HG Gardeners Question Time...

[Sharon]

I am looking to buy a nice, big, mature, established, red rose as a present for my parents ruby wedding anniversary.
Which means I need a garden centre which might sell such a thing. (And not just small baby roses.)

I live in a flat so have no garden centre experience, can anyone recommend where I could try?

Thanks!

[Delmont St Xavier]

You could try:
Caldwell Garden Centre just passed Greenock, near to Hunterston - it will have many different types of roses and might be able to help.
Dobbies - in Milngavie and Braehead is also worth looking at but I find them all expensive.

Then out at Bishopton is the Erskine Shop = big new garden centre - helping to sustain Erskine Hospital and the work it does - worth a try.

There are various places all over Central Scotland; Lanark, Perth and Stirling area have lots of litle garden centres - worth asking about but those are perhaps the nearest that I can think of to you.

My next question....you not moving to a house?

[Sharon]

Cheers DSX, I shall try and check some of these places out over the weekend.

[aland]

err Cardwell is at gourock, head though Greenock (watching for the usual snipers) through gourock and it is on left or go past IBM to the roundabout, take 3rd exit and after a mile it is on right

[ibtg]

While you are in Milngavie, also try Mugdock Plantarium (don't know if that is spelled correctly!) in the Mugdock Country Park - It is near the Visitor Centre.

[Delmont St Xavier]

err Cardwell is at gourock, head though Greenock (watching for the usual snipers) through gourock and it is on left or go past IBM to the roundabout, take 3rd exit and after a mile it is on right

I stand corrected - I always approach it from the other direction and it's always on my left when I drive in...

[Sharon]

Well I went to Mugdock today and just gave in to the fact that the ruby rose was a bunch of short spiky sticks and supplemented it with a very handsome slate pot. So, job very nicely done.

[RDR]

When do you plant Rhubarb?

[Delmont St Xavier]

Well I went to Mugdock today and just gave in to the fact that the ruby rose was a bunch of short spiky sticks and supplemented it with a very handsome slate pot. So, job very nicely done.

Best way to get it - as it will now grow to be a mature rose bush. It can also be trimmed and to some degree shaped, something that is very difficult to do with a mature bush.

[Delmont St Xavier]

When do you plant Rhubarb?

December is a good month to plant but are you doing it from seed or from 'head' of plant? You need to prepare the soil at least 4 weeks in advance. Rhubarb is a very hardy plant but does not like the soil to be disturbed and for your information - once planted it's a bugger to get rid of it and nothing else can be planted in that area of soil for years.
It is hardy and needs the sun but it also needs exposure to frost to give you the best stalks.

[RDR]

When do you plant Rhubarb?

December is a good month to plant but are you doing it from seed or from 'head' of plant? You need to prepare the soil at least 4 weeks in advance. Rhubarb is a very hardy plant but does not like the soil to be disturbed and for your information - once planted it's a bugger to get rid of it and nothing else can be planted in that area of soil for years.
It is hardy and needs the sun but it also needs exposure to frost to give you the best stalks.

I know what you mean as I've grown it before in a previous garden.
This time I thought I would try it in a bag, like I do with my tatties. Do you think that is feasible?
I was going to try with a plant head, but none of the local garden centres have ones. Do you think they will around about xmas?

[Sharon]

The occasional daffodil is opening up now so spring is springing, roughly when would we expect to see tulips in full bloom in Glasgow?

[rabmania]

The occasional daffodil is opening up now so spring is springing, roughly when would we expect to see tulips in full bloom in Glasgow?

My tulips (the ones in tubs, that is) have got their foliage well above ground so I hope to see flowers this month.

[Huggy]

Rhubarb should be ready for planting shortly when the crowns show on the old roots, split these with a sharp spade, one crown to a lump of root. Plant in a well prepared deep bed, two foot apart and mulch every Winter with "Sch' you know who". Needs a lot of nitrogen, (pelleted chicken manure, or soot). Don't pick the first year. Needs sun & water. Containerised rhubarb can be planted anytime (very expensive option). You can still find rhubarb growing at Hogganfield, north of Mossbank School site, from the Pinkerton days. Help yourself. The variety is, Victoria. They used to have a sign up, "One stalk will do, if you take two, we'll get you!"