The Garden Doctor is IN !

[jay-ell71]

Can I join in? Such a good thread.

I feel this is an elementary question but can someone explain to me exactly what a "perennial" is. I have purchased for two summers now, Foxgloves and lupins, in full flower, from the Nursery. I thought these lovely plants would keep coming back each summer, but they just flower one season, and do not appear again. Aquilegia, on the other hand, which I planted years ago, have self seeded all over the garden and produce lovely flowers in unexpected places, each season. Our garden is full of flowering shrubs and conifers and I am not so good at the flowers, except annuals.

We are also experimenting with tomatoes. We have planted two tom plants, different varieties, in pots, in the conservatory. The Money Maker is doing well with three trusses already, the Shirley has only one truss because I think I took out a "side shoot" which I now think was a main stem! The one truss has two tiny tomatoes already, the MoneyMaker has only flowers. Just thought I would share that with you!!!!!

[gfwgfw]

Jay

Simply, a preannual will flower/crop. with luck every year - an annual will flower/crop for just one year

Toms crop according to variety

M&S are now stocking a green Tom that strangely is ready to consume, rather pricey

[Andrea S]

Jay, I agree this is such a useful thread. Gardening books are useful but there is nothing like picking up tips from someone who has had success with different aspects of gardening.
We have a lot of lupins, they do come each year but we tend to cut them down and often thin them out to get more plants.
Once perennials are in they should come every year which usually gives constant colour.
I have twisted the arm of the OH to try different tomatoes this year so fingers crossed they grow ok.

[qbman1]

Can I join in? Such a good thread.

I feel this is an elementary question but can someone explain to me exactly what a "perennial" is. I have purchased for two summers now, Foxgloves and lupins, in full flower, from the Nursery. I thought these lovely plants would keep coming back each summer, but they just flower one season, and do not appear again. Aquilegia, on the other hand, which I planted years ago, have self seeded all over the garden and produce lovely flowers in unexpected places, each season. Our garden is full of flowering shrubs and conifers and I am not so good at the flowers, except annuals.

We are also experimenting with tomatoes. We have planted two tom plants, different varieties, in pots, in the conservatory. The Money Maker is doing well with three trusses already, the Shirley has only one truss because I think I took out a "side shoot" which I now think was a main stem! The one truss has two tiny tomatoes already, the MoneyMaker has only flowers. Just thought I would share that with you!!!!!

Just to complicate things, Jay, your lupins are herbaceous perennials which will die back completely every winter and should grow back and flower every year but the foxgloves are true biennials which form a crown of leaves in the first year, are evergreen over winter then flower then next spring and then die. But they do self-seed all over the place when happy. If your lupins aren't growing you may find that snails are the problem and eating them off as they come through. They are a bit susceptible to that. Your aquilegias are doing just what they should. They are fairly promiscuous and will cross-pollinate freely so you should get some interesting colours.

Well done with the tomatoes - sounds like you are doing well. Way ahead of mine!

[Dancing Queen]

Oops,
DQ and Dr QB
I was going to ask if you or anyone else can suggest the best place for Orchids or delicate plants. My windows face due South which cause too much heat and due North which tend to be cold.

Andrea, ours like it in the conservatory ( which is south facing ) but in the very hot months ( June, July, Aug ) we move them into the utility room which still faces south but isn't in full sun.

[Dark Knight]

QB
we have a new garden to populate, so what are good climbers to quickly cover a couple of fences?
nothing to rabid like Russian vines, but a nice colourful plant that will give a bit of privacy etc

[jay-ell71]

Thank you QB and Andrea. I am afraid it could be my thin sandy soil that makes it difficult, but the snail theory could well be right, especially as it has been so wet. I wont be growing them any more and I will stick to the Aquilegia which always come up with the goods!!

DK... Actinidia Kolmikta (Kiwi fruit. but the climate is unsuitable for the fruits unfortunately) is a very pretty climber. The leaves have white/pink tips as long as it sees some sun. Flowers insignificant. Downside is it is not a fast grower for your new garden, but do have a look at it at your nursery. Worth waiting for. For a faster cover, climbing Hydrangea petiolaris is excellent, with frothy white flowers. This does not mind the shade.

