quercus_rubur

The daftest thing you've done in your garden

It's a pity cat manure's not as good as horse manure 

Mine decided tonight that my onions could do with their tops bending over. Well that's what I told myself when I saw her sunbathing on them

Garden Gallery 2013

Wow Daisy what a super paeony! Do you know which it is? 

Irises need their tubers on the surface of the soil. When I first started growing them I killed quite a few because it didn't seem logical not to bury them. They love the weather - baking sun, wind, cold. I don't care what anybody says they have to be British through and through with that sort of an attitude.

Fairygirl I noticed too how neat they are too 

Fruit and Veg in Baskets

Singy, in hanging baskets I feed once a week, and water in between if it's very hot. It's important with tomatoes not to let them dry out, but also not to water irregularly. After years of those wire baskets I now use the solid Stewart ones with a capillary matting on the base. They're cheap and supply water on a small, regular basis

rhodedendrons

Hi Lisa

It does sound like the'yre not happy in your soil, though you could try giving them an acid-type feed over this season. It really depends on the age and root run of the plants. I think you'd struggle to move well established Rhodos to pots, but if they're struggling now I think you've nothing to lose by trying.

I love Rhodos and grow mine in pots. Just to try and persuade you they're worth the effort, I have a 30-odd yrs old one which I've just re-potted over the years into bigger and bigger pots.While most (but not all) have a small flowering season, there's not much can compare.

A bit of root pruning will probably be needed. Yes ericaceous compost is a must, then water in some sequestrene or suitable fertiliser. Give it a go, you've nothing to lose!

Fruit and Veg in Baskets

I've grown Tumbling Tom toamtoes in hanging baskets. Here's a link about the best varieties

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardeningadvice/5054902/Best-tomatoes-for-hanging-baskets.html

I've also tried strawberries, but like Dove, didn't find they crop very well. I've just bought a couple of Mints which trail.

What soil/compost you use is even more important in baskets/containers than it is in the garden - as is feeding

weeds

Digging is the best form of exercise so they say!

I've mainly used digging, but have also used glyphosate selectively, in that I don't spray or water it in, I paint the leaves. 

I'll be using a membrane under slate to replace some paving, but wouldn't use to kill off weeds

Just watching A-Z of gardens about earthworms - the gardeners friend .

Laying turf on a gravel/soil/dirt mixture - possible?

I agree, you need to find out what's under the gravel. If it's soil then as Darren says I'd rake off all the large stones, add in lots of top soil. Turf or seed depends on your bank balance. If you seed or turf at this time of year you might have to keep watering if we get a dry summer (yeah right!).  Aslo if you seed you'll need to keep off it, I would keep off till next spring. It looks pretty flat so that's a plus.

Hope you enjoy your garden as much as I do mine munroar

Garden Gallery 2013

Chicky all my photos this year have been taken with my iPhone4 as my proper camera broke on holiday.

Mrs Garden I'm in North Derbyshire, and apart from Buckeye Belle the others are still in bud. They all are pretty heavy with buds though.

Nut, my Iris Black Swan is over, but Roseplic has its first flower open

new garden

Agree with all above, would also add Clematis Freckles, Virbunum Bodnantse (large, but slow growing shrub) which flowers all through winter with a beautiful scent, Rosemary in mild winters will flower at Christmas, Sarcoccoca Hookeriana (Christmas Box) flowers in early spring with a wonderful scent. The thing to remember is winter flowering plants tend to have small flowers, but quite often a wonderful scent. 

Gardeners World Live tomorrow

Photo uploads - I find I have to resize mine to make them smaller - generally 800x600 pixels uploads quickly. I use a little invaluable free program called Irfanview which is a really simple graphic editor

Cloud pruning anyone?

Hello I'm a Lily Beetle, come and get me!

My Corkscrew Hazel - Thanks

Gardening as part of the National Curriculum

Dilemma - Corkscrew Hazel

Speed gardening

Hampton Court Palace Show

Calling Mrs P - or anyone who can grow Verbena bonariensis from seed

I have my first courgette!

Push mowers