Gardening: Tips and Advice 2

[IF]

A thread for us gardener's or growers, novices or pro's. Join in sharing pictures, tips and tricks, store bargains and offers, mistakes and disasters and generally having a chat about our woes (and joys) of growing all things beautiful or yummy!

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us - Part 2

See you've been doing some thread pruning IF

[Spent2much]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us - Part 2

A thread for us gardener's or growers, novices or pro's. Join in sharing pictures, tips and tricks, store bargains and offers, mistakes and disasters and generally having a chat about our woes (and joys) of growing all things beautiful or yummy!

I think i posted on this thread when i first joined about growing my own veg garden, the thing is we only like savoy cabbage leeks and carrots , are these hard to grow ?

[Pixie]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us - Part 2

I've grown all of them so they can't be hard to grow!!

[IF]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us - Part 2

See you've been doing some thread pruning IF

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us - Part 2

My garden is a no go area at the moment It's been taken over by rats again, courtesy of a nearby flooded beck.
The beggars are fearless, just run around in the open, climbing the bird feeder pole to eat the suet balls.
I found new homes for my beloved ducks a couple of months ago as I thought their food was attracting them, but they're back anyway. Now I can't feed my poor garden birds and daren't go out without a stick to hand.

We put poison down on Friday but they haven't touched it. My tesco order today includes a 6 pack of cheap chocolate mousse to mix with it...

But they don't know about my secret weapon yet..

We also had a mouse under the kitchen cupboards. The cat was going mad tracking it but it never came out. After hearing it gnawing I sent for a Peststop Mouse and Rat Zapper from Amazon by next day delivery ...has 4 large batteries and electrocutes them instantly if they go for the bait. (I can't use poison in the house cos of the cat).
Put it in bottom cupboard last night...one poor little dead mouse this morning. I hate killing things, I feel so guilty now, but was worried it would chew through wires, apart from the health hazard.

Once I'm sure there's no more mice, the zapper is going in the shed loaded with peanut butter...

I feel like wily coyote!

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us - Part 2

Just bumping this thread as it's finally warm enough to get back in the garden.
We're now completely rodent free too, which helps!

Spent the last 2 weeks removing old larchlap fencing and hand building a replacement, and relandscaping the whole back garden. We've filled a maxi skip over the last few days. Another couple of days and I can start planting.

I'm looking for a nice compact shrub that tolerates shade to brighten up a darkish corner. Flowers that last through summer... any ideas?

[MrsD]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us - Part 2

Ok all you greenies

why did my carefully bought and hidden in luggage tulips from Amsterdam, which were meant to be black parrots and royal blue something, come out as bogstandard pink?

was it me?
was it the dirt?
I grew them in the conservatory as it's been too cold to put them out so far

[Pixie]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us - Part 2

Perhaps someone pulled a fast one knowing you couldn't go back to complain?

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us - Part 2

Maybe soil composition, acidity or just Dutch stupidity? I know with hydrangeas different soil compositions give different colours...

[Pixie]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us - Part 2

It could be Elsa but I've not heard of this with tulips.

[MrsD]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us - Part 2

och think we've been done

never mind, there was probably small print in Dutch that I couldn't read.

always wanted a black tulip, saw some when I was about nine and ner really seen them again

[Pixie]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us - Part 2

Here you are petal

[MrsD]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us - Part 2

fabulous Pixie

thank you


I always find tulips quite tricky

in years gone past I've planted loads in the garden and they've disappeared without trace (rotted in the wet I think)

I put them in mixed pots now and I've had much better results, although everything is late, my pots are hot this year!!!

[Wishfull]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us - Part 2

I think i posted on this thread when i first joined about growing my own veg garden, the thing is we only like savoy cabbage leeks and carrots , are these hard to grow ?

leeks very easy to grow
carrots planted early can be quite easy my second crop though i plant in large deep containers half full of compost so the tops dont come over the top of the container [helps keep carrot fly away] i then put a third crop in the poly tunnel ready for my xmas dinner
cabbage i dont have much luck with easy to grow but get eaton too death by catterpillers
i sow leeks thickly in a seed tray and prick them out when they are as thick as a pencil