Gardening: Do you have green fingers?

Chloe_Scope

Gardening could mean flowers, vegetables or herbs. It could mean growing the tallest sunflower or a herb gardening on the windowsill. Which ever you choose to do, gardening has been heavily talked about during lockdown. 

The benefits of gardening?

You may have been putting off the odd job here and there until the bank holiday but seeing as self-isolating means we now have lots of time on our hands, it’s a nice way to spend time in a garden, on your balcony, or even gardening indoors.

Plus, there are many benefits to gardening, scientists have found that spending two hours a week in nature is linked to better health and wellbeing.

Taken from Independent (17th April)

What are you growing?

I'm fortunate to have a small garden which has slowly been filled with flowers and plants. I particularly like hanging baskets with flowers and our patch of wild flowers.

Yet I know not everyone has access to a garden. Alternatively, house plants can be a great way of bring some greenery into your space. They can be low maintenance and could actual help to clean the air! My personal favourite would be a succulent or cheese plant.

As an amateur gardener or a complete beginner, what have you planted in the past? What would you like to grow? Let us know in the comments below!

Adrian_Scope

I'd love to grow tomato plants, but we don't have a garden and only a tiny Juliet balcony to work with. I suppose we could do some flowers in balcony planters, though!

gaz1960

Got my allotment, so growing runner beans, Potatoes, spring onion, carrots  and onions and leeks. And the same in tubs at the house plus 5  different types of tomato. 

KarenO_Scope

My son is doing his Beaver gardening badge during Lockdown, so we have a beanstalk, some sunflowers, radish, strawberries and tomatoes on the go. We have kept them alive over 8 weeks, so hopefully he will get his badge and we will get some nice flowers and fruit eventually. Really lucky to have a garden. @gaz1960 your allotment sounds good.

gaz1960

KarenO_Scope said:

My son is doing his Beaver gardening badge during Lockdown, so we have a beanstalk, some sunflowers, radish, strawberries and tomatoes on the go. We have kept them alive over 8 weeks, so hopefully he will get his badge and we will get some nice flowers and fruit eventually. Really lucky to have a garden. @gaz1960 your allotment sounds good.

A lot of hard work over the past 10 years or more,but worth it for veg that actually tastes like it should!:) 

Must be all the horse manure KarenO. Lol. Omg. Lol.  

gaz1960

Hope your lad gets his badge!

My lads were at beavers and all the way up to scouts and beyond! Lots of awards!  

Chloe_Scope

KarenO_Scope said:

My son is doing his Beaver gardening badge during Lockdown, so we have a beanstalk, some sunflowers, radish, strawberries and tomatoes on the go. We have kept them alive over 8 weeks, so hopefully he will get his badge and we will get some nice flowers and fruit eventually. Really lucky to have a garden. @gaz1960 your allotment sounds good.

This sounds great @KarenO_Scope! Hope it continues to go well!

@gaz1960, sounds like you'll be able to cook some lovely meals with all that fresh veg! 

KarenO_Scope

@gaz1960 I used to want an allotment but with 3 kids and work I don't think we would have been able to keep up to it. We always try to grow a few things ourselves and really lucky to have a garden. I know what you mean about the taste. Hope you've got some good recipes.

gaz1960

Allotments are hard work.  Working,well,at least until lockdown!
Most work seems to be weeding! Omg. Why doesnt food grow as fast as weeds! Lol.  

Gardens or at least tubs or window boxes also a source of growing. 

Always a great way to let kids learn how to grow food,and a great way for them to learn about recycling? 

KarenO_Scope

@gaz1960 think you're right about the recycling. We have a compost bin too. Weeds are less of a problem, well apart from the kids blowing any dandelion clocks they find:D Keeping the neighbours cats off is our main challenge.

Dragonslayer

I'm sorry to say I am not the best gardener around but I do like gardens and love flowers. My wife looks after ours. What I do like is Bonsai trees and I grow mine on the window sill. There is something  almost magical about looking at a miniature tree and having one in your own home. I only have one and it's my second Chinese elm. 
I wonder if there are others that share the same interest?
Thanks
Dragonslayer.

gaz1960

My great Neice loves blowing the dandelion "fairies" omg. 

