[telecom69]

Good photos Penny of both the dog and the vine,maybe you should drop out a few hints in the right places down at the nursery,in that you wish someone would bring you that vine for Christmas you never know,it might work just loved the pic of the dog I too had a dog very similar around the same time you mentioned but the only photo I had of him was only about one and a half inches square and didnt scan very well at all ...I did take the oportunity to brighten up your pic and also sharpen it up a bit,and it does improve it just a bit but I wouldnt post it without your permission...photography has certainly come a long way since those days 40 years ago,we dont even have to buy film any more ...

I too see no reason why we cant keep the thread going till the end of the year,I will do my part in doing that...the weather has now improved quite a lot,certainly a lot milder,but quite misty in the mornings owing to the dreaded bonfires of the last 3 days,its not bonfire day any more more like bonfire month happily my new dog is not at all bothered by the bangs etc (was a bit worried about that) if those dreaded loud ones go off he just raises his head a little and give off a quiet "Wuf" and thats it.... have filled my recycle bin now and after they empty it on Thursday will have at least another binful before the clearing out has finished of the summer bedding etc. the only thing flowering now after those frosts last week are a few Nasturtiums that somehow survived ...more soon take care all

[eggplant43]

I'll do my part as well. I now have 6 acres of scrub pine in a sandy soil to contend with/play with, and lots of deer who call this home. I'm playing with the idea of making mud balls with seeds in them so that I can plant the hillsides

[Tuppence2]

Hello Telecom and Eggy. That's very kind of you. I'd like to see the photograph that been improved. Look forward to it. Those nasturtums make good compost, apparently, you should put them on your own compost heap! We have green bins, too, and small black plastic boxes for tins and newspapers, etc., but I've got my own compost bin, as well. The Council were selling them cheaply some years ago. My neighbours have built three large ones out of wooden slats.

Blinking Bonfire Night - it ought to have been done away with many years ago. In fact, fireworks are going off now - you're right, it's bonfire "month"!!

Sounds a very good way, Eggy, of seeding your land. Six acres would be an awful lot of land over here, but there I expect it's nothing out of the ordinary. You should be able to grow lavendar and lupins, etc., on your sandy soil. The clay here doesn't appeal to them - I grow lavendar in pots, though.

Cecil goes to see the vet tomorrow evening for a check-up to assess whether to keep him on steroids and antihistamines for his itchy skin. He's so much better on the medication. I think he'll be weaned off the steroids and stay on the others.

[Tuppence2]

I meant to attach this photo.

[telecom69]

OK heres the photo of Tracy,not made it into a masterpiece or anything just lightened it up so you can see the face better and made it a bit sharper ...



The second one I cropped just a little to get rid of some damage on the edge....

[Tuppence2]

Excellent, thank you very much. Lovely to have the "improved" photo.

I thought I'd posted an answer to this yesterday, but see that it didn't appear. Hope I didn't post it in the wrong forum!

I's a wet morning, 6.26 a.m. A silly question, I know. Do I keep my pots and tubs damp through the winter or leave them to the elements? I've bulbs and various plants, including roses in tubs.

Penny.

[telecom69]

In the main if things are outside in pots Ive always found its best to leave it to nature,never had any problems that way,whereas if you get watering and it freezes,since water expands upon freezing, you could end up cracking pots etc your bulbs though since many appear very early, may want some help perhaps,especially if its been very dry,be guided how you feel at the time,unless they are bone dry then they are probably ok (Im talking about the bulbs here of course) everything else I just leave well alone till about the end of February,then I might water if its been very dry (unlikely) as things are now starting to move again slowly ...in the past if I have moved stuff into the greenhouse for a bit of extra protection,I have still found they retain enough moisture right through the Winter as they are dormant anyway .....hope this helps ...take care

On the other hand you might want to be guided by this copied from another site

First, it is EXTREMELY likely that pots made of terra cotta, clay or any other heavy, stone-like material will indeed shatter if left outside over winter. When the soil inside freezes and thaws, it cracks the poor pots wide open. I’ve even lost EMPTY pots left outside during really severe winters. So lesson #1: Don’t leave stoneware containers outside over winter if you’re gonna get all whiney when they break.

Second, there is a strong possibility that plants left outside in any kind of pot in areas where the temperature drops below freezing will die. Pots simply don’t provide the kind of protective insulation for those roots that being buried in the soil does. And you ladies can’t use the trick I detailed last week—bringing peppers, impatiens and other tropical plants indoors to provide color in your home over the winter—because the plants named in this week’s questions require a certain number of hours of winter chilling to flower correctly, OK?

