Posts by: gilly

Angie....this sounds incredible. What a lot of work? Would love to see the pics if you can do this!
I also love the Himalayan Blue Poppies...but the two I bought for 7.99 EACH last year did not appear this year, after a gorgeous display last year! Maybe they were in too dry a position? I recall reading they dislike these conditions. Pah!
Sticking with my ENORMOUS Oriental poppies, those are truly, brazenly beautiful this year. Though what all this rain will do I don't know.
I too liked the Heuchera man...wasn't he a treat? Except I don't share your passion FOR THE PLANTS,(sorry!) as you can tell with the poppies I like BIG DRAMA in the garden. Daft, but true.
The Madame Alfred Carriere roses are out and the scent is STUPENDOUS.
Am worried about the slugs with my runner and french beans.Wil the rains never end!??
Must go or will run out of adjectives!
Keep digging!
Gill.

Did anYone have a favourite garden at Chelsea? I thought the coverage was excellent on BBC, Alan and especially Diarmuid doing so well.Wish I could have gone....
Liked the Roman garden enormously. Enjoyed the Histoical theme. Charlie boy did well too, didn't he?
Wonderful bit on foxgloves, my favourite plant so far this year. I have LOADS of them this year, different colours...can recommend!
TATA! g. XX

My favourite show recently was Gardens of the Millennium....so interesting. Was it on the History Channel? Think I would love to plant a truly medieval garden...perhaps a project for another house!

I thank all for your replies. Maybe I will just tie their hands and feet togther and watch them play HARRY HOUDINI.
Tried to get them interested in gardening, but to no avail. Even the treasure chest thing didn't work as they would just dig up my lupins or canterbury bells. Sigh.
Anyone know any gipsies I can sell 'em to????

There is a repellant from pet stores and vets that works for puppies....may be this will work. Supposed to be for house training...but you never know. For cats it is washing liquid...i.e. Ariel (biological) then vinegar. Give it a whirl!

I agree, Thompson and Morgan are really good, but once had a duff batch and they replaced asap. Ordered imaptiens from Garden Direct and were AWFUL!!!!! This year.
No on etold me how easy to grow from seed. Do this with almost all now. Best results and if fails....my fault!
G. xx :D

Sorry I have been away for ages, Angie, but the garden beckons...also doing some work on the PC ...i.e. my new novel. Perhaps I will get one published one day....(yeah!)
Never got your email address. Shucks!
Still happy? Or not? Garden getting along okay?
Still only surviving member of Simon fan club. Maybe we will get a new series soon, but better than nowt! CHEERS! (Still have the vodka ready, just in case they call.....Safeways have a new alcohol section at our local...looks like a Spanish bodega with the most amazing drinks! Just like being on holiday! Me, I am saving up for a bottle of Havanna Club Rum!)

Re. the cats question. I have two cats and they use other people's gardens so that is fine.
Any ideas how to keep kids off???????
I have three....why do they insist of playing football. Can't they go in other people's too???
(Rather tongue in cheek posting...by the way before you call the NSPCC!!)
:D

Some fab climbers about. Get yourself an inddor plants book, there are a good few about in garden centres.
Palms are great, though watch out for scorching.
I have probs with greenfly though. Watch out for the blighters.
Why have they taken all the fly sprays off the market by the way?

Well, my old maties...Simon and Ryan are back on for a while, even if they are repeats.
Come on UKSTYLE...WE ALL WANT BETTER PROGRAMMES!!!
Especially wiv' Simon, oh and Ryan!

Thanks UKSTYLE!
The lads are back on!! Huzzah!

What has happened to Simon and Ryan? (Swoon?) Any hopes of a new series?
Sulking, as fed up of all others. (Sorry, except Real Gardens on Discovery!!)

:(

Try Benlate about now, fortnightly. Mine had this and cured it, some kinda fungus, apple trees get EVERYTHING!
Last year it blew down in strong winds...oh well!!

HI!

The wonder of woolies, continued.
I bought a sweet cherry (gean) from Woolies last year, just a stick, and this year it is wonderful. (Half price!) Flowers aplenty.
Just being a bit obtuse, as bought it for ornamental reasons, but will this give any fruit? Not knowing whether, of course, this is self pollinating or not? Perhaps it is a wait and see thing.
Has anyone else bought one of these?
p.s Bought all my trees in sales (at different places) and all doing well this year. Makes you feel.....good!!!

There are some REALLY rubbishy garden progs. on Ukstyle lately, and I have stopped watching it. Even the 23rd repeat of another GROUND FORCE episode is NOT ENOUGH!
does ANYONE KNOW WHENMY LOVELY kNIBBSY IS COMING BACK???? Pref. with a new series of Gardens Unplugged?
Sulking.
:(

This may sound mad, but I saw a thrush today in the lilac tree. A blackbird was chasing him all around the garden.
This is the first one I have seen for a year. Do you remember how many there used to be about.
Does your cat sit and watch the birds from your window Angie?
My narly eleven year old fluffy one finds he cannot do anything else these days.
GOOD TIP FOR CAT ACCIDENTS.
To prevent cats from "spending a penny" in the same place again...or to deter tom cats from spraying up your door.
Clean with Persil...(or any biological liquid) followed by a dowsing in vinegar. Counteracts the ammonia.
My two boys are "snipped" but have a couple of uneautered bruisers coming around and if back door left open will come in and spray my walls. This seems to have worked.
Also to stop dogs pooing by your front gate...(or where ever) Zorflora (neat) Citrus scent. There is a big bottle available. (Keep re applying.) This was told to me by the local dog warden. Works! Otherwise, just shoot the owners!!!

