Gran/Grandads Gardening Corner

I hope your Wisterias recover, Liase. The temperature was around freezing here last night.
I agree with the Rozanne suggestion. I have one in a pot on the north side of my house, which is a riot of colour every year.

What about the old faithful –Geranium Rozanne - or an evergreen shrub called Nandina. It comes in various shades and sizes. The colour is a gold/green. It is never any problem in my shady border. Unlike the two young wisterias we have which were flowering for the first time this year. Last night the frost attacked them and the leaves and new flowers (which were barely out) are sagging badly.

Jalima I have a place at one side of the patio with no sun and find a big pot of Coleus plants works, the leaves are so colourful that you don't need flowers.
Just don't over water them.

Jalima, Erysimum will grow in pots and flowers from spring right through to winter. I have them in sun and shade and they do well. After a few years they do tend to go woody and die back, but they are cheap enough to replace. I wouldn't want to be without some in my garden. The purple is the most vigorous, but there are other colours of flower and foliage available.

The little non stop bedding begonias seem to do well on my N facing wall. I also grow a Golden Showers Rose there, but it has thorns. Pinterest has suggestions for shade loving plants. You might find something suitable there.

and not prickly as the door is on that side and the DGC dash in and out of there.

Last year I put large pots with geraniums on the north side of the conservatory, so they didn't get much sun but got a type of fungus on the leaves.

I've tried a large palm in a pot since then (too prickly, went brown, too much root and no leaves, so I need some suggestions for something bright and cheerful to grow in pots that doesn't mind being out of the sun.

Thanks, whitewave, I shall try to keep it well watered and fed. I hope you have saved yours with your efforts.

shysal I have Souvenir and have it planted on a north facing fence. It doesn't like too much sun so I might guess it doesn't like drying out either.

I have unfortunately neglected mine in as much as I have allowed other plants to crowd it and so it has struggled. This year I have cut back all surrounding stuff given it lots of tlc and keeping my fingers crossed.

Thank you J52, just the information I need! I shall try to find a lightweight large pot. I was thinking the fence was East facing, but just worked out that it is West, what an idiot! However, I am sure it will still do fine.

I have several roses in pots and they all do well. The size of pot depends on the Rose, but don't go too small. Small patio roses do well in quite large pots alongside bedding plants. I have a Golden Showers climber in a large trough and some hybrid teas in medium size planters.
I think the secret it to feed and water them well over the growing season. I use specific rose food pellets, but tomato feed is a good alternative.

What a shame, Greyduster, but we have to be ruthless sometimes.

I only have three roses now, but I am thinking of digging all of them up. The climbing rose, Aloha, has had rust for the past three years and spraying doesn't seem to make any difference to it. I noticed yesterday that, though it looks really healthy at the moment, there were signs it is coming back again, so I think it is living on borrowed time.

Lovely Shysal I have never had much luck with rose growing!

Mcem. I think it's an oxalis.

Just ordered a climbing rose recommended by Monty tonight, for against an east facing fence. It is Rosa Souvenir du Docteur Jamain. The soil there is pretty poor (blue clay, no top soil), so I would prefer to plant it in a pot. How do roses do in pots, and what size would I use to accommodate the tap root? The description says it would be suitable for a pot on paved area so guess will be ok. It is not as vigorous as the other, white, rose Monty was using.

sue1169 I know what you mean about horrendous mole damage. Our lawn is in a terrible state following a mole visiting last year. Apart from having it (or possibly a whole family from the amount of damage done) trapped there seemed to be little we could do. We didn't really want to kill it but if it returns this year I am afraid it's days are numbered. Odd thing is none of our neighbours get them only us We are planning to even it up and reseed.

These narcissi were meant to be all pale, but have interesting apricot centres.

Thanks shysal, we could do that instead then they can keep them at their own house and do the watering!
Their garden is quite sheltered.

Jalima, you could cut the tops and necks off some plastic bottles and cover each plant with a base, or even use plastic bags, to protect from any late frosts. I never have success with sunflowers, they always get eaten down to the ground by slugs and snails, so covering them when small might prevent this. Good luck, have fun with the GCs.

Thanks TriciaF, yes, I have seen the fields of sunflowers!
I think I'll get them over to plant the seeds and keep them in the greenhouse until it warms up a bit. It has gone very cold here again.

Last autumn I absolutely mullered a rambling rose that had got completely out of hand "Paul's Himalayan Musk"

Just looking at it today, and it is looking full of vigour and so healthy. So it is a practice that I would definately recommend. I won't let it get to that state again though. It is the most beautiful powder pink fragrant rose that gets absolutely smothered in blossom.

Sunflowers are one of the plants that the farmers around us use to fill their fields. For the oil. But the type they use never gets to be very tall.
I think they start planting the seeds about now, and harvest them for the ripe seeds in July-August. So in your cooler climate I would think they need protection at first.

I was going to help the DGC plant some sunflower seeds but it seems they have to be 'kept indoors' until June. They may not have room to do this so I could keep them here in the greenhouse which defeats the object of getting them to look after the sunflowers themselves.
Has anyone planted them in pots and put them outside in April? Will they be ok?

The leaves attracted me first. Tiny flower buds have now opened. Apparently it's also known as Silver Shamrock and is good in rockeries and for ground cover. Mine are just little domes in my window boxes.