Calling all AC Gardeners!

tillytop
tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
edited 8. Sep 2012, 04:41 in Community Chit-chat archive
Hello all you gardeners!

Spring is on the way (apparently :lol:) so it's time to polish the mud off those tools and wash the pots and seed trays in readiness.

Thank you so much to Suncatcher and everyone else who posted kind words to say how much the gardening threads had been enjoyed. Thank you too to DD for letting me know about Suncatcher's thread and for replying on my behalf.

Although I am not posting much at the mo, I am looking in, and will look forward to reading about everyone's gardening "exploits" this year!

I feel like a proper grown up gardener now because I have my first ever batch of finished compost! My hubby emptied it out for me the other week and although there wasn't masses, there was enough for a good inch or so over half the raised bed :D Thanks to those who encouraged me to give it a go, despite my fear of unwanted "guests" in the heap (so far unfounded thank goodness)

Happy Gardening!

Tillyxxx
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Comments

  • Airwave!
    Airwave! Member Posts: 2,458
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Standing by, fertiliser bagged, seeds brought, watering can frozen, fork at the ready, mam!

    Tell me, why does my grass grow in the winter? and weeds...... our greens started growing again? and last summers flowers are still going?

    gardenConfused.com
  • suzygirl
    suzygirl Member Posts: 2,005
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    My bulbs are growing, and am looking forward to spring :D
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello TILLY :D

    and everyone else!

    Like Suzy my bulbs are emerging. the snowdrops l planted over several weeks are flowering...

    and yesterday :wink:

    I booked my Gardnener's world tickets :D June this year and MontyDon will be there :lol:

    Love

    Toni xxx

    Ps Tilly fabulous about your compost - lovely non-smelly stuff :D
  • julie47
    julie47 Member Posts: 6,041
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Can any one tell me why and how to stop little minute flys appearing in my potted plants.

    My oh has repotted, I have tried fly killer (hoping it didn't hurt the plant roots) only to find them re-appearing weeks later.

    On a nice note....My bulbs are flowering too, a few crocus and tete a tetes so far :D

    Tilly thankyou for starting this thread again

    Love Juliepf x
  • tkachev
    tkachev Member Posts: 8,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Well we have a lovely big shed going up this weekend! Now to choose some climbers to grow in front of it.

    There's not a lot of colour in the garden at the moment but hopefully Spring is around the corner!!!!

    Elizabeth
    Never be bullied into silence.
    Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
    Accept no ones definition of your life

    Define yourself........

    Harvey Fierstein
  • barbara12
    barbara12 Member Posts: 21,280
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Tilly and thanks for starting this thread again
    Spring is nearly here, cant wait to see everything come into colour.. :D
    Love
    Barbara
  • bubbadog
    bubbadog Member Posts: 5,544
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I'm a gardening virgin! And this year we (my OH & I) are ready to start putting plants in our pots and on the ground, so you may be able to give us tips! My OH is going to start planting in the spring, so any advise will be appreciated. :)
  • Airwave!
    Airwave! Member Posts: 2,458
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Julie47,
    You can get a wash from the garden centre, to get rid of the insects, take them outside, all if you can, spray the wash on, let it dry and then back inside, watch the cold though.
  • julie47
    julie47 Member Posts: 6,041
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thank you airwave :D will look out fo the wash and hope it works.

    Julie x
  • lindalegs
    lindalegs Member Posts: 5,393
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Julie and Airwave, I heard that you can actually trap the little black fruit flies by leaving a small drop of wine in the bottom of the bottle. Apparently they're attracted by the smell, fly in and can't fly out again and end up drowning in the wine .................not a bad way to go IMO :wink:

    Unfortunately someone has to drink the rest of the bottle of wine before you can leave the drop in the bottom of the bottle :roll: Any volunteers?? :lol::lol:

    Luv,
    Love, Legs x
    'Make a life out of what you have, not what you're missing'
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Legs...

    a012.gif
    n045.gif

    all done for you the bottle's....

    well....

    somewhere around...hic hic! :oops:
  • lindalegs
    lindalegs Member Posts: 5,393
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    frogmorton wrote:
    Legs...

    a012.gif
    n045.gif

    all done for you the bottle's....

    well....

    somewhere around...hic hic! :oops:

    Toni you didn't share it with me ..............better get another bottle :lol::lol:a025.gif

    Love,
    Love, Legs x
    'Make a life out of what you have, not what you're missing'
  • Airwave!
    Airwave! Member Posts: 2,458
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Like the style but giving wine to flys doesn't seem right though?

