A Little Dirt Never Hurt-Gardening 2020

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  • I'd give them a week before you start poking - they aren't that quick to start.

    I went to the allotment which the rain has carefully avoided - it was just damp enough for the dust to stick to my shoes - covered it back up, and five minutes later it poured. For about two minutes.

    Effing weather!

    AG
  • The actual peas often kinda heave out of the soil first before the shoots... I ve always rather enjoyed that stage!
  • I checked on the internet it said 28 to 30 days for peas. Should also say on seed package if you still have it. I had always planted mine in the fall and they came up in spring.
  • Firenze wrote: »
    No, shade needn't stop you having a rose. Two of the best for shade are Albertine and Danse de feu. A climbing hydrangea will also cope with shade, ditto star jasmine, and there are numerous clematis that will also be happy.

    Virginia creeper is lovely in the autumn until the leaves fall off, at which point it becomes a nightmare because the fleshy stems that attach the leaves to the vines become detached from both leaf and vine and as well as beinga pain to pick up they don't rot.

    Thank you for the advice. Albertine is a favourite of mine.

    The proposed site is a corner of the garden currently under membrane and gravel (in an effort to suppress the bindweed whose redoubt it was). There is new wooden fencing along one side and very old and picturesquely crumbling brick wall on the other, the whole overtopped by a neighbour's elder. She'd agreed to have it felled, but then Lockdown.

    I think I will look for a clematis and aim it at the fence, then get a rose for the wall next year - variety depending on what happens about the tree.

    You're welcome. I'm not a natural gardener but my late-lamented was very green-fingered and a garden designer Godsibling who has won medals at Chelsea gives me advice. FWIW I have two climbing roses in a very over-shadowed spot- one a Danse du Feu and the other Paul's Himalayan musk. The latter is highly scented and a floribunda so a veey good thing.
  • My toddler liked lambs-ears to touch.
  • amyboamybo Shipmate
    OOH, thanks for the idea LC! Right now the big questions are can I touch it, can I eat it, can I pee on it.

    The package on the peas said 7-14 days to germinate, but I'm never sure how close to reality they are- you lot have more credibility.
  • NenyaNenya Shipmate
    We've just grass-seeded a patch at the front of the house and are glad of the rain that saves us watering every evening. How long does grass seed take to germinate?
  • As far as peas and other big seeds like nasturtiums, peanuts, etc, you can usually stick them between a couple layers of paper toweling on a plate, moisten them, and then check in every day to see if they're germinating yet. Once they are, pop them into the ground.

    Other toddler-friendly plants include any herbs that have a nice smell after you run your fingers through them (e.g. lavendar and rosemary). If you have enough room, trees that have freaky pods are a favorite--bahinia, moneytree, etc. Just check them for poisonous or not.
  • I had someone come today and work on our very strange sprinkler system. Two of the sprinklers spray onto large concrete patios. I had capped them off when we moved in 15 years ago but now they were leaking. These are not in the dirt spraying onto the patios, they were surrounded by concrete on all four sides in the middle of the patios. A mystery.
  • SparrowSparrow Shipmate
    Nenya wrote: »
    We've just grass-seeded a patch at the front of the house and are glad of the rain that saves us watering every evening. How long does grass seed take to germinate?

    I had to seed some patches in my lawn a few weeks ago. If you keep it well watered you should see something in about 2 weeks. But you may need to cover the area to stop birds getting the seeds.

  • SparrowSparrow Shipmate
    I had someone come today and work on our very strange sprinkler system. Two of the sprinklers spray onto large concrete patios. I had capped them off when we moved in 15 years ago but now they were leaking. These are not in the dirt spraying onto the patios, they were surrounded by concrete on all four sides in the middle of the patios. A mystery.

    Maybe someone had a lot of pots on the patios?
  • Thank you Sparrow, never thought of that. It always puzzled me.
  • A question @Dormouse , do you think that those vapour-rub things work like Tiger Balm?
  • Hooray! Three female courgette flowers and one male!
    Gave them a helping hand, as there were not many pollinating insects around this morning.
    Unless ants do the job? There were plenty of those around, tending their aphid farms :(
  • Ethne Alba wrote: »
    A question @Dormouse , do you think that those vapour-rub things work like Tiger Balm?
    Anything of that consistency, I should think. I have seen plain vaseline/petroleum jelly recommended.
    Possibly the inclusion of some medication such as that in Vick might be a further disincentive to the slugs. Or it might just be the greasiness. I have also seen WD40 suggested.
    All the above would need re-applying at regular intervals.

