"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"H Ryder" wrote
((snip))
PS - was intending to grow my beans up a wigwam of 6 6 foot canes - is
this
wrong? What shoud I grow them up (runner anfd french).

Not wrong but on an exposed allotment site they will not hold up when they
are grown, wet and it gets windy. We bang in 4x 8ft metal poles across the
plot and then wire solid wooden crossbars to them and then tie the 8ft
canes to those, and still on occasion I have had to put in guy wires as
well.
If you grow in an enclosed garden a wigwam would probably be OK.

Wigwams offer less wind resistance than a straight row, but you're right
they are prone to blow over. I use a straight row but that's because I find
them more productive (the other problem with wigwams is that you end up with
a huge tangle of stems at the top!). The moral seems to be that they need to
be put in as sheltered a place as possible. Our new allotment has a hedge at
one end so they'll go in where the hedge offers some shelter.

The other thing to remember is that a row of runners casts a lot of shade so
this needs to be taken into account when positioning them. Last year we
found that things planted on the shady side of the runners didn't do well at
all.

Neil.

Gardening_Convert wrote:
I am on a waiting list for an allotment and I would certainly hope that
there is a good communial spirit on the site and help from experienced
growers etc.

I am still a novice gardener even though I've grown several different
things from seeds planted some plant from GC's , the mother in law etc
. Changed the garden around several times , landscaped etc and read
and watched just about everything I can find on gardening

BUT as my old grandfather used to say there is no replacement for
experience and local experience at that.

I'm sure if it's a family they would welcome any advice , probably just
depends how the advice is presented.

You don't want to be like the the old Harry Enfield character that
always said 'You don't want to do it like that that , you want to do it
like this !!'

Perhaps just mention such things like , we still gets frosts here until
xx/xx/xx date as so some protection such as might be worthwhile

Too be honest when I get my plot I'm kinda hoping if not expecting to
get lots of good advice

I think Rupert's idea of a roll of fleece and an explanation of its
uses might be the very thing. I was telling Ray of this potential
disaster-waiting-to-happen and he said that the 'old boys' used to
plant out their seeds as early as possible but quite wide apart. Then
a week or so later, they'd plant another lot of seeds between the first
lot and, if the conditions warranted it, even a third lot. By this
method, one way or another they always knew they'd get SOME plants,
even if the first lot got frosted. If the whole lot survived, they'd
simply thin them out. Of course, you have to know the frost dates for
your particular area to use this to best advantage but it sounds good
to me.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon

Hi, this is my first reply away from the dreaded Garden Banter, so I hope
I'm doing it right!!

I just wanted to say, imagine the young family's dismay once their first
attempts have failed and they realise noone came to help. I bet if it was
Plotty's site, he'd be right in there with all the help he could give!

jayjay

At least tender vegetables just have to be kept inside a few more weeks, and I'd rather buy a £1 seedling now and pot it on myself than buy a £5 large plant in a month's time.

More dishonest is selling tender shrubs mixed in with the hardy shrubs and without giving any info on them. My local garden centre (in the Chilterns) is currently selling Sollya heterophylla. Last year they were selling Metrosideros kermadecensis. These are expensive plants, which require establishing over a number of years. If they advertised them as "conservatory plants" or at least gave a minimum temperature, fair enough, but they don't.

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "jay jay" contains these words:

Hi, this is my first reply away from the dreaded Garden Banter, so I
hope
I'm doing it right!!

Yes you did, well done and you'll find it so much more convenient.

You are the second convert from banterism in two days :-)

Janet.

and now you have been 'schooled' by ma'am, you are accepted


Mike

--
-------------------------------------------------------------
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk

"Neil Tonks" wrote
((big snip))

The other thing to remember is that a row of runners casts a lot of shade
so this needs to be taken into account when positioning them. Last year we
found that things planted on the shady side of the runners didn't do well
at all.


True, but we have found over the years that cucurbits are good for growing
in the shade of the beans, you can keep the sun off the cucurbits during the
hottest part of the day if you position them correctly. Especially useful in
a good summer.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

Sue writes

"Bob Hobden" wrote
Just back from the allotment.

