Love your relaxed approach to jobs that don’t get done ‘on time’! Thanks Alexandra, fun and informative. Looking forward to more in 2022 - and happy New Year.
I so appreciate your efforts toward supporting wildlife. Most people would happily do the same but are not aware of what to do and / or that their small steps can make quite a difference. Thanks for sharing!
Your garden is beautiful in every season! I completely agree with you on the value of fruit trees. I'd plant an orchard if only I had the room. I have grown Cerinthe from seedlings this spring and just yesterday planted them out in the garden. After seeing yours, I'm especially excited for them to start blooming. I'm hoping that they will attract lots of pollinators and hummingbirds to my vegetable garden. And bless you for caring for the birds and wildlife, you set a wonderful example showing that you can have a beautiful garden that is harmonious with nature. Thank you, I always enjoy your garden and advice, take care 😊💐
Thank you! There is a garden near me which has several hundred fruit trees and it is around 40ft wide and 60ft long, so they can be packed in quite close together - I did a blog post on it in case that helps: www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/an-orchard-in-the-garden-you-really-do-have-the-space/
Outstanding tour, Alexandra! Thank you for so many wonderful plant recommendations. I will definitely research the smyrnium in hopes of adding it to my own garden beds. And it is reassuring to hear your laid back approach to allowing nature to take its course. We humans do a lot of unintended damage in our desire to control things. Have a wonderful week!
Garden looking fab Alexandra, I too don’t spend too much time worrying about the condition of the lawn. At this time of year though I put the mower on its lowest setting to get it looking sharp. I wish the same could be said about my hair at the moment. Now, I’m off to go and feed the roses on your advice.
Thank you for The lovely tour of your Middle Size Garden! This US Southern girl looks forward to seeing it every month. My Smokebush is in full bloom thanks to the warm temps we have had all spring, so sad to know they don’t live very long.
Thank you. I think my Cotinus (smoke bush) is at least 30 years old and has certainly got a few more years in it. It may also be older - it was here when I moved in, and our predecessors did a major redesign in 1994 so I tend to date most plants from then, but it may have been in before that.
Smyrinium is new to me but I am completely smitten. Your clematis recta is lovely. That is a tough plant to grow here and I’m not sure why because almost every other clematis does well. Your garden is looking just wonderful.
I just love your garden, it's so peaceful and as always I learn so much from you. I've been gardening frantically these last few weeks, planting bulbs, sowing seeds and repotting anything I can, before the Mediterranean summer sun and heat really hits us hard!! But in spite of the insanity I enjoy the process and I'm motivated by how beautiful everything will look in a few months. Hopefully anyway!! Have a wonderful Sunday!! ☺️
A very enjoyable video, with lots of really useful advice! I have a very sad looking Albertine rose, which has had terrible black spot over recent years. I'm afraid I have neglected the feeding a bit, so I will give it some tlc and see what happens!
Hello, Alexandra. Great to see you are well and safe. Lovely May tour! My favourite takeaway from this video is to 'declassify' certain weeds. Without hiring out mowing for two months a few pretty ground cover weeds have been able to re-establish themselves and I was wondering about actually transplanting them into the garden. My only fear is that once we enter Barbados' rainy season they may grow wild! I guess we shall see. Cheers! 🌿
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden I've decided to enjoy the weeds (don't know name but love puffs of pretty white blossoms) where they are for now and watch how they seed and spread as the rains come in. Thanks!
Great to find your upload for my Sunday breakfast, Alexandra! I'm so happy for you and your garden. I was so close to my dream of having a garden again, had my apartment for sale, but now I'm stuck here for who knows how long because of the pandemia. Oh, well... Anyway, thank you very much for the upload, I never miss your videos.
Thank you, Alexandra, for another informative and enjoyable tour. Always practical, honest and realistic. My garden is a similar size, though, unfortunately it’s not walled.
