How about a gardening thread?

	Quote:	Belgianmum
	I planted these bulbs very late (early January) but it doesn't seem to have done any harm. The purple flowering one was 'half inched' from Odile's garden.

Stopped at Wimpole Hall on the way down to Dover yesterday - and they had lots of plants for sale, including small pots of Pulmonaria for ... £7.00- so if you want more, come and get them for free I also have some Brunera (a bit like forget me nots, with variegated leaves) £9.00 at Wimpole ... and lots more. For those not too far from Pontarlier, the market on Thursday or Saturday morning is great for plants.

For David Austin roses- and the previous request for Rambling Rector- they have a catalogue for France, and one for Germany- where to order from.
www.davidaustinroses.com

for French catalogue e-mail
france@davidaustinroses.com
for German catalogue e-mail
deutsch@davidaustinroses.com

BelgianMum- they do special offers for collections of several roses- wouldn't that be a lovely way to include the best of England in your border- then in-fill with ground plants?


As for 'cheap' soil - Switzerland is much stricter with peat products coming from ancient peat bogs. A good idea to check with your local Commune or Gemeinde- as most will sell natural compost made from their plant recycling plants several times a year at excellent rates, and even free (as in my own Commune).

[Louis Armstrong]

Thanks for suggestion re: Landi.
Tried Hornbach today...it was "ok" - but still seemed like a home-depot-ish store w/ a big garden section rather than garden focused.

I'll try Landi next.
From another thread - someone gave a search URL - reposting here in case someone else looks here in future.
http://www.landi.ch/laden/deu/wo-ist...ndi_58287.aspx
LANDI Riehen
Bahnhofstrasse 61
4125 Riehen

Specific garden places.
In Muttenz, http://wyssgarten.ch


Or google gartencenter basel

Not sure if there is one near you- perhaps they are just in Romandie

www.schilliger.com

not the cheapest, but they do have god stuff.

Anyone interested in doing a PLANT SWAP? Pot up some plants you have extra and come here to the Neuchatel Jura and swap? 5 CHF per plant to the charity (Nantibatingou - a school project run by local friends in Benin). Could put a barbecue at disposal, and everyone brings their own meat and a small salad or pud, and own drink- and share? Kids welcome, plenty of space even in bad weather.

[LearningAlways]

	Quote:	Medea Fleecestealer
	My pansies have managed to last over the winter (mostly) so hoping they'll continue through the summer. I got Kale seeds from Landi many years ago, but as it doesn't seem to be grown here for eating (shame really) I don't know if they still sell them. It's been around 3 years since I did any veg growing. Try Aldi/Lidl for plants too as they're cheaper than places like Coop or Migros. That's where I got my pansies from last autumn and I've just planted up some fushias I got yesterday from Aldi. Box of 6 plants for CHF4.49.

Thanks, Medea!

Maybe it is just the Aldi's near me, but their plants are only worth buying the day they get delivered. Most are completely dried out...

Breaks my heart to see all these non specialised supermarkets sell plants- they have no facilities to look after them, and do not water them- and most are dead within a day or two of arrival- an ecological disaster, what with the plastic for pots, peat from ancien peat bogs, heat for green-houses, transport, etc. At Aldi in the UK last week, most of the plants were dead or half dead- including loads of large fruit trees, etc. grrrrrrrrrr.

Much prefer to pay a bit more from a specialist, who can give good professional advice too- my local French market in Pontarlier is great- local plants, locally produced, in our climatic conditions and for our region- and really not much more expensive. And again, if you buy locally, the person will get to know you and will be replace plants that die- I planted several fruit trees last year and one has died, and the nursery just replaced it with apologies.

[meloncollie]

Grubs.

A quick google suggests nematodes to fight the grub invasion. Have any of you used them, and if so, were you successful? Any problems using nematodes in areas growing edible plants?

Any other suggestions?

Many thanks.

[Tom1234]

	Quote:	meloncollie
	Grubs. A quick google suggests nematodes to fight the grub invasion. Have any of you used them, and if so, were you successful? Any problems using nematodes in areas growing edible plants? Any other suggestions? Many thanks.

Are you specifically writing about wine weevil lavae?

If so, we have the same problem and lost a few plants last year.

This year we're picking of the beetles in the evening but I did have a bit of a dig around and found the lavae in the ground.

If the plants are in pots, the best thing to do is to re-pot them in new soil after washing the roots clean of eggs and lavae first.

But, I too would be interested to know if anyone has had success with nematodes as I may try that too.

My wife assures me that nemotodes are harmless.

It was the other treatment (brand Actara G) that was banned in the E.U. last year for a two year trial period* that you shouldn't use near edible plants as it's toxic.

*To see if it is actually killing the bees as is presently thought.

[meloncollie]

I'm not sure what kind of grubs I have, but they look like these - white, with black gelatinous stuff visible at the end:
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/pests/i...s-weeds/grubs/

I've found them in my planters as I sift through last year's soil before adding it to the compost heap (no plants left - I put annual veggies in these) and in the veggie garden as I till - and given that I have a few brown spots in the lawn I think I might have them in the lawn as well.

