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Post by Ladygardener on Oct 29, 2016 6:52:26 GMT
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Post by Missredhead on Oct 29, 2016 23:59:54 GMT
They are lovely.....and I like your snazzy glasses too....
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Post by Jasmine on Aug 8, 2017 16:15:33 GMT
Before we went on holiday my sweet peas were beautiful and I thought I'd lose them as we were away for so long but I happened to read a suggestion somewhere that you cut them back quite hard and they recover by the time you get home...it works and the stems are quite long still although the actual plants are still quite short! Didn't think I'd be enjoying sweet pea scent again this year!
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Post by Rosefriend on Aug 8, 2017 16:25:23 GMT
Before we went on holiday my sweet peas were beautiful and I thought I'd lose them as we were away for so long but I happened to read a suggestion somewhere that you cut them back quite hard and they recover by the time you get home...it works and the stems are quite long still although the actual plants are still quite short! Didn't think I'd be enjoying sweet pea scent again this year! You cut the whole plants back hard or just all the flowers off Jasmine..
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Post by Jasmine on Aug 8, 2017 17:18:37 GMT
You cut all the plants back to about 2-3ft Rosefriend, it is painful to do but I am amazed it works so well. Actually, it is beyond amazing - but I suppose the plant is set to make seeds and multiple so if you upset that balance it perseveres to do that. I'm thinking all the rain while we were away probably helped to.
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Post by Rosefriend on Aug 8, 2017 17:25:23 GMT
You cut all the plants back to about 2-3ft Rosefriend, it is painful to do but I am amazed it works so well. Actually, it is beyond amazing - but I suppose the plant is set to make seeds and multiple so if you upset that balance it perseveres to do that. I'm thinking all the rain while we were away probably helped to. As you say it won't be easy to do Jasmine, but great to know that it works...they will last a lot longer as well. Mine haven't even flowered once yet - hahahaha!!
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Post by Jasmine on Aug 8, 2017 17:30:05 GMT
Oh no, when did you sow them Rosefriend? Mine were autumn sown so I had been picking for a few weeks before we left on the 9th that became the 11th! The funny thing was that I split mine and planted some at home and some at school - the school ones were all pretty pinks and the home ones were all purple-y! The school ones won't be ok as I can only just about get Maintenance to find the time to water let alone do any gardening twiddly bits.
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Post by Rosefriend on Aug 8, 2017 17:34:08 GMT
Oh no, when did you sow them Rosefriend? Mine were autumn sown so I had been picking for a few weeks before we left on the 9th that became the 11th! The funny thing was that I split mine and planted some at home and some at school - the school ones were all pretty pinks and the home ones were all purple-y! The school ones won't be ok as I can only just about get Maintenance to find the time to water let alone do any gardening twiddly bits. I normally sow them around the beginning of April as Autumn sowing is a waste of time here. However this year we had those few weeks of late frost and it was May before I got them in, then another cold spell slowed them down a bit and it is only now that they are growing really - about 30/40cm. By the time they have finished flowering it will be time to pull them out anyway I think - hahaha!!
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Post by Jasmine on Aug 8, 2017 17:39:01 GMT
Hopefully it won't be long before you can get picking Rosefriend.
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Post by Rosefriend on Aug 8, 2017 17:41:05 GMT
Hopefully it won't be long before you can get picking Rosefriend. Looking forward to them - I hope after I get back from the Festival in Brussels I will be able to get a few in the house...
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Post by Jasmine on Aug 8, 2017 17:52:47 GMT
..and enjoy the scent!
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Post by Missredhead on Aug 8, 2017 20:48:41 GMT
I love sweet peas but they don't do well for me, the last ones had so much greenfly that I couldn't bring them indoors... They look lovely Jasmine
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Post by Ladygardener on Aug 9, 2017 6:16:43 GMT
Well done for cutting them right back Jasmine, it's good to know that works. Yours are lovely by the way. Rosefriend, perhaps you'll have flowers soon and they'll last right up until the frost. Have you been feeding them?
