Poaannua's Outbox

This happens to some varieties as they age , New foliage comes out reddish and ages to green, but before long Autumn colour will set in. This year has been one of the dullest and plenty of rain has made for richer growth. The colour darkens when the trees are under stress as is usual in a dry summer.. Blame it on the weather.

Only used it inside the Greenhouse. No pets involved.

Nasty job removing IVY , you should wear a mask as it upsets some people, little pieces from it get up your nose. but I imagine you are a long time gardener like myself and we are probably immune.

I think Andrewr that he will be looking for Leather Jackets,( Crane Fly grubs,) or possibly Earthworms. He has been a regular visitor to my Lawn for a week or two, and once I saw him on the Peanuts net. The photo is through glass so even worse than my usual ones.

Thats a good story Marguerite, You are really a tough guy . I have had much the same trouble with perennial Thistle, but we used Weed killer. Trouble is they root so deeply you cant really dig them out. It was a long tima ago and I think we used Basamid, rotavated it in and covered with plastic sheeting. Alll right for a small area but how did you kill them?

I had one lot that went all slimy,when cooked. thought it was the variety, or had I kept them too long. Mine were bought at supermarket, perhaps your are home grown?

Viburnum Burkwoodii. Golden Privet. Buddleia globosa I imagine you are prepared to cut it back once high enough, for this is a real big fella, but soft wood that is easy to trim or break into shape.

I rather like Ants so suggest hiring a Green Woodpecker to sort them out. One visits my lawn on a regular basis and it makes me feel a little bit greener.. When you think of the wonderful life of the Ant colony , it seems a shame to destrot it., they will all depart in a mionth or two.

That sounds great Buffridler. Many years ago I used sodium chlorate, which would soak into the stump and afyter a few weeks once set alightn it burnt the roots from the inside, vbut now the weed killer is treated to avoid this happening, as occasionally a user whould get it on his leather boots and once dry they could catch fire. I imagine it is now unobtaiable without a licence.. Alternative is to cut deep notches in the stumps causing them to rot away, which could taake a long time.

Hi . The most likely cause is, lack of food, they also tend to do this when in full sun. It may be that just a feed of Growmore or other fertilizer, scratched into the surface of the pot and watered well in and placing the pots in the shade, should be sufficient. A few of the leaves may be too far gone but usually they pick up quite quickly, especially if shaded .

I don't think its Vine Weevils cos. they chew little piecews from the edge of the leaf. Might be a Leaf cutter Bee, They cut out a piece which they use to surround a chamber where they place a victim on which they lay their eggs., or something like that. Could also be a Snail, they love Clematis but it seems unlikely at that height.

Hi Amy .Thanks for comment on Beech. I fear your Horse Chestnut may be suffering from a disease that is affecting them here in Hampshire. I have a large tree where the leaves are all browning in horrible patches. and the same is happening to my young potted ones. Itn is too early in the year for it to be autumn leaf. damage. I think it may be a similar disaster to thet of the Elms.
Red Spider is a nasty litle creature,but it doesn't like a humid atrmosphere, so a spray on hot days could help to keep them away.

I'm glad I'm not alone with this memory thing. Had a visitor today who insisted on eating some of the weeds in my pots. HAIRY BITTERCRESS (Cardamine hirsuta) tastes just like Watercress, and I am told is actually offered in one of the big Restaurants.. This is what I call Poppers, it comes up everywhere. She also ate The little OXALIS which has clover-like leaves and a little yellow flower, sharp taste like vinegar.. Another weed with seed throwing capacity. I only just stopped her eating a SUN SPURGE a kind of EUPHORBIA which are all poisonous.. She also ate CHICKWEED the smooth leaved kind., I tasted it but no flavour.
Nettles she said can be cut down when 1ft. high in Spring , dried and stored for medicinal use, exactly what she didn't say.

I'm glad you said that.Owdboggy. I was going to get some for myself and would have bought the vegetable, which would have been sad as I don't like the taste. We live and learn.

