Starting to tackle the garden.

Mostly you can but some you can`t which type are yours? If you don`t know post a pic someone can identify it for you and tell you one way or thge other. The purply ones you can`t-I know that coz I killed mine.

 

Haven't got a clue which type they are, lol. They're not the purply ones, no purple on them whatsoever, small, tiny tiny leaves but very compact, whiteish pink flowers, if they weren't bent over from the other plant growing into them they'd be about 2' tall (they've been in the ground for 8 years so I'm thinking either very slow growing or they don't get much bigger than they are now). I'll have to get a close up pic of the leaves and the plant to be exact.

 

The more I read here, I am just wondering have you gotten a good plant book for your area? In the beginning of my gardening experience. I got a few good plant books and would research through garden magazines etc. Looked at pictures, studied growth pattern, what maintance, color, height, position in the garden, price. I draw out a diagram on paper, and using little circles with in the space and write in the plant that will go there. Again, thinking about it, reading about it. This was long done before I even ventured out into a green house for purchase. Still today, as I roam in a green house or nursery, I am armed with a favorite book, so not just the tag on the plant is enough for me. Remember some nurseries will tell you what they think you will want to hear to make a sale, and then the plant dies, no return money. Arming your self with knowledge is so important. And as you roam through books don't just jump at the prettiest plant or the feeling of a "I got to have this one", it may not work for you. And don't forget you soil needs some compost tilled in it. If it is too acid for the plant you will need to lime it. But lime needs to be placed on top to leach in with the rain, not mixed in.
Have you taken a gander at my garden pics.--find Redstar gardens.

 

I've just bought The RHS Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Its on sale in WH Smiths. There's £10 off so its £25 and I had another £5 off voucher so I got it for £20

 

I think there is a website that has a plant key I will have a look for it and post the link, give me a minute or two.

 

Hi this is one I found a while ago, tried it and it seems okey, the problem I found with a lot of them is that they can use very technical terms, this one seemed to be user friendly

 

:Dmight be a good idea if i actually posted the link!!!


http://www.botanicalkeys.co.uk/flora/:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

This could be useful for trees

http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/trees/index.htm

 

I've used my mums gardening book to look up the plants, I know that the plant is a hebe and a small or compact one at that, but not which one. The plants were already in the ground when we moved in and the tags removed, those tags that were still on were unreadable.

What grows well in a neighbours garden point blank refuses to grow in another. I'm on a coastal area so plants that can tolerate sand and salt, we also get the wind from the sea so can have very high winds and obviously the rain.

My parents live a street away, and some of my plants won't grow in their soil and vice versa even though the soil doesn't seem to be any more sandy or clay. An example - a neighbours passionflower grows like mad, mine plants in the same area refuses to get above a foot tall.

I buy garden magazines, I look through my mums garden books. Theres not anyone apart from my mum I can ask about plants here as theres not many people who actually take an interest in their garden - plants wise anyway, and I'd actually like my garden to look different from everyone elses garden with a cordaline plonked in the middle of the front garden. I live at the bottom of a cul-de-sac so get rubbish blown into the garden (we have railings instead of a wall or fence) and the corner of my garden is used by the local kids as a shortcut, there is a wall next to the garden that the kids use as a goal post as well. So far I've not found any plants that can stand footballs, being climbed on, grow well in a dense clay soil and stand upto gale forse winds.

Most of my plants are evergreen shrubs, they're not very pretty and I've put them in as I know that they should grow. I want to put some pretty flowering plants in the small border by my front door, and perhaps a few other nice things inbetween the shrubs - maybe the kids will realise that it's actually a garden as 8 years of telling them off and explaining that it's actually my garden they're climbing into hasn't worked so far.

And no I don't really know much about the various plants, what should be grown in what area etc; thats why I joined the forum to perhaps get some knowledge under my belt. I've looked all afternoon for the type of hebe that I've got but haven't found it on any plant finder yet, the leaves are either the wrong colour, or the flowers are.

 

Well glad you joined the forum. Guess what I was saying that in addition to the form there are other places to find information. And I was also relating to you what I did 20 years ago and continue to do, did not have a gardening forum around then. Earlier in this thread I inputed information for coastal plants, found that on the internet. I found in this process of gardening that it takes time to learn stuff, it just does not happen in a week or months, the discovery is half the fun. It sounds like you are making good inquiries to sort out what works and what does not all that is added information for your perfect selections.

