Muddywellies' Outbox

In a pot the fuscia is hard to beat. If you want a larger, taller plant that exudes 'summer exotic' a Canna or Hedychium is hard to beat!!!

Hi Bridget. The red plant is THE most common form of crocosmia - often known as monbretia. Can be rampant so it does need an annual 'cull'.

Fractal is bang on. However, I have cut my own cane supports and simply stuck them in the ground for my beans and the supports have come in to leaf!

Remember Jurassic Park 'Nature will find a way'. . . .

Nice one!

My apologies everyone as it's been a while since I found time to stop by - October/November being my busiest time in the garden - so I've only just seen this post.

My thoughts on Gardener's World?

There is far too much directed towards the first-time gardener and instant results. Mother nature doesn't work like that! And the majority of us are no longer first-timers and want some real information not 'presenter waffle'.

I used to love progs on other gardens but there is so much celebrity presenter and ego to contend nowadays that you get very little from the person who actually created the garden in the first place!

Gardening is NOT rocket science and the best skill anyone can learn is to OBSERVE their garden environment properly and thereby discover the interdependence of everything. So why do these progs twitter needlessly around the edges of the subject?

Now if I became a presenter...... LOL

Is your soil unsuitable? Mine are growing in heavy soil. . .
They will grow next summer don't you worry! Their roots are fragile and make you cringe when they snap off - but don't worry unduly.

They look like octopus. I spread them out in heavy soil which is mixed with a loose mulch. Their foliage is very low so they don't like neighbours which are to close and blot out their light. Your plants should easily reach 4ft in first year, 6 in the second if the soil is suitably nutritious and drained.

And don't forget where u put them and then dig up the space in spring! LOL

You don't need heat at all. But you will need DRY compost in your containers. And you need to ensure they are NOT overwintering chaffer grubs.

Leave the foliage on to accelerate the drying process. Once the soil is dry-ish cut all their stems to 1/3 their original length and remove all foliage. Pile them up together in a dark corner of your garage and they should be fine until mid-March when you should see fresh growth. Then they need daylight once more and be VERY sparing with water. Safer to err on side of caution during April.

All my paeonies are cut down to the ground now and will return with warmer weather. They're unusually tough and survive a Russian winter so nothing to fear.

My tree paeonies are just starting to split their seed cases - free seeds to anyone who comes to the gardens - as always. Another month and their leaves will be swept off the ground. Stem trimming is done in March.

Are you certain you have geraniums and not pelagoniums in your baskets? Pelagoniums can be composted when they're finished.

If its black and burnt there's no problem with pathogens and invisible nasties. However, it will more than likely behave like sand and serve to clog up your soil...

Fabulous! Simple. Highly effective, long-lasting. Brilliant! I LOVE THIS!!! And it puts the lawn in its place too! LOL

I do like this idea a lot. Well done Star.
Once established a-while I'm sure a green patina will cover everything - which can be easily sprayed off at the beginning of the season.

I covered a 6,000-gallon tank with steel mesh covered in blue slate - so I'm able to 'walk on water'. A bubble fountain rises up through it for refreshing sounds. Totally safe and I can use it to water the surrounding plants.

Much appreciated Terratoonie! Lots to pass on - just finding the time to write it is a problem at this clearing-time-of-year. If anyone wants to hear about something especially just drop me a line and I'll see what I can do.

'Pruning' and 'Windows7' are the next blog subjects in the pipeline...

Fabulous Spritz!

Nice one Irish!

I saw my first Itea ilicifolia at Great Dixter at the top of the staircase outside and when I located my plant I began growing it as a shrub. Until one day a garden visitor advised that it is a climber and will do far better climbing through something. Today I have one specimen climbing through a tree and another against a wall. - just covering my bets you might say.

That took a while to compose I dare say. . .

I think the name of this Dahlia is Gypsy Jowey.

I would put this thug in a pot or trough to control its behaviour. Cestina is doing the right thing and the plant will savour all that attention and jest better, stronger. It just depends whether you wish to do the same?

I beg to differ people. . .
The whole point in moving anything is so often because a plant is unhappy or the gardener (for whatever reason) wants to move the plant.

Your pictured plant looks happy and healthy and looks like its getting the nourishment it needs.

However, if you still wish to remove it - you can - only wait until November if you insist. Do try to move as much root ball as possible. Consider the root ball is a mirror-image of the clipped foliage area - so your ball should just about fill a builders' wheelbarrow.
Don't water-it-in wherevever you put it. It should be pouring everywhere by then. . .

Plant them deep and leave them in the ground. Mine all pulled through this March when the ground temperture went down to -10C!!! Check out my homepage - I've added some dahlia pics today.

Nematodes are next to useless when they could possibly do the most good for the gardener. . .

Weevils will happily munch through the roots of your plants at any temperature above freezing. Obviously the warmer it is the faster they eat!! Unfortunately, the nematodes are effectively inactive below 10C. Which could easily leave your plants defenceless for much of an English winter if you use them.

If you don't use chemicals your best defence is keen observation as Bulbaholic suggests. Although when your foliage begins to show obvious signs of distress it is very often too late for THAT particular plant and all you can do is take some cuttings - if the season is right.....

Spritz has the right idea. But I might also add that your frame can be used to 'force' borderline tender plants that may flower unreliably in the UK especially when these can be held back following a cold April/May/June. (You know what I mean).

I use mine for cannas and agapanthus for example so that I can be sure of blooms from mid-May until November.

My earliest bloomers (A. Blessingham Blue) are going under cover now to begin drying off and will hardly have a drop of water before next April.

May be this page will help you in future.
http://www.winsfordwalledgarden.com/garden_world.aspx?Group=gardenworld&Page=how%20to%20grow_wisteria

Excellent Irish! You have such imagination and patience.

I don't know the name off the top but you could look here at my plant photo page http://www.winsfordwalledgarden.com/garden_world.aspx?Group=gardenworld&Page=plant_photos1

My cuc grows SO fast the munchies can't catch it and while they're distracted with my cucumber they're not eating anything else ......

These little beauties will savage flying ants! They seem to put out an 'APB' to all their cousins and an ant swarm that would have lasted a half a day is gone within an hour!

Impressive achievement Gilli - Good on yer!
Have you noticed how the wild life also appreciate what you're doing?
That 'lawn' is going to take some doing mind...

This little one had a busy day yeasterday. When I took this photo he/she had only travelled 6 ft! But by days' end all the youngsters had been swept out of their shed by mum because yesterday was 'flying ant day' - an opportunity not to be missed if you're a swallow. We also had two youngsters fly around inside the conservatory at one stage - and one of them might have been this one.....

A HELLUVA first day for any swallow!