Not killing plants, part I
Jul. 21st, 2008 08:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mrphI'm not very good at gardening. This won't come as much of a surprise to anyone who's ever seen my garden.
If it's indoors and in a pot, it's effectively dead (only the two spider plants have survived more than a few months - they're almost indestructible, but even they've almost given up the ghost once or twice).
If it's outdoors, it might simply die. Or it might be swamped by weeds and hidden from sight, never to emerge again. The front garden has carnivorous budleia. The back garden has brambles, nettles and tangled things that are harder to put names to.
Somewhere in the back garden, there are raspberries. There's a healthy looking (and quite large) bay tree, too - but you'd have to fight your way through the shrubbery to get there. Once upon a time, there was rhubarb, but it's probably gone now.
Not a good starting point. However, it's all getting a bit more attention this year.
The budleia's been ruthlessly butchered, revealing some straggly roses, which are now looking a little more alive. The back garden's going to need a lot more work, though - which is why it's getting levelled somewhen in the next week.
In the mean time, I've got a row of potted herbs sitting on the patio. Mint, sage, thyme, rosemary and sorrel. None of them are dead yet, despite the unexpected delays in preparing their new home (although I'm starting to discover that sorrel is a very thirsty plant).
I've just repotted the thyme - the second time I've done this. It appears to be thriving. I'm sure that's not supposed to happen to plants in my care. Well, ok, it mght be supposed to happen, but it's not quite how it usually turns out.
Pleasantly unexpected. I could get used to this, y'know...
If it's indoors and in a pot, it's effectively dead (only the two spider plants have survived more than a few months - they're almost indestructible, but even they've almost given up the ghost once or twice).
If it's outdoors, it might simply die. Or it might be swamped by weeds and hidden from sight, never to emerge again. The front garden has carnivorous budleia. The back garden has brambles, nettles and tangled things that are harder to put names to.
Somewhere in the back garden, there are raspberries. There's a healthy looking (and quite large) bay tree, too - but you'd have to fight your way through the shrubbery to get there. Once upon a time, there was rhubarb, but it's probably gone now.
Not a good starting point. However, it's all getting a bit more attention this year.
The budleia's been ruthlessly butchered, revealing some straggly roses, which are now looking a little more alive. The back garden's going to need a lot more work, though - which is why it's getting levelled somewhen in the next week.
In the mean time, I've got a row of potted herbs sitting on the patio. Mint, sage, thyme, rosemary and sorrel. None of them are dead yet, despite the unexpected delays in preparing their new home (although I'm starting to discover that sorrel is a very thirsty plant).
I've just repotted the thyme - the second time I've done this. It appears to be thriving. I'm sure that's not supposed to happen to plants in my care. Well, ok, it mght be supposed to happen, but it's not quite how it usually turns out.
Pleasantly unexpected. I could get used to this, y'know...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-07-22 09:15 am (UTC)You may want to get some slow relsease plant food pellets/granules for the roses. I bought a huge tub from the pound shop and throw a handful at the bottom my rose every 6 months or so. Also cut the dead flowers off (dead head) when they start to shrivel up. This stops it creating Hips, and you will get more flowers.
Mint will take over your garden if given free reign of a planted border if you don't want it everywhere stick it in a bucket of soil.
Thyme loves to be ignored I have found .. it seems to like dry soil but frequent sparing watering I am surprised it like re-potting, i have never been able to get mine to enjoy a repotting they all curl up and die when i do. I am impressed well done. Also keep trimming it lightly, this promotes new growth and stops you getting the hard woody stalks.:)
Rosemary likes to be in well drained soil, sunny area, with watering. It hates claggy wet soil. I would advise not putting it in the same pot as the sorrel