On Sat, 19 Mar 2011 12:17:00 -0000, "Bill Grey"
wrote:


"Jennings" wrote in message
...

'Jeff Layman[_2_ Wrote:
;915145']
Nice to see another one joining the sad brigade!

Regarding your topiary question, most people start with a clipped Box
tree. These are usually not too expensive if bought fairly small. But

watch out for Box Blight, which will do any Box tree no good at all.
Further info (with alternatives to Box) he
'Box blight / RHS Gardening Advice' (http://tinyurl.com/6j3r3sm)

You don't say how long you've been in your house or where it is. Now
you've tidied the garden up, wait to see what comes up this year.
That's particularly true of the rockery, where there may be many dormant

herbaceous plants and bulbs which will only appear during spring and
summer.

If you find that you get interested in rock gardening (ie go up a notch

on the "boring" scale like many of us) you might want to see if there is

an Alpine Garden Society group nearby:
'Local Group Venues and Contact Details - Alpine Garden Society'
(http://tinyurl.com/4qcmzz8)

--

Jeff

Great stuff, Jeff. Thanks for that. I had a look at the topiary stuff. I
quite fancy the euonymous - I'll see if I can get one.

The rockery was already dug over by the next door neighbour (we share
it). I have put down some slate chippings, and planted a couple of
shrubs - but I need a lot more in there. I was going to keep the shrubs
low, and add some pots (which I will grow seperately) and move them in
as they bloom. I guess i need to find stuff that blooms at different
times of the year.

Complicated stuff! I thought gardening was simply about mowing, weeding
and occasionally shouting at kids in the street for kicking their
football too close to my prize roses!




--
Jennings


Beware "Dwarf" Conifers :-)

Bill

Don't ignore that advice! I've spent a week reducing a "dwarf" conifer
to a stump with a chainsaw and then a day with a hired stump grinder
to get that stump out of the way. I once intervened in a store where
the sales assistant was recommending a leyland cypress to a customer
as a dwarf conifer suitable to for a tub. That's a potentially 75 foot
high "dwarf".

But you've got things in the wrong order. The most frequent gardening
task is shouting at the kids in the street, then weeding, then mowing!
(Some will say stopping cats from killing peregrine falcons is the
most frequent task ;-))) )

I've seen "beginners" topiary stuff around - usually a small potted
box plant with a wire shape around it (rabbit, duck and so on). As the
box grows you simply prune it back to a bit proud of the wire shape
and so learn the skill.

Jake