Both resident squirrels and a million different species of birds descending on the bird feeders and bird house,including a green escaped parrot, the starlings love cold Dominoes pizza ! Go figure!?  

And .....mashed potato! Starlings love it! OMG;) 

gaz1960

Used to grow bonsai. But too much bother!' 

Ails

Not that green-fingered myself, but I do enjoy pottering about in the garden and I do agree that it's great for our mental well-being too.  So far this year have planted some pansies and sunflowers so hopefully they will come up and grow.  I like to tend to the roses and the wild patch of our garden too where I love watching the bees buzzing about and hopefully will see butterflies as well again this year. 

chiarieds

My small garden certainly helps my well-being, & this great weather has helped, when it's not been too hot! I'm growing tomatoes, courgettes, squashes, filet beans, peas (& pea shoots), miniature cucumbers, lettuces, radishes, beetroot, pak choi, leeks, garlic & achochas. I'm also growing flowers from some seeds I bought last year, & lots of nasturtiums....so easy to grow, & you can add the leaves & flowers to a salad.

I'm interested in bonsai @Dragonslayer if you have any tips as to how to start; where to buy from, etc. I would be very pleased to know.

Dragonslayer

I bought my first through amazon. There are many sellers. But start with a Chinese e!m and spend around 20£ - 30£ on  your first. No mre. 

Dragonslayer

I spent a great afternoon in the garden with my wife today and helped with the gardening. Me a non gardener! 
Maybe I am coming around to this gardening thing after all. 

chiarieds

Thank you @Dragonslayer for your message, & for taking the time to point me in the right direction about bonsai.

Think we're all getting to appreciate our gardens more right now....even my son, & I've been trying to persuade him for the past 4 years!

Chloe_Scope

Some great gardeners! Does anyone have any pictures?

Crumbled72

I love my plants. The greener the better haha! 

Growing also bell peppers and both jalapeños and habaneros at my kitchen windowsill.. can’t wait to harvest! We were wanting to plant some herbs and tomatoes to the balcony too but since living non the top floor of a high rise the wind gets too gusty and no guarantees of enough heat and sunshine so left them this year.. maybe next year when the virus is not preventing to get all the stuff early enough. To be seen x

gillian72

@Chloe_Scope hiya Chloe , if I knew how to take a photo of my back garden an put it up here I would lol ha ha  no really in my old house I had a little garden in my front and had. a long wooden plant pot so every time I went in town I'd get a couple of bunches of plastic flowers form the £1shop I started  with the plant pots  lol then haerd an old couple arguing out side lol I didn't let them see me an they were arguing over the names of the flowers bless them then I got carried away an started putting then all round the garden I loved listening to people talking an even kids going to  Skool  pulling there mums hands to let see as I had no gate lol 

Karen777

We should b able to meet at some land if ok with or without a carer n do some gardening 4 the council orr??? I think sum wud find it therapeutic n there is plenty to do if we cud all get picked up or get to a destination as wen there we can still do social distancing if need be ?? X just n idea 4 Teessiders?? X 

matt59

I've been in and our of gardening. 

Had a small allotment at one point but it was a bit much to manage. Grew courgettes and marrow! Only because I forgot to get a few. 

Miss it a bit I've a tumbling tomato plant at the moment. Not doing to well need a few more flowers.

Do miss being in there as much as before.

I've got a Chinese elm too dragonslayer. Its room shape pretty cool plants 

M_Anthony

I don't have a garden, but I do have strawberry plants on my balcony and I grow micro vegetables indoors. I had a Venus flytrap, but I found it really difficult to care for. I would love a bonsai at some point! 

Adrian_Scope

I love the idea of a Bonsai too, but that seems like a step too far for someone who can't seem to keep a cactus alive.

fairybellsxo

Hello Everyone! Hope everybody is well.

I am growing strawberry's and they are doing quite well in this weather! I spotted those in the garden center on a sunny day and thought it'd be nice to grow my own fruit! I also have three little sunflower sprouts which I look forward to relocating as soon as they seem ready to flee the nest.