I have been watching your videos for about a year now and have enjoyed them very much. I wanted to take the time to comment on your May Garden Tour. You mentioned that your grass is not all that up to par. Your grass area percentage wise is the largest spacial element that you have in the garden. It is the breathing space for your plants and gives one a place to rest your eyes. What I thought about in listening to this clip is if I were to walk into your living room, would I find carpets on the floor that are neglected and tattered and need a good cleaning? The same is true for the grass in your garden. It is the carpeting laid down to show off the plantings that are incorporated into the environment. There are some gardeners for whom the grass is not an important feature so therefore it is neglected. If this is not your forte then I think you should hire a lawn company to care for it for you and you will be amazed that after one year what a difference it will make. It will set the stage for all of your other beautiful plants just like your living room and dining room carpet sets the stage for your furniture and environment indoors. The grass is the most important and largest plant that you have.
I think you are absolutely right, and hiring a grass company is something I have been meaning to do, but it slips my mind. But I will really try to remember this autumn. I was once told that we are 'forest edge dwellers' genetically and that we are happiest in a situation with trees behind us to conceal us and a sweep of grass in front of us where we can hunt or forage for food. So I think lawns are a part of very basic instinct.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Thank you for your reply. I have had many people ask for my advice with their gardens. I come with a background in art and design so I have the ability to see space clearly. Many gardeners just do not realize the value of a great healthy lawn and what it can add to their environment. Of course the very wealthy know this and have it taken care of. I once had a neighbor walk up to me in my garden and ask if I could please help her with what flowers etc to plant in her garden. I told her that the first thing she needed to do was take good care of her lawn (which was being neglected). I said that after she got her lawn on the right track, I would be glad to help her. She never came back for any more advice! Another neighbor when I first moved into this house was just struggling with weeds in his lawn. He lived across the street. He kept watching my progress as I built High Meadow. I hired a lawn company right away because I did not have the time to take good care of it. I am a retired school teacher. Meanwhile my neighbor did not want to spend this kind of money so he trotted along mercilessly doing the work himself. Finally, one Spring he just could not stand how good my lawn was looking and asked me for the name of the company I had hired. I told him that in the long run it is actually cheaper to hire the work done than to do it yourself. He was truly amazed to discover that this was true. After that he got busy asking for a ton of advise. I will always help a gardener to get better at their craft. This was a win for the female because he is very macho and thought he had all the answers. I never challenged him. I just kept on building the garden. Now after fifteen years he comes to my door and asks if he can show his friends the garden. He copies everything I do which I do not mind because then his garden is beautiful also. One year he paid me a great compliment without realizing it. I was over at his house and we were chatting outside. He was looking at my front garden which was beginning to take on a great ambience. He said as if into the air, You really know what you are doing! I said, Yep! He was astonished that a female living alone could accomplish such a feat as to build a garden. Take Care. I would start looking now for the right fit for your lawn care. You may have to interview several companies to get the right fit. Get them to use organic fertilizer so that you are continually building up the soil and not depleting it. Eileen
Lawns....to each his own, but my experience is that neglect leads to really yucky lawn. I’m retired now and putting it in good order and enjoying it very much. Also, I just shared your recommendation with my husband to reclassify a weed/weeds. 🌷🥰 I added a new one to my list of “acceptables.”
Yes, I am not proud of the lawn, and know it needs some treatment. But it wouldn't really be fair if I only showed the parts of the garden that look good. Glad to hear you've found a new acceptable weed. I am considering accepting garlic mustard as it has recently popped up here.
Good Morning Alexandra, great to see you with my Sunday morning coffee! Your garden looks beautiful as always! The Spring garden grows so fast, between rainy days and days when you don't feel up to chores outside things grow so fast . My husband helped me move a huge hosta clump that I ended up dividing because it was too big ...I was moving it into a pot because the deer eat it. It was so small coming up when I first thought of it and now the leaves really popped up. Thanks for talking about the daffodils...I noticed we have a huge mass of leaves and they got huge too. Do we wait until the leaves have died off to divide them? So good to see you...you look great in that shade of blue. Hope all is well with you. Thanks so much for making this video. Stay well
Regarding sapling growth from the root stock of prunus: I've found that removal with loppers or secateurs only encourages new growth to emerge from the same site. A better method is to remain vigilant and to break or tear off the new growth as soon as it emerges; when the tear follows the natural line of cellular growth it seems less inclined to resprout. For the same reason care should be taken when cultivating or mowing around prunus as some roots will lie close to the surface and any root wounding will immediately result in fresh growth springing up, even metres away from the trunk.
