Author Topic: May? (Read 14333 times)

ideasguy · « **on:** May 07, 2009, 07:31:19 PM »

This past few days weve had high winds, driving rain and the ground covered with fallen leaves.
November? Nope, pinch yourself. Its almost mid-May.
As I write I was just about to go into the garden and was forced inside with a sudden deluge.
Ah well, back to the computer and the development of that new edition of Bank Genie

JeanV · « **Reply #1 on:** May 07, 2009, 09:09:04 PM »

Ah well here it IS May as we are off to the Malvern Show tomorrow : Hergest Croft fair last MOnday where I was singing the praises of your programme IF ONLY I had managed to in put all my plants then I might know what I lost this winter!!

A lot or rather in that last cold snap : they survived -13 a few times but then started to grow and -11 splatter my Fatsia, A Mexican thing I forget the name, and Ceonothus.

However Hellebores have been amazing this year : lasted for ages and are only beginning to seed now. Bluebells are JUST coming out here.

Sorry I have not been here been with family and out in garden!!

Jean

PS If you are at Malvern show I will be the one with the blue drink bottle and a large bag saying Signal. MoUNTAIN

ideasguy · « **Reply #2 on:** May 07, 2009, 09:28:39 PM »

Hi Jean
Thanks for taking the time out from the garden to post. Try and look in as often as you can. I'm very pleased with the activity here lately and we need all the members we can get to keep it interesting.
Thanks for singing the praises of the program! Believe me, that is very much appreciated. It seems that the credit crunch has made gardeners tighten their belts. I hope they can find the cash to keep buying plants!

Sorry to hear you've lost some plants over winter. That is always such a disappointment, isn't it. It takes Fatsia and Ceonothus so long to grow, so I'm sure you are really disappointed to lose them. Were they mature specimens?
I have both those plants, and they seem to have come through the winter OK.

Enjoy your day out at Malvern Show and I'm hoping you are in good singing voice again

I wonder is Eric (Palustris) going to that show?

JeanV · « **Reply #3 on:** May 07, 2009, 10:45:31 PM »

All the plants were about 3 years old : and to be honest I was surprised they lasted through two winters!! An oak leafed hydrangea and a cistus are hanging on but badly frost browned : just a real low temp blitz but if you will live in the country! All my tender things in the greenhouse survived. Any advice on special care now?

My Tree Peony beame an ordinary Peony and died back VERY sensibly!!

ideasguy · « **Reply #4 on:** May 07, 2009, 10:48:29 PM »

I think Malcolm can advise on how to overwinter tender plants in the greenhouse

Palustris · « **Reply #5 on:** May 08, 2009, 08:08:37 AM »

Whilst some are having a wwet and windy May, we are having a dry ish and windy one. Just about enough rain to keep things growing, which is good after the dryest March and April on our records. We had less than 2 cm, of rain from the middle of February until the beginning of May.
No, did not go to the Malvern Show. I find the number of people at those things too hard to cope with. AND, I find the price of the plants at them well beyond what I think is a reasonable price and there are always ones I would like, if I could afford them.
Despite the coldness of the Winter and the rapid temperature changes, we seem to have faired quite well iin the loss department. All our penstemons went, but that is about it really. I assume because things were very dry, they did not suffer too much.
Actually, thinking about it, I have lost almost all of my baby Arisaemas and all of my Pleiones, but still not worked out if that was cold or what!

ideasguy · « **Reply #6 on:** May 08, 2009, 09:11:35 AM »

You must get it much colder than we do in Ireland, Eric, and you're just across the Irish sea from us.
Thats a hard hit

My outdoor penstemons have all survived and indeed stayed evergreen all over winter. I took cuttings of my favourite one when I pruned it back a few weeks ago. Hope they take!
Ive a number of last years cuttings in the greenhouse and they are fine as well.
I presume you take cuttings each year to keep yours going?

Palustris · « **Reply #7 on:** May 08, 2009, 10:39:17 AM »

Yes, but all the cuttings died too!. Even the alpine pesntemon went except for P.Mersea Yellow.
We are a long way from the mitigating influence of the sea, in a sort of bowl, so the rain does not always reach us and the frost tends to sink in as the hot air rises. It is almost always breezy here, a still day is commented upon. Again becuase of the land shape, hot air rises and a breeze comes in from the colder hill tops around.

ideasguy · « **Reply #8 on:** May 08, 2009, 10:45:15 AM »

That is really tough, Eric.
Ive heard of frost pockets, but usually referred to as one part of the garden. Looks like you are in a very big frost pocket there.
What now? Would you like a few cuttings?

Palustris · « **Reply #9 on:** May 08, 2009, 12:57:00 PM »

Thank you kindly, but not at present. We have a friend close by who has a huge collection of the herbaceous ones and she will replace any we want for us. May not bother as we seem to lose them so often.

ideasguy · « **Reply #10 on:** May 08, 2009, 11:54:24 PM »

Still really old here. I went out into the greenhouse tonight and potted up some of my seedlings from the Chiltern Seeds batch.
Now, I feel chilled to the bone! Didnt notice it until I came in and cant get warmed up. Central heating is going as if it were winter!

