On Wed, 26 Oct 2005 19:30:17 +0100, "Spider" wrote:


Paul Corfield wrote in message
.. .

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!**

I am aware that bulbous types of plants propagate in lots of different
ways. I think the succumbing to the digging process has arisen in my
garden! There are all sorts of strange looking offshoots in the soil -
small bulblets as well as longish, white mini marrow shaped items which
I think may well be to do with bluebells that did rather well this with
no assistance from me.

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 :-(

**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" )) **

You aren't helping very much ;-)) I have an old handbasin in the
garden which may well be incorporated into a small rockery area for
alpines. I also have embryonic ideas about a woodland / bog garden area
too. However I think I need to learn to crawl first before I try to do
the gardening version of the 100m sprint.

I'm not too keen on ponds as neighbours have small ones and none of them
seem to work properly or to sustain animal or plantlife.
--
Paul C