I have also discovered this today, which I spent quite a while ( probably too long ) researching! it's a conjoined flower! which apparently is quite a rare thing in the flower world, I am researching whether I can take clippings of it to continue this on as I find it beautiful, I've decided to call it the ' twice as beautiful ' flower and I am thinking of pressing it, so that it can be a reminder to me that beauty can be unique and different! 

It may have also inspired a poem in me, but that's another tale! 

xx

phillycollings29

I have an allotment.  I spend lots of time weeding which I really like because two robins visit me.  I am building a lighthouse out clay pots and painting it blue and white - it is about a metre in height.   I love my lottie - it is the safest place I have ever known. I am also going to build a little wildlife sanctuary on a raised platform with a hedgehog house and ant hotel (not booking in there!!!) and there will be lots of wild flowers for the bees and butterflies.  

fairybellsxo

@phillycollings29 I have always wanted an allotment, they look quiet and peaceful, I feel it would be a place of peace and quiet for me too, there are loads near to where I live, but people snap them up quite quickly! 

That lighthouse sounds like a nice little project, please could you take some photos? once it is finished Id love to see the end result, the hedgehog hotel also sounds fabulous, my aunt has one and she has a little visitor quite often, wildflowers are the prettiest and very beneficial for the wildlife, I love it when bees buzz inside flower petals and it echo's like a flowery trumpet haha!

My dad loves nature/wildlife and he has built a little bee house and has a section in the garden devoted to wildflowers/nettles, his garden is essentially an organised ' mess ' of plants and things for wildlife to love and thrive in,

It sounds like you've got a lovely little sanctuary there and I am glad it's bringing you joy!

All the best.

dkb123

I have just moved into a disabled converted house provided by a Housing Association  with a through floor lift, I use a wheelchair so can't bend down, The garden is overgrown and seems neglected, A friend said, raised beds were the answer but I can't afford to have it done, does anyone know if this is covered by any grants or adaptions funds that I could apply for 

phillycollings29

Hi @fairybellsxo
Have you put your name down for an allotment.  I had to wait for 19 months before I got mine.  Just a thought x

dkb123

the waiting time in London  for an allotment is around 3 years  

gaz1960

dkb123 said:

I have just moved into a disabled converted house provided by a Housing Association  with a through floor lift, I use a wheelchair so can't bend down, The garden is overgrown and seems neglected, A friend said, raised beds were the answer but I can't afford to have it done, does anyone know if this is covered by any grants or adaptions funds that I could apply for 

Try www.growfruitandveg.co.uk

There is a thread for people looking for allotments,and allotments available in all areas. 

Plus people looking to help with gardening and growing veg,if people have available space,gardens,etc,in return a shared split of grown veg,costs,plus a  great way for  people to make friends and help each other.  

dkb123

gaz1960 said:

dkb123 said:

I have just moved into a disabled converted house provided by a Housing Association  with a through floor lift, I use a wheelchair so can't bend down, The garden is overgrown and seems neglected, A friend said, raised beds were the answer but I can't afford to have it done, does anyone know if this is covered by any grants or adaptions funds that I could apply for 

Try www.growfruitandveg.co.uk

There is a thread for people looking for allotments,and allotments available in all areas. 

Plus people looking to help with gardening and growing veg,if people have available space,gardens,etc,in return a shared split of grown veg,costs,plus a  great way for  people to make friends and help each other.  

thanks I have looked briefly at it but seems a bit complicated to navigate, but will  try it out 

Chloe_Scope

We planted sunflowers at the weekend. Also, the garden has appreciated the rain this week!

How are your plants looking?

CJ61

Struggling to keep on top of it at the moment but my garden is what keeps me sane....well almost
Just one happy corner shown here

KarenO_Scope

We've pulled our radishes, and some beans have appeared on my son's beanstalk. Our rhubarb has suddenly sprung into life and we have some fruit bushes with fruit growing, if our children will just wait for them to ripen. We have sunflowers, tomatoes and strawberries growing in the greenhouse, but we have not dared plant them out yet. Grass is a bit of a jungle though. 

