How does your garden grow?

[vinnymyboy]

Don't know what this is, but have a number of them in the garden.

Unkown.JPG

its a stink lilly or voodoo lilly ( I know thats not its latin name....something vulgaris i think, anyway I had someof them in my garden too, they are very pungent for a couple of days but look so interesting its worth putting up with the smell, i got mine from a friends neighbours garden, I think it was in beacon rd or the next rd down towards lewisham from there, could that have been your garden, id love a plant if you ever divide them they are fab!

[madhu nandi]

Hi.

I live on Davenport Road and have both a front and back garden. I was wondering if you knew of anyone who does gardening work? things have got a bit out of hand and the garden needs a firm hand to put a bit of order into it.

Best wishes
Ms Madhu Nandi

[Helena]

Hello Madhu! Nice to see you here!

Vinny - I was going to go round & see you the other day, but forgot which house was yours!

Now...gardens...

This morning I notice that quite a few of the leaves on my rose bush have got a white film on them - ...mold....a dreaded insect?? I'm sure they weren't like that yesterday! Any suggestions from experienced gardeners?

[K.S.]

Sounds like powdery mildew. Here's some Google http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&meta=&q=%22roses%22%22white+film%22 search results. My first (cheap) choice would be to mix up a solution of water and baking soda (with a few drops of dishwashing liquid added as an adhering agent) and spray that on the plants. These are North American results so you might want to try the the same search for the UK only.

[Helena]

Oh yes, mildew. What a shame - it must have been provoked by the humid heat we've had here over the last few weeks. As you know, we're not exactly used to weeks & weeks of humid heat here in the UK! Thanks for the tip, KS.

[biccy]

Thanks for the info on the 'unknown' plant.

The plant could not stand the publicity and shrillved up shortly after its photo was put online.

Yes it does have a 'unique' aroma but this year it didn't seem to have a smell.

[Helena]

The plant could not stand the publicity and shrillved up shortly after its photo was put online.

Yes it does have a 'unique' aroma but this year it didn't seem to have a smell.

Perhaps that's why it shrivelled up...in frustration! The smell attracts the insects that pollenise it so...no descendence from this one then! Genetic hiccup??

[hamblemary]

My late flowering clematis jackmanii are open, one is in the border and the other is in a pot.

I took cuttings earlier from the potted one at completely the wrong time of year, but it rooted and I now have a lovely plant climbing its way up an obelisk in the border.






Id offer some of my smaller squash plants which are on the verge of romping away, because Im completely over stocked with them- 12 plants in the garden! But with no pm function on here- there is no way of doing it safely.

[Helena]

Has anyone noticed a distinct lack of butterflies this year??

Having said that, there was a Comma butterfly in the garden this morning!



One of only a few seen though.

[hamblemary]

Thanks for that Helena! (Edit: why dont the smiley face icons work on here!)

We've had these in the garden for the past week or so, I just didnt know what they were called. I had googled rather tiger like colouring and pattern, but no joy.

One of our potato patches- these are a few weeks from being pulled up.


Lavender, dahlias, courgette and a fuschia.


Some flavour of bird eating my cherries a fortnight ago. (Help Helena!)


This year Ive been influenced by Alys Fowler's Edible Garden series and have been mixing flowers and veg in the borders. There are courgettes, cucumber, parsnips, broccoli, toms and carrots in this photo- as well as a lilly, crocosmia, bergenia. Above them are Jasmine and climbing roses which Ive posted here before.

[Helena]

Your bird is probably a female blackbird, Mary.

Yes, combining flowers & veggies is a good idea as sometimes they can boost each other's growth. You can grow nasturtiums almost anywhere amongst your veggies.

I'm just having trouble keeping my plantpots upright today in this wind!

[Helena]

I've found this info about companion planting.

For instance: parsley is good to plant with roses & increases their fragrance! Plant garlic near roses to repel aphids.

Mint & parsley are enemies & must be kept away from each other!

[Helena]

Has anyone ever seen this in their garden? A spectacular Garden Tiger Moth!



I saw two yesterday & they're really amazing when you see them flying & up close!

[hamblemary]

It looks like its wearing a bearskin hat.


Thanks for the link with the info Helena. It sent me off on a companion planting reading odyssey. I ended up reading about planting by lunar cycles.

[hamblemary]

Guerilla gardening is alive in HG! BRILLIANT!

I was out running today and came across a patch of squash and spinach in an otherwise empty traffic island bed at the entrance to a street. I was delighted!

I popped back this evening and took some photos. The 'plot' had just been watered. Its a bit scrappy, but as well as the spinach and squash, there was also beetroot, petunias and nasturtiums!





There were two women standing in their front gardens having a chat and watching me taking the photos. I waved and asked who the gardeners were! They didnt seem to know there was veg planted in the space but had noticed folk from the house opposite watering the plants.

One called her husband out as he 'knew about plants' and it turns out he'd also been watering the plants! And his wife didnt know!