Sparklepinksunflower

Seeds for next year.

coor you're keen gloucestergirl i am still trying to get on top of this year still with the garden  

Advice for a novice

what would you like you pots to do?

Provide colour, shape, texture, be good for insects, be edible?

Do you want something permanent? or something to fill in the gap before planting for summer?

Talkback: Growing lupins

last year mine were attacked by the biggest fattest grey aphids you have ever seen in your life, this year the snails got them. but then the snails got everything in my garden this year

Hollyhock Rust

Hi All, My hollyhocks have been decimated by rust this year. I normally get a little bit but its just been stupid this year. The plants are half of what they normally are.Spraying has been totally useless as it was never dry for more then a day or so.  

Can I replant holly hocks in the same place or will the spores over winter in the soil and just reinfect me all over again?

Do the rust reistant ones actally resist rust?

Or anyone have any other suggestions for another plant that might work well in stead.

Its a south facing garden and the beds are in full sun, mainly clay soil, but has been very well worked over the years so lovely and well draining.

I like the height of holly hocks and the length of time they flower for allowing me to effectivly screen the flat down stairs patio doors during the summer as its a shared garden (the people down stairs dont utilise the garden at all apart from hanging washing out so have free reign to do nearly what ever i want )

couldn't get away with anything perminate like a wall (as much as I would love to) or even shrubs so perenials are perfect, we dont sit in the garden much between Oct & March, so just need something that will that will work late spring right throug to early Autunm. 

i am rubbish at growing sweet peas so please dont suggest wigwams of SPs  

oh and i am skint right now, so nothing expensive and I work long hours so nothing too needy  

Talkback: Dealing with lily beetle

I've had very little trouble with the little bugg@rs this year so far. the wet weather has made it really difficult for them (the only benifit of the rain).

I will be doing my lily beetle patrols again and picking them off and stamping on them  

but my lilies are pretty confused this year. a lot didn't make it through the winter  The tiger lilies have been decimated by snails, the star gazers are a couple of weeks late, still waiting on the tree lilies to show. Longiflorums only 2 have made an appearance and they are normally nearly over by now and they are only just forming flower buds

What's loving all this rain?

@jatnik 

We had hailstones the size of marbles last week and the garden already unhappy was battered by them. all my hostas, pumpkins, courgettes, nasteruims - anything will a flat wide leaf, got punctured by the hail

 On top of that the slugs and snails that are constantly having parties in my boarders, its been so wet that i haven't fed anything this year so its all sulking in their pots, the hollyhocks have rusted away to nothing. My roses all seem to of got black spot and its never dry enough to spray them. And everything else has been eaten by the bl00dy snails 

The garden is a total state

My irises were amazing in April/May from all the rain.

Grass solutions

Its suprising how much seed birds can eat! Re seed your dodgy areas, only just covering the seed and then put scare crows everywhere (it wont look very pretty but will work)

I ended up using loads of old CDs on a network of string and bamboo canes all over the lawn and it did the trick

Is there anything that can go in now for an autumn crop ?

beetroot would work, carrots might be worth a bash, if you go for the golf ball ones.

if you buy some established plants, courgettes, toms etc you will prob get some crops  

identification

lovely plant, but once you have it you can not get rid!! I will re seed everywhere. You will be giving every house guest plants to take away home  

slug slime

 i have mentioned my bucket of snails a couple of times. This was collected in an alarmingly short period of time

Crocosmia has croaked it!

Writing a Name on a pumpkin

What to do with a bucket of snails!!

Carrots have feelings too

Hollyhock Rust

Why don't Sunflower Seeds Compost!!!

When Best to liquid feed in the rain!!!

My Calla actually can!!!

Moldy Compost Disaster :(