She could try a liquid fertiliser with high nitrogen content - might help recovery. Tesco sell one called 'Green Up.
Green up grass fertilisers work by providing essential nutrients, particularly nitrogen, that stimulate growth and enhance the green colour of grass. Nitrogen is crucial for chlorophyll production, which is responsible for the green pigment in plants.
My "jungle" patio is going gangbusters at the moment. The large musa banana that I had in the corner died back after fruiting last year, but I'm pleased to say, after cutting it right to the ground in the autumn it's recently spouted pups and is very healthy.
Also ventured into some succulents again. Never had much luck keeping them before but, touch wood, going okay so far after a little bit of initial scorching moving them outside🤞🏻.
Feast or famine this year, the Hydrangeas are slowly getting going My passionflower climber that went mental last year has again done exactly what I wanted it to do and go mental again, loads of flowers and the bees love it. Lavender had survived over winter, I normally play loads of it and manage to end its life but I've had one of these "let's give it a chance there" lavenders has absolutely flourished. Strawberries have gone mad and kept me fed when watering stuff. Slugs have demolished the hostas which is a shame but serves me right for not protecting them.
My sensimelia has been gradually introduced to the outdoors and is growing strong. Casualties include a load of bedding plants the squirrel has vandalised but overall with just a little bit of TLC the garden has carried over well from last summer
These guys get better every year, three years old now.
I have a lilies in a pot just like yours that is placed towards the back of a hydrangea. As the hydrangea grows it swamps the whole thing, until they burst through in profusion. They were probably good for 5/6 years but nothing for the last two. In fact I was going to replace them this year, but completely forgot . Must do next year! (Absent mind accepted).
Due to lack of space I have to grow my tomatoes in containers. Quite evident this year that the ones growing in the black 13 inch pots are taller, stronger and better cropping (with fourth truss well under way) than the ones in smaller 10 inch pots. However the two that I did sneak into open ground are the best of all - oh for a bigger garden.
I've never used growbags but I wonder how people get on with them? They seem so shallow to me. However, they sell millions of them so I'm guessing they work ...
Redcurrants gone mad this year, use them as food for the blackbirds. There are so many that we might have enough left to make a bit of jelly. Bit late in with the toms, but gonna feed intensively for the next few weeks to bring them on.
Clambering Rose out the front lots of flowers.
The early dry spell has done for the wild flowers, they look like they do at the end of August already. Have been watering the trees as leaves are drying up on hornbeam and oaks. Need some rain really
Feast or famine this year, the Hydrangeas are slowly getting going My passionflower climber that went mental last year has again done exactly what I wanted it to do and go mental again, loads of flowers and the bees love it. Lavender had survived over winter, I normally play loads of it and manage to end its life but I've had one of these "let's give it a chance there" lavenders has absolutely flourished. Strawberries have gone mad and kept me fed when watering stuff. Slugs have demolished the hostas which is a shame but serves me right for not protecting them.
My sensimelia has been gradually introduced to the outdoors and is growing strong. Casualties include a load of bedding plants the squirrel has vandalised but overall with just a little bit of TLC the garden has carried over well from last summer
To be fair mate, you don't look like your average hortifucking culturalist
If you snip off the now ‘gone’ flowers on your plant, will new flowers grow in their place later in the year? I think it is known as dead heading. I have flowers, including lavender, that are now getting a bit shrivelled and tired.
If you snip off the now ‘gone’ flowers on your plant, will new flowers grow in their place later in the year? I think it is known as dead heading. I have flowers, including lavender, that are now getting a bit shrivelled and tired.
You will get a second coming if you regularly dead head roses and geraniums for instance. I am surprised that you feel the lavender might need clipping back.Your standard English lavender should be in its glory by now and covered in bumble bees.
French lavender is sometimes tricky to prune but if in doubt just Google
There are exceptions to every rule but its generally safe to cut back shrubs once the blooms have died back .
It's been a good year for blossom and blooms generally down in East Sussex. Lots of fruit on the fruit trees and my buddleas are literally heaving with red admirals,commas,peacocks,painted ladies and cabbage whites.
I've never used growbags but I wonder how people get on with them? They seem so shallow to me. However, they sell millions of them so I'm guessing they work ...
...
I don't use them, but if you turn them on their side rather than cutting out the three marked panels on the top, then roots can go deeper and you're more likely to get a cane etc to stay in place to support the plants, but I'd sooner decant the compost into pots than use one.
I use the flower buckets that supermarkets use for their cut flowers to plant my tomatoes in, and they always seem to do well with additional feed (unless blight gets them)
If you snip off the now ‘gone’ flowers on your plant, will new flowers grow in their place later in the year? I think it is known as dead heading. I have flowers, including lavender, that are now getting a bit shrivelled and tired.
You will get a second coming if you regularly dead head roses and geraniums for instance. I am surprised that you feel the lavender might need clipping back.Your standard English lavender should be in its glory by now and covered in bumble bees.
French lavender is sometimes tricky to prune but if in doubt just Google
There are exceptions to every rule but its generally safe to cut back shrubs once the blooms have died back .