I think I'll give nematodes a try - thanks, Tom.

[Tom1234]

	Quote:	meloncollie
	I'm not sure what kind of grubs I have, but they look like these - white, with black gelatinous stuff visible at the end: I've found them in my planters as I sift through last year's soil before adding it to the compost heap (no plants left - I put annual veggies in these) and in the veggie garden as .

Those are definitely vine weevil larvae.

We found some in all stages of their growth last week from eggs (small white round and 1mm across, to the lavae and then to the earthen cocoons that the lavae make and ten the adult beetles.

The lavae usually kill the plants over winter by eating the roots and you'll find you have dead plants in the spring (like our azaleas) and the adult beetles eat the leaves but usually don't kill the plants.

	Quote:	meloncollie
	I think I'll give nematodes a try - thanks, Tom.

Let me know how you get on. From what I read, nematodes work well for plants in pots but not for those in open ground (like mine that have the problem).

[Medea Fleecestealer]

	Quote:	LearningAlways
	Thanks, Medea! Maybe it is just the Aldi's near me, but their plants are only worth buying the day they get delivered. Most are completely dried out...

Well, I watered the fushias when I got them home as they felt like they needed a bit of a drink. They were dampish, but I think they appreciated the extra. Planted them out on Friday and so far so good. It was their offer day and most of the plants had gone so I was lucky to still find some fushias left.

I've seen some pretty sad looking specimens in places like Jumbo too.

[amogles]

If you're willing to go to Germany, one garden store I can recommend is Gärtnerei Hiss in Freiburg. They have a lot of organic stuff, and much of what they sell they actually breed / cultivate themsleves so you know it's from good hands. Beware of their restrictive opening hours though - I'd advise confirming by phone before going there.

[JanerMacP]

If anyone in around AG is looking for good quality garden plants and flowers this event is a must! Also a great day for a family outing as they have farm animals and the castle itself is beautiful.

https://www.ag.ch/de/weiteres/aktuel...ails_33094.jsp

For those of us in Romandie- I shall be going to this event if anyone wants to join me or meet there:

You can either exchange one plant for one plant, or buy vouchers for plants if you haven't got any to exchange. Must be in clean pots with clear labels.

[pilatus1]

	Quote:	kiwigeek
	So not sure if I should post this here or start a new thread.... CAUTION: Novice (but enthusiastic) gardener questions ahead..... I'm looking for ideas/advice for an edible balcony garden. I started trying last year and had success with blackberries (have overwintered nicely so fingers crossed for another year, thornless), lettuces in window boxes, the usual herbs, strawberries, and spring onions. I also have a raspberry plant which has turned into a menace because of the spikes on it, and didn't really produce any fruit (just weird looking malformed things - perhaps due to insufficient pollination??) Other than the blackberries, nothing has survived the winter. So I really want to try and establish a few more things that will last and won't need replacing every year! (We live on the third floor with no elevator, and don't have a car, so getting gardening supplies and plants is a bit of a military operation!). Perhaps it's easier to buy established plants? But these always seem ridiculously priced (when considering the prospect of them dying within a year and the amount of food I could get off them)! - Does anyone have any ideas about hardy edible plants I could try (the balcony get LOADS of sun)? - Any ideas about tomato varieties that are good producers in pots? - Any internet shops for fruit/vege plants that are reasonably priced and deliver? Lastly, I guess I need to relent on my "all-edible" vision and get some flowers to encourage pollination?? Any thoughts? I like the whole companion planting idea, but had better not get to far ahead of myself!

Kiwigeek - Do you have a strong railing on the balcony? You could grow the hardy kiwi Issai in a pot, trained to the railing it's- winter hardy, self fertile, and somewhat of a dwarf variety as kiwi vines go ( but still grows like crazy).

A fig tree would do well against a south facing wall, preferably wind protected. You'd have to wrap it up for the winter...

A lemon tree would do well but it'd have to spend winter indoors...

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:
	For those of us in Romandie- I shall be going to this event if anyone wants to join me or meet there: You can either exchange one plant for one plant, or buy vouchers for plants if you haven't got any to exchange. Must be in clean pots with clear labels.

Me. I probably won't have anything to take ( unless you think someone would like dandelions, there are loads of those amongst the blackberries next to me) but I could probably find lots of things to buy.

Maybe should try to get a car full for the day to share petrol cost.

But we should do a trip to Thursday am Pontarlier market soon + a visit to Villaverde nursery (next to Decathlon and near HyperU)- although I am waiting for my 20% off customer voucher myself to get a few more fruit trees for the orchard.

Has anyone else planted bluebells in pots? (Is it too weird of me? ) I got the bulbs from baldur-garten.ch last autumn and am very pleased with the blooms now - they seem to last!

[Mrs. Doolittle]

	Quote:	argus
	Has anyone else planted bluebells in pots? (Is it too weird of me? ) I got the bulbs from baldur-garten.ch last autumn and am very pleased with the blooms now - they seem to last!

Mine are planted in the earth on my front garden....they were doing fine until some animal walked on them.