    We also got white mites on the orchids and the wash kills them off as well. I collected loads of wild poppy seed heads(the large purple ones), dried them and saved all the seeds and OH blames me for her orchid problems. Anyhow now solved. When I spread the seeds the wild bird population is going to be well fed! What else could I do with all those wild poppy seeds.........???? :mrgreen:
  • lindalegs
    lindalegs Member Posts: 5,393
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Airwave! wrote:
    What else could I do with all those wild poppy seeds.........???? :mrgreen:

    Well I'm just wondering how green your fingers are Airwave cos that would sure take your mind off arthur pain :mrgreen:
    t117006.gif

    Now in December I bought a gardenia which had two flowers open and lots of buds. It's in our conservatory which is heated but does get cold at night. It is thriving except that the buds keep dropping off and since the first flowers died I can't seem to get anymore to open.

    Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

    Luv,
    Love, Legs x
    'Make a life out of what you have, not what you're missing'
  • Colin1
    Colin1 Member Posts: 1,769
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Airwave grass never stops growing but it does grow very slowly during the winter just like your hedge row. If you get a good weed and feed it will get shut of your weeds but may take several goes if you have lots. Always read the labels and instructions.

    Julie soapy water but read the following
    Aphids - you may know them better as greenfly or blackfly fact is that this pest family is one of the biggest in your garden. there are over 500 aphid species in the UK they reproduce so quickly that a single aphid could produce millions in one summer so its not just the fly you need to get shut of its the eggs.
    Soapy water sprayed on the plants works well and you need to do it weekly. If you don’t mind using chemicals there are many types if you try B&Q or one of the nurseries these have a longer lasting effect and no I do not want to discuss the environment and use of chemicals
    I grow over a thousand flowers each year and ill do whatever it takes to get shut of pests.

    LINDA
    The most common problem with gardenias not blooming properly is low humidity..they need alot of humidity to bloom properly.. I take it its the creamy white flower they are so beautiful they look like they are porcelain. Its an evergreen native to china I think. It is not an easy to grow plant but once you get one or two blossoms your away. Gardenia jasminoides 'Fortuniana' is the most popular variety with the biggest and most fragrant flower. Mine has been outside all winter and looks in quite a sorry state I don’t expect it will flower this year but I love the glossy, rich green foliage.
    Well done on this one Dell.

    Compost can be made from all sorts of things if you use manure remember you will get seeds in the mixture, Whilst you can attract visitors to your compost remember many of them are good for your garden eating aphids. I love the net.

    I tried planting early last year to get some blooms for show as I started selling some to help pay the cost of growing. Whilst I had some success with a light box this year I am going to start some at the end of February with a heated propagator and light.

    The mild winter has left us many plants from last year nearly all my Geranium have survived but I expect the coming bad weather will put an end to that. My spring bulbs are also doing well with the mild start we had to the year and back end of last year.

    MY tip What you should be doing this week from my personnel gardeners calendar. Stay in the warm and just plan until the cold bout is over. If you have problems breathing in the cold “ and yes trying to do stuff when in pain does not help the breathing” the cold air makes it worse. If you have to go out in your garden or the shops get down with the kids and get yourself a SNOOD.
    WHEN GOD GIVES YOU LEMONS MAKE LEMONADE
  • Airwave!
    Airwave! Member Posts: 2,458
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Colin,
    I did use the feed and weed stuff on the lawn....and the weeds came up more than ever. I let the grass grown longer and that seems to work but then this winter has been mild and its grown more, I have been giving it my best stare and waiting for it to respond but a cut is in the air and it'll just have to do. Cutting grass in February is weird. Long live decking!

    I think.......the pampas is dead, advice from last year killed it and a kindly friend dug up the remains, it was huge, it now resides on my compost heap, dead, I hope!
  • Colin1
    Colin1 Member Posts: 1,769
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Airwave you can weed and feed more than once a season i know some stuff is quite expensive but in the end its worth it if it gets shut of the weeds. There is a firm that do it for you but i cant remember what their called but i hear they are quite cheep.

