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Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Original poster

…if winter comes, can Spring be far behind? 2014 beckons us...

996 replies

echt · 27/12/2013 10:37

Okay, so the height of summer is yet to scorch the nethers of those in this wide brown land of Orstrylia, but welcome to the MNettie gardeners of the world. Prop up your sagging fences, evict the rats from your decking, and find a use for that poinsettia.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
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Castlelough · 27/12/2013 11:03
ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 27/12/2013 11:40

Oh, this is lovely!

::feels optimism about the new year's garden::

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 27/12/2013 12:36

Excellent Smile

My lovely neighbour gave me a garden voucher. I've bought Clematis freckles and a Callicarpa taking advantage of half price sake down the road. DH is in my very good books with my garden related Presents.

Castlelough, Funnyperson does well with rose cuttings I think so am sure she'll be along soon. Personally I'd try digging up now whilst dormant and try a load of hardwood cuttings.

FunkyBoldRibena · 27/12/2013 12:38

OOH - I'm in. I teach gardening for a living so am happy to be prodded if necessary. Strictly organic though so don't ask me about chemicals.

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 27/12/2013 13:22

Welcome, Ribena!

Rhubarbgarden · 27/12/2013 18:01

Splendid!

I feel a bit twitchy about starting on here without finishing the other one though. It's like opening the Weetabix when you haven't finished the Raisin Wheats.

Rhubarbgarden · 27/12/2013 18:01

Hello Ribena!

Lexilicious · 27/12/2013 18:30

Checking in!

Original poster
echt · 27/12/2013 19:41

Thinking of poinsettias, someone bought one for me this Christmas. I'm not fond of them but will pot it on outside. It should go daft and leggy and revert to the red leaves in our winter, a nice spot of colour. And just in time for Christmas in July, a pretty popular celebration.

OP posts:
Blackpuddingbertha · 27/12/2013 22:19

Hi Ribena.

Almost got the veg plot planner out today to think about next year's planting. Also, whilst lying awake last night hoping the house wasn't going to get blown away again I have the beginnings of an idea for a bean/pea igloo in the DD's play area.

Blackpuddingbertha · 28/12/2013 19:39

Previous potting shed thread here

funnyperson · 29/12/2013 00:13

Present!

Hello Castlenough!
Regarding rose cuttings, I cant help but feel they may not take at this time of year: spring and autumn and even summer are good times for cuttings due to light and warmth as at the moment plants are relatively dormant and not in growing mood. So the notion of pruning your grandfather's rose and digging it up to transplant seems a better one at this time of year.
That said, if you are cutting the rose back, you may as well plant up some cuttings. Put in 5-6 cuttings per pot round the edge of the pot and label and date the label. (this is important as rose cuttings don't flower for at least a year or two: I have some Olympic rose cuttings to give to maud but have forgotten which is which). Cut off the hips and any yellow leaves. Each cutting should be 6-8 ins long, with at least 4-5 nodes and I try and make sure 2 nodes are below the soil.
Do use that rhizomatous fungi stuff to encourage the cuttings to root, and this time of year perhaps put the pot in a greenhouse or growhouse.

funnyperson · 29/12/2013 00:20

Have just realised ribena isnt a refreshment (very tiring end of week at work, sorry).
What do you think about rose cuttings this time of year, Ribena?
Also, should I prune back my clematis Polish spirit now? Most of the leaves have died back. It didn't flower this year (its 1st spring in the garden)

What are the dates of your open garden going to be humphrey? I do so want to come and visit! How is the baby?

Castlelough · 29/12/2013 00:27

funnyperson would the roots be very deep on a such an old rose bush? Would I need to bring DH?!!!

funnyperson · 29/12/2013 04:22

Hmm...yes to both I think. A while ago my mum's gardener dug deep to one side of an old rambler in her garden, so that the roots were exposed quite far down on that side, and chopped off a goodly bit of plant with root attached, which I transplanted, and it thrives to this very day. That might work for you.

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 29/12/2013 08:35

Also found this on rose cuttings. Looks like my Mum's house is being sold and there are a few roses I'd like to try and get cuttings from.

There's also a low sprawling conifer that my Aunt gave her in her old house and she took cuttings of. I'm not very keen on it but feel I should try , any advice ?

Don't know about your clematis FP but I suspect it's best to wait a bit in case the pruning stimulates new growth that gets hit by the cold when it comes.

Anyone off to any of the RHS shows this year ? Friend and I booked tickets for Chelsea when released as we enjoyed this year's visit so much.

Castlelough · 29/12/2013 18:00

Thanks Wynken are you going to try that method?
I wonder about the humidity? We've no humidity to take into consideration, will that make any difference, I wonder...
Might try this with some of the cuttings and try the traditional way with the other cuttings....am nervous of all my cuttings failing! Would be happy with even ONE healthy rose cutting to grow on!

Think I will abandon the digging up of the rose bush. We had a bit of drama when we went to my grandparents house yesterday. Discovered the house had been all boarded up. Apparently drug addicts broke in and had been squatting in the house and dealing drugs. The long and the short of it is that I'm not sure it would be safe to dig in the garden now...high chance of syringes etc

Will have to rely on the cuttings, I think... there are/were fabulous hydrangeas in the front garden. I wonder if it is easy to take cuttings from those?!

funnyperson · 30/12/2013 06:45

Hydrangea propagation
www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/propagation.html

Castlelough · 31/12/2013 18:51

Thanks funnyperson. I've now realised the piece of hydrangea I brought home is completely unsuitable!

BUT.... I've 18 of my Grandad's rose cuttings transplanted into pots. He died on this day 44 years ago!

AND.... 14 laurel bay seedlings transplanted into individual pots.
They all came together in the one pot from the garden centre. I am going to try to grow them on as standard trees.

Have googled how to do it, but I wonder how long it will take/ how tall they will grow each year? They are about a foot high at the moment. Hoping to have some smaller kitchen counter top ones, and some nice tall ones to flank patio doors etc and a few to give as presents...

Feeling pleased with my efforts today!

notsodarlingdaughtersmum · 01/01/2014 11:35

Brilliant rose efforts!

Happy New Year everyone! Smile

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 01/01/2014 19:12

Happy New Year!

FunkyBoldRibena · 01/01/2014 20:07

I have the beginnings of an idea for a bean/pea igloo in the DD's play area.

Have you thought about a Munty frame?

www.vegetablegrowing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/beans11-5-08.jpg

Roses - you can take cuttings now if you are cutting them back; stick the trimmings which are cut to 3 buds, cut diagonally below a bud and straight across the top of a bud and stick them 2 buds deep into a nursery bed.

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 01/01/2014 20:13

That frame looks interesting, Ribena.

mousmous · 02/01/2014 16:57

checking in.
we had nice weather for once today, but only thing I did was checking if neighbours fence is still ok (they are away) and pouring all the rainwater out of the flower pots.
the lawn is a proper mud bath!

mousmous · 02/01/2014 17:05

interesting reading about roses and hydragenas. thank you.