How does your Garden grow?

[AeolianHarp]

I thought I'd start a thread for the gardeners amongst us!
I have spent most of the day working in my garden- strimming the grass, repotting plants like my French Lavender ( which survived a bit of snow and is flowering now...), planting seeds and tidying up. I planted the following seeds in grow bags and plastic boxes:
rocket
beetroot
tomatoes
poppies
marigolds
cornflowers

I've already got spuds in one bag (I saved some that were sprouting I had in the cupboard a few weeks ago)- they are already growing leaves.

And I bought an olive tree from Aldi for £15! I was doubtful it'd grow olives in northern England, but an Islamic woman in Aldi told me her friend's is growing them, so I thought why not!
She pointed out one tree was left- so I grabbed it quick!

I pruned the Willows and planted the tops (I am cultivating a fedge to give some privacy).

I also bought a Clematis for £1.79 and planted it by the Willows. It will look good amongst them and the Honeysuckle.

Oh and my Strawberry plant and Raspberry bush are flowering! That means berries later on...

[Peter]

Yes it's an exciting time of year for gardeners, seeing everything burst into life. All the roses and clematis look as though they are nearly ready to blossom. Fortunately today it is sunny so that should help, but it has not been particularly good weather so far this May.

[AeolianHarp]

Yes, it's been chilly- not tshirt weather yet! My wallflowers have been flowering since March though. The Foxglove that sits amongst the rose bushes and the ivy (wallflowers are at the right) still has leaves. I have read they only live for 2 years...so I wonder if it will sprout up again this year. It has big pink bells when it does.

My rose bushes are a legend! I got both of them bought in little pots classed as "minatures" for indoors- but when I repotted them they started growing fast so I planted them outside and they grew big pink roses! One is quite big now- almost full sized. They both were reduced to 50p in Asda and looking a bit sorry for themselves, but soon did well with water and compost.

Same goes for another big shrub I persuaded the assistants in Aldi to sell me for half price 2 years ago. It was dying but still had life in it. I forget its name, right now. It grows big blue flowers in a ball shape. It doubled it size once planted- it was quite small when I bought it.

I often get reduced price plants and they are thriving.

My Buddliea was from the pound shop and that's picking up size now- not as fast growing as the others. It had 2 flower heads last year- pink in colour.

The Raspberry too I got from the pound shop!

How fast do Clematis grow Peter?

I need to go back to Aldi later for another bag of compost- I have to repot all my house plants now too!

[Peter]

It depends on what type of Clematis you have - a Montana will grow quickly and cover a large area, whereas the Viticellas are slower and smaller. Clematis like their roots in the shade and plenty of water.

[AeolianHarp]

It depends on what type of Clematis you have - a Montana will grow quickly and cover a large area, whereas the Viticellas are slower and smaller. Clematis like their roots in the shade and plenty of water.

It just says Margaret Hunt on the cardboard that came with it. Its roots are in the shade as it is by the Willows and the wall. It will get plenty of water.

[Sorrano]

No flowers here, just veggies. Well, I did plant a couple of flowers, but mostly some chard, peppers (bell), and collard greens. The rhubarb is doing great!

Forgot to add tomatoes!

[AeolianHarp]

No flowers here, just veggies. Well, I did plant a couple of flowers, but mostly some chard, peppers (bell), and collard greens. The rhubarb is doing great!

Forgot to add tomatoes!

I never have any luck with peppers- it can't be the weather as I saw them growing in an organic farm in October once.
Rhubarb...eek.. that gives me a Beethovenian stomach.

[Peter]

It just says Margaret Hunt on the cardboard that came with it. Its roots are in the shade as it is by the Willows and the wall. It will get plenty of water.

That's a nice one, quite vigorous growth and a group 3 clematis which means you can cut it back hard in mid-Feb, often referred to as the St.Valentine's day massacre!

[AeolianHarp]

That's a nice one, quite vigorous growth and a group 3 clematis which means you can cut it back hard in mid-Feb, often referred to as the St.Valentine's day massacre!

It won't be cut- I want a sleeping beauty hedge at the front to stop the chavs gawking in.

You said it likes being well watered- it is certainly getting that today being a Monday..

[Peter]

It won't be cut- I want a sleeping beauty hedge at the front to stop the chavs gawking in.

You said it likes being well watered- it is certainly getting that today being a Monday..

It should be cut back hard so that it produces a better show - it won't make a hedge!

[Sorrano]

I never have any luck with peppers- it can't be the weather as I saw them growing in an organic farm in October once.
Rhubarb...eek.. that gives me a Beethovenian stomach.

In the past my peppers had not done well except for one year. When I recalled that they did get a lot of water that year I started paying more attention to watering them more and the last two years I've had the best bell peppers I've ever grown.

[AeolianHarp]

It should be cut back hard so that it produces a better show - it won't make a hedge!

No I mean that the willows are pruned and will be woven into a fedge and the clematis and honeysuckle climb onto them to create a hedge like barrier!

[AeolianHarp]

In the past my peppers had not done well except for one year. When I recalled that they did get a lot of water that year I started paying more attention to watering them more and the last two years I've had the best bell peppers I've ever grown.

Water isn't much of a problem in northern England- it's been raining most of the day!

[Sorrano]

Water isn't much of a problem in northern England- it's been raining most of the day!

It's generally pretty dry here but it seems that has made all the difference for me. However, this past month it has been very wet.

[Chris]

Everything I have ever tried to grow has been instantly eaten by rabbits.