Please email me with your gardening questions. I’m happy to try to give answers, but I’m by no means an expert! I’d also love to hear any gardening tips of your own that you’d like to share and how your gardening year is progressing.
Thanks
Marjorie
EMAIL
Thanks
Marjorie
The long warmer days of June mean that you can enjoy the results of all the work you did in May and have a (slightly) more relaxing time in the garden.
Deadheading Roses
Why? It makes an enormous difference to the number of flowers you get.
How? Remove the old rose at the first leaf below it. This will result in the shortest length of time before the next bloom is produced.
Balance your compost heap
Why? Summer brings lots of leafy green material so it's important to balance it out with some dryer brown material such a cardboard.
How? Tear cardboard or paper into smallish pieces and mix into the comost heap, the ratio of brown to green should be about 50:50.If you add grass clippings to your heap add a spadeful of soil at the same time to stop the grass turning into a slimy layer.
Watering
Why? Plants in containers and those which are newly planted don't have deep roots in the soil and need to be watered regularly.
How? The most effective way is to water the base of the plant using a watering can with a rose. Water in the evening to let the soil better absorb the water and not simply evaporate in the heat.
The long light evenings are a bonus and part of the joy of gardening in Scotland.
Marjorie
Deadheading Roses
Why? It makes an enormous difference to the number of flowers you get.
How? Remove the old rose at the first leaf below it. This will result in the shortest length of time before the next bloom is produced.
Balance your compost heap
Why? Summer brings lots of leafy green material so it's important to balance it out with some dryer brown material such a cardboard.
How? Tear cardboard or paper into smallish pieces and mix into the comost heap, the ratio of brown to green should be about 50:50.If you add grass clippings to your heap add a spadeful of soil at the same time to stop the grass turning into a slimy layer.
Watering
Why? Plants in containers and those which are newly planted don't have deep roots in the soil and need to be watered regularly.
How? The most effective way is to water the base of the plant using a watering can with a rose. Water in the evening to let the soil better absorb the water and not simply evaporate in the heat.
The long light evenings are a bonus and part of the joy of gardening in Scotland.
Marjorie
7th JUNE 2021
Hi Marjorie
I received Muscari bulbs for s Christmas present. I followed all the instructions to the letter but there are no flowers - just tall leaves.
Will they come or have they had it? Thanks x
Sent from Brenda's iPhone
Hi Brenda,
It may be that Christmas was too late to plant them - usually you plant these bulbs in autumn. Other problems may be that you didn’t plant them deep enough - they should be planted about 3 inches deep - or that they got frosted as the flower buds were forming. It was a particularly severe winter so that might be the answer. They are not going to flower this year but if you feed them with some general purpose fertiliser and let the leaves die back naturally they will probably flower next year.
Thanks for your question - hope this helps.
Marjorie👩🏻🌾
Hi Marjorie
I received Muscari bulbs for s Christmas present. I followed all the instructions to the letter but there are no flowers - just tall leaves.
Will they come or have they had it? Thanks x
Sent from Brenda's iPhone
Hi Brenda,
It may be that Christmas was too late to plant them - usually you plant these bulbs in autumn. Other problems may be that you didn’t plant them deep enough - they should be planted about 3 inches deep - or that they got frosted as the flower buds were forming. It was a particularly severe winter so that might be the answer. They are not going to flower this year but if you feed them with some general purpose fertiliser and let the leaves die back naturally they will probably flower next year.
Thanks for your question - hope this helps.
Marjorie👩🏻🌾
7TH JUNE 2021
Hello
I noticed this pink/ red flower in Cardonald church gardens yesterday
Wondering if you know what it is?
Brian
Hi Brian,
Thanks for your question. I think this is Red Valerian (Centranthus Ruber). It flowers from late spring to autumn and thrives in poor soil.
Marjorie👩🏻🌾
I noticed this pink/ red flower in Cardonald church gardens yesterday
Wondering if you know what it is?
Brian
Hi Brian,
Thanks for your question. I think this is Red Valerian (Centranthus Ruber). It flowers from late spring to autumn and thrives in poor soil.
Marjorie👩🏻🌾
25/3/21
Hi Marjorie,
Can you help? I have had many Orchids over the years and each time I manage to kill the plant. I have tried moving them to the most desirable spot and watering using a ice cube etc. however nothing works. Any help you can offer is appreciated!
Thanks
Ruth
Hi Ruth,
Orchids like a bright location but out of direct sun and not above a radiator. They should be kept at room temperature out of cold draughts and watered with tepid water sparingly every week to 10 days. Allow the water to drain down to the roots but don’t let the plant sit in water - empty out any water that has drained into the bottom of the pot. Add a few drops of BabyBio to the water each time to help keep the plant healthy.
To get the plant to flower again cut off any brown parts of the stem and wipe the leaves to ensure they are clean.
Hope this helps.
Good luck!
Marjorie👩🏻🌾
Hi Marjorie,
Can you help? I have had many Orchids over the years and each time I manage to kill the plant. I have tried moving them to the most desirable spot and watering using a ice cube etc. however nothing works. Any help you can offer is appreciated!
Thanks
Ruth
Hi Ruth,
Orchids like a bright location but out of direct sun and not above a radiator. They should be kept at room temperature out of cold draughts and watered with tepid water sparingly every week to 10 days. Allow the water to drain down to the roots but don’t let the plant sit in water - empty out any water that has drained into the bottom of the pot. Add a few drops of BabyBio to the water each time to help keep the plant healthy.
To get the plant to flower again cut off any brown parts of the stem and wipe the leaves to ensure they are clean.
Hope this helps.
Good luck!
Marjorie👩🏻🌾
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