Hi Dwarf Buddleia is usually Nannho Blue. It is still likely to reach 6ft. but leaves are only half size and it is easily kept as a 4 or 5ft. shrub. Pruned hard back in early Spring. Butterflies love it

Hello Marguerite. I think mine is Callistemon citrinus. It must be the climate, we have been not just wet but colder than average. . Butterflies have been scarce here for sev eral years, Even today which is nicw and warm only 2or3 have I seen.. Best wishes

I see Jacqui is fearful of starting a Bonsai. Don't be, all the word means is 'A TREE IN A POT'. however it is expected that some artistry is added. Here we come to the critical point. Your Art may not be my Art As is the case with Abstract and realistic painting.
The tree you train should be the way you like it, no need to follow tradition. Stiff and exactly following the rules like a Japanese formal upright. or a twisted , sometimes grotesque, Chinese Bonsai.
Ideally the tree should look like a miniature of how it is when growing naturally. Which might be as it grows in a field all alone , or in a hedgerow blown by the wind, or on a mountain side, starved but surviving.
A Bonsai is a tree in a pot, but Bonsai is also a Hobby, an Art, A fascinating way of growing many different Trees , Shrubs and sometimes Succulents, in a very small space and it is this second usage of the word that brings the enjoyment that lasts a lifetime. Even as you pass trees of full size you begin to think, "That branch sholud be removed " . or "That is a super shape, I'll try to grow one like that.".
I don't have many finished Bonsai,, People buy them as they develop, To me the fun is in the growing. All mine have begun here as seedlings or cuttings. They are welcomed by other growers because they are slow grown from the start and have short distances between the joints, making for good branching as they mature..
It is raining again, so I have rambled on. Often at this time in the morning at this time of year, I have started the watering.Time off for me, but sorry for those who look forward to an outdoor weekend.

Hi Andrewr You have some fine photos. I expect you have the same sandy soil as mine. It''s good to be able towork in the garden soon after rain. I wouldn't like to live on a clay soil.

Hi Trees and things. Thanks for reply to my Blog. This is a good time to do a final pruning . I have been cutting down 3ft. Pyracantha to turn them into Bonsai. They had been intended to grow on as hedging, but so nasty and thorny , unsafe for the garden with Kids about. but as Bonsai the thorns are no problem just tipped off as they appear. and you have a flowering ,berrying and evergreen tree with quite a good trunk, that responds to Bonsai pruning to the manner born

Marguuerite I love that Callistemon picture. I have grown one on the front of my house, but this year it has only made a huge ammount of leafage and no flowers, It finds us too wet and too cold. Thanks for your welcoming comment.

Thank you all for a friendly welcome. I'll write more later today.

Your ,Poppies wont germinate until next autumn or spring. Welsh Poppies seds need to be overwintered outdoors,

Sorry to say it is true, but part of their beauty is in their transience. I believe some new varieties are now available but very expensive, which do last longer, expect it would be advisable to wait till next Spring, when they will be more widely available.Can't n ame any Nursery where they are available now.

Scratch in a handful of Growmore about a square yard round the tree and water it heavily . A jet of water from the hose is best way to remove the Blackfly. Don't know of any other pest, Elderberry is supposed to keep its neighbours free from them .. They do die eventually , it is not a really long lived tree, but plenty of young bushes ,should be about to replace it should the worst happen.

The plant you have is Chicory. It is a hardy perennial and native to our chalk downs. Cornflowers are annuals best sown either in late Spetember or in Spring. You might have to grow your Chicory from seed, bought from the Vegetable section. They would both prefer a loam based compost such as John Innes once the seedlin gs can be put in their final containers.

I hope you used ericaceous compost. Keep out of the sun don't overwater but spray the foliage morning and evening in hot weather. If you have tap water from a chalky area , best use rain water if it is necessary. Acers are always a worry, especially named varieties that have been grafted.

You should keep hoping, Yews are very resistant , but keep it shaded from hot sun and spray it morning and night in hot weather. . Reduce the foliage but if possible leave some green on every branch to keep the sap rising.

I think it might be Buddleia globosa , which is a very strong species with orange flowers in May/June, so let a few shoots keep growing , cant really tell till flowering time next year., if it is a Buddleia.

You can trim it once flowering is over but in early Spring you can prune it hard back and it will flower on new wood. I like to leave some of the old wood so that there is a succession of flowering, old wood first, young wood following.. It is one of my favourite shrubs