Yes, I think it does encourage growth - the pruning specialist who taught me said to cut near the trunk or joining branch, with a slanting cut, and quite close so that the trunk itself is almost smooth with only a small raised bit after the branch or stem has been removed. That tends to prevent further sprouting but not always.
Hey Alexandra, excellent video! Do you have any information on nut trees? I have two pecan trees and I don't know the first thing about taking care of them. They were here when we bought the house a year or so ago. I think one may be dying, but the other looks healthy 🤷
Great info with the tour. I also wait til spring to clean up the garden, and every year I always wonder why I never learn my lesson, it would be nice to just get to planting straight away instead. Could you tell me again what the tree with the pink blossoms was, Thank you.
Love the video Alexandra! Im a new follower. What’s the of the plant that you have in you bouquet, please? The one with purple flowers and leaves that remind me eucalyptus. Absolutely loving that flower. Thank you.
That is Cerinthe major, common name honeywort. I love it and it self seeds for me, although if you are a thorough weeder, then you would be better growing it from seed.
Thank you for the tour! It is amazing what a difference two growing zones makes! #JustWondering Do you grow David Austin Roses? In my experience, the flowers on some DAs can droop, particularly in young shrubs. I wonder if it would be better to kickstart with liquid feed, and then use the slow release when it is time to reapply - after the first flush to help avoid this issue...
I do grow David Austin roses and am going to interview them about roses when the current situation eases. I think it's worth checking the David Austin website for feeding instructions as they say that over feeding can be an issue if the flowers are drooping. The link is here: www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/help-and-faq
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Many thanks! We had an incredibly wet growing season last year which led to some botryitis and black spot despite our DAs' "excellent" disease resistance. That's why we used the liquid feed - to help them leaf out post-pruning. The 'drooping' is a real issue with them. That's why I am trying the traditional approach this year - slow release organic food - which includes alfalfa - in the early spring and after first flush. Roses are really challenging to grow, particularly if you are reluctant to do a strict rotating spray schedule.
such a beautiful video with useful info. May I ask what is the name of that beautiful green flower that appears in the video ar 13:10? It's so beautiful. Reminds me of a chrysanthemum which has green small buds, usually, you see them in crops in Waitrose bouquets. Thank you for sharing.
It's angelica, I think Angelica angelica, which self seeds. In the first year it is a low growing plant, then the second year there is this tall beautiful flower, then it seeds everywhere and dies, and the cycle starts again. I love it.
'Middle-sized' is a bit of a funny term, I think, because in a town, a 70ft garden is 'large' but in the countryside three acres can be called 'small'! So garden size is a very variable concept, hence 'middle-sized' which means different things to different people. And thank you!
Now I don't feel so guilty if I don't follow the "garden rules"! Sometimes we just do not get around to do the lifting or pruning as we should, try to prune just before the new leaves appear, it works. As for the horrible job of pulling up weeds, actually when you walk outside, just bend and pull them out. Just a little at a time makes a big difference for the gardening day. Gardens must be enjoyed, perhaps arrange with a dear friend to come and help and vice versa, imagine 3-5 friends helping it will make the work so much easier. I always have hope for better days. Enjoy your garden!
You look wonderful in your blue blouse. Could you write the Latin name of this annual plant with blue small flowers? I would like to buy this plant in Estonia, but I didn't understand the name of the plant in English. Thank you!
Hello there. I've just looked it up, because I too had the same doubt, tried one spelling with S and Google proposed another one: cerinthe. Wish you luck in Estonia, I don't think I'll be able to find it here in Argentina. Such a beautiful plant.
You've got a lovely mature garden. When we moved into our house there was nothing but grass fence to fence so everything that i have put in so far is tiny but i am recording it all on my UA-cam channel and website
Thank you! I looked at your channel and well done with the pond! Quite a project, but I'm sure you'll love it over the years, and the wildlife definitely will.
I planted a cerinthe at your suggestion last year. One day, I pulled a weed from around it and the cerinthe bit the dust 2 days later. That also happened with a Veronica. The conclusion I came up with is that I disturbed their roots when I pulled out weed. Does that ever happen to you? Anyway, the cerinthe did not reseed for me. I’m in zone 9.
