Coralie's Outbox

I used to stay with an old lady deep in the Hampshire countryside.Her philosophy on gardening was very simple, flowers were her friends & she filled her "patch" with them, a real country garden, where everything grew anywhere, the ivy wall was a des res for all sorts of bird life, you trod on the brick paths & the air was filled with perfume & the humming of bees taking advantage of the excess of pollen.
Coralie

I've had two marathon planting sessions over the last 2/3 weeks. Had to! The greenhouse was bulging at the seams, as was the mini one I use as a cold frame! So far, so good, everything is growing well in the garden. Just hope we don't have a late frost, although here in the Midlands, it's unlikely,(I hope)!
Coralie

I too joined after seeing the article in A.G. Great idea!
Coralie

Hi ukslim,
Has your infected plant got what looks like a fine spider's web on it? If it has, get it away from all the other plants asap 'cos it could be red spider mite!
Usually find a good spray with a proprietry bug killer works if you hit it early enough
Coralie

Hi Dot!
Camelias should be in every garden, they are so beautiful & cheer up that drab time of year when it's neither Spring or Winter.
I grow mine in a large tub & it's easy to dead head.

This is part of my garden last year. Everyone says it is a "proper" cottage garden - which is what I set out to achieve!

Yes, I agree, everything is going pear shaped in my garden too!
I had a pond full of tadpoles in early March,bees as well & never seen so many ladybirds!
At the moment, early May, I have roses in full bloom & a lot of other summer flowering plants either in bloom, or about to.
See that Susans is having problems with aphids, have you dealt with it? Here's a tip, if you can grow lavender in Georgia, it's great for controlling aphids, otherwise just spray with washing up water!

Hi Susi,
The advice given sounds about right! I also fork in a good dollop of bone meal around all my roses, spray them & the soil with Rose Clear 3 to take care of the dreaded blackspot.
An additional tip - to combat greenfly, plant lavender bushes near the roses, looks good & smells heavenly