Gran/Grandads Gardening Corner

shysal we were very happy to see two starlings in the garden the other day as we haven't seen any here for years.

Were those photos taken this year roses?

Our Mr President is just climbing up the arch - not a flower to be seen yet although a white clematis on the other side has three saucer-sized flowers.
We do have a lovely salmon coloured poppy which opened yesterday!

Yesterday afternoon I was hacking back a couple of misplaced rockery plants which seemed to have taken over - they have had lovely yellow flowers but now reduced to stumps. It was too hot for a job like that. I can't remember what they're called (like many of the plants in the garden).

The slugs seem to be enjoying our garden this year too.

Spectacular, Roses! Your garden is just the type I would like.
My garden is a little neglected at the moment, I can't face working in it in this heat. Lawn is a lush bright green but badly needs a cut.
I have had to apologise to my neighbours for attracting a flock of starlings with their young to my bird feeder. They make such a din and it is so raucous, starting at 4am and continuing for most of the day! They will disappear in a couple of weeks. Just as well because they are costing me a fortune in Chunky Dumplings, filled coconut shells, Flutter Butter and mealworms. I am turning into my mother!

Having an hour at the local garden centre this morning with a friend, she is looking for a patio rose, and guess what, I have a spare pot waiting for something, so I think I will get one too!

Been busy for the last few days so couldn't vote in time, but if I had voted , it would have been clematis, so many types in the last fifty years, but also what about bamboos?

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Just had breakfast outside and took these pics.The orange poppies attract so many bees, they roll around inside them collecting pollen.
The clematis is The President, I like the way the flowers hold themselves upright like a water lily.
The climber on the wall is a hydrangea petiolaris, very good for a shady site, although we have more in the garden and they are on a west facing wall, and they do well too.

I have Rozanne in the garden between 3 Olivia's a pink old English shrub from David Austin, and it does well.

Not convinced about bedding really

Adore roses, but there are loads of others plants I like.

I actually think that it is an odd mixture, some have singled out a one named plant and others a group.

So I think that Stipa would have been better as ornamental grasses as I think that they have been very influential.

Some like dahlia, roses etc have been influential down through at least the past couple of centuries and not just this century. Although I think each of the garden species have been developed over the last century - I'm thinking about the choice and imo improvement in garden roses.

Don't know what to vote for.

Are any of you going to vote for the GW Golden Jubilee award for the plant which has had the greatest impact on gardening over the last 50 years? I am torn between several. I was pleased to see the GN favourite Geranium Rozanne nominated by Carol last night, but I can't say it has had a huge impact.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3kN1yhy82Gl2RvT7HyPXD7b/golden-jubilee-award

I saw that, that skunk cabbages are magnificent plants but we really must try to avoid these invasive species. Our waterways suffer enough from that Himalayan Balsam these days.

I came home from B&Q today with two lots of 3?4 for £10. packs of petunias today. Nine plants in each pack.

One thing I have found is that the "tea bag" technology B&Q use to get their seedlings growing causes problems later.
The fabric used for the "tea bags" is very tough and the roots often have difficulty growing through and you end up with very stunted plants that cannot take up enough water.
You really need to take these wretched bags off ASAP before planting.
I have stopped putting tea bags on the compost heap because the bags are the same fabric as proper tea bags and the supposed bio-degradeable bags are still blowing about my garden after a year in my compost bin.

I saw that WW, and remembered a beautiful display of it growing at Fairhaven Water Gardens - right in the middle of the Norfolk Broads! I wonder if they've managed to dig it all up!

Watching GW - I didn't know that skunk cabbage was classed as alien.

Proudnan - do you have bullfinches in your garden? They may be beautiful (and getting scarcer) but they're beggars for taking fruit buds.

Sun after rain overnight so brilliant growing weather!! Looking at the leaves with rain drops on them glistening in the early morning sun - beautiful.

I mentioned on the morning thread how all my new bearded irises are showing their colour. I got some from Beth Chatto and some from Chailey Irises and both quite different in form. I think I will increase the bed as they really are one of my favourite flowers although don't last long, many of them are fragrant.

Tying in sweet peas today and feeding them. Got the seed free from RHS and they were sown about March and really strong healthy plants.

Divine time of year.

He definitely doubled down...

Dishes and garden pavers, oh the hankering. Used to be easier, says DH.

The night is young Norah but he's washing the supper dishes as I type. I think he's hankering after an early night

And, gilly, was there payment

It is whitewave I even managed to get DH to put my 3 paving stones down. I've only waited 4 years but why rush

gilly and me- although I came in a bit earlier - it is the best of times isn't it?

I've been in the garden since first thing this morning . Just came in an hour ago as realised I was hungry ! I am so pleased with myself I could burst . All my bedding ( grown from seed in my little lean-to) planted out. My honeysuckle tied up and doing well, bare patches of grass patched with turf cuttings ( thank you to whoever suggested this in my poor grass thread ) patio scrubbed. Happy days .

having spent the afternoon in the garden I noticed my apple tree flowers and stems appear to be getting eaten through and cant see the culprit anyone any ideas as to what I could use to prevent this.

DH had a voucher for £5 courtesy of the GC - guess what - did we just spend the £5?
Of course not!

now, sweet peas in a pot, that gives me an idea, too late for seeds, will have to go to the Garden Centre again .......

Thanks!
Have just returned from the garden centre, which to all gardeners is akin to a visit to a sweetie shop for children.
Was very restrained though, and came back with six surfinias of various colours,
A few calibrachias, and sweet peas, which I like to plant in a nice pot with canes in forming a wigwam, and site near a door,so that you get a lovely waft of scent when you go past.

Your photos are beautiful Roses. The colours complement each other.
Hooray! My grass is also looking good, moss disappearing and new grass coming through. The whole garden needs a good night's steady rain. I did some watering the other day and it just ran off down the hill.
Bean sticks going up this week, I have the plants in root trainers just coming through. I shall also put some beans straight in the ground when the soil warms up a bit. I think everything will be behind this year.

Yes, but the rest of the lawn needs a weed and feed now.

shysal yes, the Mo Bacter is working! Grass growing through the patches and moss almost gone, hoorah! Thanks for the recommendation.