Over the weekend one of the new gardening crowd (a young family) has
obviously been to the Garden Centre and bought young plants, OK in
itself, but then they have planted them out on their exposed plot!
snip

Do I say something if I see them or just keep quiet and let them learn
the hard way?
(I suspect, damned if I do, damned if I don't)

We all have to start somewhere and make our own mistakes but some timely
knowledgeable advice can't but be a Good Thing. If it was me I'd welcome
some pointers from an experienced grower 'cos I don't know much about
veggie growing. But I know what you mean - you never know if people
will get humpty about being told where they're making mistakes and you
don't want to put the newcomers off when they're keen. Perhaps you could
stop and have a chat when you see them next and just slip in an offer to
be ready with advice from an 'old hand' if they feel they need it. Then
they will feel welcomed and have the opening to ask right there what you
think about what they're growing at the moment, or they can leave it for
the future if they have problems.

Could try chatting and asking questions "I've never planted my runners
on wigwams - do you find it works well? No wind rock?" - in other words,
talk to them as if they are as expert as you and have made sound
decisions based on their experience. Then they can admit ignorance if
they feel comfortable with that, or not if not, and you haven't made
them lose face.


--
Kay

In article , echinosum
writes

More dishonest is selling tender shrubs mixed in with the hardy shrubs
and without giving any info on them. My local garden centre (in the
Chilterns) is currently selling Sollya heterophylla.


My Sollya has been out over winter for three years now . I grew it from
a cutting but apart for a little damage to the end of the stems it comes
through fine. It's not against the edge of the house and is apparently
healthy again this year.

janet

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , echinosum
writes

More dishonest is selling tender shrubs mixed in with the hardy shrubs
and without giving any info on them. My local garden centre (in the
Chilterns) is currently selling Sollya heterophylla.


My Sollya has been out over winter for three years now . I grew it from
a cutting but apart for a little damage to the end of the stems it comes
through fine. It's not against the edge of the house and is apparently
healthy again this year.

You're lucky! I lost one of those in quite a mild frost in the
courtyard of my Jersey garden. We have friends who grow it
successfully in Salcombe but their garden is right on the sea.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon

"Sacha" wrote in message
oups.com...

Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , echinosum
writes

More dishonest is selling tender shrubs mixed in with the hardy shrubs
and without giving any info on them. My local garden centre (in the
Chilterns) is currently selling Sollya heterophylla.


My Sollya has been out over winter for three years now . I grew it from
a cutting but apart for a little damage to the end of the stems it comes
through fine. It's not against the edge of the house and is apparently
healthy again this year.

You're lucky! I lost one of those in quite a mild frost in the
courtyard of my Jersey garden. We have friends who grow it
successfully in Salcombe but their garden is right on the sea.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon

Mine died this year :~( not really hardy just something worth trying some
years.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

"Sacha" wrote in message
oups.com...

Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , echinosum
writes

More dishonest is selling tender shrubs mixed in with the hardy shrubs
and without giving any info on them. My local garden centre (in the
Chilterns) is currently selling Sollya heterophylla.


My Sollya has been out over winter for three years now . I grew it from
a cutting but apart for a little damage to the end of the stems it
comes
through fine. It's not against the edge of the house and is apparently
healthy again this year.

You're lucky! I lost one of those in quite a mild frost in the
courtyard of my Jersey garden. We have friends who grow it
successfully in Salcombe but their garden is right on the sea.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon

Mine died this year :~( not really hardy just something worth trying some
years.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)


I was given three small Sollya in a pot many years ago. I never found a spot
for them so they have lived in the same pot and formed a compact very woody
shrub which appears to be impervious to frost. On the downside it is not
prolific in flowers.

"Rupert (W.Yorkshire)" wrote in message
...

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

"Sacha" wrote in message
oups.com...

Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , echinosum
writes

More dishonest is selling tender shrubs mixed in with the hardy
shrubs
and without giving any info on them. My local garden centre (in the
Chilterns) is currently selling Sollya heterophylla.


My Sollya has been out over winter for three years now . I grew it
from
a cutting but apart for a little damage to the end of the stems it
comes
through fine. It's not against the edge of the house and is
apparently
healthy again this year.

You're lucky! I lost one of those in quite a mild frost in the
courtyard of my Jersey garden. We have friends who grow it
successfully in Salcombe but their garden is right on the sea.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon

Mine died this year :~( not really hardy just something worth trying
some
years.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)


I was given three small Sollya in a pot many years ago. I never found a
spot
for them so they have lived in the same pot and formed a compact very
woody
shrub which appears to be impervious to frost. On the downside it is not
prolific in flowers.

Maybe not enough sun? they flower 365 days of the year (which is why they
are sometimes worth a gamble)

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)