Hobbies and Crafts

Mahonia is nice but it can grow enormous. We had them in the back and front gardens of our last house and OH really had to keep them under control. They do seem to survive quite drastic cutting.

Last year I bought three "Buzz" buddleias. They are supposed to be specially bred mini plants and I have them in half barrels. The blue and the white ones are fine but the magenta one is definitely reaching for the sky. I've just pinched out all the growing tips in the hope of stopping it getting any taller. If it gets too big we will have to get rid of it which would be a shame as it is the one that attracts the most butterflies.

Yet more mahonia cut back today to give space to a pale pink Compassion rose that
was getting choked by the mahonia. It is in bud now, but I will need to find another spot for this rose later in the year.

The bird spreading weed seedlings are one thing I could well do without to be honest.

I did like the mahonia when we had it but it became a bit of a thug taking up too much room so it had to go, it gave us so much extra space.
I have been out on the bottom patio tidying up some of the old pots down there and cutting a few things back. Had to come in though as I was so hot I was melting! It does look better now though. OH is at golf, it being friday.

I think the birds must drop weed seed between the paving Kandj which is why they grow, not from under the sand.

It is a real scorcher here already. I have put weedkiller on the weeds between
the block paving. It is an easy option and has worked in the past. We only had
the drive relaid and sanded last June. I hadn't expected weeds quite so soon.

I have been out in the back garden early and cut back some mahonia that is
taking over and was covering up a huge sedum in the border. It's back in view
now and I have done my little stint in the garden for today........ far too hot now.

Yes we noticed weeds coming up on the block paving patio Kandj and on the main patio too which has not long been done.

I think I spoke too soon as the rain and sun have brought out more weeds. I have some bedding plants to put in sometime today. The weeds are appearing in between the blocked paving on the drive too, so that is another job on my "to do" list methinks.

Pleased to hear that your garden is rewarding you Kandj, it is good to sit and enjoy the fruits of our labours isn't it. We sat down the garden on both Sunday and Monday evening with a drink and it was still warm right up to 6pm, and the blackbird entertained us with his/her song.. Today is cloudy but there is still more to be done, just back fro dentist (inspection) but will be out there again soon.

We watched the start of this years Chelsea Flower Show on TV last night. What a
lot of hard work and effort goes into this amazing annual event.

I am being rewarded with my little and often approach to gardening as the borders
are colourful and (almost) weed free. It's a joy to sit awhile in this mornings sunshine.

6 tubs of petunias will have kept you busy, and were a lot to plant up and care for
I hope they all take well Ann. You will be rewarded with lots and lots of colour.

Our Alliums are single headed ones Vera and a lovely mauve/purple colour.
Sorry, I can't help answer your question as I don't remember seeing double ones.
Perhaps try Google and see what varieties and tips are on there to care for them.

Today I bought a reduced plant for just £1 from the village Morrisons supermarket.
It is a Leucanthemum Snow Lady, a compact long flowering plant of large white daisies with golden centres. A bargain, too good to miss I thought although I don't really have space but I will plant this in a tub tomorrow for the patio. Cheap and cheerful methinks because the staff don't water the plants as they should.

Can anyone advise me about alliums? I mentioned in an earlier post that the heads on mine seemed small. Well, I found time today to go and look at them properly.

Last year they had one erect stem with one large flower head on each plant. This year each plant has at least two stems and several have three, each stem having a small flower. I've googled but haven't been able to find any mention of multi stemmed plants.

Has anyone else got this problem?

Keep him away from it Vera.

I like petunias, especially some of the new ones like Night sky.

We have lots of mauvy blues and purple in the garden as well. I wonder what has happened to your alliums Ann. Ours are all opening up OK. The heads do seem smaller than last year, though they aren't fully open yet.

Petunias are flowers I've never really liked. I don't know why as they are colourful and long lasting but I've never taken to them.

Good luck with the rhubarb. In our last house I had an early and a later variety in my veg garden so we got rhubarb for quite a long season. No room for anything like that here but daughter came last weekend and brought me some from her allotment so I've got some in the freezer now.