JeanV · « **Reply #11 on:** May 09, 2009, 03:39:07 AM »

Well I enjoyed the show, but not as much as usual as I got sea sick on the metal walkways in the Floral Tent <g> The plants seemed more repetitive than usual. less variety. I like the Pershore College tent as I find they are really good and cheap plants!

I did not lose any of my penstemons or the cuttings and it was down to -14 here. It is very windy but I suppose we are only an hour from the sea. It is much more extreme here than where we lived in Bolton : there the temperature tended to stay the same all the day. Here it can be -10 in my greenhouse at night and well above +10 in the day!

Jean

ideasguy · « **Reply #12 on:** May 09, 2009, 10:56:27 AM »

Well its cold AND AND raining this morning yet again, and Sat is my day for getting to the garden

Glad youve not lost you Penstemons Jean. They take a couple of years to mature to make a nice show.
You sent me a couple of photos (waaaay back when) Jean.
May I use them to make up a website for you, to add here ?
http://www.ideasforgardens.net/
You'll see the gardens of some of our regular forum members there.

NightHawk · « **Reply #13 on:** May 09, 2009, 02:12:29 PM »

We heard a rumour somewhere that it was spring - definitely NOT spring weather here.

Over the past few days, well weeks actually, we've been getting very strong winds, but apart from the odd very brief shower, no decent rainfall to speak of.

The last couple of days we've had up to 47 km/h (30mph) wind speeds, and our plants are taking a real battering, but so far they've survived it.

The whole country seems to be getting similar bad conditions, so it's not just localised.

Laurie.

ideasguy · « **Reply #14 on:** May 09, 2009, 02:42:45 PM »

We must be getting all the rain! Lots of the stuff here.
I transplanted a very large Camellia 2 weeks ago and wondered about its chances.
It was about 6ft tall and 5ft or so spread and wasnt doing well or else it was a poor variety (Camellia japonica 'Strawberry Swirl' )
I wasnt particularly worried if I lost it in the transplant process, so it was partly an experiment to see how well they withstood a move.
I think its getting a good watering in and should have a good chance to survive.

SUN is shining. Time for the garden!

NightHawk · « **Reply #15 on:** May 09, 2009, 03:19:18 PM »

After dragging Laurie to the garden centre I had hoped for many hours of hard work out of him today but all he got done before it started to rain (almost needing a tether to stop blowing away in the wind) he cut the grass.

I managed to plant some daylilies I had put into a big pot last autumn into the border, plant some garlic I had growing in the greenhouse, weed, weed and weed....we got a least an hour in

I don't usually grow veg, I don't have a big enough garden at least that gets full sun, I was tempted into some dwarf french beans and dwarf climbing french beans. I best not tell my mother I bought ready growing veg plants she would be horrified its as bad a transgression (in her eyes) as buying frozen scrambled eggs (yes you can buy them

)
No doubt she has seeds of both plants almost from the days when it was pounds shillings and pence...

she never throws anything away.

I digress....I have put them outside to harden off during the day, do I need to put them in the g/house at night?

The garden centre had them under a canopy but not inside...

Any thoughts gratefully appreciated.

Kathy

ideasguy · « **Reply #16 on:** May 09, 2009, 07:46:51 PM »

Personally, I would leave them outside, but against the wall of the house, where they will get a little protection.
Others may differ, so lets see

I'm sure your mother will forgive you if she knows you are following in her footsteps and growing some of the things she grew, Kathy.
I'm delighted to see my son has started to but plants for his garden in Belfast. Today on the phone he tells me he bought some Dahlias. I could have given him a few

I have a good hit from a packet of 'Bishops Children' from my Chiltern Seeds order, and they are coming on very well. Also I see sprouts from the ones I dug up at the end of last season and overwintered. I have them in shallow trays of compost under the staging in the greenhouse. I think its best that he experiments and learns the gardening secrets by experimentation. I hope he enjoys that as much as I have.

NightHawk · « **Reply #17 on:** May 09, 2009, 08:15:53 PM »

Unless anyone comes back with anything different I will leave the bean plants out against a wall.

Are the Dahlia Bishops Children the ones with the very dark leaves?

I grew Bishop of Llandaff (very dark leaves deep rich red flowers) last year. The display for weeks was fabulous but I don't think I like the dark leaves as much as the green. The whole plant seemed to disappear into the dark soil where I put them in the front garden.

I got the plant on an offer so had to plant it

Its coming up again in the shallow basket in the greenhouse. No idea where to put it this time...but just had to see if it came up again!

I have bought a couple of other dahlias this year, with the green leaves and pretty pink flowers, planning to put them where the other one was last year beside my pink roses. Last year I was into hot colours in the front this year I am aiming for more pastels and pink. I did not have anything but the roses in pink last year and I missed the colour.

I grew some dahlias from seed last year and although they remained very small plants they flowered their little hearts out for me.

I recommend growing from seed!

