6: Planning
By lountad
6 comments
Well i’ve been busy busy busy every chance I’ve had but the most i’ve got done was plant up the pots for out the front and get a few bits started off in pots.
In the back i’ve planted up the stachys byzantia with the black lilyturf grass so am hoping once that settles in and spreads it’ll look great as ground cover.
Its nice to see the crocuses and snowdrops everywhere plus they seem to be growing up through the lawn too, plus some tulips; both in the part of the lawn that we seeded last year.
This was the result of the front pots… have planted up with polyanthus, pansies, dwarf daffs and tulips plus some ornamental grass and thyme and a heuchera.
I did discover a nasty case of vine weevil in my large front pot which have attacked (and obliterated) the heucheras so have been out and bought some stuff to hopefully help control them. Eeeek, evil things lol!
27 Feb, 2009
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Comments
what lovely pots and plantings
i hope you threw the old compost out Lountad as the weevil larva start off rather small. if you dont want to use chemicals there is a critter for biological control but i cant remember what it is.
I read somewhere that a layer of coarse sand then decorative grit discourages the female from laying her eggs in the compost. worth a try, dont know if it works.
i've nicked the base of "chewed" heucheras, dipped in rooting powder and put in compost with some 60% successful new root growth. so some might be salvagable.
27 Feb, 2009
Pleased you,ve been able to get outside it really gives one a boost and your pots look good,a cheery welcome for visitors as well as you, are you leaving your bulbs to naturalize in your lawn?.........
27 Feb, 2009
yes thought i'd leave them in the lawn, will be a welcome bit of colour in those dull winter days.
Have had vine weevil before in pots so afraid chemical or not will do anything to try and rid or at least keep under control as far as poss. Will definitely try the layer of sand etc though, thanks for that tip. Have got some control that you drench the soil with so will do all the pots out front and there's a few outback i'll probably do too just to be sure. Horrible things!
28 Feb, 2009
I've got heucheras in pots too - apparently this is the vine weevils' favourite :-(
Gave them all a good watering of Provado last spring and touch wood, they were OK. I'll do the same this spring
1 Mar, 2009
Its so offputting when you discover they've got the better of you! I had a look at the bergenias and they've destroyed them too, didn't seem too bothered with the buxus though. Have taken out the compost and put some new, grittier stuff in and drenched with provado. If there's still signs of them come spring i think i'll try the nematode option just to be sure.
2 Mar, 2009
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Well done, you have been busy! Your pots look lovely, what a super idea! Heucheria's, I'll have to look them up on google. I don't think I've ordered any of them! I must admit, I've got a book from the library called How to make your garden grow and where they've mentioned pests, I've made a list to remind myself not to buy them! Silly, I know, but I can't stand using chemicals. Don't know why, I suppose I begrudge spending money on chemicals where I don't know if they'll work. But now that I'm more wildlife conscious, I suppose I'm at that stage where everything will sort itself out, even if some plants do get damaged? Mind you, that's not to say that I wouldn't dump the pest if I saw one!!!
27 Feb, 2009