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japanese knot weed

I had this in my last garden and I didn't know you weren't supposed to cut it down so I did, right down to under the soil.  I kept doing this and eventually it gave up trying.

GardenIng jokes

From my Uncle Dave - he who eats potatoes and then peas on the same plate is unhygienic

GardenIng jokes

Knock Knock

Who's there?

Lettuce

Lettuce who?

Lettuce in or I'll climb through the window

Gardeners World new season

I found out what these early snowdrops I've been seeing are called and will be investing in some.  I am inspired to plant a wintersweet or winter honeysuckle.  I realised I need to get on with my chilli seeds and I found out what to underplant my peony with  - pulmonaria.  All in all I'm very happy.

Talkback: Growing onions: seeds versus sets

In Geoff Hamilton's Ornamental Kitchen Garden he suggested not thinning out your onion seedlings but letting them push each other apart once in the ground.  Has anyone tried this method?

The Return of Gardeners World-8th March

It's interesting to see the map of Monty's garden but where is the pond? I would love to see more gardening programmes. I have DVDs of Geoff Hamilton but have to watch You Tube for How to Be A gardener and old episodes of Gardener's World. I'd love to see Alys's Edible Garden again.

Things you did in the garden as a kid which were extremely bad!

Oh dear, I was a good girl generally, but not in the garden. We made rose petal perfume, chopped a worm in half, and pulled a branch off a tree trying to get at conkers. My mum used to drag us around Ness Gardens to look at the rhododendrons (yawn) so I hated them and used to pull off the buds of the one at home. We also picked laburnum pods to play with even though we knew they were poisonous, and picked white berries (snow berries?) off the hedge as they made a satisfying 'pop!' under your shoe. Oh and we blew dandelion clock seeds all over the place. My poor mum has never held a grudge and now gives me plants and advice for my own garden. I did in recent years see a little girl at a birthday party bashing the flowers off a lovely magnolia with a stick but couldn't get to her in time. I'm so sorry for all my gardening sins. I really didn't know just how awful I was.

Depression and how gardening saved me

Helmsley Walled Garden in North Yorkshire is a lovely place to visit (with a smashing cafe) and is a charity providing Horticultural Therapy. This is such a wonderful cause making a huge difference to people's lives.

I recently read a doctoral thesis about three groups of pensioners. One group did their usual thing, the second formed a social club and the third formed a gardening club. As far as I remember the gardening group were the happiest, even if they were dragged unwillingly to the allotment, once there they were so glad they'd turned up.

Help! Droopy fig

There is no vine weevil - thank goodness!  The roots look very good.  It is only about 18" tall which is why I looked up whether to bring it in as it's so young.  Is it maybe too young to be pruned?  Will it die of shock if I put it out now as it's been indoors for so long?  We are in York.  If I move it to the windowsill to get it a bit cooler, do you think I could ease it outside gently?  Thanks everyone.  All but one of the leaves fell of when I took it out of the pot to check for weevils, but all the tips of the branches have green healthy looking shoots.

modest hellebores

I suspected as much as I'd never seen it done.  Thanks everyone.  Well I'll just have to get some lovely new ones that face up and increase my collection so that I can put some at the top of the slope and some in a bowl of water.  

modest hellebores

Help! Droopy fig

potato varieties

greenhouse vs coldframe

short climbers???

Small tree - any ideas please?

have I killed my wisteria?

Encouraging birds to the garden

Acanthus dilemma