In the Garden

[NotPink]

Not quite a garden flower but saw this on the walk to our local farm shop the other day. I believe it is a Pyramidal Orchid unless anyone can correct me. There was just the one flower spike and the hoverfly is an added bonus 🙂

Think you are right. Its lovely isn't it?

 

[ColinUK]

Thanks for the tips much appreciated. I think when something delivers year after year and when it doesn't you are bewildered.

Sometimes plants just decide that they’re not going to play one year.
I’d always advise cutting it back hard when that happens and seeing if you get new growth and vigour (in the plant!) next year.

 

[NotPink]

Sometimes plants just decide that they’re not going to play one year.
I’d always advise cutting it back hard when that happens and seeing if you get new growth and vigour (in the plant!) next year.

Might try that. Thanks.

 

[ColinUK]

Might try that. Thanks.

Cut back in late autumn or spring after the frosts are done. That’s pretty much the safest bet with most plants.
If you’ve got the space, take cuttings perhaps.

 

[Robin]

Might try that. Thanks.

Cut back in late autumn or spring after the frosts are done. That’s pretty much the safest bet with most plants.
If you’ve got the space, take cuttings perhaps.

I think most large headed hydrangeas flower on wood produced the prev season, so if you do the late winter/early spring prune, you’ll,lose next years flowers entirely.
A good rule of thumb is, prune stuff that flowers before midsummer immediately after flowering, to allow time for new shoots to grow, (and prune stuff that flowers in late summer over winter or in early spring, to trigger new seasons growth which will bear the flowers later in the year.)
If I can’t work out which category something falls into, I do the 'thirds' routine. Cut back a third of the branches to the ground, cut back another third by a third of their length, leave the final third as it is. Rinse, repeat, every year, starting with cutting down last years unpruned third next time. It works with my mock orange, which flowers exactly on midsummer day, so can’t work out which side of the rule it belongs in. (Also works with things that tend to repeat flower all season, or produce attractive berries that you want to keep over winter.)

 

[ColinUK]

Third/third/third is a good one I agree.
Sometimes though I hack everything back to just above ground and forego blooms for one year just to allow a plant to refresh.

 

[Robin]

Third/third/third is a good one I agree.
Sometimes though I hack everything back to just above ground and forego blooms for one year just to allow a plant to refresh.

Agree, that's a rejuvenation strategy I’ve used in the past, too.

 

[NotPink]

Thanks. I always use the theory that if its an early spring bloomer cut back after flowering and late bloomer cut back in spring...which is probably what you said.
I cut back a Berberi after flowering that goes straggly every 2 years..it always comes back. But I can lose some berries overwinter on the longer branches. I also cut lavenders down just to the hardwood after flowering...they always come back.
I have a white climbing rose that I cut back harshly after first mid spring flush and it always comes back too.

 

[Robin]

This young fox was in our back garden yesterday, exploring, then it sat down as if it was waiting for an adult to come and tell it what to do. Then it tried sitting on our lettuces, (in the trough at the bottom of the photo,) at which point I was unamused and rapped on the window! It’s been around again today, I think it’s getting in under the fence from next door, where there is a patch of woodland. We rarely see them, and usually only at night, but I know we get regular foxes from the pawprints in the snow in winter.

 

[NotPink]

its a beautiful shot but is there food left out or is someone feeding it?

 

[Robin]

its a beautiful shot but is there food left out or is someone feeding it?

I’ve no idea, it did cross my mind it was hanging around for food. I hope not, it doesn’t to to get them dependent on humans, in an area where there’s traffic etc. We are rural, so it has access to woodland and countryside, and they have regularly had an earth in the bit of woodland next door. The trouble is, people here are encouraged to put out food and make gaps under their fences for hedgehogs, but foxes will take advantage and it’s not in their best interests.

 

[NotPink]

Thats probably why its hanging around. I agree that its not in their best interests too. Don't know how you can fix it.

 

[ColinUK]

Thats probably why its hanging around. I agree that its not in their best interests too. Don't know how you can fix it.

I’d not fret about a fox. They’ll cope just fine with or without human assistance.
In London they will raid bins and wander into houses to take pet food and anything else which is accessible.
They’re cute but they’re pests now that the population is way out of control.

 

[Ditto]

He is gorgeous (if you haven't got any rabbits!) 🙂

I'm really getting worried now, as this is the post I thought I did yesterday and it's still here! I never clicked for it to actually go on the forum. I'm addled.

I'm also lamenting my beautiful climbing hydrangea I left at one of my abodes. If I had my life over again I'd never move, all that moving for no reason was just silly. You're not happy if you're wanting to move all the time. I left some fabulous plants at that house. I will try and find a picture of it but it's that long ago the picture will be on a CD.

 

[grovesy]

He is gorgeous (if you haven't got any rabbits!) 🙂

I'm really getting worried now, as this is the post I thought I did yesterday and it's still here! I never clicked for it to actually go on the forum. I'm addled.

I'm also lamenting my beautiful climbing hydrangea I left at one of my abodes. If I had my life over again I'd never move, all that moving for no reason was just silly. You're not happy if you're wanting to move all the time. I left some fabulous plants at that house. I will try and find a picture of it but it's that long ago the picture will be on a CD.

I have never been able to grow climbing hydrangea,despite trying in various sites in my garden.

 

[Ditto]

I sympathise. Plants I can't grow are Hosta due to slugs and snails everywhere, Salvia same problem, French Marigolds ditto, Chinese Lanterns that grow like a weed for some peoples and at the minute I'm having trouble growing Mesembryanthemums yet once I used to chuck 'em on and they'd come up lovely. I think sometimes it's just outside influences and bad luck. My Uncle Ray who was an expert gardener couldn't grow Alliums and Clematis which I usually don't have any trouble with. 🙂 My sister can grow anything, her Wisteria flowered like billyoh in it's first year and now has to be hacked down to the ground yearly and won't back down.

 

[grovesy]

I sympathise. Plants I can't grow are Hosta due to slugs and snails everywhere, Salvia same problem, French Marigolds ditto, Chinese Lanterns that grow like a weed for some peoples and at the minute I'm having trouble growing Mesembryanthemums yet once I used to chuck 'em on and they'd come up lovely. I think sometimes it's just outside influences and bad luck. My Uncle Ray who was an expert gardener couldn't grow Alliums and Clematis which I usually don't have any trouble with. 🙂 My sister can grow anything, her Wisteria flowered like billyoh in it's first year and now has to be hacked down to the ground yearly and won't back down.

I can't grow hostas either for the same reason as you. Though I can grow Salvias and French marigolds.

 

[Ditto]

Also Lupins! Who can't grow Lupins? They grow all up the railway embankments in Urmston, great swathes of them, lovely. Oh the shame... also Delphiniums and Torch Lillies. I should take early retirement from the garden.

 

[grovesy]

Also Lupins! Who can't grow Lupins? They grow all up the railway embankments in Urmston, great swathes of them, lovely. Oh the shame... also Delphiniums and Torch Lillies. I should take early retirement from the garden.

I can't grow lupins either though my neighbour can, I can see them through the fence. Though she can't grow Califorian poppies yet they thrive in my garden.

 

[NotPink]

I can't grow lupins which makes me sad cos they were my dads favourite flowers. Every year I try. Then I decided to try them in pots ...they do alright until the end of summer then die so have to replace them.
With restrictions this year I did not manage to purchase any so no lupins at all. Sorry dad.
I can grow California poppies though.