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Post by casimira on May 4, 2022 14:56:06 GMT
I suspected that it was a phormium but the ones I grew never achieved that height. I had two of them. One had maroon tinted foliage. I purchased them in NY when all the nurseries up there slash the prices at the end of the summer season there. Over a period of time, they did well and then they got shaded out and before I could relocate them, they perished. One never sees them offered in the nurseries here.
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Post by tod2 on May 6, 2022 9:21:01 GMT
Every now and then I have to do a major cutback of sword ferns who almost completely take over my little garden at the entrance to he house from the garages. There are also some spiky plants with thickish wooden stems which need serios cutting back and at one time I noticed the tiles lifting but they seems to have settled and moved no further. I don't know the name of the groundcover that has just come into bloom with small pink flowers.
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Post by casimira on May 6, 2022 13:39:26 GMT
Yes, those sword ferns are so resilient. Mine multiply like crazy and I thin them out. No stopping them But I love them.
I can't ID that ground cover. Can't see it close enough. It sure is lovely though and very happy in that planter.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 7, 2022 15:42:01 GMT
I really like those ferns.
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Post by casimira on May 7, 2022 16:03:46 GMT
Yes, ferns of any kind are a delight. They conjure up a sense of "cool".
The first plant I fell in love with at our family farm was a Maidenhair fern which was placed prominently in a gorgeous art pottery pot.
I do not recall too many people who had houseplants when I was young.
My grandmother had a gorgeous bay window that had numerous houseplants on display which included ferns, begonias, gloxinia, African violets and some ivies.
They inspired me enormously and the rest is history.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on May 10, 2022 17:13:07 GMT
My sister and I used to visit lots of big garden shows...the RHS ones have a vast floral marquee full of plants for sale...be still my beating heart...and I would skip around with gay abandon spending too much money My fist port of call is always Fernatix a couple of lovely chaps with an astonishing amount of knowledge about ferns...I've purchased one or three from them. I get home and lose the label...my favourite from them is my 'red lady fern' which has red stems and gorgeous deep green fronds. I'll try to take a pic as it emerges (its just waking up now)
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Post by tod2 on May 11, 2022 16:48:30 GMT
I cant wait to see it Cheery! I have at least three more different ferns in my garden so will see what pics I can take.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on May 14, 2022 20:39:00 GMT
I have been struggling to grow cleome plants from seed for several years. THIS year I managed it...5 healthy little plants WOO HOO....so I've been nurturing them...my sister took 2 of them...and yesterday I planted the remaining 3 in my middle flower bed. Perfect. This morning I found that the birds had pulled all 3....either the wood pigeons or the blackbirds I think. I may have managed to save 2 of them..but after recovering from that trauma I realised that the pink stocks plant that I planted a few weeks ago...that had been doing so very well...had been virtually demolished by snails I managed to dig up the remains and potted it up...putting it in the greenhouse to see if it will pick up a bit.
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Post by bjd on May 15, 2022 6:10:39 GMT
That's a pain, Cheery. I sometimes think I have to stop feeding the birds in the garden. Robins are fine, but the turtledoves and occasional wood pigeons, stomp on the flowerbeds.
Last night's thunderstorm really made everything perk up because it had been so hot and dry. More storms expected this afternoon.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 19, 2022 15:43:48 GMT
The joy and the cruelty of nature constantly manifest themselves.
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Post by casimira on May 19, 2022 16:48:28 GMT
Most especially when one relies on her as a means of survival. Growing up on a farm, we never knew from year to year what the capricious forces of nature would give us or, not.
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Post by mickthecactus on May 25, 2022 19:56:08 GMT
Do you guys get coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show which is on at present?
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Post by casimira on May 26, 2022 15:20:01 GMT
There are highlights of it on several sites here. I haven't taken a serious look at much of it but, plan to. Do you plan to attend it Mick?
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Post by bixaorellana on May 26, 2022 15:38:58 GMT
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Post by mickthecactus on May 26, 2022 15:47:29 GMT
There are highlights of it on several sites here. I haven't taken a serious look at much of it but, plan to. Do you plan to attend it Mick? I used to but frankly it gets so crowded that it became impossible to see anything.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 26, 2022 15:59:14 GMT
The only thing I read about the Chelsea Flower Show on this side of the channel is that artificial grass has been banned. Are any other artifical things authorised?
