Magazine style - all inclusive

[Zenj]

Morning all warm cloud and sun thunderstorm forecast but will it materialise?
First time for me to say this we could do with some rain.Hostas are starting to put on growth garlic spray seems to be working against the slugs or could be frogs eating them,Idid a torch walk round the rear garden last night and counted ten frogs hunting in the borders the more the merrier.

 

[Perki]

Wisteria not dead just knocked back with the frost so no flowers this year it was just about to flower as well. Rain forecast tonight . I like your Scilla Peruvian I am growing on in a pot they is no chnace I could plant outside , its got some leaves on I wonder if its going to flower.

Not one slug mark yet zenji , send the frogs my way I require their services .

 

[alp]

Good morning and after turning the tap to maxi and watered for an hour,draining my right arm of energy and pocket of money, it spat a bit! But you know how long a spit last! When I watered the ground, it smelt like chlorine, as if the ground had never been touched by water whilst I actually watered it yesterday. Waiting for the fridge to be delivered.

Make sure you gather the seeds of the Scilla Pervuviana, Perki as mine died and this is a new one. Believe it or not, I actually harvested my Cirsium seeds. The heat and sunshine are dictating harvest times.

I had never thought ants posed much problem, seeing ant powder on sale was like a joke too far. Last week, I opened my recycling bin and saw tons of ants making seeds like eggs and wondered what goodies there were in my garden to have attracted them. Now I realised that apart from snowdrop seed pods, they could be partial to hellebore seeds. Even though I had newspaper and trays around to catch the seeds, the seedpods invariably exploded and some seeds disappeared before I could catch the explosion moments. I have seeds seed casing spat out by some ???? and I have been left heartbroken. Ants also like the nectar from my peonies, especially Sarah Bernhardt which is now in full bloom

No rain, and not even spit now.

Rose which I have tried to turn to standard so that I can plant underneath.

My magnolia looks dying from the heat.

Iris Midnight sky - last flower, I think!

This combo of colours is strange, but the plants chose me. Never expected to see a Digitalis and a Canterbury Bell there! No interference from my part.

Huge flowers!

 

[Perki]

Its been very windy today it been blowing leaves / branches / bins etc everywhere . Going to go GC tomorrow as early as possible / when I get up .

Had a pleasant surprise today the brugmansia started flowering . Stated harding off plants in the GH now

 

[alp]

Wow! Brilliant! Prettier and tidier than Monty's garden! And more to see than Adam's! I think I have to have a greenhouse or 2 myself. Brugmansia has done well. I was so frustrated with mine that I followed the woman's advice. I cut the top off and used them to propagate. Alas, I don't even know where the cuttings are! But the cut has done the mother plants a lot of good. They came up with a lot of leaves. Oh, better go and do something else. Talk to to you guys later. The earlier you go, Perki, the longer the queue! Hard rock and the sea. Earlier queues are much longer but you get to see more and better stock.

Lovely camassias. I wish I had some pink ones. I only have blues. Also, that tulip with red backing is so beautiful. Monty's ones were fantastic. Last night GW was another repeat.

Tragopogon porrifolius or Salify! Needed to be appreciated in a sunken garden as the plant is TALLER than me!

Funny muscari

Chrysanthemum

Taken this morning! Wasn't that magical!

 

[alp]

Zenj Were you holding onto your roof today? The gale force wind nearly took me out with the wooden garage door! It was horrific and strong! Wonder what it's like your way!

 

[Perki]

Its been terrible windy here again today , bit like autumn leaves all of the place.

Went to the GC this morning the big one very disappointed , I desperately need some trailing begonia for some baskets all gone but for some over priced single ones, had a look round and didn't see anything of interest , picked up a little bottle of seaweed / iron feed for the sake of getting something wish I hadn't bothered now. So went to the next GC no begonia again but picked up a couple of Geum Borisii , wish I had a proper look round now but I were only there last week . So to next GC down the road they had someone letting people into the car park , she started talking gibberish ( I can't hear so well with helmet on ) going on about parking up in a certain place going in and then come back out and move your bike , I said it doesn't matter and went home .