The grass keeps growing. Mowing every five days.

[Andrea S]

DK, Astro turf doesn't need mowing.

[qbman1]

DK... Actinidia Kolmikta (Kiwi fruit. but the climate is unsuitable for the fruits unfortunately) is a very pretty climber. The leaves have white/pink tips as long as it sees some sun. Flowers insignificant. Downside is it is not a fast grower for your new garden, but do have a look at it at your nursery. Worth waiting for. For a faster cover, climbing Hydrangea petiolaris is excellent, with frothy white flowers. This does not mind the shade.

The kiwi you mention Jay is more an ornamental and will not reliably produce fruit. It really is a spectacualr climber, though. If you want a chance at kiwi fruit, you need to go for one of the fruiting species (usually actinidia deliciosa) which are generally available in garden centres. They are nothing like such attractive plants, though.

[Dark Knight]

QB
I dont want fruit, but need a good fast growing fence cover plant
now come on get your finger out or I will have to ask some spotty oik at the garden centre

[qbman1]

QB
we have a new garden to populate, so what are good climbers to quickly cover a couple of fences?
nothing to rabid like Russian vines, but a nice colourful plant that will give a bit of privacy etc

Depends whether you want evergreen or something quick and colourful. In the long term, a mixture of both is best. I have got an evergreen honeysuckle which is not the most attractive of plants but it is quick and thick (!) and a hydrangea petiolata as suggested by Jay. For a bit more colour, go for some clematis and climbing roses. clematis montana varieties are strong and quick growers although they can get a bit thuggish. I find bamboos are also pretty good screens (although not climbers, of course) and decent sized mature specimens can be a bit pricey. For instant gratification this summer whilst your evergreens get established, you could also try some annual climbers like sweet peas, morning glory (ipomoea), cup and saucer vine (cobea), rhodochiton, chilean glory vine (eccremocarpus) or climbing nasturtium.

[qbman1]

Here you are - gardening "revenge" tips of the day:

Get rid of pernicious weeds like bindweed, couch grass and dandelions by putting them in a suitable-sized container filled with water. Cover and leave for a month or two and they will decompose into a gloopy black "soup" which can be diluted and used as a liquid fertiliser (smells a bit though!). Really satisfying to get your own back on the weeds !

More traditionally, comfrey leaved steeped in water are used as a natural liquid feed (but they smell even worse).

We talked earlier about nematodes for dealing with slugs and snails. Apparently, you can actually make your own by collecting up slugs and snails and keeping them in a covered bucket of water for a month or so until they break down and dissolve. This will release and concentrate the nematodes that occur naturally in slugs and snails and the resulting gloop can be watered back on to areas affected by slugs and snails. Definitely not one for the faint-hearted and I guess very messy and smelly. Needless to say, I have not tried this gruesome method myself and prefer to pay a tenner for a little box from Amazon!

[jay-ell71]

Thanks QB.

No I don't want fruit, but the Actinidia I have is quite delightful, and I recommend it . It doesn't have to be pruned, or cosseted it just performs each year.

[Dancing Queen]

I'm taking notes about the quick growing things, we have a two long runs of leylandi which hides the sheds and also makes our garden very private, when we had the very bad winter about 3 years ago it started to die off in places ( seemed to be pretty widespread ) we have heard various explanations not least the adverse weather conditions but also that it is some sort of "mite" that invades them.

Last summer we had a guy call round asking if we wanted any trees etc cutting back, we didn't but we got talking about the Leylandi he suggested we spray it with diluted Jeyes fluid and he guaranteed it would come back, I can't say we were convinced but thought anything is worth a try ( it will be very expensive to replace with anything plus the time involved for something to grow to the same height ) well I have to say nearly 9 months on it is actually coming back, not as it was (yet) but it's certainly looking promising.

