[Help] Gardeners Question Time.

[southstandandy]

Now the garden centres have reopened, has anyone been yet and are they chaotically busy?

Would like to get a few garden plants for my father but wonder whether it's too busy at the moment - any experiences this week?

 

[WATFORD zero]

Now the garden centres have reopened, has anyone been yet and are they chaotically busy?

Would like to get a few garden plants for my father but wonder whether it's too busy at the moment - any experiences this week?

I'd already made the decision to leave it a few days, but by doing that I've now realised I'll probably have to leave it long enough for them to re-stock

 

[lost in london]

A few questions for the experts if that's OK.

(1) This plan / weed grows through our hedge and into a rush bush, not unattractive but out of control. Worth keeping or should I try and get rid? The 'trunk' looks black and dead, but it clearly isn't!

 

[lost in london]

This little bush (currently about 4ft tall) grows in a border, doesn't really do much but fills a space. It has some black growth on it but otherwise seems healthy, can i just cut it back? (something wrong with the pic of the whole bush and it won't upload so hopefully this is enough)

 

[lost in london]

Weed or plant?

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I am trying to create a herb garden and have purchased the following 13 plants to be delivered on Saturday:

2 coriander, 2 garden mint, 2 parsley, 2 thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, sage and tarragon.

Presumably they will all grow outdoors? Do they survive the winter and grow again next year?

The space I have is a strip 6m x 0.5m. Soil is poor (quite dusty - that sort of sticks together when watered) but is a sunny spot.

How should I plant them up? Is there a best way of configuring the different plants in relation to each other?

 

[lost in london]

What is this, and what is it going to do? I planted it and I've been WiLB and it's doing much better than it did last year.

 

[lost in london]

Finally I've got a big pot with four or five canna lillies in it (photo won't upload for some reason), the lillies are about 2-3ft tall at the minute, got them from a neighbour. The pot is ugly, can I plant them in the ground, or is it best to leave them in the pot so I can put them in the shed over the winter? To be honest there's every chance they'll get smashed about by a football so I'm not too precious about them.

 

[Stat Brother]

Looking good. Get S.J. to very carefully dig out the Convulvulous and grass from beneath the rose. Convulvulous roots look like spaghetti and it is important to get every single bit out. Apparently, even a 1mm long piece left in the ground will produce a new plant.
Be careful when S.J. gets going on his forestry. He will ask for a chain-saw for his Birthday or Christmas, whatever comes first, and will be looking for stuff to saw down! You need certification for chain-saw use at work, but he will tell you he's not at "work" in your garden. You have been warned!

Thanks we'll give it a go.

If he takes to his work experience he's got more than half an eye on a Forestry City and Guiids at Brinsbury.

Chainsaw day will be renamed Black Friday.

 

[Greavsey]

Finally I've got a big pot with four or five canna lillies in it (photo won't upload for some reason), the lillies are about 2-3ft tall at the minute, got them from a neighbour. The pot is ugly, can I plant them in the ground, or is it best to leave them in the pot so I can put them in the shed over the winter? To be honest there's every chance they'll get smashed about by a football so I'm not too precious about them.

We've got 3 or 4 planted around our borders and have survived the last 3 winters buy cutting them down to within 5 cms, of the ground and then covering in mulch to over winter.

 

[jakarta]

Now the garden centres have reopened, has anyone been yet and are they chaotically busy?

Would like to get a few garden plants for my father but wonder whether it's too busy at the moment - any experiences this week?

Don't tend to go to Garden centres for Plants, we have an old-fashioned Nursery in West Chiltington (Sinnocks) which is brilliant. We didn't go first day as thought it would be a scrum, decided to go this Lunchtime with shopping list. Apart from a one way system through the place just like normal (well check out lady had a face shield. Probably around a dozen people in the place all social distancing. Got every plant on our list plus some feed and couple of bags of compost. Once pots, baskets and borders are planted up I don't suppose we will return for a while. Added bonus is we dropped into the Butchers and it is Venison and Wild Mushroom Sausage and Mash tonight!

