Andrearichter's Outbox

Thanks, I knew it began with Phy, but couldn't quite manage to remember the rest.

Thanks everyone! I have got 7 plants altogether and the variety is Tumbling Tom which is a cherry tomato, yellow and red

It looks like echium wildpretti as they have dark pink flowers on a large stem like this, but as you say, Bren Echiums have a rosette of leaves at the bottom and the flower spike is more cone like

Hi Jacque
Mine is in a similar position, you might get away with it. Make sure you incorporate lots of organic matter, particularly ericaceous compost and you might be ok. Italian Skies is a good variety because it is evergreen and doesn't mind a gentle prune after flowering

Zephirine Drouhin Bourbon rose tolerant of shade.

I remembered the name - Zephirine Drouhin, shade tolerant bourbon rose

I bet you are all wondering how I managed to grow a water iris in the middle of a herbaceous border, well the lampranthus on the left is growing over a rockery and low wall and then there was a gap. On the right there is a raised bed so I created a tiny bog/water area and planted the Pseudo acorus varigata which is producing its first buds this year. I lined the area with clay from the garden and made a water tight area filled with top soil and aquatic compost, planted the irises and covered with stones.

Well my Gunneras are both in large half barrels but the natural and most successful way of growing them is by the side of a pond in the more boggy area which is consistently damp but not water-logged. Alan Titchmarsh demonstrated a way of planting gunneras on one of his programs. Dig a large hole at least 18" deep by the side of your existing pond but not running into it so the water can only drain in if the pond overflows, line with butyl and fill with a mixture of JI no 3 and compost, plant the Gunnera and it should take off. The butyl will prevent the soil from drying out and the water from draining away. Make sure it is in a sunny/part sunny position and you should get a marvellous specimen each year. For overwintering, cut back the majority of the leaves and keep some of the large ones to cover over the top of the plant which is protruding above the soil, mulch around it with bark chippings and his should protect it from the frost.

This is Solanum Crispum Glasnevin or the Chilean Potato Vine.
Deadly Nightshade is related and the botanical name is Solanum dulcamara, all related to the potato

Aqualegia is the botanical name, they will self seed almost anywhere and the range of colours from white, to pink to purple is amazing

You could fill a large bucket full of water and put all the comfrey you pick in it to rot down. this will make a fantastic organic fertilizer, trouble is it can smell a bit so get a lid for the bucket. The mixture can be quite strong, so add water (3 parts water to 1 part comfrey juice)

These are young plants and perennials are only just waking up in this country, they will grow into giants sooner or later. The huge ones you have seen in the UK started out this small. What zone are you in? These are in 3ft half barrels and I'm sure you could do the same where you are. If it is cold, cover them with their own leaves and horticultural fleece overwinter and if it is hot, make sure they are well watered ans in a semi-shady spot during the hottest parts of the day.

Tumbling tom tomatoes when the weather warms up!!

Gunneras planted in half barrels either side of the bench

This Gunnera ia an old plant which I split in 2, the other plant is in another barrel.
I blogged about these 2 a few weeks ago offering them to any GoY members that lived in my area but no takers so I was still left with 2 Gunnera which had started to sprout in the plastic compost bags in my shed!
The containers are half barrels which are water proof and they are nearly 3ft in diameter. I have filled them with JI no 3 and compost and have watered them in really well, I then mulched the top with bark chippings. I have been meaning to add a few more photos but shrinking the MBites has proved harder than anticipated! The half barrels are about £25 which is a bit on the costly side, but I got 2 for £40, the plants will cost anything between £6-8.
There is lots of space in the barrels and I'm convinced they will perform really well in there as the containers will retain the moisture which they love.

