Our Gardens

Qualcast&Flymo said:
I have this amazing scrambling rose in our garden. It looks lovely, with the pink azalea behind it for contrast. When the one next to it starts flowering, that's going to look quite something
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Thats beautiful, I love rambling and climbing roses, they are my favourite! OH hates all roses so we don’t have many in the garden
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
It looks really nice! Do you get any frogs/spawn in it at all?
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Yes, we do! But unfortunately it actually got frosted this year, we rarely get frost down here, an odd night and that’s it. We have lots and lots of newts both common and palmate. Last count 32, which eat the tadpoles so we tend to take the frog spawn up to our little pond at the allotment which luckily does not have newts.
 
Bill & Ted said:
Yes, we do! But unfortunately it actually got frosted this year, we rarely get frost down here, an odd night and that’s it. We have lots and lots of newts both common and palmate. Last count 32, which eat the tadpoles so we tend to take the frog spawn up to our little pond at the allotment which luckily does not have newts.
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Wow, 32 newts and both sorts too, that's brilliant! In the first full year of the pond we made at our previous house, I had to clear blanket weed out in the autumn, and I found quite a few baby newts in it; I was dead chuffed, because it meant the lone newt I'd seen several times in the spring must have found a mate .
I've heard that newts eat tadpoles, but I didn't know if that's true, it's good that you were able to separate them then. 🐸🦎
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
Wow, 32 newts and both sorts too, that's brilliant! In the first full year of the pond we made at our previous house, I had to clear blanket weed out in the autumn, and I found quite a few baby newts in it; I was dead chuffed, because it meant the lone newt I'd seen several times in the spring must have found a mate .
I've heard that newts eat tadpoles, but I didn't know if that's true, it's good that you were able to separate them then. 🐸🦎
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yes, they are voracious hunters as far as tadpoles are concerned 😦 The garden is full of them, if you lift a stone there’s always tiny baby newts, we even get them in the greenhouse. We get a few frogs in summer sat in the pond which are lovely to watch catching flies
 
Siikibam said:
I bought a strawberryplant but is not really given any good ones.
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When did you get it? I find that the first year they aren’t great, second year they do much better. Generally, they do better to be replaced every few years (3/4). Propagate from the runners each year and you will always have a supply of different aged plants which will give a better crop
 
Piggies&buns said:
When did you get it? I find that the first year they aren’t great, second year they do much better. Generally, they do better to be replaced every few years (3/4). Propagate from the runners each year and you will always have a supply of different aged plants which will give a better crop
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It's this year's from Lidl. I've had about 2-3 strawberries but very small. I got it along with a tomato plant which is doing well. I've already eaten two of them yum! How on earth do I propagate from the runners :yikes:
 
Siikibam said:
It's this year's from Lidl. I've had about 2-3 strawberries but very small. I got it along with a tomato plant which is doing well. I've already eaten two of them yum! How on earth do I propagate from the runners :yikes:
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You will see long stems that form from the plant with a little baby strawberry plant that will start to grow on the end. If you get a pot (assuming yours are potted and not in the ground), fill it with compost and put the little baby plant onto the surface of the compost. Then bend a paper clip (or metal hook) over the baby plant to hold it in contact with the compost, then it will grow roots and start to grow larger and anchor itself to the soil. You can then remove the clip, cut the stem joining it to the main plant and then you’ve got yourself another plant! You will likely get several runners from the main plant (Process is the same if they in the ground, you can still anchor the new babies into individual pots, or directly back into the ground)
 
Piggies&buns said:
You will see long stems that form from the plant with a little baby strawberry plant that will start to grow on the end. If you get a pot (assuming yours are potted and not in the ground), fill it with compost and put the little baby plant onto the surface of the compost. Then bend a paper clip (or metal hook) over the baby plant to hold it in contact with the compost, then it will grow roots and start to grow larger and anchor itself to the soil. You can then remove the clip, cut the stem joining it to the main plant and then you’ve got yourself another plant! You will likely get several runners from the main plant (Process is the same if they in the ground, you can still anchor the new babies into individual pots, or directly back into the ground)
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I take it I remove the whole stem with the baby strawberry on the end? I'll try it, thank you.
 
Siikibam said:
They’re so small! Will ou be baking with them or eating them?

I bought a strawberryplant but is not really given any good ones.
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Piggies&buns said:
When did you get it? I find that the first year they aren’t great, second year they do much better. Generally, they do better to be replaced every few years (3/4). Propagate from the runners each year and you will always have a supply of different aged plants which will give a better crop
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I bought some strawberry plants the day before lockdown. Then I read in one of my books on fruit and veg gardening that strawberry plants should be planted in the autumn not spring; spring planted ones won't fruit much and it's best to remove them to allow the plant to grow instead.
Mine have had only a few fruit too. Pity the sellers don't tell you that...
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
I bought some strawberry plants the day before lockdown. Then I read in one of my books on fruit and veg gardening that strawberry plants should be planted in the autumn not spring; spring planted ones won't fruit much and it's best to remove them to allow the plant to grow instead.
Mine have had only a few fruit too. Pity the sellers don't tell you that...
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Why would they do that when they'll lose out! Makes sense, though I now realise I've never seen them being sold in autumn or winter. Always the summer months.
 
Siikibam said:
I take it I remove the whole stem with the baby strawberry on the end? I'll try it, thank you.
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Just snip it like an umbilical cord - which is what it is. Don’t do it until the baby plant has properly rooted and can feed itself otherwise it’ll die. You’ll know it’s rooted because you will see new leaf growth, plus if you give it a very gentle tug, you will be able to feel that it won’t move as easy as when it isn’t rooted
 
Piggies&buns said:
Just snip it like an umbilical cord - which is what it is. Don’t do it until the baby plant has properly rooted and can feed itself otherwise it’ll die. You’ll know it’s rooted because you will see new leaf growth, plus if you give it a very gentle tug, you will be able to feel that it won’t move as easy as when it isn’t rooted
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Thank you kindly! I'm not much of a gardener/veg buff so love that I can get this info here :D I wonder, how do you know when the green beans are ready to harvest? I asked my husband but he only knows about the beans we eat :woot::doh:
 
Siikibam said:
Thank you kindly! I'm not much of a gardener/veg buff so love that I can get this info here :D I wonder, how do you know when the green beans are ready to harvest? I asked my husband but he only knows about the beans we eat :woot::doh:
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With green beans, go by size - about 5-6 inches long and a little over the width of a pencil
 
Has anyone got any tips for getting rid of black fly on runner beans without using chemicals? The sparrows are trying to help but they can't eat them fast enough!
 
piggieminder said:
Has anyone got any tips for getting rid of black fly on runner beans without using chemicals? The sparrows are trying to help but they can't eat them fast enough!
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I use a spray bottle containing a mix of washing up liquid and water if my plants get black fly and the other creatures aren’t helping to deal with it!
 
I don't seem to have too much of a problem with aphids etc in my veg garden, but I'm trying "companion planting" to encourage aphid eating insects to keep them down. I saw some 22 spot ladybird larvae on a poppy plant the other day, and on other plants too. I am also planting French marigold and other plants for ladybirds and hover flies etc.
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
I don't seem to have too much of a problem with aphids etc in my veg garden, but I'm trying "companion planting" to encourage aphid eating insects to keep them down. I saw some 22 spot ladybird larvae on a poppy plant the other day, and on other plants too. I am also planting French marigold and other plants for ladybirds and hover flies etc.
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Yes we do that in our greenhouse some years, French marigolds are suppose to repel aphids
 
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