This discussion has been closed.
Posted by dannyson (U7870976) on Friday, 27th June 2008
I followed Joe Swifts advice - despite my better half saying 'don't listen to .... .....' - and put a few house plants (from the garden centre) in pots in the part of my garden that is my gravel / jungle garden. As I suspected they would - the leaves have quickly discoloured and they are looking poorly. And I am opening my garden for locals on Sunday ...... so difficult decision - leave as a talking point or remove? Clearly I should have coldframed them and let them acclimatise for a few weeks - especially as they had been in a warm enviro. for months before - I wish Joe had mentioned that!! DOH!
I think this may be due partly to an unusually cold wind this summer so far. Many annuals, particularly in hanging baskets, have taken quite a battering where I am. I thought houseplants in the garden was a pretty dodgy idea, generally they need much more constant conditions than a garden can provide. Personally I would take them out if you have an open garden this weekend, but that's a personal decision. I hope the opening goes well for you, I bet it will
I'd remove them, too. Nobody likes looking at sickly plants.The conversation would be behind your back about them, not to your face (Did you see those sickly plants they had? Call themselves gardeners...) Enjoy your open day, I'm sure everything else will love fab.
Or ... I could put a notice - sickly house plants - look and learn - don't do this!!
, in reply to message 4.
Posted by Ariadne Knickerbocker (U4534559) on Saturday, 28th June 2008
I have the perfect solution Dannyson.
Leave the houseplants in situ but put a big sign next to them saying "Guess who told me to put them there?". Then offer a small prize of a packet of seeds to whoever makes the best guess and publish the answers on the message board so we all get to have a laugh.
In future always listen to your better half. There is a good reason why they are called this.
Venus
I wondered what's going to happen to those house plants at the end of the season.
Will they all be going in someone's home - together with the worms and whatever other fauna have set up home in the pots during the Summer. Or are they all destined for the compost heap.
You do like your party games, don't you Venus? I like the one where you have to identify how many turnips have a celebrity named after them (sorry too busy at the mo to work out how to respond on the Sea of Gravy)
Danny I strongly advise serving excellent tea and cake at your do, this will distract attention away from the shameful plants.
House plants do well in houses because they don't like UK outdoor conditions or unfiltered sun. I once put a ficus benjamina out on the terrace for some fresh air and a shower to get the dust off its leaves but even on a north facing terrace where the sun doesn't shine till late afternoon it took umbrage and got sunburn and probably windburn. Now it goes in the shower to get clean and is very happy indoors.
I'd put the sign up and shame Joe unless you think it might make you look gulible, in which case, take the plants out and give them some indoor TLC.
I was given to understand this was the thing to do, and started putting my houseplants outside in the summer. I lost a peace lily (hope Joe's survive), lost an aspidistra-it turned brown, nearly lost a palm, and one or two others. This was over the past few years. They were in sheltered spots and kept watered, and pests seemed to like them. I thought it was the wind that caused the most damage, as indoors the air is relatively still. Stopped doing it now.
House plants will be perfvectly fine in the garden over the summer but you have to be extremely careful to acclimatise them to the lighter conditions. If you think about it, even the lightest area in most houses is actually in fairly heavy shade for a large part of the day so if you put them straight outside the leaves will scorch almost instantly.
Well dannyson, I hope you are going to let us know what you did in the end and what reactions you got? Hope it was a great day.
My experience has been 'unfortunate' too but not for the same reasons.
Each time (over three years) I have put houseplants outside they have been 'got at' by something! This 'something' must bury its eggs in the soil because each time I brought the healthy plants back into the house - after a short while - small flies have emerged. After this happening three times I no longer put houseplants outside - to be honest I no longer have house plants!!
When Joe advised doing this I just smiled and thought 'not here, Joe!'
I notice joe hasn't mentioned the basil again. I wonder how many people tried that.
Any update, Dannyson?
Presumably you opened the garden today - with or without the dreaded houseplants?
