The Gardening Thread, Advice, hints and tips. Options

[rachyroo]

Unfortunately I'm now living in a flat which has no garden (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) But I decided this summer to see what would happen if I started to plant stuff in the kitchen.

I really got into eating avocado's at the beginning of the year so had a go at growing one, it took ages to get going but finally it shot up and it's doing well.

My mini tomato plants, started off well now are limping a bit, the spring onions and corriander died off quick, but the basil isn't too bad, tho it's looking a bit miserable now!

Had some peppers going and they did really well - only trouble is now I think something's munching it - dont really want to put insect killing stuff on it - but I think I need to do something to save it. There's little cobweb bits between the leaves and on the stalk and little white bits are on the leaves - any suggestions? I do have one pepper growing on the plant, would be nice if it could get big enough to be eaten (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[The Old Lady]

Well, this is popular (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)
I'm not a "gardener" as such, but do dabble.
As far as the Nastyturns (nasturtiums) are concerned, gather the seeds and keep them in a envelope in the kitchen drawer until next year. They love dry, hot places.
Moles.........get a cat or dog. OR listen to Jasper Carrots' advice about getting rid of moles (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
I did some tidying up yesterday, and am about to go out to do more. We have a north facing garden..........ferns, hostas, ivy.........and in the middle of winter, the grass is too wet to stand on, so I have to "clear" the garden up for winter fairly early. It gets so wet that you can sink into the grass.
Keep it green (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
Bev.

[maggiemay]

Unfortunately I'm now living in a flat which has no garden (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) But I decided this summer to see what would happen if I started to plant stuff in the kitchen.

I really got into eating avocado's at the beginning of the year so had a go at growing one, it took ages to get going but finally it shot up and it's doing well.

My mini tomato plants, started off well now are limping a bit, the spring onions and corriander died off quick, but the basil isn't too bad, tho it's looking a bit miserable now!

Had some peppers going and they did really well - only trouble is now I think something's munching it - dont really want to put insect killing stuff on it - but I think I need to do something to save it. There's little cobweb bits between the leaves and on the stalk and little white bits are on the leaves - any suggestions? I do have one pepper growing on the plant, would be nice if it could get big enough to be eaten (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

some plants pests can be removed by spraying with a weak solution of washing up liquid - although it does really qualify as insect-killing stuff I guess, but I would rather use it than stronger insecticide. It works with aphid infestations in the garden - although ladybirds eat the aphids (and might not survive the liquid either, so I only use it if there aren't any ladybirds around).

Otherwise can you wipe off the cobwebby stuff with a piece of damp tissue or kitchen paper?

[rachyroo]

Yeah I've given them a good wipe yesterday and poked them with a cotten bud a couple of days ago - swear something off there bit me :s

We'll just have to wait and see if they recover - might try the washing up liquid idea if the beasties come back, would rather not use anything harsher than that (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Thanks x

[ianporsche]

Derris is also very mild

[The Old Lady]

I'm off out to the garden centre/nursery to get some winter pansies, wall flowers and other bit and bobs for the winter.
Anyone else do winter bedding for some colour??
Bev.

[all ears]

Ooh, definitely! Our front door (practically on the street) faces north, so without buying plants it would be a dismal spot. I like to buy polyanthus and primula - especially the "CAndy" type "Julian" primula x polyanthus crosses which you can see on the link under "Sakata seeds...".

Somehow I seem to resist the popular ornamental cabbages which people often plant instead of flowers over winter here! They are pretty enough, but tend to look very sad and dusty by the end of the winter.

Japan has lots of violets which are not scented, but which have a huge range of flower- and leaf-shapes. I have to keep my hands firmly in my pockets at the garden centre, or I'd bankrupt myself.

I don't keep my hands in my pockets when I go for walks locally though - there are often spray chrysanthemums blooming at the edges of neglected fields and carparks, and many cuttings I've "rescued" are now safely blooming in my tiny garden, while the parent plant has been concreted over (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) .

Here are some chrysanthemum container plantings...spot the ornamental cabbage in there too! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[The Old Lady]

Have done the pots today. Used pansies, and polyanthus. I also bought some tiny fir trees, I don't know their name, but they are about 8 inches tall and a yellowy green. Apparently they grow to 5 foot in open ground, slowly. In a pot they are much slower and bound by the pot to a smaller size. Then there were the purple heather type plants, which smell funny (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) They contrast well with the conifer thingies and the purple pansies.
Bev.

[all ears]

Yellow-green thingies, I know them well, we call them "gold crest" in Japan. It's almost depressing to think that people all around the world are planting exactly the same things, thanks to the power of the gardening media!

We have the purple heather type thingies too, but they are maybe not so popular for winter plantings as various silver-leaved thingies.

We also have New Zealand tea-tree pot plants at this time of year, but as the climate is so different, I kill the poor things off without fail every time I succumb to nostalgia and buy them!
tea-tree

[The Old Lady]

Yellow-green thingies, I know them well, we call them "gold crest" in Japan. It's almost depressing to think that people all around the world are planting exactly the same things, thanks to the power of the gardening media!

We have the purple heather type thingies too, but they are maybe not so popular for winter plantings as various silver-leaved thingies.

We also have New Zealand tea-tree pot plants at this time of year, but as the climate is so different, I kill the poor things off without fail every time I succumb to nostalgia and buy them!
tea-tree

I'm glad you understand "thingies" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) As I said, I'm not a gardener, just dabble (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
Bev.

[The Old Lady]

OK Folks, it's spring, it's sunny. Let's garden.
I'm off out to tidy and Basil is mowing the lawns/moss.
Keep it green. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Beverley.

[barry-clari]

OK Folks, it's spring, it's sunny. Let's garden.
I'm off out to tidy and Basil is mowing the lawns/moss.
Keep it green. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Beverley.

It may be spring, but it's tipping down here (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Still, it makes the grass/plants grow... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[The Old Lady]

Ah, a fair weather gardener (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) Me too. If it was raining here you wouldn't find me in the garden for dust nor money (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
Later.
Bev.

[The Old Lady]

Just come in from the garden (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
It's warm enough for jeans and a jumper out there.
I split the garden into 6 areas to weed and sort. Meant to do 1 per day to save back ache, but did 2 1/2. Green bin is full now and I've got to do something to eat.
Most things are OK. One of my ferns looked, brown/rusty coloured. SO i stripped those leaves off. Hope I haven't killed it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)
Anyone else been out there yet?
Bev.

[mcm]

I have been picking the last of the kale - very sweet, and the swiss chard has overwintered and is producing new growth. It still feels too cold to sow anything in the ground, and I usually wait till May, but this weekend I set up my mini patio greenhouse thingy and sowed some leeks and lettuce in pots. The leeks are probably too late but I'll try anyway. This year I'm going to try sowing chard and maybe even beetroot in modules to get them off to an earlier start.

Oddly enough in spite of last year's poor summer I got a really good crop of veg from my three small raised beds. And there are still lots of apples and blackcurrants in the freezer.

In case you hadn't noticed, I am more interested in growing edibles, but I do have some easy care flowers as well. The daffs are looking good at the moment.