OT: lovely gardens

[Zebra]

Stop it everyone!

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Stop it everyone

Whilst the saying is that 'the camera never lies'--- come and see ours in the real world, it might cheer you up as my camera has told a lie--- seriously, you are only the next motorway junction away----pop in!

 

[Penners]

Clever Mrs P--I admire her penchant for Rambling Rectors!!

Me too, except that I do have to keep a weather eye out for passing clergymen in walking boots.

I don't know why you dub your garden "weird", Joss. It looks cultured and charming (of course!).

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Weird because it does some really odd things--the huge tree on the right belongs to our neighbours so nothing will grow underneath it. They kindly had it lopped a couple of years ago but of course it has come back with renewed energy! Further along, they have allowed all their climbing plants to create a huge tangle over our fence in which collared doves have made themselves cosy and nothing will grow nearby! I have to point out that they are lovely neighbours, new to a period property and working very hard to extend and create a home for their 3 youngsters. Eventually, I am sure they will tackle the wilderness on their side. On the other side a Virginia Creeper appeared last year which I did had not seen before !! Each year we have been here has brought a surprise!! I find that planters are a good way to make sure that we have a show of favourites, that way they can be located in their best positions and changed regularly!

 

[LadyArowana]

Stop it everyone!

Seconded!

 

[Penners]

I find that planters are a good way to make sure that we have a show of favourites, that way they can be located in their best positions and changed regularly!

Quite right! That's our answer to any such gardening problems - shove a pot or two into the difficult place!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Ohh, lovely to see the gardens - all looking so pretty, well done everyone. What a May! Just gorgeous. This is the best year for my garden since moving here, 6 years of hard work from me, and a year and a bit of hard work from Daniel and Caroline my lovely gardeners, and it's finally looking more like a carefully planted space, in certain sections, though there are a few more years needed before we open for NGS! Difficult with a large garden as you need several hundred of any one species for it to look good.

 

[tobydog]

I agree. Our garden is looking the best it has for five years but everything is a bit too lush. Our hellebore display was amazing but the leaves now stand almost 60cm high. It has been a big case of trial and error. We inherited a lovely established garden but wanted to put our own mark on it. We removed several 'big green things', reshaped borders and planted a much wider range of perrenials. We took out the ones that didn't work and planted more of what did and, over time, it's come together. Alas, I am the only key gardener with the exception of help with trees and tall hedges. We should all see a garden as one big long firework display with the first explosion in February and the last golden display in October with lots of colourful combinations inbetween. This year we are just going to sit back and enjoy it.

 

[Penners]

with a large garden as you need several hundred of any one species for it to look good.

We decided the same thing a few years ago, Joce (although our garden is not as big as yours), so we have put half of the garden over to a "wild area". We've scattered wildflower seeds, planted a few fruit trees, and we just let whatever wants to grow grow. I just mow pathways through the long grass.

It's been like this for about five years now, and the area has slowly developed into a real wild garden. As well as a variety of wildflowers we have all sorts of things that many people would regard as weeds - cow parsley, nettles, buttercups and so on, but we love it and so does the local wildlife.

Mrs P planted some willow withies down there in a semicircle, a couple of years ago, and they are now nearly tall enough to be woven into a living "bower".

 

[plasticpigeon]

I agree. Our garden is looking the best it has for five years but everything is a bit too lush. Our hellebore display was amazing but the leaves now stand almost 60cm high. It has been a big case of trial and error. We inherited a lovely established garden but wanted to put our own mark on it. We removed several 'big green things', reshaped borders and planted a much wider range of perrenials. We took out the ones that didn't work and planted more of what did and, over time, it's come together. Alas, I am the only key gardener with the exception of help with trees and tall hedges. We should all see a garden as one big long firework display with the first explosion in February and the last golden display in October with lots of colourful combinations inbetween. This year we are just going to sit back and enjoy it.

Sounds very familiar.

 

[plasticpigeon]

One of my flower beds is cursed. My roses got black spot, my lupins caught a virus that made their leaves and flowers all gnarled, and now spider mites have gnawed at my heuchera, euonymus, hydrangea and primroses. I had to dig up the lupins and throw them out, I just have to hope the rest survive after being sprayed. What am I doing wrong????

 

[Penners]

spider mites have gnawed at my heuchera

Ouch - I bet that brought tears to your eyes!

The conventional answer to your questions would be chemicals - fungicide for the rose black spot (you can get a combined fungicide and systemic feed for roses which is very good), and insecticide for the wee red beasties.

But it all depends how you feel about chemicals. If you hate the idea of them, then organic solutions will include washing off the mites with soft soap solution, pulling off and burning the affected leaves (this for the black spot, too), and so on. Try Googling your problem - you'll get thousands of answers to try.

 

[plasticpigeon]

Thanks Penners, I have used both fungicide and insecticide. The thing that puzzles me is why it is only the one bed that is badly affected. It is the one that is shaded for part of the day so maybe that has something to do with it.

 

[Penners]

Shade presumably implies increased humidity, which could explain the black spot*. However, it doesn't explain the red spider mite - I believe these dislike humidity.

Rip it all out and lay green concrete.

* Unless you've recently been visited by Blind Pew

 

[tobydog]

PP - the following link might help. We have black spot on the same plants each year. Next spring they're coming out and I'll leave the ground free of roses. Rotation is often to the only answer to get it out of the ground but it's no guarantee.

We have chickens that we let our infrequently now because of the damage they are causing but they are still effective enough to find many bugs. I find the green fly most annoying though because we get told to leave them for the ladybirds who never appear!. I don't use pesticides if I can help it so the green fly tend to get brushed off using a soft paint brush or washed off. We have no red spider mite thankfully.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=270

 

[Zebra]

Allow the plants which like to grow in the garden, to grow there. That's my answer!
But you've seen my garden..........

Actually thinking I might just pay someone to come in and sort it out, completely re-landscape, allowing me to concentrate on getting things done in the house.