Homeowner Forum / Lawn and Garden / September 2008

I tried planting out Sunflowers (large variety) this year and had immediate
success.
Now apart from the natural beauty of them I was hoping that a number of the
birds I get in the garden would really relish them having been told by other

Our last attempt produced nice big plants, lots of flowers and no fruit
despite hand pollination, so might have been wrong variety.
Hence my question.

Mulch when applied correctly can help trees acquire conditions for healthy
growth has they had when they got their genetic codes in a forest.  Mulch
comes in different gradations.  Some people claim removing mulch from a
forest is good for forest health

http://www.science-frontiers.com/sf127/sf127p08.htm
Amused by this article reporting how Australian dogs discovered they
can get themselves "high" by carefully sampling a cane toad's toxin.
I expected to find it was published on April 1, but not so.

I've seen my climbing roses getting yellow canes on them...one or
two....is this normal for this time of year? I'm pretty new to growing
them....it's been dry but I have been watering them once a week.....I'm
in zone 5b....any thoughts?...or am I just getting panicky.....; )

Do Phals typically grow two leaves a season or do they sometimes grow 1.
I have two phals.  One grew two leaves and the other just one.  I wonder if
the one that grew just 1 is finished for the season?
Thanks for all replies.

How have other folks' tomatoes been doing?   I have yellow cherry type ones
in the conservatory which have done very well.  But in the Greenhouse are
big red beefsteak ones which have grown big but none yet red.  Am I being
impatient or should they have gone red by now?

Does anyone here know what season you grow watermellon in? how long it
takes to grow? what don't you an ddo you feed it? please help with
this i need some advice thanks.

Decided to shut up for a while, before I upset too many of you goo
folks.
I shall still take a peek now and then to see whats going on, though.
Before I go, did you hear about the old Norfolk boy who decided to tr

Salutations, gentlefolk,
Did a bit of research and found that the little green tennisballs
falling in my front yard actually contain black walnuts.
Any advice on how to seperate the edible part from the  "containers'',

Bugger! My tomatoes have also fallen to blight. Hardly surprising as I've
been getting alert after alert from BlightWatch recently. Oh well, looking
forward to next year.
So, I'm not going organic next year. Sorry. What should I spray the crap out

I've read positive comments about clover, regarding its  nitrogen-fixing etc,
and so instead of classing it as a weed, I have left what I think is white
clover, just a few inches high,  to grow in recently-made herbaceous/shrub
borders where it is spreading around gradually. I'm ...

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June Hughes kindly alerted me to this today.  It's "A little place I know"
and this week's is by Guy Watson of Riverford Farm:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/aug/30/restaurants.foodanddrink1

    Someboday (was it Sacha) suggested Toby Buckland as a good
follow-up to Monty for GW.  I see from the new Radio Times that he is
taking on the job.
Pam in Bristol