I also bought some Chrysanthemum sprays today. My mum gave me three yellow chrysanthemums last year and they kept flowering into November.

Oh and they are pink

Kathy

ideasguy · « **Reply #18 on:** May 10, 2009, 10:27:28 PM »

Hi Kathy. Yes, the Bishops Children are just like the Bishop, dark foliage.
Actually, I really like the dark foliage. Having grown Dahlias for a number of year, it was a nice discovery to find the Bishop of Llandaff.
A mixture of both is nice. Thats what I had last year. The green leaved varieties seem to produce more foliage, and lovely lush foliage as you know. Is that the case with you?

I love Chrysanthemums Kathy. I love the scent from the foliage and love working with them.
Its very easy to grow them from cuttings as well, so theres a lot of mileage there.
Have you tried them from cuttings?

Unfortunately, the ones Ive grown needed protection as they flowered very late (November and some into Dec)
When did the ones you grew last year start to flower? What about your new sprays?

I'm with you on the pastels and pink colours. They are my favourite as well.

Today was beautiful! Such a contrast to Saturday! Sunny and very warm all day, May has returned. Out in the garden all afternoon and evening.
Need a few weeks like that to get the garden in shape!

Lyn and Malcolm · « **Reply #19 on:** May 10, 2009, 10:50:03 PM »

It has been a nice day here as well, up to 18c after a cool night, only plus 1.3. Which meant it was out with the fleece again last night at midnight.

We are forecast 55 mph gusts of wind for the next 2 days, so the new banana leaves won't look new after that.

And possibly thundery rain later.

The back garden is still not set up yet, too much risk of a frost recently. Alot of the plants in pots are outside, but huddled together in four places, just so they can be covered easily.
When all is set up the biggest fear then becomes hail, with all the big leaves that causes havoc, and not much we can do about it either.
But as Laurie would say "Hey ho" we have to get on with it. First visitors due mid June, a private visit by a garden club.

May the sun shine where ever you are.........then we will be moaning about it being too hot.

Malcolm

NightHawk · « **Reply #20 on:** May 10, 2009, 11:20:57 PM »

It seems we have all been lucky with the weather today. Morning started off sllightly cool but after a short shower at 1pm got out warm and sunny.

NO wind today! Yippee I am fed up with winds battering the plants, my sypathies Malcolm on your bananas...lots of leaf to be blown about.

I plan to take cuttings of these new Chrysanths George. The ones my mum gave me last year were from her taking cuttings...they started flowering from late Sept I think.

I only grew the very small dahlias from seed that had green leaves, but I didn't feel they were "all leaf" so much.

Not sure why I don't really like the dark leaf colour, I had my BO Llandaff planted in front of a dark hedge so it just looked a bit dark for me. I bet they would look great in front a yellow leaf plant like my Euonymous. Sadly its at the back of my alpine bed so my dahliia can't go there

Sorry if I missed answering something its very late and its past my bed time

Kathy

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #21 on:** May 11, 2009, 07:16:13 AM »

It is dryish in the Chilterns. I am having to carry the bathwater we collect in a tank to keep the tomatoes, marrows and runner beans wet enough. I hope we haven't put them out too early but we are fairly sheltered here. Our major winter loss from frost was a lovely large pink cistus. Every leaf was burned from the frost and it didn't recover. Our ceonothus on the other hand has survived and is covered in bloom.

Eric H

ideasguy · « **Reply #22 on:** May 19, 2009, 11:41:54 PM »

May continues to be a washout here in Ireland.
I was wearing a waterproof jacket and a hood, yet I was soaked to the skin in my 15 min walk (ran today!) from the office in Belfast to the Central bus station. The road was flooded in parts, to the extent that it had also flooded the footpath.
One car ploughed through it all and soaked all the unfortunate pedestrians in the vicinity - got me

I hoped it was localised and hadnt hit in my home town 20 miles away. It had!
So, greenhouse work again this evening! The garden is way behind on attention. Its been so bad the lawns haven't been cut for over two weeks now.

NightHawk · « **Reply #23 on:** May 20, 2009, 07:57:02 AM »

We seem to be escaping the worst of the rain here in the northeast.

Over the past few days we've had the odd shower, but nothing too heavy or for long enough to give our plants a good watering.

What we have had in abundance though are strong winds. We figure that the winds are blowing the rain clouds away, which is why we're not getting much rainfall each time. Just short scattered showers. Then we'll get some sunshine, but mostly cloudy and dry conditions.

You can work around the odd bit of rain but the winds are really battering all of our plants, and drying them out much quicker, so additional watering is having to be done. Ho-hum.

Laurie.

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #24 on:** May 20, 2009, 09:34:52 AM »

Quote from: ideasguy on May 19, 2009, 11:41:54 PM

Its been so bad the lawns haven't been cut for over two weeks now.

Not too bad in the Chilterns, a bit mixed. The only thing stopping me cutting the lawn is my mower braking down. Back from the repairers today. Sun and rain alternating is making the weeds grow even quicker. Hope things dry up for you George.

Eric H

Author Topic: May? (Read 14333 times)

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