Now—here are your four basic potted perennial plant options for winter.

1) Plant the plants. Even if you intend to dig them up again in the Spring, these kinds of perennials do best when their roots are tucked into good old garden soil over the winter. (And now through fall is the perfect time to plant!) Just take them out of their pots and put them in the ground anywhere you can find that drains well. If there’s absolutely NO room at your place, ask a friend or relative if you can plant them at their house for the winter. Plant at the same depth they were in their pots, and water them well. Water once a week from now till frost if we don’t get any rain, and again if we go a month or more without moisture over winter.

2) Plant the pots. Again, not if they’re terra cotta. But plastic pots can be ‘planted’ right in the ground. This may seem foolish, but it actually provides all the benefits of in-ground insulation without any risk of transplant shock—and it protects the plants’ roots from underground winter gnawing by voles. Just bury the pots, water as directed above and dig them out again in the Spring.

3) Gather all your pots together, place them against the North or east facing side of your home and cover them a good foot deep in shredded (NOT ‘whole’!) leaves after the trees give up their previous “Fall Gold”. To be safe, I’d remove plants from terra cotta pots and lay the plants down on the ground sideways with as much soil still attached to their roots as possible. (Leave plants inside plastic pots for that little extra vole—and rabbit and mousey—protection.) Dig them out of there as soon as the weather warms up in Spring and put them back out where you want them. You don’t have to wait until after the last frost—they can take a chill, just not a really deep freeze.

4) Take the pots into a cool, dark place that will remain between 40 and 50 degrees and allow them to go dormant. Water them once when you put them down and then leave them alone till Spring, when you will take them back outside as soon as the weather warms. Water them well right away, and until we get rain......

[Tuppence2]

Thanks ever so much! I'll be leaving them to do their own thing - if they make it they do, if not, they aren't hardy enough for me.

Enjoyed reading the article. Thanks for taking time to find and post it.

Penny

[franca]

Originally Posted by Tuppence2

Thanks ever so much! I'll be leaving them to do their own thing - if they make it they do, if not, they aren't hardy enough for me.


Penny

That's what we do my Penny Rose.....

We did all the Dahlias yesterday.. .....all washed off / split / and drying off ,we have over a hundred will wrap them up like " Fish & Chips '' in news paper and box them for winter storage later to-day.......

cu later, take care.......Frank.....

[telecom69]

They almost look like chips too dont they ? what an impressive display you will have next year with that little lot look forward to seeing pictures of them in flower in 2007

[trekguy]

Not much to offer from here nowadays.

Compost pile/barrel... the barrel works for smaller quantities, and does speed up the process a little. But for the majority of composting I do, mainly grass clippings, I make a large pile, and turn it over every week, or so.

[trekguy]

Pretty bleak... just waiting for the the snow to fall.

[trekguy]

Here's an older aerial photo. Some trees are bigger, some are gone, and a new garage has since been added... but this is where I am.

[Tuppence2]

Lovely photos, thanks for posting them. How nice to have all those trees around you, and a lake (I presume that's what it is, or is it a river?).

The photo of the trees waiting for snow made me shiver - bleak is the word"!

Got up to a wet morning (Monday), which I don't mind as I like rain. The temperature is around 55 degrees Farenheit. I'm looking forward to tomorrow when the new stock of roses comes into the garden centre where I do voluntary work.

I bought a pot of house leeks the other day, thinking they were a different variety to the ones I have but they're the same - not to worry, I can always find somewhere for a pot. I got a striped grass as well. It has leaves that radiate from the top of the stalk, like sparklers. Must look at its name on the label.

I've had a supply of very well-rotted manure delivered in sacks from the garden centre but haven't got round, yet, to using it.

The red onions seems to be doing well and have long shoots already and the strawberry plants are taking over the garden!

Some trees are changing leaf colour but not as quickly as last year.

Good winter gardening, everyone - a time for heavy work, digging, etc., preparing for the spring.

Penny

[Tuppence2]

Wave, Wave, Frank. You and your dahlias - "Dahlia-Man"!! You and Carole have a lot of patience to lift and store that amount. Do you ever give any away, at car-boot sales, etc? Though I suppose the Complex is big enough to take them all.

Did Jaki help to dig them up?