Horizon's Gardening Topic

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  • I now have a pile of stuff to go down the dump. A few weeks ago I got a couple of very tough re-usable, self standing, garden refuse sacks from Lidl (27 Litre) They have two handles at the top and another at the bottom to aid tipping out. Looks like I'll get to use them now.

    There's several more branches on the palm that need to be removed as they shade the garden too much and one is well over the next door neighbours pond. Have to watch out for the short spines near the base of the branch as they're sharp as a razor. I trim them off with secateurs before doing anything else.

    My jelly palm (Butia Capitata) could also do with a "hair cut" of the older fronds as they're getting quite tatty. It's much slower growing and will never be a really big tree. There is a ~100 year old one in Trewidden Gardens in Penzance, it's where I first found out about them. I bought mine at a local nursary down there for £45.

    On the link click the palm symbol in the NE corner of the map to see the tree.

    I think I have a bow saw somewhere with much coarser teeth then my wood saw that'll be better for cutting the stumps.

  • Actually the sacks are 272 litres and I've filled both of them. They're very neat as well as having handles there's a plastic hoop that you thread in round the neck to keep the top open.

    It'll be a dump run tomorrow morning. Plenty more stuff to cut back and get rid of while the weather holds.

  • Don't break your back doing all that work, Heero! I have a little experience with tree stumps myslef, which I still haven't forgotten about...:)

    That Trewidden place looks interesting. Never heard of it. Saw your tree there and that Tree Fern Pit area looks interesting where all the mining was done. Definitely a place I want to visit.

  • Cut my front lawn yesterday, the first cut of the year.:) Was intending to do the back, but it started to rain and I was called away to other things, so hopefully might get a chance to do it tomorrow.

    And although I'm late in posting this, as always when Valentines Day comes around, the birds start nesting. Currently, have Robins and Blackbirds busy building nests in my back garden, but unfortunately they've chosen, as they always do, to nest in the ivy going up my garage and it's too low level. The cats and foxes can easily get to them. More baby bird bloodbaths ahead.:(

    Should I disrupt the birds going about their business, or just let nature take its cause?:/

  • My blackbird pair keep kicking up a fuss because a couple of magpies are collecting nesting materials. I thought it was cats to start with until I spotted the magpies.

    I need to get out and do some tidying up ahead of some building work in a few months time.

    Taking down the utility lean to and replacing with a full width conservatory across the back of the house. I'd hoped to get a local builder I know to do some but he's booked solid 'til August. As they say good tradesmen are always busy.

    The conservatory will perform the function of a green house over the winter. At the moment I have a banana palm in the bathroom.8|

  • Don't have any problem finding tradesmen around my parts, they all speak Polish, Czech or Bulgarian.:)

    Good idea about protecting the banana plant in the winter, what will you use your extension for the rest of time?

    I've not seen any magpies in my garden yet, but as soon as the baby birds arrive, so will the magpies.

  • what will you use your extension for the rest of time?

    Sitting in the sun when it's cold outside and also a home for the many tender houseplants that came from my mothers place. At the moment they're hogging the south facing window sills. I'm hoping that in winter the extra sun coming into the house will cut the fuel bills, avoid having lights on all day and also keep it a bit warmer.

  • Are you going for a mainly glass based conservatory Heero, or will have have a brick base to it?

    My uPVC conservatory is all glass and the problem with it is, it gets too cold in winter and too hot in summer. It probably needed a proper extension, but of course that's more dosh.

  • Are you going for a mainly glass based conservatory Heero, or will have have a brick base to it?

    It'll have a "brick look" base that's actually insulated modules with a brick tile external finish. Probably about 24" high. Two full height glass doors at the front and a single at the garage end.

    Take a look here: https://www.diyconservatorykits.co.uk

    Lean-to style with a polycarbonate roof as we're overlooked by quite a few other houses some with loft conversions. The plastic obscures the view.

    Going to have a crack at it ourselves with the help of mates. Looking to do it for not too much dosh as the garage also needs rebuilding plus some other works.

    Main issue I can see is getting the seal and flashing to the house right. Could be that's when we get an expert in to do just that bit.

  • I'll make a good will offering to share the re-build costs.

    Had a chat with the neighbour's OH and turns out he's a bit of a brickie so he'll fix the wall himself. :)

    He thanked me for cutting the palm back though I don't think it was the sole contributor as he's fixed the fence posts to the wall as well.:S

  • First of the Amyrillis buds is opening. There are another five with buds including my original of many years growth, its bulb is about 4" in diameter. The ones that came from my mothers needed to build up the bulbs after a period of some neglect but I expect some more of them to flower as well.

    First two are Red Lion but many do not have labels, I know some of them are white. Once they've come out I'll put labels in the pots for next time.

  • Eventually the leaves will drop and dry out, though several of mine kept some leaves all the way through. Then don't water anymore but place the pot in a cool dry shady place and look next spring for the bulb starting to move. Then water and feed. This what I do but that was advice from from my mother. It's worth looking up the care and maintainance on the net for any better advice.

    I've seen references to chiling the dormant bulb in the fridge to stimulate spring sprouting or to control when they flower.

    Often as the bulb gets bigger they will bud off smaller ones. Once they're a reasonable size they can be separated from the parent bulb and potted up on their own. That's how I have two of my own now in addition to the twelve that came from my mother's place.

    Small bulbs generally produce a two headed bloom. As the bulb gets bigger the blooms have more separate heads usually to a maximum of four.

    After a few years the putside of the bulb can get covered in flaky dried out layers. Does no harm but looks a bit messy. Then It's time to clean off all the flakey stuff and re-pot in a larger container.

  • Removed some of the fleece that's been protecting things. I have chives and tarragon coming up in the herb planter and a pot. Some begonias in a couple of pots that I thought had been mullered are actually sprouting from the roots so less things needed for the summer. :)

    It'll be interesting to see what else has survived seeing as we never had any severe frost down here over the winter.

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