Gardening

[Stanley]

There was a knock on the door yesterday. An Asian neighbour asking if he could have what I think he called coriander from my garden. I told him that was fine and I see he has taken a small amount of mint..... All are welcome. I have enough mint to supply half the town!

[LizG]

If he thinks it's coriander he's going to get a shock when he eats it!

[Stanley]

No word from him......
Just put a big bunch in with some smoked ham I have slow cooked all night. It will work its magic as the joint cools down now I have switched the cooker off.

[Stanley]

The front garden today. Compare with last year on the 8th of July... Let's hear it for good FYM!

[Tripps]

And the rain. I'm jealous of your mint.

You said you gave a clump to an Asian gent who asked you for some. This is karma for an incident which I had recently. I bought a bed via Gumtree from an Asian couple who had some growing outside their front door. I mentioned how good it looked, to the lady, who immediately asked me if I wanted some. I said 'yes thanks'. She said 'leaves or roots'. 'Roots' said I, and it's now growing happily, and spreading nicely, in a pot outside my front door.

Isn't it good when people are nice to each other?

[Stanley]

I couldn't agree more David. I am convinced that if there was more 'nice' about the world would be a much better place!
By the way, the lilac is looking a bit poorly after the drastic cropping it got with the gale and my subsequent reductions. The old growth is looking very poorly and there was only one bloom on it. However, there is a lot of very healthy young growth pushing up in the centre. I shall prune more of the old growth out this back end. I have no doubt it will be much improved next year.

[Stanley]

The front garden yesterday. I think we may have reached Peak Mint!

[Stanley]

It wasn't Peak Mint, it's still growing. They cut the grass on the Green on Saturday and it's 2" high already!

[Whyperion]

Or is it wildlife corner.

Privet Hedges are normally trimmed sides and top or to shape, but I have let most of the rear garden ones grow, and white flowers abound on it. Now these flowers have attracted Red Admiral Butterflies in the daytime, (though as I went to take a picture it folded its wings), and , in the evening when I forgot I left the washing out, fluttering moths were enjoying them. I don't think every tall growing privet (which in front gardens Councils might take a dim view of), always flowers, maybe ours is enjoying an opportunity of growth, or has poor soil, putting efforts into flower, not leaf. So, less intrusive than buddleia, privet might make a good bush for insect life, give it a try. I'll plant any seeds arising out in the autumn.

[Sue]

Don't privet flowers have a heavy perfume

[Wendyf]

My garden is getting out of control! It is either too wet, too windy or too hot to get out there working. ...or perhaps I'm just too lazy.

[Tizer]

Yes, privet in flower is great for insects, although some people don't like its scent. It always reminds me of my childhood. We're lucky here to have native wild privet as well as the ornamental privet - the wild type has leaves that are narrower and longer.

[Whyperion]

My garden is getting out of control! It is either too wet, too windy or too hot to get out there working. ...or perhaps I'm just too lazy.

Mowed the Lawn/s. For a suburban 80s semi there are not too many nasty weeds, but plenty of grass mixture with nice clover and some other blue flower things. Very wet and green thanks to Lancashire weather, pity no animals around as probably nutritious wet ( mind the tummy ache ) , or dried. I added last years dried from the compost heap to some pots which I have bunged a mix of apple cores and cherry pips / pepper seeds in , anything could grow..!

[Sue]

I know the feeling Wendy. It us going to take some time to restore any degree if order over here. It keeps raining this morning but due to be very hot and sunny again this afternoon

[Wendyf]

The battle against caterpillars and slugs wears me down!

[Tizer]

It was 38C here yesterday and still hot during the night. The one good thing is that it keeps the slugs underground!

[Sue]

17 this morning rising to 28 during the day. At last I may get some garden tidying done. I managed an hour yesterday evening so only one more flower border to go, then it's the orchard and veggie plots to tackle before I can plant the things we brought over

[Tizer]

Here's one plant in our garden that enjoyed the heat wave. It's a Chusan palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) which is a native plant of New Zealand. The height to the top of the highest leaves is about 10 foot and we have another that's a bit higher.

[Stanley]

I thought we had hit the peak but after a week away the mint has grown even more......

[PanBiker]

It's going to be a feast year with the pear tree in our garden this year. It's either all or nothing with this tree. It did absolutely nothing for a good few years after we planted it when we first did the garden not long after moving in. It only started producing fruit after it was partially torched by an irate lady who firebombed her mans car after some altercation, the car was parked next to the wall on Ash Grove and it set fire to our tree, I had to saw of quite a few branches and heavily prune the rest. Ever since, it has been in famine or feast mode. There will be lost of jams, jellies and chutneys from this years crop.

[Stanley]

Ian, from what I remember of the Conference Pear that father and I planted on the east gable of Hey Farm (Still there and thriving) the key to fruiting was pruning twice a year. I think one was November and the other in late June.... You'll have to read it up. It worked and we had a good crop almost every year.
The mint is past its best but has grown even more, its invading the paths now!

[PanBiker]

I will pass that on to my head gardener Stanley, thanks. It is a conference variety but Sally thinks that its a biannual version, when it fruits it starts to develop in June but often sheds a portion if growth is excessive.

[Stanley]

That's the reason for the June pruning, to restrict the number of fruiting spurs and avoid natural shedding. I seem to remember that all new growth was cut back to three or four buds...... But look it up!

[Stanley]

My Lilac has been poorly this year. Not the drastic pruning after the storm, the regrowth was fine but a bad leaf disease. At the end of the year I shall cut it back to ground level and let it take its chance.

[Tizer]

It only started producing fruit after it was partially torched by an irate lady who firebombed her mans car after some altercation...

An exciting place, Barlick!
When damaged badly, plants react by setting fruit so that they can be sure of carrying on their line. It's the last chance defence.