Rang another GC up asked for trailing begonia " yes we have them in trays of 6 " thought excellent just what I need, got there no trays of begonia just some single ones for £4 each no thanks, it wasn't a wasted journey though they had a Meconopsis Lingholm in what I've been after, picked up a Hellebore Harvads double pink for £2 and a carex eversheen for £1 .

I've been looking at ornamental trees for some clients on the internet , mainly cornus and acers and few others . The problem is while looking through I had the thought how nice a little Acer winter flame would be in the back garden and I know just the place to put it, when I get the idea of something its hard to forget and I've always fancied a acer, sango kaku to be exact but winter flame will fit better. It will take the place of the white camellia which I've never been over impressed with.

Walk down to asda now need some fish food .

 

[alp]

Made me giggle reading your day. We've gallivanting all over east Essex. From Blue Diamond (Harlow), to Langthorns(Great Dunmow), Longacres in Chelmsford and back to Summerhill (in Billericay) The joy of going to these places, apart from the last one, was that I picked up some interesting rhizomes for £1. I thought it was £1.50 and so discarded some near the checkout. I am so indulgent and I kept saying to myself: Don't get carried away! They turned out to be £1 and of course, it's supposedly a one-way system. Well, not exactly. I just didn't have the presence of mind and asked if I could go back. I got some interesting hardy orchids like those of Zenj's but of course, they are dry and might die. But £6.99 reduced to £1, it's worth a try! Langthorns has got a royal warrant which means nothing to me. Perhaps they delivered something freebies to the glorified family! I was chuffed to see £4 for an iris with FLOWERS on. But we went too late. All the Echinacea Twisters were gone. Only very boring bearded irises left. A very enjoyable day. On the way back, we queued for over half an hour for KFC. We were so hungry as we skipped lunch. Now I will go and water my new plants. I also bought a Rudbeckia Laciniata herbstonne for £4.50. I did a mental calculation and it came to £20. The man said the rudbeckia is supposed to be £4.90, but there was a mistake. Well, I am well chuffed as I really liked the prices there - Twister with buds for £3.50! Bargains! But sadly, it's gone. A very happy day and next week, son is off. We will go gallivanting again!

 

[alp]

We actually went to Ongar British Garden Centre as well, much bigger than the one in Upminster.

First time we went to Langthorns and it's amazing that they even have a lake in the middle of the gc and a cornus was battered by the high wind and as you can see, it's a big lake.

Some peonies are sold at £10.99 and some nearly £20, not as dear as the one I always go to.

This one is a bit red and yellow

Here the white makes this one much prettier! Very windy. Glad that the pic is half decent.

From all these places, I bought a red Centaurus, a cerise queen achillea £1 each. A dahlia called Toto, an iris with a yellow flower, 2 Bletilla orchids, taking a risk. I was very happy to see some lovely stock in the reduced section. We had to gallivant in a rush as the organic bread flour suddenly said they could deliver yesterday, throwing all our plans into chaos. First time we have made bread for a long while and the machine was grunting in the kitchen, very annoying.

In Chelmsford, there was a long queue going to the biggest MacDonald.

Acer and Cornus are both good. I would go for a corus controversa variegata and an acer which featured in Beechgrove with a Japanese name. Funny that in Longacres, they have peonies with Chinese names. This reminds me to go to the gc in the next town where I got my peony trees for £8.

 

[Zenj]

Morning all
Yes the plants have had a good bashing still windy today ,lots of broken stems on the Siberian Iris better forecast for Monday onwards will be tidying up in the garden tomorrow and survey any damage.

 

[alp]

Well, after posting, went to the garden and obviously, we had visitor(s) as 3 metal strips in the mesh covering vegs had been removed and part of the mesh was on the other side. No serious damage, but some naughty neighbours must have been having a laugh. Went to 2 gcs and the queues were frustrating. The whole nation is full of gardeners! FACT!

 

[Perki]

Well I've been galavanting again looking for some trailing begonias which seem to of disappeared off the face of the earth I've done nearly 100 mile looking for them the past week, I've been to 8-9 garden centres looking and haven't found any . Garden centres are thankfully a lot quieter this weekend last week.

