Author Topic: Gardening  (Read 336265 times)

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Offline Nemesis

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #105 on: May 15, 2011, 05:16:10 pm »
If they were here, they'd have had their heads chewed off by now. Ours are coming on nicely--in the front-- a Frizzy Free area !
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #106 on: May 16, 2011, 08:18:48 pm »
Marco did that too when he was a lot younger so the flowers are a lot safer except when he treads all over them.  :(


Offline Nemesis

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #107 on: May 27, 2011, 04:38:35 pm »
Despite the wind and rain I have at last got some summer colour coming.
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #108 on: May 27, 2011, 09:17:35 pm »
You've got some very attractive plants Nemesis, is the third one a Peony?   It's such an unusual colour for a Peony, I've not seen one like it before.

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #109 on: May 28, 2011, 04:40:50 pm »
Yes you are right Hugo, the plant was here when we moved in and I can't seem to find a name anywhere for it, but funnily enough I saw someone carrying a bunch of them in town this afternoon !
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.

Offline hollins

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #110 on: June 07, 2011, 11:09:44 am »
I've rescued these peonies from the wind and rain in the garden today.

Offline Yorkie

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #111 on: June 07, 2011, 02:45:35 pm »
Today, I harvested my first spring onions of the season.  More goodies to come!   Z**
Wise men have something to say.
Fools have to say something.
Cicero

Offline hollins

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #112 on: June 07, 2011, 05:49:25 pm »
I love visiting gardens. Last July I visited East Ruston Vicarage Garden in Norfolk. It is only 1.5 miles from the North Sea but it is incredible what they manage to grow there.
The wild flower meadow was my favourite part. I think these are really difficult to grow. We bought some wild flower seed last year and all we have are weeds!

Offline DaveR

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #113 on: June 07, 2011, 06:01:19 pm »
Very impressive! I always think more roadside verges should be seeded with wild flowers.

Offline hollins

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #114 on: June 07, 2011, 06:20:56 pm »
A bit closer to home.....Bodysgallen blossom!

Offline Trojan

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #115 on: June 07, 2011, 07:04:44 pm »
Today, I harvested my first spring onions of the season.  More goodies to come!   Z**

What's with the 'drinking beer' smiley?

Do you put onions in your home-brew?  :laugh:

Offline Yorkie

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #116 on: June 07, 2011, 07:38:57 pm »
'Tis Cranberry Juice, very good for the water-works I'm told.   Don't drink beer, never have.  When I did drink it was G & T, Vino and Brandy - before, during and after a meal.  Been virtually TT since 1990 but do have the occasional glass of vino with a meal.    Z** $drink$   $drink1$
Wise men have something to say.
Fools have to say something.
Cicero

Offline hollins

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #117 on: June 07, 2011, 07:49:56 pm »
Very impressive! I always think more roadside verges should be seeded with wild flowers.

I agree.

Offline Blodyn

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #118 on: June 08, 2011, 11:08:04 am »
The wild flower meadow was my favourite part. I think these are really difficult to grow. We bought some wild flower seed last year and all we have are weeds!

Lovely photos, Hollins.  You're right that wildflower meadows are difficult to grow.  It the soil's too fertile, the grasses become too vigorous and the wildflowers can't compete.  Growing yellow rattle with the grasses is supposed to help, as it's partially parasitic on grasses and suppresses their growth (I have a colleague who's trying this at the moment).  Starting the wildflowers in pots and then planting them out can also help them to get established.  (Sorry if I'm telling you things that you know already.)  A more expensive alternative is "Meadowmat" - wildflower turf.  I've not yet seen "Meadowmat" growing but I have some sedum matting from the growers:
http://urlwww--enviromat--co--uk.rtrk.co.uk/pages/meadowmat.php

Dave, more wildflowers along the verges would be very attractive and should be good for wildlife and there are certainly some wildflower seed mixes available for sowing on a commercial scale, e.g.:
https://www.cotswoldseeds.com/seedmix/wild-flowers

However, there are some concerns regarding large scale sowing of "wild" flowers in relation to the provenance of the seed, which may be genetically very different to the endemic plants (in some cases the seed may originate from the continent). Cross pollination between endemic and introduced plants could thus affect local biodiversity.  Ideally, the seed would be sourced locally - nothing's ever simple, is it?!

Offline hollins

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Re: Gardening
« Reply #119 on: June 08, 2011, 11:44:36 am »
Thank you Blodyn for the info on growing wild flowers. We are in need of all the help we can get!