blackcap

Talkback: Slug-proof plants

It is so heartening to see that there are people out there that really do care about our wildlife and will not use pellets in their gardens to get kill slugs/snails. I do not know how people can live with themselves that use SALT and other INHUMANE ways to kill them - disgraceful, and audrey23 should be ashamed taking a perverse pleasure in stamping on them.  They are creatures that need to eat to live like all of us (and a lot of them do eat the rotting matter, etc. on the ground).  There are other ways  to protect young shoots and plants (e.g. planting inexpensive decoy plants, such as marigolds, until the plants become more established and humane ways to get rid of them.  Hedgehogs. frogs and birds will eat them and if you must destroy then using stout/beer iI believe is one of the kinder ways though still not very nice.  You can always gather them up and take them to woodland or a nature reserve.    

Giant Scabious

You are quite right Berghill, the leaves do flop over everything.   I assume then you don't try to encourage a second flush of flowers?  I have considered taking a clump out but assumed I couldn't do it until they were dormant - which must be soon (if not now). I loved having the 'group' when they were in full bloom and grew really tall this year but considerablly less attractive after flowering so I might move a few front ones to the back to continue the line of them at the back of the border.   I may also try cutting them down to the ground.  Thank you Berghill. 

Giant Scabious

Hi Obelixx, you are right - the giant scabious did finish flowering earlier than my small scabious which are still flowering. Sadly I never got a second flowering from my giant ones.  I had only been cutting down to the first leaf of each segment,  In fact, on a couple of them I did get the start of a new 'little ball' but they turned very brown and died off.  I don't know if they had received more sun if those new flower shoots would have grown into a flower.  In their current positiion they get the morning sun only??  Thanks for autumn/winter advice.                                                                                                   My thanks also to 'Fotofit' for your helpful reply.

Giant Scabious

1. Quite early last spring my giant scabious starting growing a large number of big green leaves (loved by caterpillars). Flowers did not start to grow until summer which is normal I guess and grew to a lovely height.  My question is can you safely give these an early 'chelsea chop' ?  (not stopping the height just reducing the foliage a little, I hope). Unless all this foliage is quite normal.    2. After flowering how far back to you cut? Do you cut back to ground level or to the first leaf?      3. Do you leave the plant alone through winter as a lot of its leaves now I assume are dying off as they are going a funny colour and look awful?  I've only been gardening a few years and have much to learn.  If someone can give me a little guidance on these plants I would appreciate it.  Thank you. 

Snails - the French have the right idea

Snails and slugs get such bad press.  Do not forget it is not just snals/slugs that eat our plants. I go out at night and see various creatures munching on my plants.  Caterpillars are little devils but i wouldn't harm them.  I put the odd cabbage out buried a little in the soil and place the caterpillars on them and they continue to munch away.  I will never use any sort of pellets to kill snails/slugs - I don't believe there is any such product as 'wildlife friendly' pellets as I care too much for our wildlife.  I put out decoy plants in front of and in between my plants, mainly marigolds, which they love and do leave the other plants alone.  You can also physically remove some of them from your garden to an appropiate location (perhaps a nature reserve). Remember they can also be our little hoovers in the garden and eat old stuff on the ground and not always climb up plants (especially the little black ones). This is in my experience.

Talkback: Cats and foxes

Foxes are frightened of cats. Cats in my street chase the foxes. The foxes in my street are lovely but very timid creatures.  God knows what the poor things must eat as there is precious little food for them in urban areas so I do put stuff out that Iwould otherwise put in the bin (why fill landsites when unwanted food can go to a good cause).  People complain about foxes but remember they have to eat to and feed their young and its not their fault we are taking away their habitats. If we looked our wildlife better then maybe they wouldn't resort to the measure that some people claim they resort to looking for food.  IF a fox was seen with a seagull then something must have been wrong with the gull or it was dead and sure it is a lie if a swan was seen in a fox's mouth - unless it was already dead.

Giant Scabious