Joy's Inbox

Hello Wally.
So, you're not always on the wind ledge? :o)

Hello Walter.
Are you still growing well in the window?

Re Clematis Armandii - If you don't pay any attention to it, yes it will grow away, but in a tub the root growth will be restricted and if it is pruned it can be controlled and the foliage will stay dense.

A warning note - Clematis armandii is vigorous and can climb to about 20 feet or more once it gets going. I don't really think it's suitable for a tub.

There is a type of honeysuckle which is evergreen and varigated, not too sure of the variety as I lost the label but it could be 'Harlequin'. I'm not sure if you've researched Clematis armandii yet but the scent is a cross between jasmine and vanilla and it comes in pink ('Farquhariana'.) as well as white. You will have, evergreen, flowers, shady area and scent all covered LOL :)

yes honeysuckles are lovely - beautiful scent another favorite of mine i have three of them. not sure on the varieties but they can be thugs proberly depending on the type i would imagine 2 of the ones i have need constant cutting back but the other is quite slow growing and really easy.

Although they are not evergreen, honeysuckles would do well as they thrive in part shade. If you planted two - Early Dutch and Late Dutch - you would get flowers from June to September in an average year

yes i do agree with Andrew and Spritz, i did'nt think of that. i live in south east, on the boarders of essex and london so i do get away with all sorts outside that others in different parts of the country don't - and it is in a very sunny sheltered spot. if you want something that is scented i think the clematis i reccomended does have a light lemon scent if i remeber rightly. or alternatively you could go along with spritzs' idea and double up, something robust that will stay green through the winter, maybe that does'nt flower but gives you the autumn/winter interest that you want. and then you could always go for another variety of jasmine - that is more hardy but looses it leaves - i have three varieties in my garden, and the scent is beautiful, if it is scent that you want you cant get much better than jasmine in my opionon.

Next question - when do you want it to flower? If you want something for a long flowering period, try Eccremocarpus scaber. You could team it with annual Ipomoea lobata.
By the way, I agree with Andrew about the Trachelospermum. mine is againnst a warm sheltered wall, if you have chilly winds it probably won't survive.

Tracheleospermum is a bit on the tender side - you'd need a sunny sheltered spot for it. How tall do you want this climber to grow?

Passiflora caerulea or the blue passion flower is a resiliant plant. I have grown one in a pot now for 5 years and it is half way up my house. The large buds, beautiful scented flowers and the large bulbous orange fruit( which can be eaten) looks fantastic. It responds well to vigorous pruning in Autumn and Spring and doesn't need much support as it clings with tendrills. They will self seed if the fruit is left to rot on the ground, but I have given several away now.
Another suggestion is Solanum (related to the potato) This is evergreen with longlasting clusters of flowers, crispum " Glasnevin" is a purple variety and Alba aureum us the white. If your area is shady there is Clematis Armandii which has long dark green waxy leaves and delicate white flowers.

hi joy, i can recommend 2 which i have myself - so if you want to see pictures of them i do have pictures in 'my garden' but i have'nt got pictures of the flowers on there yet as i have only joined GOY quite recently. the first is Trachelospermum jasminoides - which is a type of jasmine which is evergreen, it has really unusual white star like flowers in the spring/summer and a beautiful scent, the foliege turns a lovely bronze colour in the winter. the second would be clematis 'pixie' which has lime green flowers in the spring, it is quite fast growing but it can be cut right back to the size you want it. hope this helps both are easy to grow and i got both off ebay in the spring.

Maybe you have a friend who could give you a division? From my reading you can easily grow rhubarb in a container (the bigger the better but a 12" minimum apparently!) place in full sun and fertilise regularly.
Marshalls are selling double crown packs (2different varieties in each) http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/
Hope this helps and good luck

There are some plants that will grow in a soil that has some salt in it - anything that thrives by the sea. This includes alpines like thrift and shrubs like tamarisk so all is not lost

I agree with Spritz!! Test the soil first. My in-laws bought a house with a gravelled garden at the front and found nothing would grow in it having cleared the gravel. Turned out that the previous owner worked for the railway and had used BR's industrial weedkiller on his gravel!! They were not as lucky as you though - no plastic liner.

I think it depends rather on what type of soil was under the plastic, but I expect the soil will be impoverished and will need lota of compost dug in, maybe also some rotted manure if it's available to you. There are some plants that enjoy the more open texture gravel gives - but I just had a horrible thought - you might need to test the soil with a kit because you won't know whether your predecessors used garden grit or road grit!!! Could have some salt left in it?? BEWARE! Death to plants! (Hope I am wrong, but people do funny things in their efforts to get 'low maintenance' gardens)

Hi Joy, that's what we tend to do. When you write a new blog it goes to the top of the list so more people will see and read it. But, there are no hard and fast rules :)

Hi again! Hope the actual move went well and that Walter soon settles in. Have only just found your continuation of previous blog. Can I suggest that you start a new one, because it sounds as if you have lots to write about and ask and people don't tend to look back at previous blogs!!! Sorry about smells and stains in laminate floor, haven't a clue apart from what you've done already. you've got plenty to do in your new home and garden by the sound of it. Which County have you moved to?

What is the name of this plant please?!!

Good luck on the move - my cat was very old and couldn't climb over our walls in the end and I put out a tray with newspapers at the bottom and a bit of soil but also a little lid (you can buy cat trays with lids) and this is what he used. You may find he'll find what he wants to use, dont forget to butter his paws before you let him out the first time (melted but cooled butter gets licked off which puts scent on his feet and then he should find his way home easier)

I think you may have to make friends with your new neighours as a priority - hold an 'Open House' or a 'Getting to know you' party, and then they can't complain too much if the cat does visit them! (lol)

Our neighbours' cat visits every now and again, not for the loo, but twice I found him digging in the pot my courgettes were in - that was before mal-treatment got the better of the plants.

Aren't cats a bit adventurous? He might well decide for himself, and go off over the fence to find his own secret place for his new loo! You could try the provision that you suggest - but hope he doesn't 'go' next door...:-( (Hope the move goes well)

Joy
I found this webpage which might help you
http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Lens+culinaris

And a google search "lentil seeds" will give you UK suppliers
Good luck

Hi Joy, Good luck with the move, sounds like you've got some busy weekends ahead! Not sure about the cat I'm afraid.