PHJ
He's probably keeled over with exhaustion PHJ, after explaining to 200 people why it isn't a good idea to put houseplants outside. Personally I think the name is the give away - house-plants.
Now that's something that we ought to pass on to Soe Jift - house-plants = HOUSE. D'you think he'd geddit?
PHJ
Hello Aspidistra. I have noted you like cats so just wanted to point you at an old thread started by cat lovers against all those pesky threads complaining about cats in gardens -
Enjoy.
That's brilliant, Obelixx. Although I have no idea what gave you the idea that I like cats.
I must stay on topic I must stay on topic I must stay on topic I must stay on topic I must stay on...
um, what was the topic?
PS Oh my goodness, its so long, Obelixx, its going to take me weeks to read it all. I'd better pack in all gainful employment in order to devote more time to getting through it. It really is so funny.
I always put my houseplants in the garden during the summer. The trick is to avoid the sun during the 1st week as the plants get accustomed to its surrounds, after all you won't put a seedling straight into the garden until it is harden off. Leaves do get slight discoloured, slightly damaged at first, but the new emerging one are always OK.
I have an asparagus fern (put out Last year), wandering Jew (several years)and a spider plant (3 years)which were put out in the garden and have never been returned to the house and they all thriving.
It seems no matter what Joe does, his best will not be good enough for some.
Hi Chocolatevine
Re Joe, Indeed I often say to myself as another houseplant bites the dust, 'That will be Joe Swift's fault, for failing to remind me to water it.'
I blame the blame culture, for blaming him.
My original info didn't come from Jo.S. so I can hardly blame him! I wonder where he got the info from in the first place?
You are so witty
Well - left the house plants in the garden and put a little note next to them - nothing witty I'm afraid ... just somehing like 'calls himself a gardener??'.
Trouble is now I have someone from the NGS coming to inspect on Tuesday (second visit) - so I thought I would dress the lawn for the last time this year - looks like I've overdone it - there are many 'burnt' areas - so gave it a good soaking today - but the damage may be done!!
Anyone out there opened their garden under the scheme? - is it worth all the hassle??
Good question that Dannyson. I watched Open Gardens on tv. I thought people spend hundreds to make their garden look beautiful and interesting. Then they get a visit from the NSG, they like some parts of the garden but they seem to focus on minute matters, like a small peice of black membrane or pond liner is showing. They suggest more improvements. So people spend even more money to put things right.
I feel if your garden is not on a show for all the year around or every day during the summer months, it doesn't seem like a viable option to go thru all the hassle just to have your garden on the show. Having said that, people do put themselves out so that other people praise (or criticise) their hard work. I would rather spend money on having a good winter holiday and enjoy my garden rest of the year without trying to please other people.
I am sure there are people who will write the positive aspects of having your garden open for the public.
Apart from the glory, surely one of the most important things about having your garden open for the NGS is that it raises money for charity, Malan?
I love the NGS scheme because you get to see some truly fantastic gardens which are not normally open to the public and meet some great gardeners (and buy cheap, often unusual plants!).
From friends of mine who have applied, I think it can be a bit gruelling to go through the process as they are quite strict about some stuff but that keeps the standards up. I do agree, Malan, that it could end up being rather costly, though, so you have to be willing, perhaps, to invest a bit on your garden. However there is no saying that someone working at a slower pace couldn't eventually get up to scratch without having to splash out.
If you have something beautiful, how fabulous to be able to share it with the world.
If we want to raise money for a charity, surely tehre are stressfree ways to do it without spending hundreds. For example, have a good clear out and sell the stuff at a car boot sale and donate the money. Help people with disability by doing their garden and that is a charity in itself. I don't think one needs to hand over the money to a charity organisation to be able to do the charity work. Just help those who really needs your help. To me, charity is about being generous, kind and understanding. Charity begins at home, so I would rather save money but help others by giving up my time.
