BobTheGardener

What are you still eating?

There are about 6 swede, around a dozen sticks of brussels, and maybe one parsnip still in the ground.  A sack of spuds, half a sack of onions, several garlic and one winter squash left in the shed.  Hmm.. woodpigeon casserole with nobs, anyone?

young apple tree

Hi 80s, how big is it at the moment, and in what size pot?  Winter pruning will encourage stronger growth and the general advice is to remove a third from each branch, but if it's still tiny you may want to delay that for a year and just put it into  bigger pot if it's currently in a small one.

Growing Lillies in containers

Debra, when you dig them up, if any scales break off from the main bulbs, seal them in a plastic bag with some damp compost and keep in a warm, dark place.  With luck, they'll produce little bulbs after a few weeks (check them fortnightly) which you can grow into new plants.  It takes a few years  before they'll grow big enough to flower though, so this tip is only for the patient type!

Blueberry bushes

Agree with all the above.  Unless you have naturally acid soil which never dries out, largish pots of ericacous compost placed where they will get plenty of sun and watering only with rainwater is what will give the best results.

Flower in the garden...

Geranium wallichianum 'Buxton's Blue', which was one of the first perennials I grew from seed.  Every time I find a self-sown baby, it gets transplanted to any bare patch I can find.  Makes a great ground cover, lovely shade of blue flower, never gets out of hand and seems to grow regardless of the amount of sun or shade it gets - I wish every plant I grow was as unfussy!

Non-flowering dianthus

Why not do both - take cuttings and split some of the outer bits off if they are rooted and replant.  Definitely one of the easiest plants from which to take cuttings and those root easily.  I just pull-off sections about 5 inches long with no bud and put 5 or 6 around the sides of a 5 inch pot filled with 50/50 sand and compost, then nip the tops off when they show signs of growing to make them bush out. Dianthus all get woody in the middle over time, so you do need to propagate from them every few years.  As is mentioned in another thread, they don't like acid, wet or heavy soil, but don't need a very fertile one.

Tree ideas.

Bluelizard, have the stump and largest roots been removed?  That may have a bearing on what will grow there.

Making wildflower turf

Whatever mix you use, it's worth making sure (or adding) Yellow rattle as that is partially parasitic on grass roots and will help stop grasses from taking over.

Scent in summer

Hi Bunnys, Yes, that works - I have some Dianthus superbus planted in a mix of compost and sharp sand (in a large clay bowl) that have been going for at least 6 or 7 years.  I think they really benefit from good drainage.

Scent in summer

I love powerful evening fragrances, so staples are Matthiola bicornis, Nicotiana sylvestris, Zaluzianskya (my favourite.)  None of them are 'lookers' so they are randomly placed between plants more pleasing to the eye.  I'm also a sucker for all types of Dianthus, even though they don't last long in my clay.  The Nicotiana sometimes surprise me and come up again the next year though.

Bee spotting

New deliveries

Flower ID

Oh no, lily beetles are back!