Flowerchild

May In Your Garden

Good afternoon all,

Today the weather isn't nearly as beautiful as yesterday's. Lots of rain and apparently we're in for some thunderstorms with hail and gusty winds. Grrrrrr.   

So lots of people will be travelling this weekend. I hope you'll all arrive safely at your destinations and of course, have a lovely wedding / holiday / weekend. KG, I hope you can get some decent sleep; when me and OH travelled to New Zealand we slept for 20 hours after our arrival and after that everything was fine, no more jetlag.

So Geoff, all set then. Will Margret be doing her duty again? Hopefully Cody will like his stay at the kennels. Oh, and look out for those notorious pick-pockets.

Kate , good news about the flower making. 

May In Your Garden

I have a gold star, I have a gold star.......                

Yes, that sounds veeerrryyy warm; but according to my uncle it's a different heat because it isn't so humid in Spain. And you're right, you'll need those sun glasses.

Oh Inkadog, could you please, please please send some of that sun to the Netherlands next week, the forecast is not good at all.

re peonies -  yes, only very recently I heard the same and this person had a picture to go with the story. I'm not sure if I can find it again but I'll try. You'll see ants on a bud and no aphids at all in sight.

May In Your Garden

Hi Kate, hope the crossed fingers aren't too much of an inconvenience yet 'cos they really do help, you know  

I have found one job on a temperary basis but I really need something steady so am still hunting.

How many origami flowers have you made already? It seems to me that you must be able to fold them in your dreams by now. Did anybody offer any help otherwise you can send the pigeon over.  

May In Your Garden

Hi all,

After a couple of very busy weeks (hunting for a new job -still-,  birthdays, holidays and Mum visiting) I can finally concentrate on gardening again. And also, talk about it. I have been reading messages though, just didn't have the time to react.

At the moment the weather overhere is bright and sunny but very windy. And quite warm too - about 20C. I'm glad to see everything growing again after such a wet and cold March and April.

OH made me a small border along the wall we share with our neighbours and I planted it with Garrya elliptica 'James Roof', Clematis 'Pink Fantasy', Geranium sanguineum, Hakonechloa macra  'Aureola', Pulsatilla vulgaris 'Rubra, Astilbe 'Sprite' and Campanula posharskyana. Also some small bulbs. It looks really lovely now in that corner and I was able to put in a lot of plants I still had left from my previous garden.Needless to say I still have lots more to do. Next project will be to clear the front garden of the terrible weeds that are growing there.

@Geoff, your Lonicera is Lonicera tatarica, probably 'Rosea'.  Have you been to Spain yet?

Drooping acer leaves

To me it sounds like Verticillium, a soil-borne fungus  Acers are very prone to this disease. If it really is Verticillium, there is no cure I'm afraid. Do you have any pictures of the tree in that state? That could make things clearer for us.

Shrub/tree for a very large pot?

I can really recommend Heptacodium miconioides. It 's a large shrub or small tree with lovely white flowers from late summer to late autumn. Also named Seven son flower tree. After the real flowers have gone there is still an impression of flowers as the coloured sepals stay on for a long time. Very beautiful and not very well known at all, which is a shame IMO. It seems I can't put a link in but if you google for it there is lots of information to find.

Insect identity wanted please, friend or foe?

It might be Pyrrhocoris apterus ( sorry, I don't know the English name for it ).

Keukenhof

Paul, there is a hostel in Noordwijk, if you are up for something like that. Also try  looking for hotel-restaurants in Alphen a/d/ Rijn, they tend to be somewhat cheaper. Of course Amsterdam and Haarlem are close to Lisse as well. As the North Sea is not far from the Keukenhof you could find that, with temps going up and more sunshine to come, cheap hotels might not be available since 17th May is Ascension Day and many people will extend the weekend by taking an extra day off at 18th May. I really hope that the Keukenhof will live up to your expectations after a disappointing Floriade.

April in Your Garden

One moment we are having sun, the other it is looking VERY dark. No gardening today as I'm almost on my way to another job interview.

Lavender turning black

Nothing special, I use a bottle with 70% methylated spirits solution.