figrat

Growing veg with little space

Years ago in a much smaller garden, I used to grow runner beans, 1 plant each to a 4 litre ice cream container (with drainage hole poked in the bottom). The containers stacked together really neatly, and with the bamboo canes lashed together at the top gave a great crop with a very small footprint.

I think one opf the most important things with container growing veg is that you do have to be vigilant with watering to get the most out of your crop.

 

Peas

Have you hardened them off? If not, I'd start doing it now. Mine have been outside for a couple of (still in their guttering) under a cloche in the raised bed they're due to go in, same with broad beans (in modules). I thought that I could kill 2 birds with 1 stone, harden them off and warm the soil! 

Was going to plant them out today, but got rained off. Also, I'm in South Devon, with a walled garden, so I think conditions here may be more hospital than your neck of the woods.

Tulips

Like Wintersong, I have very free draining soil, and my tulips planted in the ground come up year after year, and multiply.

I really should plant some more, maybe I'll turf some out of their pots when they've done their stuff this year and liberate them into the garden.

How early can I plant out runner beans?

It's not advised to plant thm out till the risk of frost os over, and with this weather who knows?

But hopefully things are finally on the turn, maybe you could help warm up the proposed planting area with cloches/ plastic covering and keep an eye on the forecasts.

I'll be sowing mine next week.

Theft of Patio Planters and Containers

According to Bob Flowerdew, 'A simple security device is to drill an extra hole in the base of the pot and fit this with a bolt and large washers to a chain, fitted in turn to another bolt set in concrete under the pot. For very valuable plants, you can fix plastic covered steel cable within the roots when they are repotted'

The plastic cable is fitted to the chain as well.

Doesn't sound that simple to me, and I'm sorry as it sounds like you are having problems with theft.

I take it there's not an option to make your patio more secure?

iris unguicularis

Mine's done well this year too. I don't cut all the leaves off, but do snip off most of the obviously dead growth, some of it pulls away quite easily by hand. Yes, it does look a bit scruffy, but the joy of the flowers in midwinter more than make up for that.

I note that the 'pruning advice' on the RHS site recommends cutting back after flowering, but it's not clear whether this means down to the rhizome or not, and with your previous loss, I'd be very reluctant to try it.

I'll live with the scruffiness I think.

Used Compost?

Well one way to sort out the good stuff from the pests would be to riddle or sieve it. You might want to have a bucket of salty water nearby to dispose of the snails/slugs.

slope

Well there are quite a few plants that would look good on a slope, for example ornamental grasses, flowering bulbs, maybe bearded iris at the top near the shingle stones. The top's going to be drier than the bottom, so that's a consideration as well.

But maybe you could give a few more details..e.g. size of the slope, soil type, aspect, whether you want to keep the grass etc.

Windy roof garden destroying everything

I wonder whether the weight of a Scots Pine hedge, albeit in pots, might be an issue on a roof garden.

which is best?

Ah! Think I see the confusion! I don't plant the toms straight into the gravel.

Bay tree root eradication

Best way to do it! 

Plan bee

One of the more uplifting news stories... 

Overwintered runner bans

Left the roots in after clearing last year's crop, they've survived the winter and putting up new growth. 

Red rhubarb leaves

I've got a bad feeling about this... 

What can I use as green manure?

Landcress just about to go to seed