I have heard this happen before - I think we garden lovers divide into two categories. There are those who are good at weeding and those who are not, but get self seeded plants and there are good things about both categories. But the good weeders just don't get much in the way of self seeded plants. I first noticed this when a friend of mine who lived just two doors away and who is a professional gardener noted that she never got self seeded plants in her garden while mine was full of them. Her garden has exactly the same soil and aspect as mine but she is an excellent weeder and I am not. She sounded rather sad about it, but there is a lot to be said for her way of gardening because the plants she planted didn't get crowded out. If you like cerinthe, I would suggest growing it from seed on a windowsill or greenhouse, then planting it out rather than relying on it to self seed.
It is for sure a gardeners work is never done. Your gardens are just wonderful😊❤️😊
Thank you.
Love your relaxed approach to jobs that don’t get done ‘on time’! Thanks Alexandra, fun and informative. Looking forward to more in 2022 - and happy New Year.
Thank you and happpy New Year.
So nice to see your garden and hear you talk about it again! Keep well and safe!
Thank you, you too!
I love how kind you are to all the creatures. Thank you for sharing your gorgeous garden with all of us and the animals.😊
Thank you!
I so appreciate your efforts toward supporting wildlife. Most people would happily do the same but are not aware of what to do and / or that their small steps can make quite a difference. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much!
Great May garden tour!!...you are a great friend to all the garden creatures...bless you...
Thanks for sharing...❤💖💝
Thanks so much
Love to listen to you and Learning so much from you🥰
Thank you so much!
Your garden is beautiful in every season! I completely agree with you on the value of fruit trees. I'd plant an orchard if only I had the room. I have grown Cerinthe from seedlings this spring and just yesterday planted them out in the garden. After seeing yours, I'm especially excited for them to start blooming. I'm hoping that they will attract lots of pollinators and hummingbirds to my vegetable garden. And bless you for caring for the birds and wildlife, you set a wonderful example showing that you can have a beautiful garden that is harmonious with nature. Thank you, I always enjoy your garden and advice, take care 😊💐
Thank you! There is a garden near me which has several hundred fruit trees and it is around 40ft wide and 60ft long, so they can be packed in quite close together - I did a blog post on it in case that helps: www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/an-orchard-in-the-garden-you-really-do-have-the-space/
I so enjoy your gardening program. So informative as usual! Thank you!
Thank you!
Wonderful video - filled with lots of gardening information!
Many thanks
Outstanding tour, Alexandra! Thank you for so many wonderful plant recommendations. I will definitely research the smyrnium in hopes of adding it to my own garden beds. And it is reassuring to hear your laid back approach to allowing nature to take its course. We humans do a lot of unintended damage in our desire to control things. Have a wonderful week!
Thank you!
Thanks for the tour and video Alexandra! Love your Viburnums.
Thank you!
Garden looking fab Alexandra, I too don’t spend too much time worrying about the condition of the lawn. At this time of year though I put the mower on its lowest setting to get it looking sharp. I wish the same could be said about my hair at the moment. Now, I’m off to go and feed the roses on your advice.
Thank you. I think all our hair (s?) are looking pretty shaggy at the moment, and my glasses are in dire need of repair.
Thank you for The lovely tour of your Middle Size Garden! This US Southern girl looks forward to seeing it every month. My Smokebush is in full bloom thanks to the warm temps we have had all spring, so sad to know they don’t live very long.
Thank you. I think my Cotinus (smoke bush) is at least 30 years old and has certainly got a few more years in it. It may also be older - it was here when I moved in, and our predecessors did a major redesign in 1994 so I tend to date most plants from then, but it may have been in before that.
Lovely to see your garden which is ahead of our garden in Canada. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
Smyrinium is new to me but I am completely smitten. Your clematis recta is lovely. That is a tough plant to grow here and I’m not sure why because almost every other clematis does well. Your garden is looking just wonderful.
Same...let me know if you find the plant here in the USA.
Am I allowed to post you both seeds when they are around? Usually around July, if I remember rightly.
The Middle-Sized Garden I would love that. Let me know so I can send you PayPal for shipping.
I just love your garden, it's so peaceful and as always I learn so much from you.
I've been gardening frantically these last few weeks, planting bulbs, sowing seeds and repotting anything I can, before the Mediterranean summer sun and heat really hits us hard!! But in spite of the insanity I enjoy the process and I'm motivated by how beautiful everything will look in a few months. Hopefully anyway!!
