Oh, I love my begonias, been getting very "into" them the past few years, they seem to last better than petunias in hanging baskets. I hate bergenias (elephants ears) not a great lover of heathers. Always hated hydrangas, yet, I won a competition as a child arranging them in a wooden strawberry punnet (remember them!), my Hubby hates alchamela mollis apologies for smelling. Mind wouldnt it be boring if we all liked the same thing, our gardens would be "Orwellian"! I now have a mophead and climbing and they have grown on me!
I expect I shall get shot down for this - ivy. People let it get out of control and it brings down fences and competes for light and air, and depletes the soil of nutrients.
I love ivy! And I have birds and late insects on my side. "People let it get out of control" - agreed: the same goes for dogs. The fault lies with the people, not the dogs or the ivy. Of course it competes for light and air and depletes the soil of nutrients. All plants do that. Where else do you expect a plant to get nutrients from? If you follow that argument to its logical conclusion, no-one would have more than one plant in their garden. All climbers are potential fence-wreckers. You build a stronger fence or you keep the plant to a sensible size. Is that shot down enough for you?
I am forever weeding out next door's vinca and that awful weedy pink geranium thug. I can't allow my own geraniums to spread because I can't tell them apart. The vinca spreads all over and climbs into my shrubs.
Actually, I don't mind a bit of bare soil because I like to see the individual plants.
Groundcover is another one of those low maintenance things that isn't
p.s. I don't mind hand weeding and have never used weedkiller. I have been known to cut weeds to ground level and forget about them though
All the plants that are in full flower, sucking in the unwary who buy with their eyes. By the time a plant is taken home and planted in the garden, it is past its best, and looks like rubbish. And if it is an annual, then its short life is wasted.
I try to buy bits and pieces that I know have lots of buds/cutting material etc. Nothing better than "free" plants! I bought a pot of primula candelabra a few weeks ago. Divided it into six healthy plants. Sowed the seed from the seedpods left on - and have lots of little ones growing, too. It may be long-term - but so satisfying.
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Begonias.....look like plastic flowers
Oh, I love my begonias, been getting very "into" them the past few years, they seem to last better than petunias in hanging baskets. I hate bergenias (elephants ears) not a great lover of heathers. Always hated hydrangas, yet, I won a competition as a child arranging them in a wooden strawberry punnet (remember them!), my Hubby hates alchamela mollis apologies for smelling. Mind wouldnt it be boring if we all liked the same thing, our gardens would be "Orwellian"! I now have a mophead and climbing and they have grown on me!
SPELLING!!!
Carex pendulum. The stuff is a nightmare and I still get seedlings from my neibours plant 3 houses away.
I love ivy! And I have birds and late insects on my side. "People let it get out of control" - agreed: the same goes for dogs. The fault lies with the people, not the dogs or the ivy. Of course it competes for light and air and depletes the soil of nutrients. All plants do that. Where else do you expect a plant to get nutrients from? If you follow that argument to its logical conclusion, no-one would have more than one plant in their garden. All climbers are potential fence-wreckers. You build a stronger fence or you keep the plant to a sensible size. Is that shot down enough for you?
I'm intrigued. Do you prefer the look of bare soil, or do you delight in hand weeding?
That was just what I expected josusa47 so I had my armour on! I hope others have too.
Benefits of ivy:
The late autumn flowers provide nectar for red admiral, peacock and small tortoiseshell butterflies.
Thrushes and blackbirds eat the black berries.
It provides shelter for roosting and nesting birds.
Just keep it under control!
I am forever weeding out next door's vinca and that awful weedy pink geranium thug. I can't allow my own geraniums to spread because I can't tell them apart. The vinca spreads all over and climbs into my shrubs.
Actually, I don't mind a bit of bare soil because I like to see the individual plants.
Groundcover is another one of those low maintenance things that isn't
p.s. I don't mind hand weeding and have never used weedkiller. I have been known to cut weeds to ground level and forget about them though
Last edited: 27 September 2017 16:13:24
All the plants that are in full flower, sucking in the unwary who buy with their eyes. By the time a plant is taken home and planted in the garden, it is past its best, and looks like rubbish. And if it is an annual, then its short life is wasted.
I try to buy bits and pieces that I know have lots of buds/cutting material etc. Nothing better than "free" plants! I bought a pot of primula candelabra a few weeks ago. Divided it into six healthy plants. Sowed the seed from the seedpods left on - and have lots of little ones growing, too. It may be long-term - but so satisfying.