They do it for the love of gardens and gardening malanD. I love to see other people's gardens and if it means paying £2-3 to have a look then I'm happy to do so. Sometimes you see unusual plants and the bonus is that the garden's owners have propagated them. It's lovely to buy something that might be difficult to find at the local GC.
Nana
Aspidistra and Nana, you explained what's good about the open gardens from the public's point of view, where as I was pointing out the problems, in terms of those who are considering their garden to put on a show. I was answering the question that was put to us.
I have now started this converstaion off in 'Garden Clinc' forum to try and get feedback from people that have actually opened there gardens for the NGS. Please feel free to continue the discussion there!
I agree malanD, it would be more worthwhile spending any time you can spare directly on somebody's garden, who needs the help, than finicking your own to get it worthy of the NGS's standards, which would cost money you may not recoup overall.
Thanks, I was hoping somebody would agree with me.
Hi malanD,have just read through the thread and realised what you're getting at.
I'm quite happy to pay money to look at any garden. It seems the NGS are only looking for perfection.
Better not enter mine then.
Last weekend I visited a village not far from me who had their gardens open.I met up with some old friends who used to open theirs. They hadn't opened for two or three years as they thought the criteria was becoming too strict. I had a look anyway and it's lovely.
Is the NGS becoming elitist?
Nana
I think its okay for the NGS to be elitist, so that you are guaranteed to see gardens of a certain standard. However, interesting point about who decides those standards, nanaanna.
I agree with the people who say, though, for a much less stressful experience, local open gardens are the way to go and if I ever got to a point where I felt I could open my garden, that's what I'd do.
Having said that, I have been round some local open gardens which have included gardens that I really don't think merit a visit but are just open because the local charities are happy for any input and don't censor who opens.
Its a tough call, because people love their gardens and don't always understand that in the wider scheme of things they may not be that interesting to the public. But I've also been in that situation where it feels a bit of a time waster to trundle round extremely 'ordinary' gardens.
MalanD, I take your points re other ways of giving to charity.
By enforcing (or insisting on) the highest possible standards, the NGS encourage people to have manicured lawns and not a single stray weed visible. I am sure the gardens must be very pleasant to look at. I have never been to any but would I really like to look at the 'designer' type gardens where everything is kept immaculate and just right? It seems unnatural to me but then if you expect the general public to pay for the viewing, the garden must be in pristine conditions. I am tidy and neat but I wouldn't like to get paranoid about it.
It isn't true that you have to have manicured lawns, MalanD to be an NGS garden. With both my friends who applied, one of whom is now in the scheme, neither have lawns and both have wildlife friendly gardens.
Admittedly I have seen some pretty 'perfect' lawns in NGS gardens but that isn't the only sort of garden that gets accepted. I have to admit I love looking at a perfect lawn, like topiary, I suppose it is the total control of nature, but wouldn't dream of having one, as I value wildlife space above that. But I really don't think that's all the NGS is about, either.
I think having to have 45 minutes interest eliminates many gardens from the NGS.
We do open gardens in our village and the organisers are more interested in quantity rather than quality. Not something I agree with. Some of the gardens really are not very good but the owners have relented and opened after being badgered by 'the commitee'. Having said that some garden are stunning and the organisers just want to make sure they have a lot for visitors to see.
I dont think the reality of opening your garden with the NGS is the same as presented on open gardens.
Here I get the impression added drama is needed, as if you watch Open gardens is a sob story ie I want to open the garden because....
Having visited many open gardens in recent years the reality is that many of the gardens are not perfect, what I do always see is a structured garden tended by a person who has a passion for their garden be that a cottage garden or a rock garden.
Welcome to the new Gardening Board. If this is your first time, then make sure you check out the
or  to take part in a discussion.
The message board is currently closed for posting.
Weekdays 09:00-00:00
Weekends 10:00-00:00
This messageboard is .
Find out more about this board's
Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú © 2014 The Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.