Ann's Outbox

Yup it is.

And yes it should be that tall. I have one thats 30yrs old to my knowledge and it had been handed from garden to garden. Mine is up to the upstairs windows. Its beginning to look like a thicket! I cut it down ruthlessly every couple of years or so. I rewards me with arching branches of flowers probably 2ft long.

Hi

Perpetual Spring - sounds like a gardeners paradise. Do you get any frost at all?

Ann - In the Midlands of England

Is it still in its original pot? Where is it? Whats the weather like?

Camellias like a good feed with sequestrene. If it was in flower when you had it for xmas (in UK?) it had been "forced" into flowering early. It needs a rest.

Presume you will be able to plant it out and treat it tenderly. The flowers tend to grow facing the sun - dont plant against a northfacing wall. Feed like an azalea or rhododendron.

Best of luck

Ann

Something has happened to stress it. Is it in a pot? Its prob rootbound, malnourished and arid. If its in the ground something has changed in its environment. Is a newer plant or tree overshadowing it? Has it become short of light or water. Have you dug through a root? I dont know where in the world you are - it might be useful to speak to a local nursery man or parks dept to see it there is a specific malady affecting conifers locally.

The brown bits will not become green again even if the conifer can be rescued. If it was a central, architectural specimen you could try cutting out the spoilt branches - but you may not like the result.

Good luck

Ann

Are they using the garden as a latrine? This is what annoys most people.
1) Get a dog
2) Get a bigger, grumpier cat who uses Kitty Litter!
3) Borrow a handful of toddlers!
4) Get a big squirty water sprayer - spray the visitors when they are digging their hole. (Dont give children this job - they dont need to be taught to be cruel to animals)
5) Chuck snowballs
6) Chuck handful of soil.

Cats usually follow regular paths - identify this point on the boundary and treat with an alien scent - olbas oil, eucalytus or pepper spring to mind. Dont use bleach or citrus smelling liquids - thats very attractive to male cats especially.

Block holes under gates or in fences. Attach cheap trellis around the top of fence. Make it difficult to get in.
Cats are pretty lazy and dont often bother to dig.

Good luck.

Ann

The peony hates being moved. Dont be tempted to shift it. It can sit sulking for years as Poppy says - but it will be getting bigger and forming a clump. Once they start flowering nothing much stops 'em - they flourish in totally overgrown, neglected gardens (truly infuriating!) - until you try to split the clump!

Perennials can be grown from seed - get some lupins at the very least. They are so tough when you grow them yourself!

Have fun!

Hi

My experience is that they hate having the corm covered. Best left exposed to bake in the sun.

If they get too clumpy they stop flowering. When you divide them up they take several years to restart flowering. My mother used to nip bits off each year to ensure flowers. This is easy in light soils and damn nigh impossible in clay!

Good luck

Ann

Hi Bubble

Instant success for May colour:

Forget-me-nots
Lilac
Bluebells
Bleeding hearts
Dead nettle
Lungwort
Bergenia
Honesty
Cherry blossom

just at the moment I have a flurry of huge camellias - think they are rather late but they really are a bonus.

the greens are very fresh at this time of year - I love hummocks of healthy perennials slashed through with the sharp swords of tigridia, crocosmia, gladioli and bears breeches. I have "pixie" clematis flowering at moment - pale lime flowers.

Not just a face - Norah Batty's ankles too!

Cant fault this - imagine a summer afternoon - a jug of pimms - a book...

Very handsome fern. The curled frond looks so cosy.

LOL - yes I was impressed enough to take the pic! I think it came from a plant stall at a steam railway station. Chances of the seed breeding true are probably nil. The bees loved it... practically needed GPS to get back out!

I think the pink job is valerian - also known in my garden as the pink thug! It appeared a couple of years ago - looked pretty and made a place for itself. Then last summer it survived the rains and multiplied out of hand. I have seen white and dark red forms of it and its getting around in Northamptonshire at speed!

And yes that's Love-in-a-Mist - self set and seem to be happily mutating colours, shapes and sizes. Have loads of seedings visible so should be pretty this year.

Gorgeous glossy "statement" flowers! In the 60's one of my old aunts longed for black tulips to grow amongst the grape hyacinths.