Chloe_Scope

@CJ61, that looks amazing! I love the shades of purple.

Sounds like you have busy garden @KarenO_Scope! Do you have a plan of what you are wanting to make with the ingredients you have grown?

Constructiveway

Nice,

It brings even some extra benefits, healthy benefits. 

Chloe_Scope said:

I particularly like hanging baskets

It'll be a community project and yet, it's not clear if it's not gonna be designed for someone disabled (in this case, it could be eligible for grants) but, perhaps, not (it'll be a bit remote, inaccessible). Yup, at the same, I like it too, I'd like to hang up shelves, grow in floors, economically, to multiple times use space by hanging up (e.g. in 5 floors, 10cm x 10cm so 100/m2 and 500/5 floors per 1m2) with led lights, a small wind power plant, automated watering, and some webcams connected to Raspberries, Oranges or Bananas, and the temperature under the ground (4-8 feet, it's enough to avoid freezing and get the extra space). What do we know, maybe I find something from Etsy or Aliexpress when I/someone will be rigging, I wanna make it look good/interesting. When there'll be time, I'd like to build one (a greenhouse, in this case) just to show/prove the feasibility and price tags. 

Regards

Chloe_Scope

Thanks for sharing this @Constructiveway.

LouiseH

I've got a yard which I've turned into a bit of a garden last year with a lot of help from a friend. I'm glad it was done last year as it wouldn't have happened this year. I've got a makeshift flower bed made from wooden pallets and painted blue. Theres a few potted plants too and a car tyre spray painted and planted with a Red Grandaisy yesterday. 

dkb123

There's no money around for community gardening anymore, councils are all near bankruptcy and because of the increased use of cards the old fundraising methods of shaking a tin for peoples change don't have much success, maybe we should start a new thread about how we can raise funds for community gardening projects 

Constructiveway

dkb123 said:

There's no money around for community gardening anymore, councils are all near bankruptcy and because of the increased use of cards the old fundraising methods of shaking a tin for peoples change don't have much success, maybe we should start a new thread about how we can raise funds for community gardening projects 

DKB123, agricultural land is cheap. Maybe no councils, there's the option that you can take all financial risk on your own t-short. Either, we don't fundraise at all and didn't get anything as a nonprofit and we're are a nonprofit, we didn't receive any grants or donations, exactly £0. Also, we're an enterprise which isn't supported by any non-profit, council, even any moral/verbal support from the people who I take the personal risk for (I didn't see even one beneficiary that said something nice, only directors/CEOs of other enterprises, not beneficiaries) but, yeah, commercials like business realities, market analyses, plans, financial prognoses, and credit checks of your personal bank accounts... so you can get there. The country is full of CICs (commercially productive nonprofits). You need a commercial usage so your wallet isn't gonna bleed out, that's all. 

400 square meters, 20 x 20 meters is 0.0988422 acre:

"The average price of bare agricultural land in England and Wales has risen from £6,979 per acre to £7,030 per acre in the first quarter of 2019. Despite this, since 2015, agricultural land prices have fallen." (Agent Hub, p.1, 2019).

It makes the price in pounds:

The market average for 200 square meters:

The market value of 100 square meters:


Best regards


Reference:
Agent Hub (2019, December 13). Struggling to sell farmland? Here’s why. P. 1.
Retrieved from: https://agenthubltd.com/struggling-sell-farmland-reasons/#:~:text=The%20cost%20of%20farmland,agricultural%20land%20prices%20have%20fallen.

Constructiveway

P.s.:

Check out FWI, to orient in the price ranges. It can go as low as 1300 per acre (even if the average is around 7K). For a greenhouse, the quality doesn't really matter (you don't have to seed in the land or for 1300 is better to say that you don't have to seed in the stones).