Have a wonderful Sunday!! ☺️
Thank you! We envy you the Mediterranean summer sun - we could get anything from snow to a heat wave over the next few months.
Great to see the May garden tour. I like the way you do the garden tour - I must make notes for mine.
Thank you!
A very enjoyable video, with lots of really useful advice! I have a very sad looking Albertine rose, which has had terrible black spot over recent years. I'm afraid I have neglected the feeding a bit, so I will give it some tlc and see what happens!
Hope that helps. I had an Albertine once and it was brilliant but it did get quite old so if it's been in a long time, that might also be an issue.
Absolutely brilliant - loved it! ☺️
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video. Such a BOOTIFUL time of year 😀
It really is!
Lovely as usual! Cerinthe and the Clematis rectus are on my to-buy list!
Thank you!
Thank you so much. Just loving your videos!
Thank you!
Thank you. I love you advices.
Thank you.
Hello, Alexandra. Great to see you are well and safe. Lovely May tour! My favourite takeaway from this video is to 'declassify' certain weeds. Without hiring out mowing for two months a few pretty ground cover weeds have been able to re-establish themselves and I was wondering about actually transplanting them into the garden. My only fear is that once we enter Barbados' rainy season they may grow wild! I guess we shall see. Cheers! 🌿
Thank you. A Caribbean rainy season is quite something, so I expect they might.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden I've decided to enjoy the weeds (don't know name but love puffs of pretty white blossoms) where they are for now and watch how they seed and spread as the rains come in. Thanks!
Great to find your upload for my Sunday breakfast, Alexandra! I'm so happy for you and your garden. I was so close to my dream of having a garden again, had my apartment for sale, but now I'm stuck here for who knows how long because of the pandemia. Oh, well... Anyway, thank you very much for the upload, I never miss your videos.
Thank you and I hope you get your garden dream soon. This can't go on forever?
Thank you, Alexandra, for another informative and enjoyable tour. Always practical, honest and realistic. My garden is a similar size, though, unfortunately it’s not walled.
Thank you!
I have been watching your videos for about a year now and have enjoyed them very much. I wanted to take the time to comment on your May Garden Tour. You mentioned that your grass is not all that up to par. Your grass area percentage wise is the largest spacial element that you have in the garden. It is the breathing space for your plants and gives one a place to rest your eyes. What I thought about in listening to this clip is if I were to walk into your living room, would I find carpets on the floor that are neglected and tattered and need a good cleaning? The same is true for the grass in your garden. It is the carpeting laid down to show off the plantings that are incorporated into the environment. There are some gardeners for whom the grass is not an important feature so therefore it is neglected. If this is not your forte then I think you should hire a lawn company to care for it for you and you will be amazed that after one year what a difference it will make. It will set the stage for all of your other beautiful plants just like your living room and dining room carpet sets the stage for your furniture and environment indoors. The grass is the most important and largest plant that you have.
I think you are absolutely right, and hiring a grass company is something I have been meaning to do, but it slips my mind. But I will really try to remember this autumn. I was once told that we are 'forest edge dwellers' genetically and that we are happiest in a situation with trees behind us to conceal us and a sweep of grass in front of us where we can hunt or forage for food. So I think lawns are a part of very basic instinct.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Thank you for your reply. I have had many people ask for my advice with their gardens. I come with a background in art and design so I have the ability to see space clearly. Many gardeners just do not realize the value of a great healthy lawn and what it can add to their environment. Of course the very wealthy know this and have it taken care of. I once had a neighbor walk up to me in my garden and ask if I could please help her with what flowers etc to plant in her garden. I told her that the first thing she needed to do was take good care of her lawn (which was being neglected). I said that after she got her lawn on the right track, I would be glad to help her. She never came back for any more advice! Another neighbor when I first moved into this house was just struggling with weeds in his lawn. He lived across the street. He kept watching my progress as I built High Meadow. I hired a lawn company right away because I did not have the time to take good care of it. I am a retired school teacher. Meanwhile my neighbor did not want to spend this kind of money so he trotted along mercilessly doing the work himself. Finally, one Spring he just could not stand how good my lawn was looking and asked me for the name of the company I had hired. I told him that in the long run it is actually cheaper to hire the work done than to do it yourself. He was truly amazed to discover that this was true. After that he got busy asking for a ton of advise. I will always help a gardener to get better at their craft. This was a win for the female because he is very macho and thought he had all the answers. I never challenged him. I just kept on building the garden. Now after fifteen years he comes to my door and asks if he can show his friends the garden. He copies everything I do which I do not mind because then his garden is beautiful also. One year he paid me a great compliment without realizing it. I was over at his house and we were chatting outside. He was looking at my front garden which was beginning to take on a great ambience. He said as if into the air, You really know what you are doing! I said, Yep! He was astonished that a female living alone could accomplish such a feat as to build a garden. Take Care. I would start looking now for the right fit for your lawn care. You may have to interview several companies to get the right fit. Get them to use organic fertilizer so that you are continually building up the soil and not depleting it. Eileen
Fabulous tips as always Alexandra 😁
Thanks so much! 😊
Lawns....to each his own, but my experience is that neglect leads to really yucky lawn. I’m retired now and putting it in good order and enjoying it very much. Also, I just shared your recommendation with my husband to reclassify a weed/weeds. 🌷🥰 I added a new one to my list of “acceptables.”
