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

[echt]

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.

I saw an unpruned forsythia blowing in the wind today. It looked like my hair on a bad hair day! All standuppy and sticky outy. I quite liked it.

Congrats on the completion and the rose cuttings wynken

This is about Derek Jarman's garden. Wynken made me think of it.

We went to look at Derek Jarman's garden several years ago. In fact, probably over a decade ago as it must have been pre-DC. It was very austerely beautiful, but as it isn't actually open to the public all we could do was peep in.

There is a lovely picture somewhere of pink valerian with orange icelandic poppies with shasta daisies in one of the front beds in that garden. The colours looked great in the sun. A really good example of how planting makes a difference to how ordinary plants can look extraordinary.

Next door neighbour finally had the wobbly fence fixed. Unfortunately they had to put a concrete post on our side of the fence to secure it properly and to put it in they trampled all over my plants. And I made them promise not to and even pointed out the baby plants in case they couldn't spot them. They did point out that they were 'fencers not gardeners' so I should've expected it really.

On the plus side though, I now need to add something taller at that point to hide the concrete post. A trip to the garden centre may be in order.

Well, I googled "pruning very old forsythia".... And it advises that when it's a six foot hoary leggy monster, the cure is to wait til the flowers finish then hack the ENTIRE thing down to four inches above ground level and start again....Gulp!

I have until its flowers go to decide if I'm brave enough!!!!

Yes prune hard, Aethel! Immensely satisfying. I did it to a neglected forsythia hedge at the last house with good results. It does take a few years for them to really get going again though.

I'd love to go to Derek Jarman's garden. I think it opens under the NGS doesn't it?

Fingers crossed for your cuttings Wynken.

Visited Wakehurst Place yesterday. The Magnolias were heavenly, especially the vast Campbellii ones with dinner plate sized floppy flowers. I've changed my mind from wanting one with crisp tulip shaped flowers; it's got to be a Campbellii now, if I can find a variety that isn't too huge for the position I've got in mind for it.

Sorry to hear about the damage caused by the fencers, Bertha. How infuriating. It's not necessary to be a gardener to understand not to crush plants, especially after being specifically asked. on your behalf.

Fencers for my neighbours trampled on some plants of mine and killed them too. Very annoying.

Oh dear. These tales of fencers trampling plants are making me very nervous.

hello everyone. not done anything this week. however the first tulips are blooming.

the lawn seeds have not germinated at all, seeded on the bald lawn patches a couple of weeks ago.
should I start again? I used one of those patchup seed+feed mixes.

Think it has to be over 7ish degrees for the grass to grow, I've cut mine once but because of the chill wind, it's not really going for it yet.

it has been realy warm here (20 last weekend). I suspect dodgy or out of date seeds.
plan to mow this afternoon and seeds some more.

They're not all bad, Maud. The fencers we got in las year were careful and respectful and very nice to look at

That should be 'last'. Getting all breathy at the memory of them

Going to Hillier Gardens tomorrow. Technically I'm going as a friend is doing a live recording of the gardener's questioners time that she does as part of a radio show, so a friend and I are going to ask knowledgable questions heckle from the back. Any ideas for good questions anyone? [Smile] We've also got a couple of hours to stroll round the gardens so fingers crossed for sunshine.

I'm sure some fencers are the model of good behaviour Maud. I think it's a bit trickier when you're not the one paying them though... The new concrete post is annoying me, it's a bit of an eyesore.

Doesn't work with a capital S apparently.

Ideas please to cover this? Think I'm going to need a tallish shrub, preferably one that will provide cover all year round.

rhododendron?

Choisya? Maybe the one with more delicate leaves? The flowers and the leaves smell lovely.

Bertha could you ask what I should do with my dark red shrubby hibiscus. It's in a south facing border, and gets lots of buds that fill out nicely, but they just don't open. It's also barely grown in the last 4 years. It's about a metre tall and was here when we moved in 4 years ago. I got to see the flowers in the first year, but not since.

Maybe it just needs a feed...

Ooh could you ask for suggestions of what to grow on north and east facing walls of an orchard/kitchen garden?

I like the choisya but think I need something smaller, are they prunable? The bed is only about 1m wide so anything too big will drown out the other plants.

Bearleigh, I know nothing about hibiscus but somebody else will I'm sure. Brief search says they like an annual feed of rose fertiliser though

GW on

Oh tomorrow! Being stupid tonight! Will note down all questions.

I can't think of a single question.
But I'll be interested to hear what is flowering in the Hillier gardens!
Gardeners World is too short.