Shrinking Violet

Talkback: Unpleasant plant smells

Jengil - I sympathise, though for me it wasn't a plant smell but a perfume:  Poison.  It was so heavy and sickly that I had to ask a member of staff not to wear it because it affected me so badly.  And I can't stand it to this day.  (fortunately, it's not particularly popular, I think.  A bit like Brut aftershave - yuk!) 

Sorry - drifted away from plant smells.  But I can remember only too well that perfume smell nearly a quarter of a century ago!!!!

What's the weather like in your area?

Warmish (19C) and bright sunshine.  Lots of clouds, though, and we had a very sharp shower this morning - just as I was unloading shopping from the car.  But at least it isn't as cold as it was the other day.  And the garden is looking at its very best - full of colour from foxgloves (love them, too, Frank) and lupins which I grew from seed - and the colours are a bit of a surprise.  Not too sure about the pink one next to the oriental poppies!  Everything else in full fig, too, and it looks great.  The rain has done the plants a power of good. 

What's the weather like in your area?

Well, I was right, and we sent our rain across the country.  But it is now dry, the sun is shining, although it is rather windy.  So hopefully the weather in central and eastern parts will gradually improve, too.

Janet 4 - thanks for the info.  We are making no headway in the moving lark, since the housing market seems to have stalled, and there is very little interest being shown atm.  It hasn't helped that Porlock has had some building work and a new relief road built, so it has looked like a building site!  Oh, well, perhaps it'll settle down and if we get some better weather, people will think more readily about moving.  Until then - we're rather stuck waiting for things to happen this end before we can seriously put in an offer on anything in Tiverton

sweet williams

Gardeningfantic - if you set seed this year, then you can look forward to blooms next year.  So be patient, nurture you little plants, even if they seem a bit on the weak side, and, fingers crossed, you'll be well rewarded this time next year.

Perhaps I confused things by referring to my "last year's plants" - by that I meant they had been sown in 2010, bloomed pretty well in 2011 and are going strong now in 2012.  But I wouldn't expect much from them next year.

WHITE LEAVES

I'm not sure that I would put them under a cloche now.  Although the temperatures have been pretty low, the wind will strengthen the roots if they aren't staked and the rain will do them good.  They will be checked a little in growth when it is cool, but should pick up pretty quickly in the warm.

Hope that helps.

sweet williams

As sotongeoff says, they are usually treated as biennial.  However, I remember my mother having them in her garden, and not planting freshly each year, so I have experimented.  This year, I have a wonderful display, and they are last year's plants.  I suspect that two years (or three at a stretch) is the most you can get out of them, so I shall renew the plants next time.  But I don't think they would be suitable for dividing.

What's the weather like in your area?

It's chucking it down.  And the rain is moving east, so we'll share this cold, wet misery with as many of you as we can

Talkback: Unpleasant plant smells

There can be nothing worse imo than privet flowers.  They smell like cats wee, and it is particularly sickly on a warm day.  Needless to say, I have no privet hedges in my garden!

Pansies

Have you inspected the roots?  It could be that they have been waterlogged, even though you say they look as if they need water.  Waterlogging would cause the roots to rot.

The other possible culprit is the dreaded vine weevil - the grubs, which look like white "C" shapes with a brown head, eat the roots, and plants will suddenly keel over.

What's the weather like in your area?

Sunshine and clouds - and it looks as if the sun will win the battle today.  At least it's dry, although quite a bit cooler.  I felt sorry for everyone watching the pageant in London yesterday - we had a bit of rain late afternoon, but nothing like the soaking in the capital.

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