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Post by Rosefriend on Aug 9, 2017 6:42:19 GMT
Rosefriend, perhaps you'll have flowers soon and they'll last right up until the frost. Have you been feeding them? Yes I have actually but not with the tom feed that I usually use Ladygardener, simply because I cannot get anything in the village and as Peacock hasn't got a car at the moment and Mrs Bucket is the pain she is I have to order things that I need. However, this time a friend in the UK who I send Medication to wanted to send me some money for more, and I aked her to send me Miracle Gro which isn't available here. I remember my Mum having fantatsic results with it so I thought I would have another go with it, after 30 odd years!! I had forgotten that somehow the leaves get the first power boost and then the flowers come. Tried it on some geraniums and was fed up that all I got was loads of leaves, albeit extremely helathly ones. Then as if by magic the flowers came and how they came....thought I would try the same on my Sweetpeas - I am at the stage that I have a jungle of leaves at the moment - hahahaha!!
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Post by Jasmine on Aug 9, 2017 12:35:21 GMT
Thanks Missy and Ladygardener! The flowers won't be long Rosefriend! I was right - the school sweet peas are a flowerless crispy mess - what a difference.
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Post by Ladygardener on Aug 10, 2017 6:40:59 GMT
My non gardening neighbour gets her neighbour (not me) to apply miracle grow every 2 weeks Rosefriend and they both get really good results. Shame Jasmine but at least your own are doing great.
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Post by Jasmine on Aug 10, 2017 7:44:10 GMT
At least most of the pots were still alive Ladygardener, so someone on the Maintenance team has been watering!
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Post by Barbara on Aug 15, 2017 13:59:29 GMT
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Post by Jasmine on Sept 9, 2017 10:24:18 GMT
They're a stunning colour Barbara! Just cut another large bunch of sweetpeas - can't believe how long they have kept going!
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Post by Jasmine on Sept 9, 2017 10:30:05 GMT
...and the other thing I am super impressed with is the vase life of Rudbeckia Prairie Sun - this arrangement is fresh today but the last one exactly the same lasted 2 weeks and still looked passable this morning. Love my quirky little bottle too - one of my TAs bought me a ready made G&T at the end of term and I read an article on quirky bottles and simple arrangements over the holiday so I kept the bottle after I'd drunk the G&T!
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Post by Ladygardener on Sept 10, 2017 8:09:37 GMT
They both look great Jasmine, it's been a really good year for sweetpea I think. Love the grass with the Rudbeckia, good idea to keep the bottle, it really works.
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Post by Jilly on Sept 10, 2017 11:24:04 GMT
Love the little bottle Jasmine, I like using things like that rather than ordinary vases, I use quite a lot of the new shape sainsburys herb pots (they're quite useful for rooting cuttings in water too). The Rudbekia looks really pretty with the grass, must try harder with Frosted Explosion next year.
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Post by Jasmine on Sept 10, 2017 12:23:19 GMT
Thank you Jilly...and brilliant idea about the new little herb jars - hadn't thought of using those! I had a passing thought this morning while I was in Sainsbugs about buying more Fentimans G&T...I was good I was looking out the window this morning and every pot out the front has frosted explosion in it. I'll send you more seeds when I've dried some - I just think they don't do well unless they are sown quite late - I thought they'd never get going in time but I think the word 'over run' could be used and I wouldn't be exaggerating - going to cut a big bunch and take them to school tomorrow! If your seeds don't work I'll send you some seedlings!
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Post by Jilly on Sept 11, 2017 7:13:34 GMT
Thanks Jasmine, , I think I'm just a bit overrun with the Horodium, so it worked out quite well, wouldn't want to be overrun with both
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Post by Barbara on Sept 12, 2017 11:28:28 GMT
These were in a pot in the back garden, being snapped by the wind so I have brought them in to enjoy.
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Post by Ladygardener on Sept 13, 2017 6:21:13 GMT
Oh Barbara, those are lovely. I should have brought some Dahlia back from the plot yesterday but I was afraid of earwigs..
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Post by Barbara on Sept 13, 2017 6:24:06 GMT
I don't think I've seen many this year Ladygardener, earwigs that is, but a good shake will get rid of them I think.
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Post by Ladygardener on Sept 13, 2017 6:29:36 GMT
Yes, I must take some home next time I'm there Barbara.
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Post by Jilly on Sept 13, 2017 10:48:01 GMT
They're lovely Barbara, sometimes I prefer just a single bloom in a small vase. I'm reduced to just a small vase on the kitchen window sill this year, as the boys still like to play with anything left out on the side. I don't earwigs I get those tiny little snails crawling out of the Dahlias and onto the draining board overnight.
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Post by Barbara on Sept 16, 2017 14:44:51 GMT
I brought these up from the allotment in case there is a frost, it would be a shame as there are loads on the plant still.
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