BrendaScott53

Hyacinth Bulbs

Thanks for that, Alina.  It's years since I even bothered to try, but it's possible that I may have planted those ones too shallowly.  I'm normally pretty good with bulb-depth, though but I'll make doubly sure I do it properly!

thank you

;-)

Hyacinth Bulbs

Thank you again, sotongeoff, I'll do just that!

Much appreciated, thank you

;-)

think of the blackbirds Monty !

Has anybody ever had a (male ) blackbird that inserts a 'trimphone' warble into the middle of it's otherwise 'normal' blackbird song?  We've got a resident blackie who does this on a very regular basis and makes me laugh whenever I hear him.  It's very convincing and I wonder if he's picked it up by copying someone's mobile ring-tone?  I could understand this more if it were a starling, but not a blackbird.  Are they known to be good mimics?  No prizes for guessing for what we've called him!

Hyacinth Bulbs

Cheers, sotongeoff - what would be the best food for them?

What's the weather like in your area?

It snowed in Aberdeenshire at the weekend!  Sunny but cold today.

Hyacinth Bulbs

A friend gave me a pot of three Pink Pearl hyacinths and now they have finished flowering I am wondering whether it's best to throw them in the compost, or whether they would flower if planted in the garden for next year?  I've never had any success doing this before, and got leaves but no flowers...any advice would be most helpful!

sambucus black lace cutting back? confusing advice

I've got one of these which was planted about 7 years ago, and in that time I've treated it both ways, and it's thriving!  It was getting far too tall so I cut it down to half it's height in early spring and it was fine.  Other years I cut it back after it flowered in autumn- and it was fine!  It really doesn't seem to mind what you do with it!  It'll keep on growing, though,so it does need a good 'haircut' once a year to keep it under control.

Mystery 'Tree'

Again, thanks to everyone who helped me discover the answer!  No wories, Hannah, about the learning-curve - I should have known how to resize photograps and now I do!

It's a lovely little tree, I'm very fond of it.  This year I shall take very careful note to see if there is any sign of fruits on it - maybe the blackbirds ( we have many resident nesting/breeding pairs ) are getting to it before I even notice!  I'm sure I'd have seen something so bright a red, though.  I imagine lack of pollination is the issue, too cold for bees, yet, in the north of Scotland, and I've never seen another specimen of Cornelian Cherry in the area ( I've never seen one at all, come to think of it! ).

Many thanks,one and all....mystery solved!

Mystery 'Tree'

Oh wow!  That's the nearest I've ever come to knowing what it is, issimablue!  It doesn't get any 'fruits', though, but perhaps it needs a 'mate' to produce them???  I've checked on wikipaedia and the leaves are identical, as is the wee flower...so...have I got a 'sterile' Cornelian Cherry???

many, many thanks!

Ground Elder

22 years and I am STILL pulling out miles and miles of this unbelievably persistent and tenacious perrenial weed.  It's called 'Bishop Weed' here in Scotland.  It is fairly shallow-rooted so providing a barrier might help, but it will still root very, very easily if even the tiniest bit gets over or through this.  Glyphosate works, but it takes time, and can be very expensive and if you have it ( GE ) amongst hedges and trees or shrubs, you'll have to protect them otherwise they'll die back, and the GE will just continue to ramp and thrive!  It is VERY difficult to eradicate entirely, you'll just have to keep your eyes open and try to keep on top of it.  It's popping up NOW, in late February.....get the sprayer out!  The Romans introduced it to Britain, they ate it as a salad, and pigs are supposed to really like it...not a lot of consolation to we who have to fight it, really...

Propagating and Growing Bilberries

Hyacinth Bulbs

Mystery 'Tree'