[Help] Gardeners Question Time.

[Jack Straw]

Before starting full destruction mode It would be good to do some sort of wild life assessment - depending where you are you might find slow worms, newts , frogs or toads or some small mammals. The weird weather has meant that most of these are active at the moment when most should be hibernating. Depending on how long the garden has been left you also might find hedgehogs or foxes have dug dens under the chalet (depending on the base).

That is a very good point.

 

[wellquickwoody]

The hibiscus looks amazing! Probably my favourite tropical looking flower. So beautiful and vibrant. I love the tree fern bed with the cannas. The cannas are stunning but I wouldn't like to think how much you have to water the fern! Have you got an irrigation system set up? How quick is growth? Here in Eastbourne I think mine grow about 2-3 inches a year depending on the plant and its location..

The fern is growing at about an inch per year, which is why I bought a big one! I have not got irrigation set up yet in that garden, only for the pots on the deck/patio at the back of the house. I am just watering the fern nearly daily in summer, even then the fronds do get burnt on the harshest days. I am looking to add irrigation in the front but it will entail getting a pipe installed under the path which is stalling my thinking right now. More Hibiscus are planted but I am going to have to wait. Good spotting of what are not common or garden Cannas!

 

[wellquickwoody]

This is the only photo I could find of an exotic border I designed many years ago, in Queens Park Brighton. I did take lots of photos but I left them on the work computer six years' ago!

Good great stuff in the UK, the Peace Lily is flowering outdoors

 

[WATFORD zero]

The fern is growing at about an inch per year, which is why I bought a big one! I have not got irrigation set up yet in that garden, only for the pots on the deck/patio at the back of the house. I am just watering the fern nearly daily in summer, even then the fronds do get burnt on the harshest days. I am looking to add irrigation in the front but it will entail getting a pipe installed under the path which is stalling my thinking right now. More Hibiscus are planted but I am going to have to wait. Good spotting of what are not common or garden Cannas!

I'll identify them before Stat does, they are ****ing Huge Variegated Cannas aren't they

Is the availability/cost of water not a major factor when planning a garden where you are ?

 

[wellquickwoody]

I'll identify them before Stat does, they are ****ing Huge Cannas aren't they

Is the availability/cost of water not a major factor when planning a garden where you are ?

You are right, water ain’t cheap, which is why some Aussies look at me thinking I must be crazy! But the opposite is true of electricity when you have plenty of solar power on hand. We also have tanks which catch the rainwater which is then used on all the big pots on the decked area. One day I will be faced with water restriction in a dry summer, at which point the lawn will be sacrificed first. But you are allowed to continue to water by can etc etc.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

This is the only photo I could find of an exotic border I designed many years ago, in Queens Park Brighton. I did take lots of photos but I left them on the work computer six years' ago!

Lovely! Looks similar to some council beds here in Eastbourne and I love it! Was the trachy there already? Expensive otherwise at that size! And Echiums, one of my favourites, even the little native ones.

 

[Wardy's twin]

This is the only photo I could find of an exotic border I designed many years ago, in Queens Park Brighton. I did take lots of photos but I left them on the work computer six years' ago!

those tall ones are still there if this is by the entrance to childrens park from the pond

 

[Jack Straw]

those tall ones are still there if this is by the entrance to childrens park from the pond

That's the one. It was planted getting on for 20 years' ago.

 

[Jack Straw]

The Trachy was planted at the outset of the scheme. It was a completely bare area but for the life of me, I can't remember what was there before hand.
There was quite a lot of stuff nicked after it had been planted. We spread locally the rumour that the bigger plants were micro-chipped to reduce this happening!

 

[jevs]

The tall varigated Canna is a variety called Stuttgart.

 

[Wardy's twin]

These are in my compost pile. I have wood on the top if it to keep heat in and deter cats/birds from attacking the inmates. This is the first time I have seen that number together since I was a kid in central Woodingdean turning over corrugated iron sheets ...

 

[vegster]

View attachment 144730

These are in my compost pile. I have wood on the top if it to keep heat in and deter cats/birds from attacking the inmates. This is the first time I have seen that number together since I was a kit in central Woodingdean turning over corrugated iron sheets ...

Lovely sight! I get a fair few up my plot too in springtime.

 

[Wardy's twin]

Lovely sight! I get a fair few up my plot too in springtime.

One of my favourite creatures and good for the garden. i have had them in the garden since I moved here 1988 ( i introduced them as I cleared a site that was been cleared for building work with no regard for what was there) but generally have only seen the odd one or two together. This was the most I had seen together as out of frame there were 2 more and there were 2 others under another piece of would.

 

[vegster]

One of my favourite creatures and good for the garden. i have had them in the garden since I moved here 1988 ( i introduced them as I cleared a site that was been cleared for building work with no regard for what was there) but generally have only seen the odd one or two together. This was the most I had seen together as out of frame there were 2 more and there were 2 others under another piece of would.

I often find the baby ones in and around my compost heap, about 3" long and they look Copper coloured compared to the larger adults that border on silver grey often. LOADS of Wall lizards too these days despite them being " invaders " !

 

[Jack Straw]

View attachment 144730

These are in my compost pile. I have wood on the top if it to keep heat in and deter cats/birds from attacking the inmates. This is the first time I have seen that number together since I was a kit in central Woodingdean turning over corrugated iron sheets ...

I thought this was a still from the famous racer-snake / iguana, Attenborough programme?!

 

[Eric the meek]

View attachment 144730

These are in my compost pile. I have wood on the top if it to keep heat in and deter cats/birds from attacking the inmates. This is the first time I have seen that number together since I was a kit in central Woodingdean turning over corrugated iron sheets ...

I reckon there are 5 in that picture.

 

[Wardy's twin]

I often find the baby ones in and around my compost heap, about 3" long and they look Copper coloured compared to the larger adults that border on silver grey often. LOADS of Wall lizards too these days despite them being " invaders " !

The silvery ones are the males and the females are usually a bit browner. I have had a very silver one, a black one and a fair few dark brown. I think the coppery ones are a few years old (note they can live 20 years if lucky) but there are all sorts of patterning/colours due to local variations.

there is a newt just hiding next to the brown one

I did find 3 just born slowworms in the garden one summer, they were in a line in the grass edging at the bottom of a sunny wall about a foot a part. I was checking the edges before strimming.....These are a gold colour


the female is pregnant so they young one is from at least the previous year. these two were next to the 4 or 5 in the original picture

I assume you must live over Shoreham beach way for the wall lizards ( let me know if not) as that is teh only place I have seen them... Its strange I had some as a kid in the 60's as you could buy them then. They were outside getting some sun and they jumped out of the tank to my astonishment and disappeared.

View attachment small Lizard1.jpg

Used to be loads of common lizards in Woodingdean but very few there now as their habitat was bulldozed and built on..

 

[Wardy's twin]

I reckon there are 5 in that picture.

i think it was 4 with 3 very near (2 together as in my later picture and another little 1)

 

[FamilyGuy]

We had a colony of sloworms in our garden when we moved in 35 years ago and they too lived happily in my compost heap.
Unfortunately our cats found them to be delicious, so no more sloworms.

 

[zefarelly]

Cats are the tool of the devil, woeful creatures for British indigenous wildlife.

SLowworms on our alotment, and I remember them well from the riverbank on the beach when we were kids, lizards a rarer sight.

Newts are top dogs in our garden, few frogs by comparisson, but still a healthy amount.

We have a dog, as do several neighbours, and there are foxes about. Hardly any cats round here.