blairs

Dark corners

Dolores Umbridge wrote (see)

What abourt a couple of solar lights?

Solar light need direct sun light....not something you normally get in a dark corner!

Light gravel does work from experience.

too cold to plant Perenials?

Am guessing you mean Japanese Anemone, as they look like daisy. Thye are hardy.

frost free green house

B&Q sell it. I doubt garages sell it as they stopped selling gas cannisters and the like years ago to fill up with sweets, crisps and magazines.

Californian Poppies

In a sheltered spot Californain Poppy is perennial, comong up every year. I have one that does that in a well drained though not that sunny area. It also self seeds. A seedling like your will die in the frost and you will have lost them, if outside in the ground. If they are then do as Doverfromabove has said and put them in a pot/trough and then into a greenhouse/coldframe and they may make it. It really was too late for you to sow them!

Strawberries

I did an experiment and pruned off all the old leaves off one set of Strawberries and left them on the others this year. Both gave good crops but the ones with the leaves hard cut in autumn last year produced better tasting, larger and more numerous strawberries as the sun could get to them. The ones with the old leaves had a lot of rot (could just be the wet weather this year). My plan is to hard cut most of the larger, old leaves this year to clear the central stalk.

Talkback: How to plant a small tree

If the tree is small (less then 1 metre) and with a root ball then it does not need a stake. If it is bare root or taller than 1 metre then it will need one. You add the stake at time of planting.

If you have heavy soil then the tree must NOT be at the same level as the soil level, it needs to be above it to stop the tree drowning over winter.

Restricting growth........

Busy-Lizzie wrote (see)

Acer osakazuki only grows to 6 metres, it's not a very big tree and it doesn't grow very fast. It has fantastic autumn colour, but it needs a sheltered spot.

I have seen them 10 metres by about the same in DC, in a sheltered street but in almost full sun - no idea on how old it was.

Restricting growth........

Bagz wrote (see)

'taking out the leader' ? Would this be the main vertical branch growing up through the centre?

Yes, if you see a few buds then cut above those to be the main horizontal branches. That should give you a nice shape. Also put the cut off leader and place in some compost, it may root.

When to plant spring bulbs

Alliums do fine in tubs.

 

Restricting growth........

Acers grow slowly. You can certainly prune it to prevent it getting too tall.10 metres is its maximal possible height, I would say 6-8 foot is the height you want to keep it at and taking out the leader will give it more shape.

Agave Seed Germination

Agave seed germination 

Not GWM getting advertised discount @ Crocus

GWM says 20% discount and only get 10% 

tetrapanax papyrifer seed germination

tetrapanax papyrifer seed germination