Yes, I am not proud of the lawn, and know it needs some treatment. But it wouldn't really be fair if I only showed the parts of the garden that look good. Glad to hear you've found a new acceptable weed. I am considering accepting garlic mustard as it has recently popped up here.
Love the tour. More please.
Thank you! There's a garden tour every month.
Clematis Recta is a beautiful shrub. Have to find a place for that in my beds.
I love it, it's so trouble free.
Good Morning Alexandra, great to see you with my Sunday morning coffee! Your garden looks beautiful as always! The Spring garden grows so fast, between rainy days and days when you don't feel up to chores outside things grow so fast . My husband helped me move a huge hosta clump that I ended up dividing because it was too big ...I was moving it into a pot because the deer eat it. It was so small coming up when I first thought of it and now the leaves really popped up. Thanks for talking about the daffodils...I noticed we have a huge mass of leaves and they got huge too. Do we wait until the leaves have died off to divide them? So good to see you...you look great in that shade of blue. Hope all is well with you. Thanks so much for making this video. Stay well
Thank you! and yes wait to dig up the daffodils until the leaves start to yellow and die off.
Regarding sapling growth from the root stock of prunus: I've found that removal with loppers or secateurs only encourages new growth to emerge from the same site. A better method is to remain vigilant and to break or tear off the new growth as soon as it emerges; when the tear follows the natural line of cellular growth it seems less inclined to resprout. For the same reason care should be taken when cultivating or mowing around prunus as some roots will lie close to the surface and any root wounding will immediately result in fresh growth springing up, even metres away from the trunk.
Yes, I think it does encourage growth - the pruning specialist who taught me said to cut near the trunk or joining branch, with a slanting cut, and quite close so that the trunk itself is almost smooth with only a small raised bit after the branch or stem has been removed. That tends to prevent further sprouting but not always.
Hey Alexandra, excellent video! Do you have any information on nut trees? I have two pecan trees and I don't know the first thing about taking care of them. They were here when we bought the house a year or so ago. I think one may be dying, but the other looks healthy 🤷
Blue looks great on you and the garden is looking wonderful.
Thank you!
Great info with the tour. I also wait til spring to clean up the garden, and every year I always wonder why I never learn my lesson, it would be nice to just get to planting straight away instead. Could you tell me again what the tree with the pink blossoms was, Thank you.
Thank you. That was a quince tree - I think it is Quince 'Meeches Prolific'.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Thanks =^)
Love the video Alexandra! Im a new follower. What’s the of the plant that you have in you bouquet, please? The one with purple flowers and leaves that remind me eucalyptus. Absolutely loving that flower. Thank you.
That is Cerinthe major, common name honeywort. I love it and it self seeds for me, although if you are a thorough weeder, then you would be better growing it from seed.
Thank you for the tour! It is amazing what a difference two growing zones makes! #JustWondering Do you grow David Austin Roses? In my experience, the flowers on some DAs can droop, particularly in young shrubs. I wonder if it would be better to kickstart with liquid feed, and then use the slow release when it is time to reapply - after the first flush to help avoid this issue...
