[Loubs]

Had a good tidy up of back garden today. Not sure whether banana has survived - will wait & see. It's always a bit of a late starter, so will give it till June.

Thought I'd lost my arum lilly, but clearing back the slimy mess of rotting leaves have found some new shoots coming through so very pleased this looks to have survived.

But stuff that is starting to shoot & grow is looking extra-vigorous this spring.

[unconcerned]

Like many here it was the Cordylines that got murdered this winter.

[muckyboots]

I lost most of my Dahlias after digging them up wrapping them in newspapper ,tucked them in a cardboad box covered that with me donkey jacket put inthe shed.They were better looked after than the good lady so she says.
 By the way I have found today some old seed from my departed mother,mostly flowers all abot 4+ years old shold I bin them or try some.
thanks Muckyboots

[tosca100]

What have you got to lose? Sow them and see. Might be a nice tribute.

[mumofstig]

try them but only in a small seed tray, that way you don't waste too much compost if they don't germinate.

I had an old packet of dahlias and crammed them in the tray, thinking that only a few would come up, and pretty much all of them did  

[muckyboots]

I will give some a try ,thanks for that.
muckyboots

[Paul Plots]

Much of the seed that I sow is past its "sow by" date.... even using some 2008 this year 

It does mean germination rates are lower but it's worth a try if you have the time to experiment - I usually get a result from old seed just perhaps not such a high rate of success. 

[Broadhaven]

dissapointed to find the jasmine that has survived well for past few years gave up this winter so now the job of untangling it from the arch. Sowing some passion flower and extra sweet peas for this year to replace it.

Hi Digger, I lost a passion flower. Notice that you say you are sowing some now. Are they easy to grow from seed and will I get flowers on them this year. Sorry if its not exactly a Big Freeze reply.

[gypsy]

My globe artichokes and asparagus have not shown this yr, so i presume they have been frozen to death.

[Paul Plots]

My globe artichokes and asparagus have not shown this yr, so i presume they have been frozen to death.

It might just be the colder & longer winter has delayed them.... still a bit of time before you should declare them gonners, perhaps? 

[gypsy]

I hope you are right Learner, the globe artichokes were new to me last yr I dug em up off a friends plot and planted them on mine, and the asparagus is only 2 yrs old so not had a crop off it yet.

[Paul Plots]

I hope you are right Learner, the globe artichokes were new to me last yr I dug em up off a friends plot and planted them on mine, and the asparagus is only 2 yrs old so not had a crop off it yet.

Well we can but hope.... I read or heard somewhere recently that someones asparagus has only just begun to appear so there is still a bit of hope left - fingers and everything crossed for you! 

[sclarke624]

Problem being, if all grown in pots, do you empty the pots out and start again or wait and see.  

What I did last year is all the dead looking ones I put in B&Q buckets out of sight to see if they greened up, one or two out of 10 ish did.

I have come to the decision to do the same again this year, put all the dead looking ones mostly geraniums in a big trough etc out of sight and start yet again, my fault even bought bubble wrap this year to put around them but always too cold in the garden to feel like wrapping them up.
Don't want and can't afford lots of new pots.

I have tried the scrape a bit of stem on the geraniums but still can't tell.

My daughters plants are the same with her asking me how long should I wait to see if they are alive.

[Paul Plots]

Heating a greenhouse to keep geraniums alive through a long winter is not economical - lifting them, knocking off the soil and hanging them um in a frost free garage works...

A bit late now but it might we worth experimenting with one or two at the end of this autumn? 

[sclarke624]

Oh Learner if only I had a greenhouse haha.  I have told myself to hang them upside next year or at least use the bubble wrap I bought to wrap them up with,wether I listen or not is another thing LOL.