to germinate. Hey! this might be the reason that suddenly two or three years after chucking the tray out, we find strange plants growing in the garden. Sorry folks but I could go on for ever. Please continue to enjoy your gardening. I have to ask this. Why have you got a bigger garden than me............Mike is off to sulk....it's not fair. Take care and stay safe.

 

Thanks, have already!

I used to be quite into Butterflies and Moths, but never really learned what the foodplants were or anything. Even now, I wouldn’t know what, say, a Birdsfoot Trefoil was if I was hit in the face with it!

Ah, so that is what Ericacious means!!

I doubt I do!​