|
Post by mickthecactus on Jan 6, 2019 15:28:26 GMT
Thought I'd set up a thread for general chat rather than specific subjects. Today, the temperature went up a few degrees and there was a bit of blue in the sky and I got that spring feeling. We were going to the Garden Centre anyway for some small pots but they have already started to stock up for the new season and I came away with seed potatoes, onion and shallot sets and sweet pea seeds.
Then did some work in the greenhouse when I got back. All in all a very satisfying and pleasant day.
|
|
|
Post by bjd on Jan 6, 2019 16:01:43 GMT
I recently saw that the one activity that keeps people happy and in good health is gardening. It was a common interest among a series of people with a positive outlook and good health. A UK charity called Thrive says that "Our research shows that gardening can help you feel happier, healthier and more confident. It reduces stress and anxiety – we see this first-hand every day within our courses and workshops. It holds people’s attention and fascination – even GPs are now buying into the fact that gardening brings therapeutic benefits."
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jan 6, 2019 16:50:05 GMT
I'm sure all of us who are gardeners know that and can cite examples from our own lives. Quite honestly, when I learn that someone is a gardener, my regard for that person immediately goes up.
|
|
|
Post by onlyMark on Jan 6, 2019 20:10:10 GMT
"RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents), a charity, says that about 300,000 people a year — 110,000 of them children — are hurt seriously enough in gardens to require hospital treatment." "Top gardening injuries - 1. Lawn mowers (6,500 accidents in the UK each year) 2. Flower pots (5,300) 3. Secateurs and pruners (4,400) 4. Spades (3,600) 5. Electric hedge trimmers (3,100) 6. Plant tubs and troughs (2,800) 7. Shears (2,100) 8. Garden forks (2,000) 9. Hoses and sprinklers (1,900) 10. Garden canes and sticks (1,800). (source: Rospa)" www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1563988/Gardening-lands-87000-a-year-in-hospital.htmlI think I'll stick to white water rafting then.
|
|
|
Post by mickthecactus on Jan 6, 2019 20:43:31 GMT
Pleased to see cacti aren’t mentioned.
|
|
|
Post by questa on Jan 7, 2019 6:01:04 GMT
This is so tame! No-one got stung by wasps or had allergic reactions to bee stings? No mention of red back or white tail spiders. The first makes you very sick and the second gives a wound that leads to the flesh-eating virus. In spring you don't have to deal with the ubiquitous Brown snake...nasty buggar, go inside and call the snake handler to move it far away. Lift a rock in your garden and a poisonous cane toad might leap at you, or put a helmet on when horny Magpies start dive bombing your heads.
I see that all the UK injuries were caused by inanimate things that leapt up and hurt their innocent users. 300,000 attacks every year... Maybe the gardeners should come to Oz and do a course in Defensive Gardening
Oh, don't forget the drop bears, ya gotta watch out!
|
|
|
Post by bjd on Jan 7, 2019 7:14:10 GMT
Seeing that list of UK accidents, I do wonder what they actually cover. 5,300 accidents with flower pots? Does that include tripping over them, dropping one on one's foot, receiving one on the head from a high window sill?
Gardening in Australia sounds more like an extreme wildlife sport than a pleasant activity.
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on Jan 7, 2019 16:22:37 GMT
My own vast window garden is waiting for two events -- the scaffolding on the building which is being dismantled tomorrow (yay!) and of course the arrival of spring which does not seem to be imminent. I have disposed of most of my dying items (dill mostly) but have allowed my unkillable mint to continue its destiny. I stopped watering it at least two months ago, but it is amazingly resistant. In fact, even though I had originally planted it on the right side of the planter, there is even one stalk now on the far left side. All of it, including the soil, is going in the bin as soon as the scaffolding is gone. Then it will probably all sit there empty for at least a month, as well as the two individual pots hooked onto the railing. I hesitate on putting in mint again since it is so invasive, but I will definitely get some more basil and plant some more dill from my seeds.
I also have a little shaker of seeds from Hema ("wildflowers"). I'll shake some more seeds into one of the pots. Even though they took a lot of time to develop, I was quite pleased with the last mystery plants, which really did have interesting flowers, and it was almost tragic when I had to put an end to them.
But 2019 is a new year.
|
|
|
Post by patricklondon on Jan 7, 2019 18:32:46 GMT
You could keep the mint in its own individual pot? After the Beast from the East killed off everything in my window-dressing, including the geraniums (pelargoniums) that usually overwinter, I restocked with all pelargoniums, and they're still flowering. I must cut them back to make them have a rest before the spring. My blog | My photos | My video clips | My Librivox recordings"too literate to be spam"
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on Jan 7, 2019 18:39:07 GMT
I need new mint plants. This crop was getting ornery.
|
|
|
Post by mickthecactus on Jan 8, 2019 8:55:34 GMT
Questa, we do have some big slugs.
K2 yes keep mint in it’s own pot. What about thyme, sage and rosemary (no parsley)?
