Suggestions for experienced beginner? ( UK )
mushibu10
9 years ago
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zzackey
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Basic design info for beginners on websites?
Comments (3)This is an interesting question that has an easy answer but one many shy away from even more now what with so much available online. A few years back your man Lynford Christie found himself in a similar position although he had more acreage than you no doubt but no matter. What he did (this was told in detail in Gardens Illustrated) was to have a professional designer come out for a consultation. The imagined cost of this freaks people out and Lynford said that he didn't do much of what was suggested anyway but it kick started his imagination and that was worth the hundred quid. You don't say where you are but I'll bet that you have a garden centre nearby with someone who will come out for free and give you lots of ideas in the hope that you will buy from them and this might work just as well for you....See MoreVery basic questions for a beginner.
Comments (9)My initial response is to suggest you contact your local extension office to tap into those resources for gardening in your zone/location. Next would be to visit local botanical gardens to see what does well in similar conditions to what you have to offer the plants & how well your soil/growing conditions meet their needs. After that, check out some gardening books from the library and do your homework--I did tons of research before I ever stuck a spade in the dirt to design my beds and I was a fairly experienced gardener when I started out. Don't lose track of the wealth of information that's available to you thanks to the Internet. Here at GardenWeb are many voices of experience that, if you heed them, will help you avoid lots of common mistakes the rest of us have made (sometimes repeatedly) over the years. Read old threads and learn from our mistakes. I hit the jackpot when I moved here--my folks practiced organic gardening for 50 years before I came so I'm blessed with amazing soil conditions + lots of healthy, plump worms. First lesson I learned was to avoid chemicals--they're marked 'poison' for a reason. Poison the weeds & you poison the bugs & you're poisoning the earth. For every garden situation, there is generally a non-toxic, earth-friendly alternative. For example, I pour vinegar on weeds & poison ivy rather than spraying them with weed killer. Check out a book called 'Trowel & Error' by Sharon Lovejoy--you won't regret reading it. Watering may or may not be an issue given your soil type and zone but again, it doesn't hurt to ask questions of the neighbors or local garden experts. There's generally a garden article in our weekly local paper so it's often a good thing to read those. One tip I can offer is that when you do water, it's best to water at the base of a plant but only when it needs it. A recycled plastic milk jug set close to a plant & with a pinhole an inch from the bottom will slowly let out a stream of water so the plant gets watered at the base. Generally speaking, watering the entire plant during the growing season isn't recommended. IMO grass is the worst invasive plant on the planet. If you just grind it up when starting a new bed, you may never live long enough to eradicate it. I dug up the turf in sections and removed it before planting a new bed. Looking back, it was one of the smartest things I ever did even when I didn't know what I was doing. Did you buy the butterfly bushes or grow them from seed? Did you tease out the roots before setting them in the ground? The roots of nursery-grown plants tend to start growing around and around inside their pots because there's insufficient depth/room for them in the pot. If you don't tease them loose before planting, they'll continue to grow in a circle which ultimately means the plant dies. Ask me how I learned this. While I don't amend my soil (thanks Mom & Dad), many on the forum will recommend you add compost to the soil. Your planting window may or may not be closed at this point but that's a zone-specific question which I'll leave to those more familiar with your growing conditions. I can pretty much plant right through the season except for the extreme heat/dryness of mid-summer where I am but generally consider each plant's unique requirements before doing so. Like you, I have zero interest in annuals other than pansies--got to have pansies as soon as they're available from the nurseries. My focus the past 7+ years has been perennials that perform consistently in the garden with little to no help from me and which attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Keep in mind Mother Nature has kept the planet green for a few million years without our help so take whatever tips you can from what she's accomplished & do your part to keep it going. One last note--check out the Winter Sowing forum. You can grow lots of perennials from seed for virtually zero cost and quickly fill your garden with healthy plants in a short space of time that way. My own garden beds are now filled with perennials I grew from seed via WS. As a result I've achieved my garden goals far more speedily than I ever would have anticipated....See MoreTotal Beginner Needs Help!
Comments (5)David -- One thing I would caution is, look to see where the authors are located. Sage advice from people in my neck of the woods may not be such sage advice. You need to be touching base with people who are growing roses in conditions similar to yours. Books are good. But I'd suggest that you balance those with access to one or two local rose societies. I suggest more than one, because some societies are more active than others, and some are more chemical-dependent than others. You'd be smart to get a wide spectrum of opinions and practices. Most societies offer monthly Newsletters. So even if you don't go to meetings, you can learn a lot (and gain a lot of contacts) from those. And you can always come back here for a cross-check, if what you're hearing doesn't sound right. Jeri Here is a link that might be useful: Local ARS Rose Societies...See MoreIndoor Citrus Trees...advice for a beginner.....
Comments (32)Hello, Shiraz! That one question is difficult to answer. Bare-rooting is best *IF* you're re-potting during the optimal time of year (Spring) *AND* if you're replacing all of the old soil with a very differently textured medium. If the tree is very, very rootbound and the old soil is compacted, some have suggested that you only remove a couple wedges of the old rootball during the first year. Then, you remove the other wedges in the second year to make the transition go more smoothly. If you're switching from the current soil to a mix that is bark-based like the 5-1-1, then you don't necessarily need to remove all the old soil. You can simply tease the roots apart around the bottom and outer sides of the rootball, rough off some soil, and then replace with the bark mix. Josh...See Moreheirloomsquash
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agojonfrum
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agothefarmguy
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoheirloomsquash
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoheirloomsquash
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agonancyjane_gardener
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoheirloomsquash
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agomushibu10
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoheirloomsquash
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agomushibu10
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoheirloomsquash
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoelisa_z5
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agonancyjane_gardener
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoFrancoiseFromAix
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9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoelisa_z5
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agomushibu10
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agomushibu10
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agomushibu10
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoFrancoiseFromAix
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
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9 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
9 years ago
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK