Spritzhenry's Outbox

Thanks for the photos and descriptions. Good for us folks who can't get there! Saw some of it on BBC2 last night, but they kept hopping round to visit people and not keeping to the actual show.

Managed to catch last night's coverage on BBC 2. I wish I'd seen the previous programme! Thanks for the photos. I live too far away to go to the London shows. I hope to go to the AG show at the end of August for the first time.

News! He cut the grass today in the sunshine and he has got a gnat bite! (only one - and I've got several more) Hoping for another sunny day tomorrow...

I'm sure it's a gloxinia! Should flower for a couple of months in bright light (not direct sun) Stand pot on damp pebbles and keep water off leaves when you water it (tepid temp). Lovely present from your daughter.

To answer Tussie first - on the map it's actually called a brook. Usually it babbles along but after heavy rain it rises alarmingly quickly and yes, it does flood! We have seen it go right over the lane to our cottage and make the ford in the lane impassable. Last time was Jan 6th when we went wassailing in an orchard down the lane... the water came over my wellies and I had to dance around the apple trees squelching as I went. What an experience - tradition rules in Somerset! We do also know that next door has had flood water inside in the past, not for some years though! No good worrying about it, but we've all got flood barriers ready in case.

joey - our daughter also lives under the flight path to Heathrow. When we visit, we are very aware of the noise, hustle and bustle and can't wait to return to our rural idyll. I feel for you and I will think of you when we are outside watching the stars (another huge benefit of country life - no light pollution!)

We love the rural life, too, although badgers come in the garden at night and snuffle around the lawns to find crane fly larvae then in the morning, the grass is quite a mess! I don't really mind. I'd like to watch them but they don't let me know what time they come!! Rabbits sometimes visit us, so do pheasants. The best visitor is the heron which stands like a statue overlooking the stream. Last year, an egret came several times. Haven't seen any foxes in the garden, but they are around. Owls live in the old ash tree, and we get green woodpeckers. We also have a number of grass snakes which make me jump! Slowworms too, but they are smaller. We have bats living in our roof space, and they are lovely to watch at twilight. The farm ducks and ducklings come up the stream but flap away rapidly if the dog is in the garden! Each year a wild mallard nests somewhere along the bank, not in the bit I'm working on. She hides her nest really well. Never a dull moment! We moved from a busyish area to a rural one, and love the contrast! I can breathe here...No exhaust fumes!

I looked in the RHS Plantfinder for you - Glyceria maxima is 'widely available' so should be in many nurseries, the one suggested by Grindle is known as 'Rhynchospora colorata' There is only one nursery in Yorkshire listed as a stockist. It's in Whitby: Perry's plants YO21 1RR - phone no. 01947 810329. Hope this helps.

They don't bite my husband - but he isn't a gardener, he cuts the grass and helps with anything I can't do like digging up fennel roots (Wow - a pickaxe job!) but is usually in his workshop. Obviously no midges in there.

How long have you been there?

Amazing! it is sunny, albeit very windy today. I shall be able to start clearing and digging on the stream bank.

another effect of this awful weather is the number of insect bites I am getting - I am scratching and anointing myself all over! Nothing seems to stop them, either. Never had so many! Anyone else suffering like this?

thanks Saina - I guess I did panic a bit because I had cut it further back than I normally do! I think there are some flower buds forming at the moment!

Thanks for letting us let off steam, Ajay - as they say, 'It's good to talk'!

Thanks for thought - but greenhouse and coldframe are overflowing! Might try to find/make cloches for precious lavenders, though. Couldn't really for caryopteris, they are a bit too tall! Forecast for next three days down here is - wait for it - SUN! Maybe things will perk up?? I certainly will...Fingers crossed!

Sorry you haven't been able to post a photo yet. Have consulted books and come up with possibility of 'Dizygotheca elegantissima' (Aralia elegantissima) known as a 'Finger Aralia'. As I've on;y seen pictures of marijuana I am only guessing. Good luck with it. Book says it detests soggy compost but drops its leaves if root ball dries out - does not sound an easy plant to keep healthy! Does not like sudden changes in temp either. "If lower leaves fall, cut off stem in speing and stump will grow again" (Also in book)

Loosestrife! (Lythrum salicaria) I have grown some from seed, the purple 'wild' sort, but you can buy some lovely bright pink varieties - I have one called 'Robert'. There are grasses which enjoy damp conditions, e.g. Glyceria maxima variegata, which is pale green/ white stripes, but be aware that this one can be invasive! Candelabra primulas would be a great choice! There's also 'Houttuynia cordata 'Chameleon' which has red, cream and green leaves and small white flowers. Very attractive if kept under control (not too difficult). Hope this helps!

Thank you Hoya - there are matching steps the other end of the border! I'll take a photo when (if) it stops raining! I am ashamed to say that we haven't yet done the rounds of the gardens in our area yet - went to the Kent/Sussex ones frequently before the BIG move to Somerset! Must make the effort and see the steps at Hestercombe...if we get a sunny day????

HI maple - it has to be grown near water or in boggy place, and it really does take up an immense amount of space! You can't grow anything under it as the stems and 'flowers' tale up that space and it is also very difficult to get under it - it's PRICKLY! Tell him all that...

Hi Sodapopklc

Back to my trusty RHS encyclopaedia - which recommends a feed of 'general fertilizer' in the summer for hardy fuchsias. (I'm assuming yours is a hardy one!) However, when it's mature, the feeding regime is different...balanced feed in early spring, high potash feed when plant starts to flower. Hope this helps.

What a beautiful paeony! Do you know what it's called?

I grow this! I bought a tiny plantlet at the village school May fair 2 years ago - it took and flowered and spread....and spread... It flowers in the Autumn until the frosts, so it's useful then. It is a brittle plant, and I'm always knocking pieces off when I cut the grass, it's hard to tie back for the same reason. Nice silverish leaves. Very bright orangey/red flowers (small).