CJ61

yippee. Im going to be picking my first green french beans to go with my salmon this evening. Ive grown a dwarf variety in a pot and they are only about 15inches tall but have produced full size beans. Hope they taste good 

Chloe_Scope

CJ61 said:

yippee. Im going to be picking my first green french beans to go with my salmon this evening. Ive grown a dwarf variety in a pot and they are only about 15inches tall but have produced full size beans. Hope they taste good 

Amazing @CJ61! You'll have to let you know how they taste. Community dinner party at yours?   

alieshia

I'm terrible, I'm an accidental plant murder I'm afraid. I try so hard but always fail harder. My mum is amazing though! Her mum was too, I didn't inherit the green finger gene.

Constructiveway

alieshia said:

I'm terrible, I'm an accidental plant murder I'm afraid. I try so hard but always fail harder. My mum is amazing though! Her mum was too, I didn't inherit the green finger gene.

It helps if you like what you do and choose to do what you like. Hm, I'm not a farmer at all because I've different interests and I grew up fascinated by nature on land with a huge garden so I know what to do. I'm not sure there's anything to inherit. In the same pattern as you, referring to the inherited, I could claim the invention of [neolithic] farming, the invention of [European/western] civilization, and so on : )), I claim "green fingers" : )) and all that belongs to non-nomadic civilization as anyone with Minoan Y-DNA can do. It's for a smile : ) You can see the "joke" : )) You're gonna be good at what you like, think, and concentrate on, what you spend time on.

Best regards,
J. Vysvader

leeCal

@Adrian_Scope you could grow tomatoes on a sunny window sill easily if you use plant pot bottoms and keep them well fed but especially watered. 

[Deleted User]

Adrian_Scope said:

I'd love to grow tomato plants, but we don't have a garden and only a tiny Juliet balcony to work with. I suppose we could do some flowers in balcony planters, though!

You could grow tomatoes on awindow sill 😁

Adrian_Scope

Not a bad idea. Although all our south facing windows are full length, so the window sills are permanently within reach of eager toddler fingers.

kaiasparrow

I love gardening but I'm not great at it. I have a tomato plant growing and some pak choi and spinach that have just sprouted so fingers crossed. Hoping to have lots more next year but I only have a little courtyard 

dkb123

What do people think of growing microgreens and which ones are the best?

Chloe_Scope

dkb123 said:

What do people think of growing microgreens and which ones are the best?

I've never done this @dkb123. What are you thinking of growing?

dkb123

I went to a restaurant, and they came with a menu of plants and asked me what I wanted in my salad  they then proceeded to cut off the greens from the fresh plants  and mix it in a bowl , there was Fenugreek, Pak coy, all kinds of parsley, cress, and cabbages, chia, they were very nice, the chef suggested the mix, he was very knowledgable 

chiarieds

Hi @dkb123 -  @M_Anthony has mentioned growing microgreens, & may be able to help. I've looked online, & found some info here: https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/10-microgreens-to-grow/

I didn't know you could eat radish leaves, so will try these as I'm growing radishes. My kitten has dug up my pak choi! My beetroot is coming through, & didn't know you could eat the leaves raw......it's good to keep learning.

Try pea shoots too. Just buy a packet of dried peas, which is cheap, & they are not even too fussy about the compost you use....mine are growing in the compost of some of last year's tomato plants. See: https://verticalveg.org.uk/how-to-grow-pea-shoots/    didn't even soak mine.

You might also find relevant info here: https://www.realseeds.co.uk  I've used this company for several years; look at their 'Oriental greens.' for example.

Also do try growing nasturtiums outside. They too thrive in poor soil & drop their seed pods later in the year, which you can save, dry on some kitchen roll, then keep for the following year. Their leaves have a slightly peppery taste in salads, & you can eat the flowers too.

dkb123

I see I will have to do some more research , Thanks for the info

chiarieds

You're welcome @dkb123 - this is a great thread, as I feel we all learn a little from each other's experiences.

Chloe_Scope

Please do let us know how you get on @dkb123.

gaz1960

My Great Neice(she's 3 ),pulled the first lot of carrots she planted as seeds on my allotment,yesterday,and also lifted the first potatoes she planted as seed potatoes, she sat munching on the fresh carrots,later at home, and had fresh potatoes for dinner. 
Trying to get her to understand where food actually comes from,and eat healthily   

Gave some fresh carrots and potatoes to my next door neighbours. 