Didn't buy anything on my travels today , went to 3 GC today I've not been to . One had a little ally way for some plants and a huge building full of furniture , don't know why they bother with calling it a GC. Next place was really random it were round the back of a garage site I stopped at first think it weren't right but google maps was persuasive and sure enough it was there, didn't have much stock and said the last 2 begonia have just gone , they seem nice enough and had a quite chat about some acers he wasn't up for selling his bloodgood . Next GC was quite decent but I reckon it linked with one I go to regualrly more a less the exact same stock and prices but smaller no begonias . Managed to get back near home and fuel up, thought I were going to run out of petrol the light was on for a bit when I were in the middle of nowhere , they put fuel back up it were 99p a litre last week now £103.9

After getting back home today around 1 ish its been a productive afternoon , made up 3 very large baskets another mid size basket and 3 pots . Potted on the hellebore and divided the carex from yesterday into 4-5 plants . Planted out the meconopsis and give everything a water / feed .

Back in for a shower cause I finished for the day , thought I would have a quick wonder in the garden next minute digging up a geum tai mai which has refused to flower last year and this year , I have read geum cocktail series need dividing often to keep them flowering. I were quite surprised by the huge amount of old dead root matter. So now I have 5 young geum Mai Tai potted up and I planted the Geum Borsii in its place cause it flowers much longer. Mucky hands again

 

[Perki]

I buy from Longacre quite often cause they are quite cheap and P+P is only a fiver , they haven't opened there online shop yet . Langthorns on the other hand come across cheap and slap your ass with the P+P cost, I am sure they add £2 per plant onto the P+P and I think P+P starts at 20 quid for the first 5-6 plants .

 

[alp]

Online gardening sales have gone through the roof and it's amazing how there were nothing left in the shops. Went to one useless one and the only thing that was affordable as an Aster Novi Jenny. Didin't buy it as I have had quite a few. I am seriously overwhelmed in my lean to. which is now very cold. Perki Do you turn on your greenhouse heater at night? I woke up 4am and the little emperor had changed the pin and I tried numerous times and was told to restart twice and in the end, I had to punish the millennial by waking him up 5am. I had tried that code and it just wouldn't let me in.

Went to the allotment and suddenly, horse manure was there and it took son 4 hours to get some and I watered non-stop and it was hard work. Some newcomer was very good and his plot was worked to a fine tilth and his potatoes were earthed up in straight lines. Very organised. Came home after a 4-hour stint and nearly couldn't walk, the 2 of us.

Zenj and you must have had a lovely blue blob of water by now! I am so jealous.

Planted out some Bolotto beans, some Scarlet Emperor beans and sowed some beetroot.

Furniture is big ticket winners for gc. Those rattan from Thailand, Malaysia is cheap and it makes big bucks for gc. As soon as summer season is here, my fav gc straight away put out ton of outside furniture, complete with heater and brolly. Outside living is all the rage.

Longacres seemed to be a bit run-down or not up to scratch last time we went. There was not enough stock and their 6 for £10 wasn't on. Not one packet of bulbs or tuber either. Went to Wilko and their packets were reduced to 50% off and of course I was too late. Only managed to get a 4 o'clock flower and a Black Dragon iris again. Funny you've heard of Langthorns as I hadn't until friend told me. Their prices were reasonable and it's only postage that was a bit steep. Looking for plants, you really have to gallivant as different nurseries had different stocks. Son was thinking of going to Enfield, but I want to postpone it till the end of this week as he has a whole week off. The queues will be horrendous today.

Ah, no prize guessing my weather!

Black dragon that I bought yesterday! Very pleased that finally it has made its entrance to my society!

My pride and joy yesterday - Iris Sibirica! Most expensive one £6 and cheapest £3!

Salvia Madelaine - a bit small, but quaint and beautiful nevertheless! Very difficult to capture a clear image - 10 attempts and the winds were my nemeses!

 

[LouisFerdinand]

For the first time at a particular garden center I saw Bleeding Hearts for sale.