Gardening: Hints and Help!

Heddlo I agree with brue let it bloom with the next bud, I'm no expert but seems a shame not to see it open.

Congratulations on your golden wedding anniversary. And to Impy, even if it was a while ago.

Cutting any plant back(particularly Roses) creates growth-the saying ‘prune for life’ is true, the plant won’t grow instinctively it will grow reactively you take a bud off(prune) it will work to replace it. In Spring & Summer a plant is designed to reproduce(create flower for pollination). Its energy will be used for reproduction. In the Autumn+ energy will be for root growth.

I have just taken the top six inch off our new beech hedging, hoping to encourage side branching. It’s doing great for its first year I think. I need to read up on correct time to cut as I think this is what makes it keep its crispy leaves through Winter......🤔

We have a village neighbour with a really long beech hedge, on crisp cold & frosty mornings I can hear it vibrating in the breeze, it always reminds me of Christmas👍🏻😊

Before the rain started today I collected some of my "lockdown" flowers grown from old seed packets. A couple of rose photos too for those who liked striped and mixed colours, Rosa Mundi is the pink striped one and Rosa Mutablis the mixed colour (my favourite.)

Beautiful Brue. I adore the sweet peas and cornflowers, gorgeous. 

Lovely brue😁 I love sweet peas, but I’m not very good at growing them. Do you find your Rosa Mundi is healthy? I steered clear because I heard it was a bit prone to one or two issues. Yours looks lovely though.

This is my latest Rose out. It’s called “Proper Job”, bred in Cornwall I think. It’s certainly where I bought it.

The Rosa Mundi grew well on clay soil when we lived in Warwicks. Here it's not so good, lots of suckers that aren't true to type which means they may be grafting them now on stock that's not so good...OH got into trouble for cutting off the true shoots and leaving the suckers, I think we've sorted it now but it's not very strong. I still like it and am giving it a chance. 🌸

"Proper Job" look just the job!

Brue beautiful flowers.

Sweetpeas were very special between my dad and I. I used to grow them and take a few every day to dad in hospital - he spent the last 3 summers of his life in hospital having various bits of his leg off 😢😢. To this day the smell and sight of them cause me very mixed emotions.

But I love them. Not grown any for years, we had a motorhome 😀. This year I've treated myself to a couple of bunches from our farm shop - they lasted well. Not often you see them for sale.

B2, we just commented today on the fact that you don't see Sweetpeas in gardens like you used to, after spotting some growing beside a neighbour's door.