I see you are in north Leicester, you will need to protect your echiums over the winter and with all the wet weather they have a tendancy to rot north of London! I have bought several mature plants and have even grown some from seed, but in 'sunny' Notts they have either rotted or refused to grow. If you do have success, they will self seed with gusto, not for the feint hearted! LOL

Well the answer to the pot question is that they are currently growing in plastic pots - see my blog entry above right which is titled 'Day of the Triffids'. The pictures on there show the size of pots they are in at the moment. Most tomatoes are grown in the greenhouse in the UK and people use 'grow bags' which are dumped every year. The variety I am growing is Tumbling Tom which is an outdoor vine variety. When the weather gets warm enough to plant them outside I will plant 3 plants in a 12 - 14" pot.
I have never grown tomatoes before and this is my first attempt at any type of veg/fruit. I am especially pleased as I have grown them from seed. When they have finished cropping I will use the soil from the pots as a mulch on the rest of the garden as it will improve the soil condition there.

It could be an Agapanthus or an Allium - look on google images (type in white then the plant name) and let me know if it is similar?

Hi, have a look on my homepage on page 2 of my pictures. My back garden was a slope and I have terraced it using fence plynths and gravel. The plynths will be covered in plant life sooner or later and the gravel is more environmentally friendly than paving. I think local authority planning departments are bringing in new guidelines so any block paving has to have permission before using because of the flooding we have had. Gravel will absorb it better. You can put areas of interest on each level and plant grasses and small shrubs through the gravel. Take a look at the pictures of my back garden and some may inspire you.

This looks like a Hypericum, which is covered with large yellow flowers in the Summer and red brownis berries in the Autumn, it can spread and will grow into a large shrub. It is related to St John's Wort

You are very lucky to have these wet boggy conditions naturally occuring in this lovely space. I have been looking at bog and damp loving plants and the amount that are around is amazing and so colourful. My favorite is ligularia, some have daisy flowers and some yellow rocket spikes.
Maybe I should come and live under your bridge, when I'm cross my hubby always says 'lets go and find you a bridge to live under' I think I would pick yours!!

Cactus or succulent plants are the best for your conditions. These type of plants love poor conditioned soil/sand and will thrive in the heat as they store moisture in their chunky leaves. Look at the plants that grow in Arizona on the internet, Nevada is pretty close in conditions and there are plenty of plants thet you will be able to grow. Look at plants that thrive in Africa like lampranthus and mesembryanthemum. Also the succulent alpines variety of plants will also thrive. If you want foliage look for plants with grey and fury/hairy foliage, they also thrive in these conditions.
Have a search on the internet for Arizona horticulture, Nevada horticulture, dry sandy conditions, succulent, alpine, African desert plants. You will have a lot to research but it will be fun, and many of these can be grown from seed so that will keep the cost down. They don't need too much water and will wilt when they need a drop. If you want more green, vibrant foliage then try growing a few specimen plants in pots like palms, bananas, cannas and even tomatoes!! These will need more water but will love the warm conditions. The cannas and bananas can be split into several plants so you can save some pennies (sorry cents) that way.

Just bought a new camera that can take better pics than my old one and I was trying it out on my plants

I'm sure it will David, give it plenty of room and put your satellite plants a couple of feet away from the bottom otherwise it will block out their light, I always have to cut the bottom leaves off the Cardoon as I planted it as an afterthought and my other plants aren't getting the light they need.

ANEMONE BLANDA ?

I don't suppose you are looking for a couple of gunneras are you and live in the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire area - they would look lovely near your pond!!!!

Oh no! I should have explained, that is not mine, I pinched this picture off the internet because you can only take pictures that you have put on your profile for blogs, I had to download something off the internet on to my profile just so I could add a picture to my blog of a gunnera - Ajay and Peter, it would be good if you could change that!!

I have 2 Gunneras going for free, they are too big to post so anyone in the Notts/Derbyshire area is welcome to come and get them!!

Very good, I am surprised no- one guessed.

I remember doing that to a Christmas tree in our back garden once. I recal the commando roll down the pathway to get myself clear of the gush of flame, won't be dousing any more trees in white spirit again then!!! Oh my eyebrows never grew back the same again!!

This is a Mahonia, not too sure of the variety though