If you snip off the now ‘gone’ flowers on your plant, will new flowers grow in their place later in the year? I think it is known as dead heading. I have flowers, including lavender, that are now getting a bit shrivelled and tired.
Most "professional" advice about lavender suggests pruning in the autumn for best blooms next year. Whatever you won't get fresh flowers spikes again this year. My preference is to leave the old flower spikes on until around February/March. Not only do they look good when frosted but importantly the seeds are an important food source for goldfinches. Don't prune back to the old wood, it will probably just die, leave two/three leaf points on each stem.
Slugs have demolished the hostas which is a shame but serves me right for not protecting them.
My Hostas do well each year. We don’t put any slug pellets or pesticides on them or anything else. A bit of being too lazy and not wanting to kill even the bugs that eat our bedding plants. Our Hostas are getting past their best but still don’t look to bad. Our small garden looks nice and green too, small but manageable
Slugs have demolished the hostas which is a shame but serves me right for not protecting them.
My Hostas do well each year. We don’t put any slug pellets or pesticides on them or anything else. A bit of being too lazy and not wanting to kill even the bugs that eat our bedding plants. Our Hostas are getting past their best but still don’t look to bad. Our small garden looks nice and green too, small but manageable
I tend to find people glassing over when I talk compost, but here goes anyway.
My tomatoes are all grown in home made compost - it would be uneconomic to pay for the compost for so many large containers. I have two plastic 'dalek' shaped composting bins which produce between one and two dustbin loads of compost a year. I know this as I have three dustbins available to move the compost to when its ready. This process helps to mix the compost up a bit and provides a good storage place for ease of access when required. The one downside is you will get weeds, so maybe best not to use this on fine flower displays.
This year I grew a lot of bulbs in containers and tipped the spent soil into two dustbins. I have mixed 50 litres of farmyard compost into each dustbin in the hope that its good properties will leech into the spent soil. This is completely experimental and a possible waste of time. I'll know next year.
My brother visited recently and I completely forgot to show him the five compost bins I'm currently running. On our subsequent exchange of texts it appears he wasn't quite as devastated as I expected him to be. Anyway (if you're still with me) I'll stop there for now. You may have already guessed that I'm retired with a bit of time on my hands ...
I tend to find people glassing over when I talk compost, but here goes anyway.
My tomatoes are all grown in home made compost - it would be uneconomic to pay for the compost for so many large containers. I have two plastic 'dalek' shaped composting bins which produce between one and two dustbin loads of compost a year. I know this as I have three dustbins available to move the compost to when its ready. This process helps to mix the compost up a bit and provides a good storage place for ease of access when required. The one downside is you will get weeds, so maybe best not to use this on fine flower displays.
This year I grew a lot of bulbs in containers and tipped the spent soil into two dustbins. I have mixed 50 litres of farmyard compost into each dustbin in the hope that its good properties will leech into the spent soil. This is completely experimental and a possible waste of time. I'll know next year.
My brother visited recently and I completely forgot to show him the five compost bins I'm currently running. On our subsequent exchange of texts it appears he wasn't quite as devastated as I expected him to be. Anyway (if you're still with me) I'll stop there for now. You may have already guessed that I'm retired with a bit of time on my hands ...
Having put my garden waste this morning for collection it was a reminder of how much potential compost I give away. Every two weeks I have at least 3/4 of a wheelie bin full from a smallish garden. Its good that Bromley, (hopefully), put it to some use but that could be my saving. Two things don't allow me to compost, the first is the real problem, my garden is just too small to accommodate any storage. The other thing is unwanted animals. Whilst I like the idea of wild life I prefer it sleeping in my neighbours gardens rather than mine. I believe grass snakes and may be adders like a nice warm compost heap to nest in. If either snake or rodent were to jump out on me it would scare the crap out of me but I'm sure it would do worse for my wife.
I tend to find people glassing over when I talk compost, but here goes anyway.
My tomatoes are all grown in home made compost - it would be uneconomic to pay for the compost for so many large containers. I have two plastic 'dalek' shaped composting bins which produce between one and two dustbin loads of compost a year. I know this as I have three dustbins available to move the compost to when its ready. This process helps to mix the compost up a bit and provides a good storage place for ease of access when required. The one downside is you will get weeds, so maybe best not to use this on fine flower displays.
This year I grew a lot of bulbs in containers and tipped the spent soil into two dustbins. I have mixed 50 litres of farmyard compost into each dustbin in the hope that its good properties will leech into the spent soil. This is completely experimental and a possible waste of time. I'll know next year.
My brother visited recently and I completely forgot to show him the five compost bins I'm currently running. On our subsequent exchange of texts it appears he wasn't quite as devastated as I expected him to be. Anyway (if you're still with me) I'll stop there for now. You may have already guessed that I'm retired with a bit of time on my hands ...
