Containers

I have just asked, on a previous photo if it is self supporting Mel. You have just answered the question. I saw something similar in T&M's catalogue but they were advertising it as a hanging viola if I remember correctly. I wonder if this is a little stray "ugly duckling"? It is beautiful. It will be scented too, is it?

It isn't scented, unfortunately, Scotsgran. I have answered you on the previous thread ("Still growing") I have no idea how and why it is different. This has been so upright, and the flowers have lasted so long - it was all growing from just one ordinary stem - quite extraordinary!!!

Were the other violas in the same pot from the same batch? They certainly have very different growth habits. Btw I do like your water feature. I saw your answer on the other pic.

No - they are actually a couple of months younger. I stuck the large one (when it looked just the same as the others in the tray) in the back of that big urn with a view to moving it into the border with the others. As it turned out, I forgot about it and just left it there. When it was a reasonable size, I decided to leave it there permanently and added a couple of newer ones to keep it company. I still intended to fill the urn when I did the summer containers - it usually has a variety of larger (!) things in it. Then the viola just took off and grew and grew and grew!
Glad you like the half-barrel - I've had it for years (it's actually plastic). The birds love it! I had to refill it this year, so it's going to be murky for quite a bit longer yet.

How do you get rid of the murkiness?

I think it has to get rid of itself. I believe it is caused by sunlight. I remember Charlie Dimmock saying that ponds usually clear of their own accord after their second Spring.
Unfortunately, last winter, a garden ornament (one of those grey resin ones) fell into my pond and froze before I had noticed. By the time I managed to get it out, there was lots of purple jelly-like stuff in the water - too much to fish out. I think it was something to do with the resin. I decided the only thing was to start again. Very frustrating - I had lots of pondweed in it that I rather liked, and the small birds could sit on it! These things are sent to try us, so I'm told!

I was quite fancying some sort of small pond or water feature but I feel it might be too much work for me to be bothered with.

My mother has a pond - she's just replaced her old one - someone did the work, obviously. She loves it and wouldn't be without it. I understand how you feel, though - I feel a bit that way myself. A barrel is dead easy though - just fill it! Even without any plants, it's nice for reflections. It's not suitable for fish at this size, but it's really no trouble. When I first had one I got a lot of that long weedy stuff in it (I can't for the life of me remember what it's called!) but I just fished it out with a stick and after another year, it never appeared again. It does get murky for about a year, but the Garden Centre would advise you what plants to put in it to give a good balance. I just have floating plants like the ones you see in aquariums. I spotted a magpie flying off with one of them yesterday, to my surprise and annoyance!
If you fancy it - go for it!

That is very encouraging. I got very enthusiastic about having one after I visited the Frog Garden in Edinburgh but once I startd to think I could see all the problems that have squashed the idea in the past. As you say try it. I can always put holes in a container and grow plants in it if I find it too much work.

Yes, you can. Make sure the one you buy is actually watertight. The first one I got wasn't, so I used it as a container (with a drainage hole put into it). When I bought the barrel - which I much prefer - from B&Q, the lad evry kindly tested it with the hose he was watering with! Be aware though, that it'll be beautifully clear for a while, and just when you think you've got away with it, it'll go murky! The insects and birds will still like it, though!
By the way, the name I couldn't remember is "blanket weed" which is algae. Can be a bit of a nuisance, but it's easy enough to drag out, just a bit time-consuming. It hasn't happened the last couple of times I've refilled, so it probably depends on the conditions.

I would not have thought a plastic barrel would have been holed, thanks for the tip. I have a waterbarrel full of collected rainwater and as it is not needed on the garden at the moment it will be handy to use that to fill the container. I'll have to have a look around and see what takes my fancy.

Sorry, Scotsgran, if I misled you - the first container had no hole, and looked ideal for a water feature - it just wasn't watertight for some reason, and the water slowly drained out. The second barrel was perfect, but I wasn't taking any chances!

There seems to be some debate as to which is better to start a new water feature - rainwater or tap water. I have used both, and confess it was not a great success using some stored rainwater that I had in a waterbutt. But it may have been contaminated. It might be worth asking the question on GOY - I know there are lots of experts out there!

Sorry for misleading you Mel. I did not think it had a hole like a pot would have. I, like you, would have expected an extruded plastic pot to be watertight. I will ask the question when I find a pot to fill. I try to use the water from the waterbutt fairly quickly as I don't fancy having all sorts of bugs growing in it.

I'm sure that's good practice. The water question probably depends on how clean the waterbutt is. I hope you have success - no reason why not!

Thank you I'll give it a go. It has been raining since about midnight so it would probably fill of its own accord at the moment. The weather man was saying this is going to be the norm for the foreseeable future so I'm not looking forward to living in such a damp climate.

Rotten, isn't it? :-(

Unbelievable