 

The hebe could either be Rakiensis, or Vernicosa those are the closest I could find. Cost is also an issue, I don't have lots of spare cash to spend, and also if I spend £5 on a plant it can be killed off by the kids in a matter of days - so far Ive managed to save a berberis from the kids feet by constructing aframe around it, wired bamboo sticks into it and then wired it against the railings. They'd killed off the crown of the plant so now it has 2 small side branches that have started to grow.

 

Hi Katherna,

Alas cost is the major curtailer of many a dream garden. I have a similar problem in that. Propagation is the only real way to overcome it, and what an enormous shame you don`t have any like minded neighbours. But there may be some nearer than you think. I have lived on the same road now for a few years and only Monday did I have a conversation with one across the road who had, unbeknownst to me, been watching my progress on the garden. I got a beautiful cotoneaster out of it for free and she has relieved me of one of the large conifers-just have to find someone who will take the others out.


Both those hebes can be cut back hard-in fact they quite like it. There is safety if you take some cuttings from them first-and as luck would have it, they have a good success rate. There are some threads which discuss how best to take cuttings, and if you are double quick you could probably have some out tomorrow to have a practise on.

If you wish I can PM you a few links to cuttings instructions and I have found the RHS site to be pretty much self explanatory on a number of plant issues.

I hope this has helped-and sweetheart don`t be disheartened by the mindless eejits that destroy your calm, with us behind you you will win through.

I didn`t want to tell you to chop it up before making sure I didn`t go and kill it on you lovey.

 

Katherna, Claire is right, you may meet gardener neighbors. I was given two huge lovely hydrangeas last summer both came back great for this year. I have another friend who will give me other plantings.
One day I had said to her that I love a certain plant but was too expensive, she said, Oh I have a huge one I'll split it for you to have. And at the end of the season nurseries want to unload their left over stock.
I have one near me who always has a corner of plants not in the best shape, for little money, and some loving care they can be brought back. At the same time I also give away plants to friends. One neat thing I did a few years ago was, I had this ground cover that came with the house, it was not working/I did not like it. So I put an add in the paper, free (name?) you dig, you pot. I had 4 women come over, so thankful and happy to get those plants for free. I even got a gift from one of them. Hey they did me the favor, they did the work for me. So it is out there to find.

 

I'm often giving bulbs and things away. You normally get bulbs as free gifts when u order certain plants but most of them i'm not interested in so i give them away. I have had a few cuttings from friends too and I had 2 roses I didn't want so I put them on freecycle and a lovely lady come and dug them up. I'd look on your local freecycle and see if there's anything on there. Also I've got some ferns and hostas coming so maybe I could take some cuttings for u?

Not sure if they'll all be viable for cuttings but I'm sure someone can tell me but here's what I've got coming for my shady area:









And ll apart from the grass can be in full sun, part shade or full shade according to the catalogue. The grass says full sun or part shade.

 

Lollipop - if there are any keen gardeners in the street they're keeping it a secret, the only person who takes an interest in their garden has basically the same plants as me and asks me for advice about various plants! Shes a little upset that the willow is being made smaller as she won't think she's out in the country with the tree rustling, and she won't be able to see it from her back garden.
LMRR - I've got one of those hostas sat in a pot round at my mums, it's terribly pot bound at the moment. I've just got to bring it round - it's rather heavy to carry, I know it needs splitting and my dads told me how to do it and when so thats going to be split between a couple of pots (at least) and one will be going on the drain cover in the front garden behind the hebes.
Redstar - I always scour freecycle for plants but atm it's mainly prams and things like that on there, lol.

I've got a lot of pruning to do in the front garden as everything has been basically left to it's own devices and some of my shrubs and plants are looking a little leggy now. I did prune some back really hard earlier in the year and they're now coming along nicely and bushing out so it's not looking as overgrown as it did. I'll get some pics sorted out so you can see.

I like those ferns, especially the very dark one with the white edges. I've got some white foxglove seeds, I've got a few places where, if they germinate, they can go and hopefully be happy.

I'll see what I can get cheap on the nearly dead trolly at the garden centre (I've had some luck with those type of plants - a lavender thats doing really well in a huge pot in the back garden and some violas for my little boy who liked the faces on the flowers).

I'm off out to get some shopping, I'm going to have a look to see if theres any plants reduced in B&Q and homebase whist I'm out, you never know I might find a little gem in there, lol, and I don't meanthe lettuce :P