    Pampas what a bugger that stuff is to dig the roots out, took me a couple of years to get shut of one i had.
    Take care
    Colin
    WHEN GOD GIVES YOU LEMONS MAKE LEMONADE
  • julie47
    julie47 Member Posts: 6,041
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    COLIN

    Thank you for the advice of the little pests in the garden I will try that too :D
    juliepf x
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Julie

    l got me some ladybirds and some ladybird larvae last year for my aphids :)

    Mellman was taking the mick and asking me was l going to tie something to their legs to keep 'em in my garden :lol:

    BUT l had so many aphids on my roses that they stayed (english 2 spots) and l LOVED watching the baby ones (who eat more than their parents) change into ladybirds.

    I also bought a ladybird house and some are overwintering in there :D

    Love

    Toni xxx
  • julie47
    julie47 Member Posts: 6,041
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    frogmorton wrote:
    Julie

    l got me some ladybirds and some ladybird larvae last year for my aphids :)

    Mellman was taking the mick and asking me was l going to tie something to their legs to keep 'em in my garden :lol:

    BUT l had so many aphids on my roses that they stayed (english 2 spots) and l LOVED watching the baby ones (who eat more than their parents) change into ladybirds.

    I also bought a ladybird house and some are overwintering in there :D

    Love

    Toni xxx


    Just looked up for a ladybird house on a well known site and spotted one. I never knew you could buy them, I learn something every day :D
    Thank you Toni,
    Have a good week-end. :D
  • lindalegs
    lindalegs Member Posts: 5,393
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thanks for the Gardenia advise. Have put a small bowl of water near it and will watch my watering. No buds opening yet.

    Luv,
    Love, Legs x
    'Make a life out of what you have, not what you're missing'
  • ritwren
    ritwren Member Posts: 928
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi everyone, I've been lurking but would love to join in with your garden thread. :oops:
    I've got loads of spring bulbs in bloom and loads of buds on others. This winter has been so mild and it does my heart good to see the little Iris and Snowdrops and Daffs blooming. I grow most of my bulbs except the Snowdrops in pots but have some in the garden too.
    I went to the allotment the other week and dumped 3 bags of home made compost on the beds, best result I've had yet and I was delighted. There's nothing like making your own compost. :)
    It'll soon be time to start sowing, or has anyone started anything off yet?
    Rita.
  • Colin1
    Colin1 Member Posts: 1,769
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Rita I had lots of stuff doing well from last year but this last couple of weeks of frost has put pay to that. Its mainly flower seeds i grow but lots of them. I have just finished building a large light boy and hope to get some seeds going at the end of this month. Problem is its taken it out of me a bit. took me about 3 weeks to build, would have done it in a few hours before Arthritis anbd this bloddy COPD still at least i done it. Cant waite for the warm weather.
    Colin
    WHEN GOD GIVES YOU LEMONS MAKE LEMONADE
  • ritwren
    ritwren Member Posts: 928
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Well done Colin, your light box should give your seeds a good start. Do you have a heated mat in it? It's a shame that you've lost some things that you had over wintering, we've been lucky here this year although I lost a load of stuff last year.
    I have a small propagator but don't really use it much as there's no regulator on it. I might treat myself to a new one this year. :)
    We've not had the frost here that everyone else seems to be having although we have a lot of rain. I've planted out my autumn sown sweetpea in the sheltered place by the wall as I do every year. I still have more to plant at the allotment but I'll hold onto them for another while as it's quite open there and more windy and colder too.
  • Colin1
    Colin1 Member Posts: 1,769
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Rita
    Well its quite a big box lined with polystyrene and then aluminum foil
    2 x 60w bulbs keep the inside temp around 70 / 80 deg F. I can keep water inside so it stays warm and the same with the seed compost. I also have a propagator that fits inside thats electric and keeps its temp quite well in the box. Going through a bad patch at the moment and planting seeds or tending them seems a log way off at the moment.
    Colin
    WHEN GOD GIVES YOU LEMONS MAKE LEMONADE