Paul Corfield wrote in message
...
On Thu, 20 Oct 2005 14:34:20 +0100, "Spider" wrote:


Paul Corfield wrote in message
.. .
I am finally getting round to getting my small back garden into some
sort of shape.

I have even planted something [1] which was rather fun.

My beginners question is - is it actually a good time to order new
plants (e.g. perennials or an Acer) and stick them in the ground now or
should I really wait until next year?

The J Parkers catalogue [2] suggests it is a good time to plant before
dormancy sets in. I'm just a bit dubious as to whether "baby" plants
will root in time and not die over winter - especially in quite heavy
London clay soils.

[1] some grasses and hellebores. Bulbs go in soon providing the soil
doesn't become horrendously wet.
[2] free with gardeners world magazine.

Hi Paul,

hello - thanks for the response.

If your heavy London clay gets quite sticky, it might be better to wait
until spring before planting anything other than really hardy plants and
shrubs. Your Hellebores should be okay, but improve the soil when you
plant
them. I'm on heavy London (SE) clay which has been much improved, but I
still get some winter casualties.

I have tried to get rid of as much old plant debris and root systems as
possible. I have also dug in some limited quantities of rotted down
farmyard manure. However, much more needs to be done but not possessing
a car makes life somewhat awkward as gardening on any scale seems to
require motorised transport to be able to get more than a packet of
seeds from a garden centre.

Your Acer may be better planted in a pot
in a protected site (until it matures a bit) if your garden is at all
exposed; they are woodland plants and therefore enjoy the protection of a
(light) woodland canopy.

Having read a lot of posts recently about Acers I've decided to wait. I
need to really think about where to place them re the wind scorching
issue. I also need to have thought carefully about soil and drainage
issues. Almost all the acers in garden centres are also defoliated now
and it's hard for me as a novice to tell if the plant in the pot is
healthy or not.

**You are very wise to wait. Another reason for choosing an Acer in Spring
(especially as a novice) is being able to see the many different foliage
patterns and colours. I have a couple of young plants of Acer palmatum
(bought at £2.99 from a supermarket chain) and these would be a very good
starting point for a novice who needs a cheap learning curve. They came in
small, light plastic pots so were easy to get home. **

Most bulbs prefer good drainage, so dig a relatively big hole and put
some
grit in the bottom. If you just make a planting hole in heavy clay
without
any improvement, your bulbs will rot in a cold, wet sump.

I have got some grit to be able to do this. Bulbs left over from
previous residents seem to do fine so I'm going to chance my arm.

Slugs can be a
problem, too. I've stopped buying bulbous irises because they are always
ruined or killed by slugs.

Ah - this may explain why irises did not do awfully well this year
despite quite having been left my previous residents. I am certainly
plagued by snails and slugs.

**There is another reason why dwarf bulbous irises 'disappear'. Most
reticulata and danfordiae types break up into tiny bulblets after flowering
... this is obviously their way of 'bulking up' and self-propagating, but it
can be maddening for gardeners who expect them to 'bulk up' in the manner of
other bulbs. No doubt if they were left, they would grow to be
flowering-size bulbs again, but I suspect they succumb to the digging
process of an impatient/ignorant gardener long before they reach maturity
...... and that's only if the slugs leave them alone. Fat chance. Fat slug,
more than likely!**

If you are keen to plant bulbs but want time to
improve your clay, plant your bulb selection in pots so that you can
plant
them out in late winter/spring when you've had a chance to work on your
clay.

I don't possess any decent pots because they are difficult to carry if
you are reliant on public transport.

**Plastic pots are much easier to carry, and are suitable for the majority
of gardening jobs. Get to know your gardening neighbours. Many will have
stacks of plastic pots lying around (guilty!) and would be only too pleased
to give some away. You may have to scrub them clean, of course, but you may
feel it's worth the trouble.**

If Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are on your bulb list, don't buy
them dry but "in the green". Look in the ads at the back of gardening
magazines, where you can buy them more cheaply "in the green". This
simply
means while they are still in growth after flowering. You'll get much
better results, even if you do have to wait till Feb '07 to see the
flowers.
(Snowdrops do not grow well from dry bulbs. Also dry bulbs may even be
illegal imports).

I am aware of these issues with snowdrops. They are not a particular
favourite of mine.

Grasses are a mixed bunch; some prefer drier soil, some prefer moist.
None
like to sit in solid anaerobic clay - or none that I know of.

Well there is not a huge choice for sale at present so again these are
going to have to wait until spring time. I suspect I'm going to spending
a lot of time digging to improve the soil. Oh and trying to learn plant
names and what they look like so I have some clue as to what to buy next
year. Having a very small garden does not make life easy if you like too
many plants and garden styles and want to have a bit of everything :-(
--
Paul C

**Whilst improving the soil and creating different areas/soil types for
different types of plants, consider building some raised beds as these are
much easier to control. Apart from weeding and planting without bending,
you can create dry, well-drained beds (usually in sun); a small bog garden
by employing a liner; a pond, similarly; a moist but freer draining (than
clay) bed for woodland plants (in shade); an ericaceous (acid) bed for
rhododendrons and camellias or - conversely - an alkaline bed for lime
lovers, such as pinks, clematis and so on. I'm sure you can see how this
would allow you to "have a bit of everything" )) **

Spider