houndzrus Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 what a great idea Mary. I bet it will be a lovely surprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mags Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Well done Cheryl What a nice surprise for your OH Mary Debbie is a very pretty girl. I planted a clematis in the flower bed last year but it didn't do well. So late in the summer (and I use that term loosely lol) I moved it and thought I had killed it off altogether. But this year it seems to be coming on nicely with a lot of buds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) Murtle what a lovely surprise for him I'm attempting to make compost. Should be interesting. The only problem is that I've already pruned all my plants and so most of the prunings have gone into the council compost bin. So far I've added two loads of grass clippings, a whole pineapple, some apples, potato peelings, cardboard tubes from loo roll, newspaper, egg shells, tea bags and some other bits and pieces. I need more 'green' stuff to add nitrogen, although I can add diluted wee for nitrogen too, so maybe I'll have to pee in a container I've used an old plastic dustbin with lid and also bought a collapsible composter from Morrisons for £3 so I can have one lot rotting down while I'm using another which has already rotted. Next time I see my neighbour I'll scrounge some clippings off him. Edited March 29, 2012 by merledogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 I have drilled holes in the bottom of my composter. Unfortunately I drilled right through an earthworm Poor little chap. I've moved a couple of plants into containers, then dug over part of the border where they were with a mix of ericaceous compost and pine needles (from a friend's Christmas tree) and planted out a couple of the young Camellias. I've got two Clematis to plant out but I can't decide where to plant them (not much choice left because I've planted out so many ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yantan Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Alex I thought earthworms could regenerate a missing part depending on which segment of their body they get dissected - or is that an urban myth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murtle Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Thank you, well he really enjoyed the garden and we have been able to have an impromptu BBQ and sit and admire the hard work! I have left a few of the sticky buds and nettles in for the lady bugs (real lady bugs, I was very excited on seeing them and didn't want to destroy their homes). Now I just have to continue watering them to keep them going and I have some farmyard manure to put into the garden...poo stink!! Yantan it would appear that some are able to indeed! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7618602/Worms-regeneration-ability-unravelled-by-scientists.html You are very wise Alex, we have just the one compost bin which makes getting the good stuff at the bottom out a little hard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 (edited) Alex I thought earthworms could regenerate a missing part depending on which segment of their body they get dissected - or is that an urban myth? Apparently they can if dissected, but they need at least half their body intact and it must be the top half. I don't know which bit I drilled through. Murtle - that's why proper compost bins have doors at the bottom I didn't want to buy one though in case I got bored with compost making, hence making one lot in an old bin and another in a £3 jobbie (which does have a flap at the bottom from what I can see). Edited March 31, 2012 by merledogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 I've got a compost bin but had to move it this year as we put a couple of sheds where it was, so left the contents of the bin where it was to dig into the soil. Though it had been there a couple of years I wasn't that impressed with my compost making efforts. Maybe didn't have the right mix for breaking it down - should have got the dogs to wee in it What do pine needles do for the soil Alex? Sorry to sound thick but do they have to be from dead trees? I've got a few pine trees of varying types and sizes in the garden - they seem to be popular in this area. We've got a problem with the drains and part of our garden is having to be dug up next week. It would have to be the bit where I'd just planted my new rose bushes and a weigela so I've had to dig them up and put them in pots for the time being. One of the rose bushes is looking distinctly sorry for itself now - hope I'm not going to lose it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griff Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Eve could you give it some food to perk it up a bit??? well Done Bejo :biggrin: could everyone keep their fingers crossed for my dogwood please?? it got sick last year ... i think diseased and in order to save it it had to be very harshly cut back, i have got food for it and fed it and it looks to have new leaves growing though which at this precise moment in time look healthy we have had the bush for 28 years and my late nan gave it to me there are 2 plants in my garden at the back and both came from her..... i couldn't bare to lose it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Fingers crossed for your dogwood griffalo I've got a compost bin but had to move it this year as we put a couple of sheds where it was, so left the contents of the bin where it was to dig into the soil. Though it had been there a couple of years I wasn't that impressed with my compost making efforts. Maybe didn't have the right mix for breaking it down - should have got the dogs to wee in it What do pine needles do for the soil Alex? Sorry to sound thick but do they have to be from dead trees? I've got a few pine trees of varying types and sizes in the garden - they seem to be popular in this area. We've got a problem with the drains and part of our garden is having to be dug up next week. It would have to be the bit where I'd just planted my new rose bushes and a weigela so I've had to dig them up and put them in pots for the time being. One of the rose bushes is looking distinctly sorry for itself now - hope I'm not going to lose it Pine needles are good for acid loving plants such as Camellias (which I plan to plant in that border) Rose bushes are pretty much indestructible in my experience so hopefully it'll be okay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yantan Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Griff I hope your dogwood will be OK. My neighbour has one and I love it. She did cut it back really hard one year but it grew back to it's former size in no time at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 I've planted out the last of the zillions of Climbers which I bought from Morrisons. One has gone by the twisted hazel, so it can wind its way through it and the other has gone on the same 'leg' of the pergola as another one, so the two will produce contrasting colours. Not sure how many of the Clematis are going to survive - a few of them have had their leaves stripped by slugs and others seem to have stood still in growing terms. The two Honeysuckles are growing well though, so may end up with a few more of those if the Clematis don't take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 I may have bought some new plants I went to B&Q and got a couple of fragrant evergreen climbers (Clematis armandii and Star jasmine) and a peony bulb (Sarah Bernhardt) which was on sale. I put some of the Camellias into pots so now just the ones which are going in the borders still waiting to go in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mags Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 Tips for slug repellant: Coffee grounds. Get out your caffetiere or percolator or whatever tickles your fancy, enjoy your coffee and then spread the grounds around the stem of your plant. Egg shells. Crush up egg shells, not too small, and sprinkle around your plants. Slugs don't like crawling over the shells as obviously they stick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 The first of the Rhodos is flowering She's put on a better display this year because I pinched out the dead flowers last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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