  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    After seven days of being passed from hand to hand (I assume) my herb seeds finally arrived, so that's the herb border planted - plus a couple of pots of calendula thinnings so there's something going on immediately.

    Next thing is scanning the horizon for the clematis - due mid July. It's a Viticella 'I Am Happy' (shades of Ivor Cutler) - white centre with deep pink edges and veining.

    Everything very lush, with everything I've actually planted and lovingly tended dwarfed by the unplanted and untended.
  • amyboamybo Shipmate
    As far as peas and other big seeds like nasturtiums, peanuts, etc, you can usually stick them between a couple layers of paper toweling on a plate, moisten them, and then check in every day to see if they're germinating yet. Once they are, pop them into the ground.

    Other toddler-friendly plants include any herbs that have a nice smell after you run your fingers through them (e.g. lavendar and rosemary). If you have enough room, trees that have freaky pods are a favorite--bahinia, moneytree, etc. Just check them for poisonous or not.

    Thanks! We have little sprouts at the bottom of the poles. Now I need a name for the thing- the toddler is calling it his pea house, double entendre fully intended. He's freaked out by the rosemary though :-(
  • Yes, our allotment is over-run by stuff that has gone rampant, e.g., Californian poppy, borage, goatsbeard, a little weed with pink flowers, raspberry, vetch, etc. We look on indulgently until it gets jungly.
  • NenyaNenya Shipmate
    Sparrow wrote: »
    Nenya wrote: »
    We've just grass-seeded a patch at the front of the house and are glad of the rain that saves us watering every evening. How long does grass seed take to germinate?

    I had to seed some patches in my lawn a few weeks ago. If you keep it well watered you should see something in about 2 weeks. But you may need to cover the area to stop birds getting the seeds

    We have green shoots already! So exciting!
  • PendragonPendragon Shipmate
    Yes, our allotment is over-run by stuff that has gone rampant, e.g., Californian poppy, borage, goatsbeard, a little weed with pink flowers, raspberry, vetch, etc. We look on indulgently until it gets jungly.

    The weed with pink flowers might be Rosebay Willowherb. If the seed pods are long and fluffy that will be a giveaway.
  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    If they're little pink flowers, more likely Herb Robert. Rosebay Willowherb is a stonking great thing - and not in flower yet (at least not hereabouts). It has a single stem with narrow leaves and a spike of flower of intense pink.
  • @Roseofsharon thank you for the slug/snail suggestions!
  • My granddad knew Rosebay Willowherb as 'pithill flowers' as they grow often near mines in this part of the world.
  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    Along with poppies, they're a weed of disturbed ground (hence Fireweed from their appearance on bomb sites).
  • Firenze wrote: »
    If they're little pink flowers, more likely Herb Robert. Rosebay Willowherb is a stonking great thing - and not in flower yet (at least not hereabouts). It has a single stem with narrow leaves and a spike of flower of intense pink.

    Cheers, could be, the flowers look geraniumy, but the leaves don't. Defo not willowherb. Two more are alkanet, horrible, and nigella, lovely.
  • What are the leaves like?
  • Spear shaped. Maybe a centaury.
  • la vie en rougela vie en rouge Circus Host, 8th Day Host
    I'm very excited. Some of my tomato plants have produced little tiny green things like pin heads. There are going to be tomatoes! It worked!

    As you were. I need some small things to make me happy at the minute.
  • It has finally thrown it down on the allotment - even better, about five minutes after I uncovered it all to let the rain get under the black plastic. Given that last time I was there I was literally jumping on my fork to dig, this is very welcome!
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host, 8th Day Host
    I have a small container garden-type thing on the minuscule patio out back. Every time I've told my parents about the peppers, or tomatoes or basil, Mom gets a bit wistful remembering when she used to have a garden and lots of veggies. So, today, I went to Lowe's and bought a big pot, a tomato cage and a little hot weather tomato for her. Oh, yes. I bought some more plants for me...well, the orchids were homeless!! Someone has to take care of them!!!