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Post by casimira on May 26, 2022 16:00:01 GMT
I know how maddening that can be. While we don't have anything near the scale of Chelsea, the N.O. Botanical Garden has two fair sized plant sales that also include elaborate displays of various designs. The last one I attended was so crowded that I decided it wasn't worth it to have to queue up just to get a glimpse of something I might enjoy. Not to mention how rude people can be grabbing up the plants that are for sale.
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Post by mickthecactus on May 26, 2022 16:50:41 GMT
I think it was only artificial grass.
The problem with the Chelsea site is that it isn’t actually that big. Personally I’m not that impressed by the show gardens. The wild look is not for me.
The Hampton Court show is much better as the site is way bigger.
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Post by lugg on May 26, 2022 20:19:54 GMT
The Hampton Court show is much better as the site is way bigger. Thanks Mick will take a look to see when i is on and if we can go.
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Post by tod2 on May 27, 2022 16:14:57 GMT
Having been to three Chelsea Flower Shows I can honestly say I think I'm done. All lovely and a different experience each time, there is only so much "new Stuff" to see. Every plant and flower is of a WoW quality and we wont mention the crowds.....in any event I am so glad I have had the opportunity to attend more than once.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 3, 2022 11:53:27 GMT
I came across this ad for agapanthus in an old British mag and wondered if anyone has these special agapanthus in their garden?
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Post by mickthecactus on Jun 3, 2022 12:06:53 GMT
No but I wish I did. They’re lovely.
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Post by bjd on Jun 3, 2022 15:02:11 GMT
I haven't seen any blue/white ones either. Most common here are blue, but I saw that the town has put in some white ones beside some blue perennial geraniums near the library. I also saw some dark blue ones that are really pretty. I'm surprised on that packaging that they grow only 50 cm.
Just took a little look around the garden. It's so dry! This year I invested a lot of money in perennials and shrubs and it looks like it's going to be hot and dry. Not good for new plantings. We keep getting storm forecasts but practically no rain.
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Post by casimira on Jun 3, 2022 16:47:31 GMT
That two-tone agapanthus is gorgeous. I haven't seen any like that before. I need to add that to the long list of plants I want to put in the new garden.
Thanks for featuring it for us Tod.
BJD, here's hoping your hard work and the investment you made pays off.
I remember one year in the early days of purchasing our house and installing a huge number of new plantings. I had the opposite experience. Not long after planting them we had a string of relentless rain. I lost about 90% of the tender new plants due to rot.
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Post by bjd on Jun 22, 2022 6:16:57 GMT
I need a bit of advice from all you gardeners. The terrible heat we had last week (42° on Saturday) literally fried many of the leaves on some plants, especially on the dahlias. I watered them afterwards and this morning we had a thunderstorm and some rain but the leaves remain brown and shriveled. Should I cut them off? If I leave them on, will the plant have a hard time growing new leaves?
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Post by mickthecactus on Jun 22, 2022 8:50:39 GMT
Not a problem I have had with heat but have with late frosts in spring. I have left the leaves and the plants have recovered but our weather is different.
Casimira might help?
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Post by bjd on Jun 22, 2022 8:56:52 GMT
Mick, I had the same problem with late frosts this spring -- the small new leaves turned brown but eventually the various plants did alright, except for the wisteria where I had to cut off all the flowers.
This time the leaves are much bigger so I assume they are needed for photosynthesis.
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Post by mickthecactus on Jun 22, 2022 10:45:04 GMT
I think I would cut them off. They can’t be any use now.
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Post by bjd on Jun 22, 2022 11:01:43 GMT
You agree with my neighbour then, Mick, who said to cut them off too. I'll do that this afternoon.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 22, 2022 14:09:43 GMT
I knew a plantswoman who said that a plant would still try to maintain yellowing or damaged leaves and flowers, so it was better to cut those off in order to conserve the plant's energy. (The exception of course being freeze-damage, in which case it's better to leave everything alone until warm weather returns.)
I don't know if the part about the plant's energy is scientifically accurate or not. But plants that are judiciously pruned to clean up older leaves and twigs -- Pelargonium being a prime example -- always seem grateful.
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