I do grow David Austin roses and am going to interview them about roses when the current situation eases. I think it's worth checking the David Austin website for feeding instructions as they say that over feeding can be an issue if the flowers are drooping. The link is here: www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/help-and-faq
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Many thanks! We had an incredibly wet growing season last year which led to some botryitis and black spot despite our DAs' "excellent" disease resistance. That's why we used the liquid feed - to help them leaf out post-pruning. The 'drooping' is a real issue with them. That's why I am trying the traditional approach this year - slow release organic food - which includes alfalfa - in the early spring and after first flush. Roses are really challenging to grow, particularly if you are reluctant to do a strict rotating spray schedule.
The quince tree blossoms are so beautiful. I didn't catch the name of the flower that you mentioned. The purple coloured one in the jug next to you?
That was cerinthe.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Thank you so much. I have ordered 5 seeds!
such a beautiful video with useful info. May I ask what is the name of that beautiful green flower that appears in the video ar 13:10? It's so beautiful. Reminds me of a chrysanthemum which has green small buds, usually, you see them in crops in Waitrose bouquets. Thank you for sharing.
It's angelica, I think Angelica angelica, which self seeds. In the first year it is a low growing plant, then the second year there is this tall beautiful flower, then it seeds everywhere and dies, and the cycle starts again. I love it.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden i will look for it in garden centres. Thank you very much :)
If this is mid-sized mine is mini. It’s very beautiful.
'Middle-sized' is a bit of a funny term, I think, because in a town, a 70ft garden is 'large' but in the countryside three acres can be called 'small'! So garden size is a very variable concept, hence 'middle-sized' which means different things to different people. And thank you!
Now I don't feel so guilty if I don't follow the "garden rules"! Sometimes we just do not get around to do the lifting or pruning as we should, try to prune just before the new leaves appear, it works. As for the horrible job of pulling up weeds, actually when you walk outside, just bend and pull them out. Just a little at a time makes a big difference for the gardening day. Gardens must be enjoyed, perhaps arrange with a dear friend to come and help and vice versa, imagine 3-5 friends helping it will make the work so much easier. I always have hope for better days. Enjoy your garden!
Definitely don't feel guilty!
You look wonderful in your blue blouse. Could you write the Latin name of this annual plant with blue small flowers? I would like to buy this plant in Estonia, but I didn't understand the name of the plant in English. Thank you!
Hello there. I've just looked it up, because I too had the same doubt, tried one spelling with S and Google proposed another one: cerinthe. Wish you luck in Estonia, I don't think I'll be able to find it here in Argentina. Such a beautiful plant.
@@Neldidellavittoria Thank you very much!!! Yes, this annual is Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens' and seeds I can buy in Estonia from the local seed shop.
Thank you. It's Cerinthe major - the common name is honeywort.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Thank you for inspiration. I ordered seeds yesterday.
You've got a lovely mature garden. When we moved into our house there was nothing but grass fence to fence so everything that i have put in so far is tiny but i am recording it all on my UA-cam channel and website
Thank you! I looked at your channel and well done with the pond! Quite a project, but I'm sure you'll love it over the years, and the wildlife definitely will.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Thank you so much, we already have lots of beetles and dragonflies in it, just can't wait for the amphibians now.
I planted a cerinthe at your suggestion last year. One day, I pulled a weed from around it and the cerinthe bit the dust 2 days later. That also happened with a Veronica. The conclusion I came up with is that I disturbed their roots when I pulled out weed. Does that ever happen to you? Anyway, the cerinthe did not reseed for me. I’m in zone 9.
I have heard this happen before - I think we garden lovers divide into two categories. There are those who are good at weeding and those who are not, but get self seeded plants and there are good things about both categories. But the good weeders just don't get much in the way of self seeded plants. I first noticed this when a friend of mine who lived just two doors away and who is a professional gardener noted that she never got self seeded plants in her garden while mine was full of them. Her garden has exactly the same soil and aspect as mine but she is an excellent weeder and I am not. She sounded rather sad about it, but there is a lot to be said for her way of gardening because the plants she planted didn't get crowded out. If you like cerinthe, I would suggest growing it from seed on a windowsill or greenhouse, then planting it out rather than relying on it to self seed.
I love your narration. It's like a female version of David Attenborough.
Thank you!
Breathing excersuses