Garden Help.

[Nod]

This year is the first that we've had a decent number of ripe cherries for ourselves before the birds and squirrels have got to them! Shame they're a bit sour for my taste but I'm managing to enjoy them anyway.

 

[Cobra]

This year is the first that we've had a decent number of ripe cherries for ourselves before the birds and squirrels have got to them! Shame they're a bit sour for my taste but I'm managing to enjoy them anyway.

No trees here, in my garden, just the Bonsai's.

 

[Dale.]

We also have a pear tree, we got a load off it last year, more than we could eat before they went too soft.

 

[Dale.]

Hydrangea.

I've never had much luck with them, yet my old neighbour through the fence had success with cuttings he took off one I had a few years ago.

Anyway, my wife was given a potted Hydrangea last year as a leaving gift from her work at the time. It was about this time of year and already had flowers on it. I left the pot outside, the plant did well, it became pot bound. I moved it indoors last autumn, as I wasn't sure if it had even been hardened off. I wasn't sure how to over winter it anyway. It sat on a table in our hallway and whilst the flowers died off and I dead headed them, the leaves remained for a while. They too dropped off eventually and to look at, the plant was dead. I gave it a chance though and right enough, earlier this year, it started to sprout into life again. I left it on the table until things warmed up outside and I moved it outdoors about 6 weeks ago. Initially, it didn't like it, the leaves crumpled and went a whitish, powdery colour.

I transplanted it into a bigger pot, with some home made compost, mainly grass cuttings from over the years. It has gone from strength to strength this last few weeks, even begining to flower. It seems to love my compost, which is a mulchy, kind of soily type thing. It's still in the bigger pot.

I'm begining to wonder now if I could leave it outside over the coming winter? My plan is to maybe just plant it in the compost heap. I have no real use for compost, so I could make a feature of it, with the Hydrangea. I put some Flaming Lucifer bulbs in the compost last year, thinking they would compost but they've taken root too. I think this might look nice next year, the Hydrangea at the front with the Lucifer behind. It would look much better than the compost heap currently does.

So, would it be ok to transplant the Hydrangea to the compost heap and leave it out over winter?

Ta.

 

[Tigger.ufo]

Hydrangea.

I've never had much luck with them, yet my old neighbour through the fence had success with cuttings he took off one I had a few years ago.

Anyway, my wife was given a potted Hydrangea last year as a leaving gift from her work at the time. It was about this time of year and already had flowers on it. I left the pot outside, the plant did well, it became pot bound. I moved it indoors last autumn, as I wasn't sure if it had even been hardened off. I wasn't sure how to over winter it anyway. It sat on a table in our hallway and whilst the flowers died off and I dead headed them, the leaves remained for a while. They too dropped off eventually and to look at, the plant was dead. I gave it a chance though and right enough, earlier this year, it started to sprout into life again. I left it on the table until things warmed up outside and I moved it outdoors about 6 weeks ago. Initially, it didn't like it, the leaves crumpled and went a whitish, powdery colour.

I transplanted it into a bigger pot, with some home made compost, mainly grass cuttings from over the years. It has gone from strength to strength this last few weeks, even begining to flower. It seems to love my compost, which is a mulchy, kind of soily type thing. It's still in the bigger pot.

I'm begining to wonder now if I could leave it outside over the coming winter? My plan is to maybe just plant it in the compost heap. I have no real use for compost, so I could make a feature of it, with the Hydrangea. I put some Flaming Lucifer bulbs in the compost last year, thinking they would compost but they've taken root too. I think this might look nice next year, the Hydrangea at the front with the Lucifer behind. It would look much better than the compost heap currently does.

So, would it be ok to transplant the Hydrangea to the compost heap and leave it out over winter?

Ta.

They are pretty hardy and can be long lived.

Why not plant it in a bed somewhere with plenty of compost dug into the soil?

 

[Dale.]

They are pretty hardy and can be long lived.

Why not plant it in a bed somewhere with plenty of compost dug into the soil?

Thanks.

I'm not sure where to put it yet, I may put it in our border, just away from the Cherry Laurel. It's more sheltered there. Apparently, they don't like too much sun and it will get shaded in the border from about 2pm onwards, mid summer.

I may give it its own bed as you mention, great idea about the compost.