artjak

Latest posts by artjak

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Shrub

Posted: 11/03/2013 at 12:27

I love that combination; a lot of the bed I described above has ended up purple and yellow as I tended to buy cheap stuff for there. I would like to introduce more blue. I'm not sure a geranium would survive the drought conditions out there, but I could dig out a clump from elsewhere and try it

WEATHER this week

Posted: 11/03/2013 at 11:00

nutcutlet, you are brave; just about to venture out myself, a quick dash to the compost bin!

Shrub

Posted: 11/03/2013 at 10:58

Also, Verdun, does it actually flower at the same time as hypericon?

Shrub

Posted: 11/03/2013 at 10:55

Verdun, I have a hot dry area in the strip I cultivate just outside my fence, facing south west, next to the pavement; it is a nuisance to water, so this Baptisia Australis sounds good for next to the hypericum. Would it survive the winters in the Fens? The Hibiscus is ok out there.

WEATHER this week

Posted: 11/03/2013 at 09:43

Brumbull, Thank you

The first Gardeners' World

Posted: 11/03/2013 at 09:42

Reading through these posts, it would seem that the ideal TV programme would be; 1/2 an hour for beginners, and 1/2 an hour for intermediate gardeners. Personally I don't watch it as find the presenters too irritating, but that's just me.

Hydroponics?

Posted: 11/03/2013 at 09:33

I'm going to put the cat amongst the pigeons here (or the over nutrified water amongst the fish). Many years ago, someone who was very high up in the world of horticultural expertise told me that hydroponics were very bad for wildlife. After the crop has grown, the gardener then has to get rid of the over nutrified water; it ends up in rivers and water courses, where the nutrients encourage the water plants to grow rapidly, de-oxygenating the water and effectively killing everything. I am not a scientist, so have probably explained this poorly, but the principles appear valid to me.

Gardening one whole year (next week)

Posted: 11/03/2013 at 09:23

Almost?? It's a way of life. I am always a bit puzzled by people who have a garden and are completely not interested in it. Though I can understand that with small children the garden has to be a football pitch, but after that....

My garden keeps me fit, happy, fed and simply gives me so much joy

Pruning lavender and rosemary

Posted: 11/03/2013 at 09:19

I agree, I remember reading in a Victorian novel about a commercial lavender grower who replaced all his plants every 6/8 years; I expect they have improved the plants since then but I bet they still replace them frequently.

WEATHER this week

Posted: 11/03/2013 at 09:16

The Fens; about 2cm of snow on the ground, but it is still coming in from the North East horizontally and the sun is shining brightly, how weird is that? My little Apricot is having it's first spring in the greenhouse and is in bud; this is the time where it really must not get frost on it. Have a small Paraffin heater on and hope I don't have to put the large one on as Paraffin is about £8 for 4 litres these days.