I always grow more than ill use. 

First crop of runner beans on the plants,should be ready by next week? 

Onions doing well. 

Planted a,second lot of leek seedlings, the rabbits ate the first ones! Lol ,they must look like grass! 

Planted lettuce this week. 

And  Pentland Javlin potatoes that should be ready by Christmas. 

The birds ate all the rasberries! Lol:) 

Hey,I'm the intruder in "their" "garden"! Lol.  

At least nothing is eating my onions! Lol.   

leeCal

These nasturtiums can be eaten, both the leaves and the flowers. They taste like mustard and cress to me though some people think their more like a radish taste.

gaz1960

Millions of years old dinosaur,yeah ok,60,almost a dinosaur, but unfortunately,  a dinosaur,..and a technophobe! .....how do i post pics on here? 

leeCal

Hi @gaz1960 when you post if you look at the icons above the edit box the picture icon to press is the fourth in from the right. If you have a picture on your device pick from the options and upload it or if you have saved one to memory use the url box and just paste the saved image into it, it does the rest. Good luck 🙂

Chloe_Scope

This week is National Allotment Week! I've put together some information about accessible gardening which you might be interested in.

dkb123

I am very interested to find out if anyone has used the Disabled Facilities Grant to fund adaptions to a wheelchair friendly garden, things like raised beds and greenhouses that can have wider doors and pathways. I can not bend down or lift 
When I spoke to and OOT she had only experience of adapting gardens for children 

Chloe_Scope

Really good point @dkb123! Thank you for adding this.

dkb123

I am also interested in if people have their favourite microgreens for salads, I use parsley , fenugreek. coriander, chia, dill, cloves, chives and mung beans, and any suggestions, what goes with what?

Tori_Scope

I don't know anything about microgreens I'm afraid @dkb123, but I do know that coriander doesn't go well with ANYTHING

dkb123

I suppose its a cultural thing 

Tori_Scope

Possibly @dkb123! I've also read that some people taste coriander differently to others...

leeCal

I don’t like sage funnily enough and I’m not keen on rosemary either. 😐

dkb123

some  people are called supertasters, I was at a conference once and they gave us little white pills, and said, if you taste acid then you are ordinary, but if you taste sweet then you are a supertaster, they need people like this in clinical research trials 

Tori_Scope

That's so cool @dkb123! I'd love to try that. I think it's so interesting that we can all eat the same thing and experience it totally differently.

Tori_Scope

See, I love sage and rosemary @leeCal!

dkb123

What foods are supertasters sensitive to?

Supertasters are particularly sensitive to bitter flavours in foods such as broccoli, spinach, coffee, beer, and chocolate.
...
Supertasters may be picky eaters

• broccoli.
• spinach.
• Brussels sprouts.
• turnips.
• watercress.

From google 

dkb123

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/feb/12/are-you-a-supertaster

interesting article 

Tori_Scope

Hmm well I don't think I'm a supertaster then as I like all of those foods and drinks, other than maybe turnips. In fact, I like my coffee and chocolate quite bitter! 

Thanks for sending the information! Do you work in the food industry?

dkb123

No, I used to work as a patients engagement manager recruiting people into clinical trials for the NHS

dkb123

dark chocolate may be a clue  and it's not whether you like the food its how the different tastes present themselves 

Tori_Scope

Ahh right, cool job! 

Oh I see. I might have to have some chocolate now as a test  

Dragonslayer

Hi Everyone
Has anyone any idea how to keep snails and slugs from eating flowers and veg in the garden? (Thinking of tomatoes p!ants especially) Tried using snail and slug pellets, but still they come. 
Also have trouble with keeping cats away. Any idea's?

dkb123

line of salt around the plant  and pick them off

chiarieds

Hi @Dragonslayer - well my neighbours were amused by my 'anti-slug' stance. I used to think be kind & true to all creatures (except flies), but then slugs had more lettuce than I did last year. I used pellets, but they were still around. I used go around each morning, & pick them up with scissors, put them onto an old dustpan, & throw them onto the road.... well at least I didn't kill them! It seems with any slug infestation, you need to get rid of them from your garden, or there will be more the following year. There are many theories, & you will have to choose. I haven't found any slugs near my plants this year, & my lettuce is doing very well.