 

[Notters]

I am trying to create a herb garden and have purchased the following 13 plants to be delivered on Saturday:

2 coriander, 2 garden mint, 2 parsley, 2 thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, sage and tarragon.

Presumably they will all grow outdoors? Do they survive the winter and grow again next year?

The space I have is a strip 6m x 0.5m. Soil is poor (quite dusty - that sort of sticks together when watered) but is a sunny spot.

How should I plant them up? Is there a best way of configuring the different plants in relation to each other?

The woody herbs like thyme and rosemary like the dry dusty soil as they come from the med. Mint grows like a weed anywhere in my experience. Parsley, basil, etc need more moisture. All like a lot of sun. Coriander needs putting in the bin

 

[Jack Straw]

This little bush (currently about 4ft tall) grows in a border, doesn't really do much but fills a space. It has some black growth on it but otherwise seems healthy, can i just cut it back? (something wrong with the pic of the whole bush and it won't upload so hopefully this is enough)

View attachment 123598

I'll do the easy ones first before I get stuck in with others!
Your photo is of a Griselinia littoralis. It's an Australasian shrub so the black bits are probably frost damage. I wouldn't worry about it. The do grow quite tall before you know it.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/8123/Griselinia-littoralis/Details

 

[Jack Straw]

A few questions for the experts if that's OK.

(1) This plan / weed grows through our hedge and into a rush bush, not unattractive but out of control. Worth keeping or should I try and get rid? The 'trunk' looks black and dead, but it clearly isn't!

View attachment 123597
View attachment 123596

I'm 99.9% sure that it is a Symphoricarpos albus or genus of (Snowberry). If it looks nice, leave it. If you don't like it, cut it down. It will come back and can spread slowly via runners under the soil, but not invasive.

 

[Jack Straw]

Weed or plant?

View attachment 123599
View attachment 123600

I have my guess but only 90% sure so I've sent the photo to an expert I know for verification. I'll be back when after they've got back to me. Of course, in the meantime, someone else might know for certain.

 

[Jack Straw]

I am trying to create a herb garden and have purchased the following 13 plants to be delivered on Saturday:

2 coriander, 2 garden mint, 2 parsley, 2 thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, sage and tarragon.

Presumably they will all grow outdoors? Do they survive the winter and grow again next year?

The space I have is a strip 6m x 0.5m. Soil is poor (quite dusty - that sort of sticks together when watered) but is a sunny spot.

How should I plant them up? Is there a best way of configuring the different plants in relation to each other?

Some plants in this country can tolerate dry and dusty conditions but a rule, you will always get better results with an enriched soil, especially if you're snipping bits off on a regular basis.
Give the Rosemary a little more room than the others as it is a small shrub. Then just spread the others equidistantly and plant them and make sure you water them regularly. The Mint should be planted in a clay pot and plunge-planted unless you want it to take over. Most of what you've bought are perennial, so will live for a few years, but the Parsley and Corriander will do well to get through the winter and perhaps will need to be replaced each May.

 

[Jack Straw]

What is this, and what is it going to do? I planted it and I've been WiLB and it's doing much better than it did last year.

View attachment 123601

There is evidence there of WLB. Well done! Again, I'm only 90% so consulting my expert friends again on this one. I'll be back.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

I shall investigate tomorrow and report back.


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Repotted the rose after scrubbing out the pot. There were a few pupae in the soil but no white wiggly things.
After the better part of a two weeks we have life! A couple of shoots which appear healthy so fingers crossed all will be well.

Another bit of good news is that my goldstone grass which looked dead has also started to grow!


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[Jack Straw]

What is this, and what is it going to do? I planted it and I've been WiLB and it's doing much better than it did last year.

View attachment 123601

OK. I'm going for Lysimachia punctata (Dotted Loosestrife). https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/10634/Lysimachia-punctata-L/Details

 

[Weststander]

OK. I'm going for Lysimachia punctata (Dotted Loosestrife). https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/10634/Lysimachia-punctata-L/Details

I grew those at our last house, great for bees and other pollinators.