I've just come back from a ladies group I go to once a month and I won a plant in the raffle. It's a variegated leaf Erysimum with a purply flower, and I have got just the spot for it. It can replace the grass that OH managed to kill :-D

It has been a lovely day up until now when it has clouses over.

Kandj I do like purple in the garden.
Just planted some petunias in tubs that OH has grown from plugs. Goodness knows it they will grow they looked as if they were on their last legs in the greenhouse. So planted up 6 tubs with them and will see what they look like in a couple of weeks time. They have two chances. OH has also planted some rhubarb, we don't seem able to grow it here for some reason but we are trying again. The forgetmenots are just about readu to be pulled up then we can see what is happening in that border, it is a bit of a tangled mess at the moment. We seem to have lkost all our Allium this year, however they were getting a bit old.
I have just noticed we have some yellow roses out on the trellis, they are early this year. And when I was out there I saw a very small blue butterfly and OH said he saw one (maybe the same one in the garden this morning.

Our garden seems to have quite a lot of purple in the borders right now. I hadn't planned it that way, but we both agree that it does look pretty and "co-ordinated" lol.
Purple Catmint, three varieties of purple coloured Tulips and purple Alliums in bloom.
The clumps of bluebells blend in nicely with all the different shades of purple too.
Beautiful!! We just need some rain now as the soil is really very dry.

Ann I hope that the skin condition that you have will be monitored closely and it is
good that you have a supportive doctor who is looking after you well.

It has turned bitterly cold here and I am plucking up the courage to go outside and
carry on tidying up in the garden. There was a time when I could be working outside
for several hours but those days are long gone. I set myself just a regular half hour
and get hubby to knock on the window to remind me to come inside. It is working
well as our garden is looking colourful and well cared for after Winter and I have less
aching and painful joints doing short spells now.

No problem Vera, it confuses me at times. :-D

Sorry Ann, I had misunderstood. Glad that you are OK

Vera, my arm is healed now. In 2007 I had the first rodent ulcer (Basal cell carcinoma) removed, they have followed at regular intervals. One was a double one and removed under general anaesthetic but that was unusual. The remainder have been removed by different methods in hospital, either cut and stitch, or curratage (scrape) and cauterized or by the use of Aldara cream for 6 weeks (the latter has worked twice). All but the latest were done in dermatology at hospital, that was fine all the time I had the same doctor, a GP who specialized in this sort of treatment. He was lovely, kind, gentle and humourous and I had no problems once he realised that any scars I have tend to Pucker (Keloid). The last hospital ones I had done were 5 on one visit (previous doctor would never have done as many at once) by a specialis young nurse. She was very pleasant, very gentle but didn't listen to what I told her and every one of those five has left an unsightly scar, not large because the ulcers she removed were very small, two were just red marks. For some reason, maybe the sugery has only just started doing it, my doctor removed this latest one himself, that was February and so far no sign of any problem with the scar., in fact hardly a scar at all. The other thing about the nurse, I have never (14 months ago) been called back for a check up, before it was after 6 months when he would check and see if I had any more appeared. I had a letter saying the biopsy was that they were all BCC but when listed she had put one from my face, instead of my back. My doctor has already checked the one he did in February once and wants me back again to check in a month.

Sorry to hear about your arm Ann. Can it be sorted or will you have to live with it? It's good you have a doctor you have confidence in.

The garden is changing everyday - as one thing dies back, other plants come into bloom. The blossom on the crab apple was beautiful but has almost all dropped now but a choisya is covered in blossom, the geraniums are covered in flowers and the alliums are just beginning to open up.

I also bought a couple of plants called Garvinia which seem to be a type of Gerbera. Apparently they should bloom from early spring till first frosts. I am wondering what will happen to them in the next couple of days as we are promised overnight frosts.

One of my grasses definitely looks dead; not a sign of green anywhere, but the rest of them seem to have survived OH's ministrations with the shears. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Gwyn, surprise rather than shock as I have had about 12 of them before, just a nuisance really.

I suspect that the frosts will be out in the country in pockets and may not get as far South as Hampshire. pansies are fairly hardy and hopefully there will be some sort of shelter in her garden. Fingers crossed anyway. We have lots in flower in the garden here so hoping we don't get a hard frost. The joys of gardening. :-)