General Chat

Linda, I notice that some of the miniture narcissi bulbs that I wanted to pland today are showing signs of sprouting in the bags, that isn't a good thing, but it was just too wet today as it was for you.

Tec.

Tec ....wasn't that Paul McCartneys excuse back in the late 60's ? lol

They do put hemp seed in bird mixes , and it is related to the Cannibis family I believe .

I should imagine your OH was annoyed Linda , I only buy bulbs in packets if I can see them all , even better if you can get hold of loose ones .

There is a fantastic nursery near to my daughter in Shropshire that have an amazing variety of loose bulbs on sale at this time of year - I wish I could get there more often.

Tec.

Amanda if the Drug Squad were to raid this house they'd have a field day in my medicine drawer, they wouldn't bother with the garden lol.

Tec.

Hi Amanda:-))

Not many places sell loose bulbs around here. They are definately not the most popular plants. Even the beautiful oriental or asiatic lillies aren't seen everywhere. My neighbour has some beautiful lillies blooming in her garden at the moment and she is eyeing off my pots to see what colours come up. They'll be burgundy and pink so I think we'll be swapping after they've died down.

I'm pleased that the bromeliads that I bought as "pups" at the gardening expo have taken off and look healthy. In fact one of them has sent up new pups so I'll be able to divide them and swap with mum.

S x

We can buy loose bulbs on the market and they are very good quality, but more expensive. OH wanted to plant lots of bulbs under the hedge on the outside of the garden where there is a communal grass area. The problem is that people have worn a path just outside the hedge where they take a short cut across the grass. We helped the town in bloom people plant lots of bulbs a couple of years ago. They are still there , but the local children/yobs just kick the heads off the flowers as they go past them

LOL Tec !

When it comes to the bulb time of the year I like nothing better than tracking down something a bit special , maybe we are lucky in Norfolk to have a reasonable selection of loose bulbs . Last year I bought a dozen Erythronium bulbs and had them in pots near the pond , they looked a treat when they bloomed .

I like Lillies Sue but after I read that the pollen is toxic to cats I stopped growing them and they always get attacked by the blasted Lily beetles anyway : ((

I don't mind lilies in the garden Amanda as I have no pets, but I can't stand the ones they sell as cut flowers. I think the smell is revolting in the room and the pollen sets my hay fever off

Linda ....they are somewhat over powering indoors as are Hyacinths , I prefer something a bit more delicate smell wise personally .

Linda I took hundreds of bluebell bulbs dug up from my garden and planted them down at the riverbank in the village, other people have planted snowdrops, and crocus there. The snowdrops have colonised and look great last year.
I am thinking of adopting the area around the village phonebox. An old guy used to cultivate it, but he died about four years ago, now it looks a mess with weeds and brambles. So I might just do it with things out of my garden.

Tec.

Tec and Linda , I think it's brilliant that you are both able to enhance your local areas , living on a council estate as I do it just wouldn't be worth bothering : (

I'm off to run a nice bath , back in a bit : )

Hello all, I just noticed as I was signing in that this thread is now up to 2600 posts. Isn't that incredible? Just see what one amazing Aussie can do.

Congratulations SueMaid.

I'm now going to read up on the comments since I last posted. Be back soon.

P xx

What a lovely idea Tec. The riverbank must look lovely in bloom.

Friends of ours are great rose lovers. A number of years ago they planted about 10 new rose bushes. The next morning they found that someone had come along and stolen every bush - they'd just pulled them up. It put them off for awhile but now the garden is a treat with beautiful roses.

S x

I had Asiatic lillies in a tub by the front door, heavily perfumed, but had to move them as affected OHs hay fever and she complained 'till I moved them away from the door.
Now I've got an amazing display of pink and white azaleas that should flower in the Spring - they are very confused.

Tec.

Hi, Pam - thanks but it isn't just me. It's all our lovely people who are making the thread what it is - a happy, safe and friendly place to be.

S x

That sounds a lovely idea Tec,I think that you should definitely do it.

The town in bloom committee are very active, the town centre is festooned with hanging baskets and tubs. They have a golf buggy which is sponsored by some of the businesses, it has a large container of water on it and they use it to water the baskets
OH helps with the heavy work of changing the compost in the tubs
A couple of years ago, they managed to get loads of bulbs donated so they chose a couple of areas and asked the people who lived there to turn out.We planted a huge number that day, it is lovely when they all come out

Hello Pam, or hello Pam after you have caught up.

It is a nice place to be Sue, I can't be doing with the petty minded people on some of the other threads.

Why are your azalea's confused Tec?

I've caught up now and have cheated and used Word to pen (??) my comments.

Tec: About 4 years ago and around 100 klms from here, we had a category 9 cyclone. It was devastating and when you drive around the epicenter area even today you can see the results of it. - My point being; we found cannabis growing here and were told it’s an airborne seed and will self seed if it finds the right conditions. Considering one can grow a mango tree just from the seed lying on the ground on this property, it’s no surprise the cannabis grew. It’s gone now, though and without the local hopheads even knowing of it’s existence. Cannabis to carrots. Now that stretches the imagination. Lol

Linda: I have a most beautiful tree orchid growing on the trunk of one of my palm trees outside the bedroom window. The most delicate yellowy-mustard flower with hundreds of them on each frond. The plant has about 15 fronds at the moment. But you can’t pick them and bring them inside. They smell like smelly socks from work boots that have been worn in the cow paddock all day. I’m just grateful that they’re where I can see them from the window. In fact I can see them from this room, too.

Sue: I know a guy who works up here for the Regional Council and he gets very despondent when they re-cultivate the garden beds in the middle of the road leading into the city. More often than not he’ll come back the next day and dozens of the plants have been removed.

Sorry to be so long winded. I'm always getting into trouble for that. Always have a lot to say. :)

P.

Good Morning Pam, See you on your return.

Sue I saw a gadget in a gardening magazine that anchored your shrubs etc into the ground - I can't believe that people could be bothered to steal plants. I remember my mother got up one morning to find someone had stolen four beautiful hanging baskets in front of her bungalow, so sad, she had planted them up herself and was so proud of them.

I think if we can help in some small way to improve the area we live in, we should, and with all the cut backs looks like councils will be spending less and less on floral displays.

Tec.