About cats, I've used 'Silent Roar' Lion dung pellets in the past. When I acquired a kitten a while ago, I purchased it for both of my next door neighbours, who didn't appreciate her visits. Whilst I waited for my first purchase, some old CDs I had seemed to deter her from my first neighbour's front garden. Cats apparently don't like shiny reflective surfaces. Some say a plastic bottle partly filled with water can do the same. Anyway, here's some info that may help you decide how to solve this problem: https://www.deckinghero.com/reviews/cat-deterrents

Chloe_Scope

Really interesting @dkb123! Thank you for sharing this with us.

RAwarrior

@leeCal

Do you know the name of this plant?

I bought it a couple of years ago and it has flowered continuously, however, I have lost the label.   

I know you are a keen gardener so perhaps you might know the name? 

I would have posted this on the other gardening thread (the one where you have posted lots of photos of beautiful flowers) however, I can’t remember the title of the thread and I can’t find it. 

As you know I posted on the thread, however, I can’t find a way of accessing my previous posts without going through the email.

I tried my plant identification app but it can’t identify it. 

Many thanks😁

leeCal

Hi @RAwarrior I think I’ve seen it before but I don’t know it’s name. However my neighbour knows most plants so I’ll ask her later.

leeCal

@chiarieds what really gets rid of slugs and snails is a hedgehog 🦔 
unfortunately they are becoming scarce. Me and my neighbour have little arched holes in our fences as hedgehog highways but alas they remain unused 🙁

RAwarrior

@leeCal
Thank you very much 😁

RAwarrior

@leeCal

Do you know the name of the other gardening thread?
Many thanks 😁

leeCal

@RAwarrior plants and flowers you like/you’d like

RAwarrior

@leeCal

Thank you very much😁

leeCal

@RAwarrior it’s called abutilon megapotamicum

RAwarrior

@leeCal

Thank you so much for your help😁👍

I am going do a label for it as I often lose the ones I get with the plant particularly as I find it difficult to push the label into the ground.

It is a really beautiful plant which has flowered for ages. As it is a wooded plant I will try to see if I can grow some cuttings from it. 

I bought it a while ago in a discount store but I have never seen one since even in a garden centre.

Many thanks😁

chiarieds

Hi @leeCal - I have seen 2 hedgehogs in my garden (there's quite a gap under my front gate), & I saw one on the grassy area just beyond me some few weeks ago. I didn't know they ate slugs. Perhaps they cleared slugs up for me this year! I haven't put pellets down since I acquired my kitten some 15 months ago. I thought meticulously getting rid of them (slugs) before that had worked. I do live in a rural area, & have seen squirrels running along the top of my fence

gaz1960

Started liftng red and white potatoes, and picking runner beans, and lifting onions and spring onions and carrots off my allotment. 

Tomorrow,ill try doing real fresh chips in the airfryer,see how they come out  

Also try doing some potatoes,and carrots and onions as vegetable crisps in the airfryer. 

bekindalways

My greenhouse has been busy this year. Had loads of beans and omg... cucumbers are growing like triffids. The avocado I planted in water last June is now 4ft high and is trying to get outside the roof! My husband built me a table recently put of railway sleepers and he's going to make us some arm chairs out of the same next year. Saw a lovely sight two days ago and thought I'd share it.. i would show the video but not sure if it would work. Methinks he was making a mating call.... it was so funny. 

RAwarrior

I came across this beautiful flower in the park a few weeks ago😊

Ross_Scope

What a lovely photo @RAwarrior, thanks for sharing  

leeCal

Looks like a dahlia @RAwarrior

RAwarrior

@Ross_Scope

You’re welcome 😁

RAwarrior

@leeCal

Thank you very much😁

I didn’t know what it was but it caught my eye so I took a picture😁

RAwarrior

Talking of gardening, I saw this spider in the garden yesterday and I have never seen such a big or unusual spider before😀

Thankfully I am not scared of spiders 🕷