Salino

MORNING FORKERS

...I've just noticed the discussion on Cornish gardens and that some of you may be visiting in the near future.... I don't know if you've heard of this garden at all, but I used to live nearby and it's such a lovely place that isn't touted quite so much perhaps because it's privately owned.. It's called Pine Lodge, at St Austell...and is the home of Mr and Mrs Clemo - great plant collectors...

It's situated between Heligan and Eden Project, not far from either, but it's less commercialised... or used to be so...

http://www.pinetumpark.com/

...might be of interest - I hope so...

...oh, and good afternoon....

Greenhouse Advice

...I can't offer too much advice but first of all, I think a 10 x 8 should be fine for most home gardeners. and ideally it should be sited east/west... double sliding doors and 2 windows, with perhaps a louvre window too if possible...

I've only ever had glass so cannot comment on polycarbonate... I just think glass makes it look like a proper greenhouse...

mine is on paving slabs, but the base does need to be very level otherwise it might move in high winds...

I used to have one with a soil border but I grow everything in pots now, and I don't miss the soil really..

good solid staging is a must... you'll be putting lots of heavy things on it..

I have an 'Elite' greenhouse but I wouldn't recommend one, I think there are probably better ones going...

also, have guttering on each of the long sides with plastic connection pipes running to a water butt at one end.   It takes longer to fill than down pipes connected to your home but it's nice to have this as an extra... sometimes these connections to the guttering can get a bit loose and I tie waterproof tape around some of the joins as occasionally it can leak the water away instead of going to the butt..

don't know about drainage, I seem to have enough gap under the base so that if I hose it down the water runs away a bit to the outside...

one thing I do recommend is having somewhere to sit down, like a little stool or something, which doesn't take up much room,  as when it's chilly outside, if it's sunny, it can reach 21 degrees in there and you will just want to enjoy the warmth with a nice cup of tea...... grow nice winter salads too...

...have a lovely time...

...did I say I couldn't offer too much advice...?  lol ! .. sorry for rambling on but I love my greenhouse and I know you will enjoy yours just as much...

Our own A to Z of our Gardening

...I like Rehmannia's very much... - Chinese foxglove...

...Rhododendron 'Percy Wiseman'.... whoever he was,  I hope he was a nice enough gentleman as this is such a pretty little plant...  it's a couple of weeks behind this year...

Honeysuckle - best compost for potted plant

...aah...that's probably one of the more suitable for your purpose, I do hope it does well for you... I think in that case, if it was mine, I would top off the compost with some  purple pebbles or suchlike - make it look nice... so much choice for these decorative purposes that we can buy now... a bewildering array but I do like all the coloured stones... or plain chipped bark even... anyway,  best of luck with it...

Our own A to Z of our Gardening

...it's French....

Saint or sinner?.....don't like annuals

...aww, I've not heard of that one Verdun, thanks for pointing that out... I've just been looking at it... very nice indeed... I shall have that on my list for next season...

I've just noticed Sarah Raven is doing plug plants of 'Marine', but I'm full up for this year now...

...nice to hear of someone else who likes these plants... you don't hear of them as much as we should, I think...

Saint or sinner?.....don't like annuals

.....FG.... you do make me laugh...

Heliotrope 'Marine' is an annual I adore yet find it so hard to obtain... as plug plants that is... I used to see it on the south coast but not farther north... scented, upright little bushy purple headed plants to edge a border...

Make do and mend

...such ingenuity going on here....

Our own A to Z of our Gardening

..... of course you are, but we promise not to call you Florence... or was that the other one....

apart from Quercus rubur I can't think of any Q's, so if I may go on to R...?

....Roses...

here's a frilly, highly scented pinky, and suitable for ladies... 'Chartreuse de Parme'..

Honeysuckle - best compost for potted plant

...oh and another thing, although you may already know all this.... wood containers will rot quicker if in contact with soil and water... rather obviously.... you could paint them first or  what I do is line the wooden trough with something - I use stretched out black plastic bin liners with holes in the bottom for drainage - you can also get mesh inserts - ... and lay them inside the trough so they fill it out, and then put the compost mix in... it's a bit awkward to do but it keeps the mix away from the wood as much as possible, and these liners take about 3 million years to rot down, don't they...

Home Baking

Sweet Pea thread