Maxgarden's Outbox

I give my clay soil a good dose of manure, compost and any other bargain soil improver I can get hold of each winter. The soil's getting better year on year. I spread a couple of inches over the surface and churn it well in with a four pronged cultivator. It might sound crude but I'm well pleased with the results.

Sorry, Sid. I have to go with Photinia too.

What a lovely tribute and memorial to your folks, Eggbox. You do your family proud.

It's nice to see those bits of green. The growing season's on its way.

Scan back to Page 6 for comments on your Lords and Ladies. It's on the Corsican Arum lily. Date March 19th.

The Gunnera and the Phormium immediately catch the eye. Then I feel drawn to the rest of the planting scheme. Then I'm wandering what's behind the Gunnera and that low hedge toward the back. Lovely layout Eggbox. Let's see more, please. Just how big is your Gunnera at moment?

We have quite a lot of maggies in our immediate vicinity. They kick up a right fuss when feeling threatened so they tell me where my cat is when she's out on the prowl. Like Dibber says they're funny with their acrobatics when feeding. They tend to leap up and down to get at the fatballs I put in the trees or splatter food from the bird table over the lawn. But that's o k because it allows the groundfeeding birds a look in. I like them, they're part of nature, part of life. Enjoy,Hazel!

I have a Miscanthus sinensis Purperesens and always cut it right down about now, just as the new growth is beginning to show through. Although I have not divided it yet (and it must be about due) I did dig it up and relocate it last year, again around March time. No harm done at all - except to my back I would say! As Bluespruce rightly points out, Those things weigh a ton.

Poor Wally. He looks a whole lot different to the pic you posted of him back in December. I went the other way with mine a few months ago and grossly overwatered. Thankfully I seem to have rescued the situation. I have to say though Taffy, your Peace Lilly-or Spathiphyllum as it's otherwise known seems to have suffered a spell of underwatering. I never wait for mine to show signs of wilting but give it just a drop of water about once a week. They don't like too much sunshine or unnatural heat from say, radiators. Is yours near a radiator perhaps or in direct sunlight? That might explain quick drying out and wilting. I also shove a few slow release food capsules into the soil at the start of the growing season. They last for months.

I do hope you can save your Wally. He looks a real beauty when in good nick! Best wiishes and good luck, Mack.

All this is just a month after snow. What a recovery!

Very neat and complimentary. The Hostas go well together.

Lovely scheme here. Nice one Mike.

Beautiful flowers, Mike. Are they Monardas and how tall do they grow?

Very tranquil. Bring on the summer eh, Sid?

I like these a lot, Sid. Are they evergreens?

I checked a couple of websites - gardenweb.com/forums and www.mobot.org/gardening help/plantfinder (both American). Plenty of info regarding Arum italicum or Italian Lords and Ladies as they're commonly known. They're lovely plants but apparently very invasive and difficult to control if allowed to get out of hand. If you need more sites try keying arum italicum onto your search bar.

Yes, Asparagus fern. Had one for years in our lightly shaded bathroom where it thrived. It climbed up the blinds in the growing season. Lovely soft, feathery foliage.

Thanks everyone. Your replies are very reassuring. I'll keep you informed of progress.

Smashing plants. They really earn their keep in the winter garden,flowering profusely when there's not much colour around. Apart from slug protection, they don't take much looking after either.

The idea of deadheading is to trick the plant into thinking it hasn't flowered giving it incentive (and energy) to produce more flowers. After all, flowering is what they exist for.

Andrea's right, Harli. The Rhus has beautiful leaves in spring and summer and the autumn show is gorgeous. But these trees have a suckering habit and you'll find their babies popping up all over the place - even through your lawn if you have one. They're easily yanked out though and the tree's well worth keeping for its long season of interest.

Divide these plants after flowering and you'll be well rewarded. They flower profusely in winter when there's not much else around in the way of colour. Regular deadheading will ensure a long, hardworking season from them too. They certainly earn there keep.

Hi Harli. This is a Euphorbia Lathyrus. I have a few of these in my own garden and just this evening planted a few seeds. They self seed very easily though and if you cut through one they quickly branch out and make lovely sculptural plants. But beware! The milky sap from any Euphorbia is very poisonous if ingested, and if you get the stuff on your skin and into an open cut or an eye it'll smart like hell. Don't be put off by that, however. There are loads of varieties and I've never seen one yet that wasn't pretty,and they seem to tolerate any old environment. The lathyrus seed pods are like tiny pumpkins about the size of a ten pence piece. The seedlings will begin to appear around next spring,but if you don't want to move them or keep them they're easily disposed of.One jerk with a hand fork and they're out. Overall they tend to be a short lived plant anyway but I do use mine in the dryish shade of a big conifer where other plants refuse to grow. Can't agree with Sid. It's a very useful easy goer. Nice photo. Best wishes, Mack.

Hi Jessica. I have the same problem with my Red Robin and posted a question on this site on the 9th of Feb. It's on page 5 with a photo and several answers entitled "Photinia leaf discolouration." I'm hoping it's just winter damage so I'm just keeping an eye on it for the moment. Assuming yours has the same symptoms, maybe that's your problem too.

Thanks for the free lesson, Andrew. I did a taster course on gardening recently and a whole lesson was dedicated to name origins. Very interesting, and important as is your blog. I hope I'll be able to come up with such articles someday.

I'll have to check that out in my geography book, David. Meanwhile, happy hunting.

Helleborus foetidus Wester Flisk. It takes its name from Wester Flisk on the Firth of Tay, and was found growing in an old rectory garden in the 1970's. The garden was established in the 1800's by Reverend Fleming, a keen amateur botanist. It is thought that Fleming may have imported the original plant from Spain where they grow wild.
Lovely and bright in winter, with striking foliage all year round. I love mine.

Lovely photo. My cat likes to snuggle under a big, bronze carex. It makes purrrfect camouflage

Thanks,Darryluk, Chrispook. I tracked the site down and the problem does seem to resemble entomo leaf spot. But the site also put me onto other links including the R. H. S. A member there asked a similar question and both leaf spot and winter frost and wind/rain damage were suggested as possible culprits. I reckon I'll sit tight for a while and see how it goes. Thanks again for your help, I'll keep you posted.

My soil's mostly clay too but I wouldn't say it's useless. I've been gardening here for about 4 years and in the dormant season I always lay on plenty of manure,compost or general soil improver. Grit sand has helped also in really heavy spots. I never look at this task as hard work, I see it more as rewarding. I get a great deal of satisfaction as year on year the soil churns and crumbles that little bit easier under the hoe. Also, when you plant follow the advice on the tag and shovel a bit of compost into the planting hole. There are a few pics of my garden on my home page if you'd like to see what can be grown out of well treated clay in just a couple of years. Good luck!