Dioon11's Outbox

Hoya carnosa (Porcelain flower; Wax flower/plant) Family:Asclepiadaceae

Polygala myrtifolia var 'Grandiflora'

Brilliant Jacque, great detail

Hi Spritzhenry, yes I did see your photo and suspect they are different as the foliage on 'Elstead' is quite reddish when young and the sepals on the flowers are dark bronze. I do prefer these subtle Hypericums to the blousey large double forms.

Great photo, the effect is stunning the Zinnia head is floating!!

I see you have developed your photo skills, great shot, I do just luv the effects you can get with close ups.

Lovely photo, great detail

Great photo

No, not up a tree just hanging out of the bedroom window !!!

Thank you all for your generous comments. I still think there is a better shot yet to be had !!! Can't beat the early morning ( and of course sunny)for these crisp shots.

Hi Flcrazy, this has been exceptional this year, I just love the colour of the young foliage which contrasts so well with the delicate yellow flowers

Lovely photo, like the detail - I think it might be Papaver orientalis 'Checkers', I have one about to flower so will be able to compare it's a cracker!!

Great shot, looks like a mazipan rose!!! good enought to eat?

Great detail, just love those 'cones'

I wonder if these are Heleniums? I have a sneeking suspicion they may well be Gazanias. The flowers are very artists pallette and they come in such a wide spectrum of colours.

Lovely photo, rose has a nice form and is wonderfully clean.

I agree with Chrispook, lovely closeup especially with the water droplets they always transform a flower photo, grrrrreat.

I like the set of 4 planters. Just shows what can be done in confined spaces. I may well try my Peppers ahnd Tomatoes in one of my raised beds next year and give a rest to the onion bed. shall have to see. Great set, I think I will have to read up on the square foot garden.

Great Close up, nice detail

With over 100 cultivars of Heucheras it is not surprising that identification is difficult. This is so much like the one I am growing called 'Marmalade' but looking at 'Caramel' on the web I can detectvery little difference. They are just so robust, rarely attacked by pests and diseases, 'evergreen', great ground cover and weed supressers, flower spike good for flower arranging - a plant that has everything.

Great Hosta collection I intend to enhance mine this Autumn (Fall), lovely photos

This could be Hosta 'August Moon' photo colours can be a bit misleading

Hosta 'Sea Thunder' maybe??

I think this may well be Hosta 'Hadspen Blue'

If you are growing an annual border from seed then I would suggest stopping is not an issue - let the plants develop naturally. If however you are growing annuals you have raised or purchased as individual plants then stopping them at about 2.5" by pinching out the growing tip no more than .5" will not only speed up establishment but ensure bushy plant are developed. this practice is certainly good for French and African marigolds, Antirrhinums, Ageratum, Petunias, Zinnias, seedling pelargoniums, Salvias, Coltness Dahlias, Stocks, Calendulas and Tagetes. Plants I would not stop include Eschscholzia, Nemesia, Violas (Summer pansies) Sunflowers, Larkspur, Nigella, Ricinus (Castor Oil plaant), Poppy, semperfloren begonias - all the foregoing 'non stoppers' will either form basal shoots or are plants which are single stemmed. Hope this note is of use. In the absence of knowing which annuals you are growing it is very difficult to be more precise. Hopefully some, if not all, of the names I have given are on your list. Best wishes dioon11

This vexed question has challenged a friend and myself in specific regard to muntjac deer which year on year have ravaged her garden. Problem is I suspect you are talking big deer not our little pesky Muntjacs. I can only describe what a friend and I have achieved this year after 3 years of grief. Plants we have found to be immune from their foraging include: Michaelmas Daisies, Monardia(Burgamot), Delphiniums & Lupins (* when shoots are more than 6" in height), Aquilegias, Lambs ears, Penstemmons, Genista, Irises all types, Gallardias, Artemesia and Doronicum. All these have survived this spring and are now developing into mature plants. Problem is we don't know whether other tactics played a part or maybe the deer have not been attracted so far this year. The deer have been seen in the garden but they have always been distrubed and moved on. * Other tactics we have employed this winter/spring include applying semi rotted horse droppings (aand thus a little smelly) and tea bags dowsed in Tee Tree oil throughout the herabacous border with added sprigs of Pyracantha (Firethorn)and Berberis prunings (12" - 16" long) in the form of tents/wigwams around young plant shoots. Muntjac apparently don't like thorny subjects near their food source and they have a very sensitive sense of smell and do not like unfamilar adours. This is the first spring in 3 years that tulips have matured to flowering hopefully as a direct result of these tactics. The tea bags need to be re dowsed with Tea Tree oil every 3 to 4 weeks depending upon rainfall, sooner if lengthy periods of rain are experienced. Once plants have become mature they tend to be left alone although flowering might be vulnerable - we continue to watch and experiment. Maybe you could try this approach with 'your' deer. Good luck dioon11

Lift the plant gently out of the pot, gently clean off the soil and look for the white grubs of vine weevil where roots emerge from the crown, if present discard all soil, wash off the roots of the strawberry plant and replant in clean compost. squash all the grubs. Strawberries and Fuchsias grown in pots are very susceptible to vine weevil attacks. Be vigilent and keep a sharp look out for vine weevil adults. Best of luck Dioon11

Definitely Verbascum common name Mullien which variety or species cannot be sure till it flowers. Healthy looking specimen suggests a flower spike potentially of 4 to 5 ft in height likely to be produced. Best of luck

With the weather so foul these past 3 days I have not been able to do any real gardening so have been reverting to using the camera rather than the trowel.

Good strudy stock by the looks of it you will be the first to crop this year if the weather holds. All these new photos and Eden too!! great new collection/additions.