Having put my garden waste this morning for collection it was a reminder of how much potential compost I give away. Every two weeks I have at least 3/4 of a wheelie bin full from a smallish garden. Its good that Bromley, (hopefully), put it to some use but that could be my saving. Two things don't allow me to compost, the first is the real problem, my garden is just too small to accommodate any storage. The other thing is unwanted animals. Whilst I like the idea of wild life I prefer it sleeping in my neighbours gardens rather than mine. I believe grass snakes and may be adders like a nice warm compost heap to nest in. If either snake or rodent were to jump out on me it would scare the crap out of me but I'm sure it would do worse for my wife.
Yeah, snakes do exist, we have a few every now and again. Last summer we found an adder under an unturned pot. We just let it be but Mrs cafcfan did pop next door to warn the neighbours because they've got small children who might have been at risk. The reaction she got was, "But why does that effect us, it's in your garden?" Her response was, "I know they haven't got legs but they can move."
My English Lavender is looking wonderful and is teeming with bees and butterflies, the French Lavender hasn't coped with the dry conditions so well and is looking past its best.
Despite some torrential rain last weekend, the lawn is looking very brown, though some wildflowers are growing within the lawn and providing food for bees and other insects, so we're not bothering to cut them down.
South East Water have now announced a hosepipe ban from 18th July, so will have to water my pots with a watering can, it was a good decision not to have so many this year.
Comments
Green up grass fertilisers work by providing essential nutrients, particularly nitrogen, that stimulate growth and enhance the green colour of grass. Nitrogen is crucial for chlorophyll production, which is responsible for the green pigment in plants.
We've had such a dry spring and start to summer that water is a precious resource which needs to be used carefully.
Lawns don't need watering, save water for plants that will die if not watered.
Also ventured into some succulents again. Never had much luck keeping them before but, touch wood, going okay so far after a little bit of initial scorching moving them outside🤞🏻.
https://x.com/NoContextBrits/status/1941059407724400713
These guys get better every year, three years old now.
My passionflower climber that went mental last year has again done exactly what I wanted it to do and go mental again, loads of flowers and the bees love it. Lavender had survived over winter, I normally play loads of it and manage to end its life but I've had one of these "let's give it a chance there" lavenders has absolutely flourished. Strawberries have gone mad and kept me fed when watering stuff. Slugs have demolished the hostas which is a shame but serves me right for not protecting them.
My sensimelia has been gradually introduced to the outdoors and is growing strong. Casualties include a load of bedding plants the squirrel has vandalised but overall with just a little bit of TLC the garden has carried over well from last summer
I've never used growbags but I wonder how people get on with them? They seem so shallow to me. However, they sell millions of them so I'm guessing they work ...
I think it is known as dead heading.
I have flowers, including lavender, that are now getting a bit shrivelled and tired.
French lavender is sometimes tricky to prune but if in doubt just Google
There are exceptions to every rule but its generally safe to cut back shrubs once the blooms have died back .
I use the flower buckets that supermarkets use for their cut flowers to plant my tomatoes in, and they always seem to do well with additional feed (unless blight gets them)
Don't prune back to the old wood, it will probably just die, leave two/three leaf points on each stem.
My tomatoes are all grown in home made compost - it would be uneconomic to pay for the compost for so many large containers. I have two plastic 'dalek' shaped composting bins which produce between one and two dustbin loads of compost a year. I know this as I have three dustbins available to move the compost to when its ready. This process helps to mix the compost up a bit and provides a good storage place for ease of access when required. The one downside is you will get weeds, so maybe best not to use this on fine flower displays.
This year I grew a lot of bulbs in containers and tipped the spent soil into two dustbins. I have mixed 50 litres of farmyard compost into each dustbin in the hope that its good properties will leech into the spent soil. This is completely experimental and a possible waste of time. I'll know next year.
My brother visited recently and I completely forgot to show him the five compost bins I'm currently running. On our subsequent exchange of texts it appears he wasn't quite as devastated as I expected him to be. Anyway (if you're still with me) I'll stop there for now. You may have already guessed that I'm retired with a bit of time on my hands ...
Two things don't allow me to compost, the first is the real problem, my garden is just too small to accommodate any storage. The other thing is unwanted animals. Whilst I like the idea of wild life I prefer it sleeping in my neighbours gardens rather than mine. I believe grass snakes and may be adders like a nice warm compost heap to nest in. If either snake or rodent were to jump out on me it would scare the crap out of me but I'm sure it would do worse for my wife.
But, anyway, the space needed for a compost bin is not that huge. And you (probably) can get a heavily discounted one courtesy of your council. https://getcomposting.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22646757242&gbraid=0AAAAADLn7priyavPEsj5r9-nlTwT7ZwIZ&gclid=CjwKCAjw7MLDBhAuEiwAIeXGIWKyG585m_yjujgM6nWbgPdGnkETqR-KxyK2rSXxwfdHrwA-078pHxoCqfIQAvD_BwE
Despite some torrential rain last weekend, the lawn is looking very brown, though some wildflowers are growing within the lawn and providing food for bees and other insects, so we're not bothering to cut them down.
South East Water have now announced a hosepipe ban from 18th July, so will have to water my pots with a watering can, it was a good decision not to have so many this year.