[Help] Gardeners Question Time.

[Jack Straw]

I've got one called Emily McKenzie. It's a beautiful orange colour with a brown middle and the flowers are quite big. only grows to about 18", so doesn't droop around like Lucifer. It flowers a bit later in the year than most Crocosmias.

Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora 'Emily McKenzie' | montbretia 'Emily McKenzie' Herbaceous Perennial/RHS

Find help & information on Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora 'Emily McKenzie' montbretia 'Emily McKenzie' Herbaceous Perennial from the RHS

www.rhs.org.uk

 

[The Grockle]

I've got one called Emily McKenzie. It's a beautiful orange colour with a brown middle and the flowers are quite big. only grows to about 18", so doesn't droop around like Lucifer. It flowers a bit later in the year than most Crocosmias.

Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora 'Emily McKenzie' | montbretia 'Emily McKenzie' Herbaceous Perennial/RHS

Find help & information on Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora 'Emily McKenzie' montbretia 'Emily McKenzie' Herbaceous Perennial from the RHS

www.rhs.org.uk

Ours are really upright but start to get a bit floppy by late August.

I'm a massive fan of Crocosmia, we have a clump of George Davidson that stays erect and flowers right up till late September. The group work really well with ornamental grasses IMO

 

[The Grockle]

Ours are really upright but start to get a bit floppy by late August.

I'm a massive fan of Crocosmia, we have a clump of George Davidson that stays erect and flowers right up till late September. The group work really well with ornamental grasses IMO

This little clump only gets a few hours sun in the morning but still manages to brighten up a shady area beneath our magnolia.

 

[The Grockle]

Does anyone here grow Crocosmia?

I planted about 200 Culms a couple of years ago which have started form nice clumps through the borders.

Not sure if I have a problem. It's been incredibly mild here and we're in a bit of microclimate. We usually get only a handful of frosts a year and very light, so far none at all. The crocosmia have started to sprout not all only those in the most sheltered parts of the garden!

Will the inevitable cold in January and February kill them off as they have sprouted so early? They normally start showing in early March!

I have a similar issue with some of my Hydrangeas. I have 4 Serrata Bluebirds that have all got buds that are leafing out already!

 

[jevs]

So here we are again. Anyone got anything started yet? Got my leeks and onion seeds in on the heat mat and under lights. Won't be long before potting the dahlia tubers up ready for cuttings.
I've got a big (5 x 1m) propagating bench that's going to be built in the Rockery chalet with undersoil heating cables hopefully ready in a few weeks.

 

[Weststander]

I’ll be mulching borders soon, through recent experience I find it’s better to do it earlier whilst the soil’s sodden.

Also hard pruning say a third of the trees/shrubs in my mixed natives hedge.

 

[tedebear]

Broad beans, tomatos, onions all underway. Winter veg still going strong lettuces and cauliflowers. Front garden and back garden tidied and ready for filling of gaps soon as it was all moved around last year...I swapped allotment so its all a bit out of whack at the moment whilst I tidy up the new one and work out what I want to do and where...

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Weather is too poor here to start anything. It's either too cold, too windy, too wet or all three.

 

[Weststander]

Weather is too poor here to start anything. It's either too cold, too windy, too wet or all three.

I do dread going out in it, to start the year’s gardening.

 

[happypig]

Got chillies and peppers in the heated propagator.
Spent the last couple of days pruning the apple trees and bought some tree wash to spray on them to hopefully stop the bugs.

I like it when we get to this stage, feels like better days ahead.

 

[Jack Straw]

So here we are again. Anyone got anything started yet? Got my leeks and onion seeds in on the heat mat and under lights. Won't be long before potting the dahlia tubers up ready for cuttings.
I've got a big (5 x 1m) propagating bench that's going to be built in the Rockery chalet with undersoil heating cables hopefully ready in a few weeks.

I've got 3 packets of these;

Echium X Wildpretii 'Red Rocket' Seeds (15 seeds) (Tower of Jewels) - Plant World Seeds

Echium X Wildpretii 'Red Rocket' Seeds (15 seeds) (Tower of Jewels) - Plant World Seeds. The amazing show-stopper, Echium wildpretii, is one of the world's most impressive plants with its 3 to 4 foot spike of raspberry-red flowers erupting from a swan's nest of thin, grey hairy leaves. But it...

www.plant-world-seeds.com

Would you fancy trying to grow them for me? You can of course, keep a percentage of the plants.

