Busy-Lizzie

Greenhouse Pests

http://landscaping.about.com/cs/pests/a/vole_control.htm

Greenhouse Pests

I had the same thing a couple of years ago. It was voles. I'm afraid I used poison. They got a bit out of control in my daughter's garden and they eat roots. Here is a site that explains and gives different methods for getting rid of them. Bother it didn't work. I'll have to send it separately (if it works).

Bare root roses arriving tomorrow - help!

If they are just in the polythene bag then make sure the cool place is frost free as the roots have no protection like earth from the cold. Also don't let them dry out. I suggested putting potting compost in the bag. Before you plant them out it would be good to dig in some well rotted manure or compost. This would provide nourishment and help stop the earth being so clayey. I don't think they need be kept in the dark, they are not in the dark when planted. The thing is to stop the roots freezing or drying out.

Fork Handles

Been outside this morning, not raining for a change, cut old leaves of the Christmas roses. Being fairly new to growing them I didn't know you were meant to cut them off until I read this forum. Some had black patches on them. Also dug out lots of baby brambles, dandelions and ivy from my woodland bed. Snowdrops coming out there, violets and new aquilegia leaves. There will be lots of Chionodoxa and some crocuses. All the leaves from the cyclamen are looking very pretty.

Early flowering white rose

Could it be rosa banksiae alba plena? It flowers very early and has clusters of small white flowers. Doesn't repeat, vigourous.

planting a raised flower bed

For the shade bit what about hostas and brunnera? There is a brunnera called "Jack Frost" with silver frosted leaves and little blue forget-me-not flowers in spring. Hostas have lovely foliage, in all sizes, some variegated, some with purple flowers, wome white flowered.

How to get rid of a bush

If you really don't want it you'll have to be prepared for hard work. Cut it right back to make it's main stem easier to get hold of and give access to the base. Then dig, dig, pull trunk, wiggle it, dig again. Use a fork to loosen earth around the roots. Perhaps someone else will come up with an easier method!

Poinsettia

Well done for keeping it healthy, mine always die, but I have an old stone house heated with woodburners in the day so I can't keep the temperature stable. One thing I know is that from autumn they need total darkness for 14 or so hours a night if they are to produce the red bracts.

Lonicera Nitida

I know someone who has a lonicera hedge that he keeps regularly trimmed and it is neat and tight and very like box but the leaves are smaller.

Lavatera

The RHS photo in this link is like my original, I said pale pink, Zoomer said white, RHS says both!

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=4744

no emails as well as small text

Cleaning greenhouses

Rose pruning and frost

reviews

Why did you all start gardening?

uploading photos