    Tomorrow, I'll get the tomato planted and take it over to Mom. I hope it brings her some joy!
  • We have rain, I am happy.
  • Ditto.
  • DooneDoone Shipmate
    Ditto
  • CathscatsCathscats Shipmate
    We have sun, and I am happy - lots of rain has been had here in the past three or four days.
  • Local weather forecast for next Thursday & Friday shows the temperature at 30C.
    I expect to be far from happy then.
  • Our allotment looks a mess now, as we couldn't get our normal plants, as the nursery was closed. We stuck in lots of potatoes, which is OK, but we have let California poppy, good king Henry, borage, goatsbeard, etc, run riot, so the result is either a wild cottage garden, or an inspector's nightmare. Very pleased that tree spinach has survived, and the pink bits look gorgeous. Also very dry again, so that many things are going to seed, esp., nigella. Hope the bees are OK.
  • Tree spinach, now there s something I am Seriously considering next year. .......
  • Ethne Alba wrote: »
    Tree spinach, now there s something I am Seriously considering next year. .......

    It's very pretty, and you can eat it moderately. Spreads easily. One of those spinach substitutes which are numerous, goosefoots?
  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    I put a corner of the garden down to meadow mix/wild. The result is a thriving patch of willowherb, mint, poppies, field marigold, cornflower, clover, grasses, chickweed, chamomile (or possibly yarrow), forget-me-not, buttercup etc etc. I think it is my favourite bit of the garden, so varied, so ebullient.

    I edit out stuff like bindweed, thistle and cleavers, but otherwise I'm happy to let it romp away. I am particularly looking forward to seeing the hot pink spikes of the willowherb against the dark green of the neighbour's ivy and conifer.

    But at some point I should cut it down - but when?
  • @quetzalcoatl ....... I hurried away to look up the word Goosefoot

    And stopped at “rank smelling”.

    ????
  • It has been warm here so we are sleeping with the bedroom windows open. Early this morning I woke to the sound of water coming though the window onto the floor. Rain? No, Mr Image at my request adjusted the sprinklers and over adjusted. I was impressed that it could spray so high and wide. I sent him back to the garden before breakfast.
  • Ethne Alba wrote: »
    @quetzalcoatl ....... I hurried away to look up the word Goosefoot

    And stopped at “rank smelling”.

    ????

    Wiki does say sometimes fetid, but the ones used by humans don't seem to be. We have tons of good king Henry, which is edible. I think quinoa is a relative. But there are a lot of weeds in the group, maybe some of them are smelly.
  • I have a border in my front garden. Against the wall I have four bushes - a lilac buddleia, a small holly, a small sambuca negris (pink flowers) and an azalea with hot pink flowers. Between the bushes and the lawn there is a low spreading evergreen in front of the buddleia, a space planted with bulbs in front of the holly and sambuca, and purple heather in front of the azalea.
    For most of the year I have one point of interest in this border - snowdrops in February, the heather, and crocus in March / April, the azalea in May, the sambuca, a foxglove and bedding pansies just now. The buddleia won't flower till July / August.

    Most of the time, most of the border is dull - the azalea didn't start till the heather was almost past, the sambuca didn't start to flower until after the azalea had finished, and the buddleia is nowhere close to flowering.
    I'd like to extend the flowering period of the shrubs and I'd like something, preferably blue / purple / pink / white which has a long period of flowering in spring, summer or autumn.

    Is there something I can feed the shrubs to extend the flowering period, so that the bushes overlap? What could I add to the border to add a bit of additional colour? I'm thinking of a lupin - how long would that remain in flower? Any other suggestions?

  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    Deadheading is the usual way to encourage longer flowering.

    Lupins I found disappointing: not all that long in flower and then covered in whitefly.

    What about sweet pea to scramble over the shrubs?

    Otherwise bedders - I've had amazing mileage out of some bellis and petunia this year.
  • Hot lips has a long season, but it's red and white. Also evergreen, it's salvia x jamensis.
  • Also salvia Nachtvlinder is a fab purple colour. Not sure how hardy.
  • Lavender (English, not French). Shrubby, gorgeous smell & colour and flowers for ages, sending out new shoots if you cut the flowers at their peak. Needs an annual trim to stop it getting too leggy and woody, but other than that it requires little attention.
  • Ethne AlbaEthne Alba Shipmate
    edited July 2020
    Has anyone any experience of growing swede?

    Only I ve just had 100% germination rate from a first sowing (in their pots)

    Is this usual????

  • They generally germinate well - outdoors they've been a dismal failure this year, I have four of the buggers - I've put some in units and so far Marian have shown similar succes to yours, the Italian swedes are yet to start peeping up.

    AG
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