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jan 8, 2019 17:53:16 GMT
I am always impressed by people who successfully grow plants indoors, as it is more hassle than doing it outdoors. Both Patrick and Kerouac are growing plants that like lots of sunshine, too -- a further complication.
|
|
|
Post by questa on Jan 8, 2019 21:52:55 GMT
I know about your slugs...I've seen the pictures of St George on his horse with his long lance engaging in mortal combat with one of them. He should have used salt, but then the whole story would have fizzled out.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jan 9, 2019 4:49:30 GMT
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on Jan 10, 2019 7:51:16 GMT
Now that the scaffolding is down on my building, I can finally take out my window box and dump all of the dirt in it, which I am quite sure is now about 80% mint roots. The two round pots are already empty, and all of that of course is the grand extent of my "garden." Next I will need to do a bit of research to see how soon I can think about planting something new. I imagine there is the risk of a hard freeze at least for another month, maybe longer.
|
|
|
Post by mickthecactus on Jan 10, 2019 8:39:19 GMT
Leave it for at least a couple of months I reckon.
|
|
|
Post by cheerypeabrain on Jan 11, 2019 18:53:47 GMT
Its that time of year 😁 I'm steadily building up a collection of seeds having chucked everything last year as it all cooked after being left in the conservatory last summer. I've got calendula Indian prince,cleome Violet Queen, Cosmos sonata carmine, scabious salmon pink, cosmos dwarf sensation white, gypsophyla Covent garden, salvia Victoria, antirhinum crimson and verbena rigida. All pastel-ish shades aside from the antirrhinum whichmay be replaced with a white one. The past few years I've done very little gardening because of family illness and bereavement.. but I'm hoping to get back out there this year.
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on Jan 11, 2019 19:26:32 GMT
I have my steady stock of personal dill seeds and also my "mystery wildflower" seeds from Hema. I have managed to grow parsley from seed in the past, but frankly it is so cheap to buy a pot of parsley or basil as well as a few other herbs that it is probably the route that I will go for anything else I want. Since I can buy a huge bunch of cilantro or mint at the Chinese supermarket for just 0.30€ whenever I want it, I will probably renounce growing those two items in the future.
|
|
|
Post by questa on Jan 11, 2019 23:14:23 GMT
I have tried to grow tomatoes, capsicum, egg plant. snow peas and cucumbers. I get a good looking plant, lots of healthy leaves, but not many flowers. The flowers die off with not too many setting fruit. So I nurture the 3-4 fruits I get until I see some bug has eaten most of them. At this point I walk the 5 minutes to the shops where I can buy my vegetables just how I like them.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jan 12, 2019 0:07:01 GMT
Questa, is it possible that whatever soil you're planting in is too rich in nitrogen? Also, if it's too hot capsicum won't make flowers, so it might be the time of year you're planting.
|
|
|
Post by questa on Jan 12, 2019 2:39:56 GMT
All my plants are in big pots with potting soil.Don't worry about fixing it, I'm over vegies!
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Jan 12, 2019 3:29:37 GMT
I'm being taken to the plant nursery tomorrow! *excited*
|
|
|
Post by questa on Jan 12, 2019 5:47:39 GMT
I was going today but at 37 C I will leave it to early tomorrow. I am having a good time with Vincas. Brilliant colour mixes and as tough as old boots. Mixed with vivid petunias they are a reward for my work.
|
|
|
Post by bjd on Jan 12, 2019 6:20:17 GMT
Are your vincas what we call periwinkles, Questa? I have some in my garden. I bought 3 plants years ago and they have multiplied like mad. Since they tend to invade undergrowth they keep the other weeds down. Here they bloom in early spring.
|
|
|
Post by questa on Jan 12, 2019 12:20:37 GMT
I think they are called by that, and also "The..?...of Madagascar" Mine have bloomed for the whole year.
|
|
|
Post by bjd on Jan 12, 2019 12:43:06 GMT
The only flower I know of with Madagascar in it are impatiens that can stand sun.
|
|
|
Post by mickthecactus on Jan 12, 2019 13:57:48 GMT
Pelargoniums should cope with your sun questa. You should grow Anigosanthus, kangaroo paw!
Cheery I hope you have time this year. I love your planting.
|
|
|
Post by questa on Jan 12, 2019 23:29:07 GMT
My last house faced north for its full length. It had a 2.5metre verandah then the long bed of Royal pelargoniums. They did splendidly with blooms most of the year. The verandah had 7 poles with strip of mesh at the top and halfway down. I planted Glory vines and trained them to run the length of the verandah. I had designed the house myself so all the living areas looked out from full length glass windows to the rural scenery.
Glory vines are a species of grape vines that don't have grapes but in autumn go through magnificent colour changes then lose their leaves about June. October they shoot again and grow rapidly. With 7 of them at 2 levels it takes about 6 weeks to have the verandah completely enclosed, like a long green tunnel. It kept the house cool and made a covered play area for the boys. Best part was that as the days cooled in May I pruned the vines back to their leaders and the sun could shine right through the house, warming and increasing light.
I had 3 kangaroo paws that struggled for years, nervously poking up a spike whenever I planned to dig them out. Do they like living in pots?
|
|
|
Post by cheerypeabrain on Jan 13, 2019 19:49:49 GMT
I've grown kangaroo paw in pots, got my hands on a few seeds years ago. They didn't survive the winter tho...probably low light levels more than temperature got them as they were in the conservatory.
|
|
|
Post by bjd on Jan 15, 2019 10:05:26 GMT
Not really gardening but I put some balls of fat and seeds out for the birds. I attached the plastic nets with string and tied them to branches. The next day, one ball on the ground, the netting and string still on the branch. I retied them all, and put a second ball on another small tree/bush so the small birds can get them. Today, one day later, no balls in sight, the netting on the ground.
I'm told it's the crows and magpies that are big and strong enough to tear them up and carry away the food.
I do the same at the coast and it never happens, but there are no magpies or crows there.
|
|