rosie plum

Identifying a shrub

hi a picture would be a great help. being a shrub i thought escallonia at first but the leaf description dosent match, it kind of sounds like rhododendron prunifolium but again not the right leaf shape, could they be hardy geranium (cranesbill)..well if you google any of these you can see for yourself...

2 year-old Choisya ternata

try watering the vine weevil potion onto any plants already there, as removing the soil now is not likely to help much, rather like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted, in my own experience any plants not too badly eaten were all fine after treatment....so persevere but get it down quickly as iv spotted adult weevil in my garden already, i found mature plants to be largely unaffected by the weevil, and there are plenty of other critters, quite often a combination of them attacking our plants!!!let us know how you get on wont you??

All year round Wall basket - drought resistant!

its a tough one..ivies spring to mind, and are good all yea,r for flowers its a tough one...you could pop some nasturtiums as they do ok in bad soil and will flower and trail although you will have to water some...most things in containers really need regular watering, but you could add some moisture retentive crystals to the compost and the plastic liner already suggested, i would leave an inch from the top of the containers in order to allow a good soaking when you do water, im sure if you check around this site or google drought resistant plants then a good many will be suitable...a lot of alpines like sun and free draining soil but to find something suitable for winter then i would go with ivy and change to primroses and crocuses in spring, and so on throughout the seasons with the ivy as your constant

How to give feedback about the new site

well my wishlist would be able to stream gardeners world episodes as unfortunatly bbc player isnt available in my area, it wont work outside of the uk,well here in ireland, so if i miss it on tv i cant watch it online..its such a shame...its a pity the even much older proogrammes cant be made available as i watched quite a few on youtube, but there arent that many to watch...

How to give feedback about the new site

Hi all, im new to this site but have been a lifelong fan of gardeners world. i find the site great for advice and the tutorials are brilliant (if a little short) I love hearing of other gardeners problems and both giving and taking advice.....some great ideas out there..all my friends and family dont like gardening and i see their eyes glaze over if i even mention it!!!so its great to be able to interact with fellow gardening nuts!!!!this site is perfect for rainy afternoons when i cant be outside 

Talkback: Tomatoes, aubergines and peppers

i sow a little bit of everything inbetween shrubs and flowers, i sow potatoes in bad ground and it loosens the soil for next year...if my lettuces bolt i let them go to seed and collect that and dig it in as a green manure so not all is lost, if something really doesent do well or fails altogether then i try something else or a different place...i think by keeping such a mix of things it works and the predators have hiding places to attack the bugs, and im starting to see articles about my inadvertant type of gardening and its called permaculture, instead of digging over a new bed i tend to lay cardboard, use a cheap wooden framework or none at all and fill the area with compost etc, i use grass clippings for the paths around it and despite having horrendous heavy stony clay, by the next year i am able to easily sink down to a whole spit depth (before this on  my untreated ground i broke pickaxes and didnt reach an inch down), and the earthworms are bloody massive!!!i know straight rows look great but for me this works as i have a bad back and this no dig or gentle digging suits me perfectly...

Bog gardening

cant wait for photos...sounds lovely...im watching my gunnera mannicata growing at the moment..it makes a monster of a plant...google it, its one of my favs if you have room for it!!

the best plants for wet weather?

if you just check out plants that like shade by doing an internet search you will find many, add some grit or sand and lots of compost for drainage and most plants will survive, if your not northfacing or in really deep shade...ferns are  great one and for colour try plants like dicentra (bleeding heart) there are so many to choose from so not knowing the conditions or soil type its hard to suggest particular ones

Tool Storage Solution

its a great idea and looks well, how is it attached to the wall???it certainly beats my method of a bit of wood nailed to the wall..with some screws to hook or balance the tools on...looks like it could be a winner if you approached garden centres to get them to try stock it, best of luck with your course and this great project!!

Green Pond

a tip to prepare your pond for next year is to plant as much shade giving plants now..gunnera mannicata (giant rhubarb) is fabulous for this and loves soggy sites plus light shade or sun suits it and it grows enormous if you have room for one...clear out any vegetation that has died back as it will enrich the water as it rots...try the above suggestions from everyone and hopefully with good maintenance and lovely new plants (always looking for an excuse to buy more) then your pond will flourish...

gunnera manicata

potting bench

dirty nails

slugs and snails