 

[mikeyjh]

Trees are my thing, am in the process of germinating 770 cells worth of Alder, Elder, Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Rowan, Crabapple, Silver Birch & Hazel from seeds I've collected around our land. Have just planted out about 400 saplings from last year, I'll be giving some away this year!

Other half is the gardener, has got onions on the go, garlic planted in the autumn going well. This year, we've created a large new section of 'no dig' beds for all sorts of stuff and I big deep raised section for carrots. So looking forward to this year!

 

[jevs]

I've got 3 packets of these;

Echium X Wildpretii 'Red Rocket' Seeds (15 seeds) (Tower of Jewels) - Plant World Seeds

Echium X Wildpretii 'Red Rocket' Seeds (15 seeds) (Tower of Jewels) - Plant World Seeds. The amazing show-stopper, Echium wildpretii, is one of the world's most impressive plants with its 3 to 4 foot spike of raspberry-red flowers erupting from a swan's nest of thin, grey hairy leaves. But it...

www.plant-world-seeds.com

Would you fancy trying to grow them for me? You can of course, keep a percentage of the plants.

Of course...as usual

 

[The Grockle]

I’ll be mulching borders soon, through recent experience I find it’s better to do it earlier whilst the soil’s sodden.

Also hard pruning say a third of the trees/shrubs in my mixed natives hedge.

Did our mulching before this cold snap, used 1000 litres which was absolutely backbreaking

 

[vegster]

Trees are my thing, am in the process of germinating 770 cells worth of Alder, Elder, Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Rowan, Crabapple, Silver Birch & Hazel from seeds I've collected around our land. Have just planted out about 400 saplings from last year, I'll be giving some away this year!

Other half is the gardener, has got onions on the go, garlic planted in the autumn going well. This year, we've created a large new section of 'no dig' beds for all sorts of stuff and I big deep raised section for carrots. So looking forward to this year!

In recent years I have fallen in love with Damsons, Damson Jam and Damson Gin being the two best reasons... I thought I would try to grow some Damsons from seeds that I took out before making jam....sadly had no luck at all. Followed instructions of chilling them before sowing in order to get them to germinate but sadly nothing. I would really love to grow 30-40 damsons and then " guerrilla " garden by planting them alongside local bridleways and footpaths, I just think it would be lovely to leave these little gifts out there for walkers and foragers.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Yesterday I Planted out a lot of bare rooted field maple, wild privet and rosa rugosa …….part way through this one turned up….so close that you could have bent down and stroked it……first made off with a ball of twine …a few of my plants …then tried a heavy mallet

 

[The Tassie Seagull]

So here we are again. Anyone got anything started yet? Got my leeks and onion seeds in on the heat mat and under lights. Won't be long before potting the dahlia tubers up ready for cuttings.
I've got a big (5 x 1m) propagating bench that's going to be built in the Rockery chalet with undersoil heating cables hopefully ready in a few weeks.

My little veggie patch is going nicely this year. Picking cucumbers, tomatoes, beetroot, carrots, climbing and bush beans. Also had good rhubarb, plums, blackberries, just waiting for the kiwis and corn.

 

[vegster]

So here we are again. Anyone got anything started yet? Got my leeks and onion seeds in on the heat mat and under lights. Won't be long before potting the dahlia tubers up ready for cuttings.
I've got a big (5 x 1m) propagating bench that's going to be built in the Rockery chalet with undersoil heating cables hopefully ready in a few weeks.

No rush to get anything going this early...maybe sow some Leeks but that's all. Will get my propagator out in 2-3 weeks but there is little point going mad now.

 

[mikeyjh]

In recent years I have fallen in love with Damsons, Damson Jam and Damson Gin being the two best reasons... I thought I would try to grow some Damsons from seeds that I took out before making jam....sadly had no luck at all. Followed instructions of chilling them before sowing in order to get them to germinate but sadly nothing. I would really love to grow 30-40 damsons and then " guerrilla " garden by planting them alongside local bridleways and footpaths, I just think it would be lovely to leave these little gifts out there for walkers and foragers.

That's a fantastic idea, really like that Could it be that the stones you are using are coming from cultivars and may be difficult to germinate? I know more about trees than I did a year ago but my knowledge is still basic! I tried several different methods mainly with hazel last year and my conclusion is that if they want to germinate they will. I left some in a tub of sand and they mostly germinated and are 2 ft tall now.

 

[mile oak]

Does this thread extend to fencing? Could be a busy one if does