Bookertoo

Hello I'm a Lily Beetle, come and get me!

I'd love to think the blighters drowned, yet they seem to be here is some numbers, though I will admit fewer than is some years.  Maybe they will die out naturally?  No, come to think of it, probably not - look at japanese knotweed - or rather don't!  They didn't reduce in the bitter winter of a few years ago - maybe they don't like having their antennae wet. 

A Cautionary Tale .....

I love it when things start to self seed, even my lavender has done so into the gravel path, but some things (like the British rain!), never know when to stop.  My friend has invasion trouble with japanese anemones, yet I really have to care for them to get them to flourish - but lily of the valley, bronze carex, white campanula - these all sow themselves with abandon - everywhere.  Some things like anemone blanda blue I am happy to allow, but others really do make a meal of it. 

Can someone anser this Question

It makes no difference whatsoever, it is one of those persistent urban myths that keep people chatting in pubs for hours!

Anyone know the identity of this plant please/

If you don't want this to happen, there are treated bird foods that will not germinate, or you can cook the bird seed for 2 minutes in a microwave which stops it germinating and makes no difference to the birds - as long as it is cold when it goes out!

Can Jasmine go in a pot?

Anything can grow in a pot, provided the pot is large enough and you are prepared to give it all the care and attention it cannot give for itself in the open ground.  Which kind of jasmine did you have in mind?  There is no reason why not, but you will need to treat it with care and attention all year round - we grow much of our garden in pots, somewhere between 400 - 450, and so I know they can be time consuming - but great fun as you can grow all sorts of unlikely things apparently together, and move them around as they get past their best or come into full glory.

Which evergreen shrub

Whatever you plant here is going to have to compete with some pretty greedy plants taking water and nutrients out of the soil.  It might be better to put something you like in a pot or trough than expect it to compete with leylandii and hawthorn?

It may be possible for rosa rugosa to do here, or pyracantha (prickly which may be a no no for you), maybe some ground cover like periwinkle - the newer ones are better in flower and not so invasive as thier earlier cousins.  Early spring small bulbs may do well, flowering before the canopy thickens.  Spindle shrubs are nice, good autumn colour - possibly wigelia?

Boston fern from spores ...

Although I have never done this, I hve read that it can take quite a long time, sounds as if you are off on the right track, keep the trays moist and quietly wait - all will be revealed in natures time I imagine. 

Lupin growing advice needed

 ............not only slugs and snails, but the dreaded lupin aphid.  If your area does not have these, then go for it - they are lovely plants.  I used to grow them until the lupin aphid reached here (east midlands).  The aphids are huge, grey and disgusting, and the birds ignore them - they lay waste to lupins in avery short time.  I tried a tree lupin but they liked that just as much.  I no longer grow lupins, but love to see them where they are well grown. 

weedkiller in peat-free compost??

Basically this is nonsense, unless he has been buying some very dodgy compost!!   I have been using peat free for a few years now, it is a bit more difficut to get on with but once you work out it's watering needs, and possibly sieve it for tiny seeds, it is fine. All of my plants grow well in it. I do use JI2 with it for some potted plants, as much for weight as anything else. 

Plant ID required

At a glance I see nothing in that pot that looks like mint, and I grow several varieties of it.  The seedlings I do see look like weeds, possibly rose bay willow herb, but at any rate, not mint.

Often it is better to buy in a small plug of mint, as it can be difficult to grow from seed. It is widely available.  Better yet, if you know someone who grows it, ask for a cutting, it roots very easily.  Suggest you keep it in a pot as it spreads worse than a forest fire!

Solomon's seal

For whom do we garden .............

frosted lilies

out of season plants

bird feeders

Hazel nut queries

Flippin' pigeons