What a great subject!

I found some white roses, dried like this, in an old book recently. They were from Bosworth field in 1984 when I went on a Richard 111 pilgrimage! It really cheered me up, you know, like finding an old photo!

THEY look really healthy, so will split up as advised and will plant them somewhere. My new trellis panels are up and looking good...(thanks for the idea Tommy Walsh) but need painting now! I hate that job. Grass is a bit trampled too.
My dwarf narcissus....got quite a few types from ASDA of all places.....are so wonderful. I just love the ones with"swept back hair"!!!
Watched Alan...and although would be awfully good for absolute beginners...bit going over old ground for us do you think? Prettily photographed though. My sister liked it as knows nothing and is just getting interested in gardening.
There was a wonderful gardening programme with Geoffrey Smith...can't recall name...about the "history" of various popular plants...roses.lilies, rhododendron etc etc. Who brought them back, from where, and so on. I used to love that. Anyone remember it?
Anna....would look forward to a prog. with Sean Bean showing us his brassicas too. (See how I am lowering the tone again????)

Oh also, I have an actinidia kolmitika..(hope that is spelt right) It is wonderful with green leaves which look is if they have been dipped in white and pink paint. Bit slower grwoing, but mine took off like racehorse after a year. Looks good with pink roses.

I have had the same problem and planted three golden hops...though not much good in winter, but then the fence is in the back garden and I don't sit out on the patio in the cold months! They are rapid growers, and look GORGEOUS with a purple jackmanii clematis grwoing through 'em. Any good at brewing your own beer???? (Have also tried these in pots and they were covered in mildew after a month or two. No probs. in soil.)

Isn't it exciting, spring is just around the corner...but shall I hear from any of you now the weather is turning to all things practical?
My mini daffs were very pleasing! Bought some into the house in painted pots! Tulips...(as per earlier instructions...)are coming up in THEIR pots, but the dry bulb snowdrops I bought from Sainsburys and Boasted about to everyone...(oh you don't need to buy them in the green...) all came up blind. Never mind, serves me right. Shall plant them in the garden from their pots and hope for better things next year.
Have my new trellis and poles ready for putting up..(waiting for the labourer....husband!) The lawn needs cutting, and all the leaves and buds are appearing. Now only if it would stop raining I could get out and start some work! I have pruned all clematis that needs doing, roses are done, climbers re tied and I am STILL spraying roses for blackspot. (I do not think they have dropped ANY leaves this winter.)
Seeds are coming along just fine. I like this bit best. Alan Titchmarsh said in the R.T last week, "There is nothing nicer than planting a seed and watching it grow into a flower". Paradise!
Are we watching his show this week? Or will we think we know it all and not bother? I think not! Let's give it a whirl. Must be better than Home Front Inside Out/Home front in the Garden these days......
Needed to get out there today but SO MUCH rain, took the boys to see Lord Of The Rings instead and cried when gorgeous Sean Bean died. (Wonder if he likes a bit of double digging? Looks like an allotment man!)

Angie...never got you email address!

I haven't even seen when gardeners world live is this year. Hope it doesn't coincide with my hols this year. Have you got the dates? My husband cannot bear to go, or the boys, so if you still want to go? Sorry I have no room at my small house! But plenty of reasonable hotels around for you and/or Tilley.
Are you enjoying the beginning of SPRING?
Have broken the lids of one of my cool boxes, so annoyed, but nothing to your horrible burglary. I hope they catch them

Dry shade....is Vinca too boring? There is a nice varieagated one available.I have some dry shaded areas and have improved soil with load of compost and keep in well watered. Have some nice hardy gernaiums, ladies mantle_ alchemilla mollis (now there's a good herb) which grows ANYWHERE and even foxgloves and lupins at the back. As long as well watered in summer, I get a good show, and these back onto conifers which make the soil so dry is AWFUL!

I have heard they dislike pruning, am I right Angie? I have one in a pot, so will also be pleased to hear any tips for the future. I have avoided them for now.
I have just bought a rowan for my garden, a sorbus cashmiriani. Eight feet tall and a snip at 10.00 as last years stock from the local garden centre. That should ward off the evil spirits. (New age me filtering out!)
Good luck Sara!

I have heard they dislike pruning, am I right Angie? I have one in a pot, so will also be pleased to hear any tips for the future. I have avoided them for now.
I have just bought a rowan for my garden, a sorbus cashmiriani. Eight feet tall and a snip at 10.00 as last years stock from the local garden centre. That should ward off the evil spirits. (New age me filtering out!)
Good luck Sara!