jo4eyes

What's the weather like in your area?

WManchester- not too cold overnight after all. Today has been predominately dry & even some sun! Then this evening we've had a couple of thunder claps & now it's steady rain- good because I forgot to water in the planting I did earlier!! J.

What's the weather like in your area?

It was awful this morning- heavy rain, cold & windy. This afternoon it's actually brighter & dryer with some sun, but the wind has increased again. No gardening was planned for today, apart from opening/closing coldframes. Tomorrow maybe? J.

What's the weather like in your area?

Just West of M/C central, driving back from The Trafford Centre late lunchtime it was hailing!!

Last night didnt get as cold as forecast, dull & dampish first thing- hence the retail therapy. This afternoon became bright & dry so I potted up my dahlias & chocolate cosmos into their final pots. Because of the garden's slug population. I grow them all in pots on the patio. They are still in the unheated greenhouse for the time being. J.

Box plants in Containers

Planting them in a border soil is probably the best, but depending on how long they've been in the containers & how big they may be could make the job of digging out a large enough planting hole quite a task.

I've got 2 quite elderly box plants in containers that do need repotting. Instead I have removed a couple of inches of the top of the old compost & replaced it with new stuff- mine in this case, but John Innes no3 for permanent plants would be the best if you have to buy it in.

I'll also take some cuttings in June, when I do the trim & that gives me new plants for when I do need to replace the originals. J.

What's the weather like in your area?

In a word-wild today.

One minute chucking it down, next bright sun. I have opened up the coldframes & uncovered in greenhouse, but think today will be better spent indoors. J.

Leaving tulips in the ground

IME some varieties do return in the borders & I'm always pleased to see them. I now grow mine in pots & throw them away when over.

Word of warning- dont put tulip bulbs in your compost bin, or 'they will come back to haunt you' (Helen Yemm)! I suspect that's where some of my 'border' ones have come from. J.

Slugs v Campanula

IME slugs love certain Campanulas. Many a 'choice' variety has disappeared from my garden.

I now have copper rings to put round the stems of emerging plants & that does seem to help. J.

Compost

I'd use the compost, but I wouldnt want ant powder anywhere near any vegetable plants.

Ants nesting in/invading compost bins are a sign that the compost is too dry- try watering the contents. J.

What's the weather like in your area?

BTW Zoomer my OH does a 'mean' Focaccia... J.

What's the weather like in your area?

Did I say no damage done? Was planting out some hardy stuff yesterday & realised that one of our tv ariels is hanging loose. That explains the 'hollow' banging sounds I kept hearing causing me to keep going out to check on a coldframe lid! It's obviously a redundant one though as no problems with tv noticed- apart from the longstanding infuriating trick of trying to 'tape' things from Welsh channels which have rotten reception!

Today bang on 11am, as per forecast-wow, it began to rain & has been constant since. Managed to do quite a bit of potting on/pricking out in the greenhouse though.
The courgettes & beans are now too big for windowsills inside the house, so they are cloched in the greenhouse. 

Things in the 2 coldframes still cant be risked outside completely so a real 'traffic jam' still around here. J.

Care & maintenance of elderly Bramley apple trees.

Suggestions for planting in a sunny, boggy site.