[Andrea S]

DQ, I know they are hard work but I love to see a hedge of leylandi.
It must be nice for you to see them coming back to life.
Maybe the smell of Jeyes fluid helped to kill off any mites.

[suespud]

When we were first married (1975) it was very "in" to have big plumes of pampas grass in huge vase type things indoors.
About 3 years we were at a nursery that was selling small plants.
We had a corner hubby thought it grow well in, out the back.
So it has grown well.. but I cut it back this spring, as it was growing through the bird bath!!
I cut the plumes off and laid them on the garden table.
The family came around and we were all out the back and the grandsons saw the plumes and asked if they could use them as brushes on the yard..they had great fun.
Hubby came back in and said pretended to be up in arms that the boys had ruined the plumes.. shouting "ohhh what have you done to my pampas grass"

All three of my kids and their partners stopped and looked at us.... "Pampas grass " Sarah said... you and me dad are growing pampas grass..... she and the rest of them all went into hysterics...

Seemingly....you only grow pamaps grass if you are "swingers"... normally in the front garden, to let people know..

WELL...............

[Andrea S]

When I next see the couple down the road I will be looking at them in a different light. They are in their late 80's and the gentleman is in a wheelchair , but hey ho , who knows what goes on behind closed doors.

[qbman1]

When we were first married (1975) it was very "in" to have big plumes of pampas grass in huge vase type things indoors.
About 3 years we were at a nursery that was selling small plants.
We had a corner hubby thought it grow well in, out the back.
So it has grown well.. but I cut it back this spring, as it was growing through the bird bath!!
I cut the plumes off and laid them on the garden table.
The family came around and we were all out the back and the grandsons saw the plumes and asked if they could use them as brushes on the yard..they had great fun.
Hubby came back in and said pretended to be up in arms that the boys had ruined the plumes.. shouting "ohhh what have you done to my pampas grass"

All three of my kids and their partners stopped and looked at us.... "Pampas grass " Sarah said... you and me dad are growing pampas grass..... she and the rest of them all went into hysterics...

Seemingly....you only grow pamaps grass if you are "swingers"... normally in the front garden, to let people know..

WELL...............

Sue - never heard that one before. Perhaps if you try the pink plumed variety of pampas, you might get George Michael round !!

[suespud]

AND.........Graham Norton mentioned pampas grass in the same vein a couple of weeks ago... so it must be true !!!

George Michael....

[jay-ell71]

Sue..... Didn't know that. We had a pampas in the front garden in the 70s too!!!! Every other year we set fire to it to keep it in check. We stood by with the hose, never needed it. It always grew again but we dug it up eventually. Big messy thing it was.

[qbman1]

Jay - you sure it was the mess that made you dig it up and not the bright-eyed excited couples who kept knocking on your door ?!

[jay-ell71]

QB... Well............?

[qbman1]

Last night, whilst watching a recording of BBC1's excellent Chelsea coverage (from Wednesday), I learned something which I shall share with you.

I grow quite a few lilies in pots and they always do well in the first and usually the second year but then tend to deteriorate rapidly and not flower much after that. I have always used normal general purpose garden compost, either bought or mixed myself but it seems that lily growers use ericaceous compost (more acidic and generally used for rhododendrons, camelias, etc). The specialist being interviewed maintained that by planting lily bulbs in ericaceous compost you will get strong, repeat growth year after year.

Only problem is that, in our part of the world the acidity levels, even in ericaceous compost in pots, will rapidly decline unless you water exclusively with rainwater and use a supplement in the form of a liquid feed with sequestered iron.

[Boris+]

We don't usually do indoor pot plants, but last year I was given a number of orchids in pots. They flowered for a really long time, and we followed the instructions - bought the two different types of feed (one for whilst flowering, and one when not flowering).

Anyway, they stopped flowering, but have put on growth. How do I get them to flower again? Obviously they need to grow 'flower stems' first - so loads of leaf, no flower stem. They are mostly in two different rooms.

Any ideas?

Em

[The Tinker]

Right folks - i now have a greenhouse. Is it better to grow my plants in growbags or large pots?