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Wild life!!!!!!!!

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Laura (U9085143) on Saturday, 24th October 2009

  I cringed to see the flowers pulled-up and discarded by Toby in Gardener's World last Friday. I love to leave mine until the very last giving the bees late blooms to visit and then the seeds for the birds and also a few to save for next year. What a thoughtless waste. Yes I know he wanted to plant tulips and wallflowers. Will they be pulled up ahead of time too I wonder. I shall not be staying up until 10pm either - but may watch it later on the computer.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by PenylanSue (U13901201) on Sunday, 25th October 2009

  Laura, the idea of pulling up the bedding now is to give the spring bedding a better show and therefore early blooms for the insects too. They should be able to get plenty of food yet from the permanent planting, ie Rudbekia, Michaelmas Daisies, Heleniums, flowering shrubs, ivy etc, etc.
  I am always loath to pull up things that are still flowering but then regret not doing it when I've left it too late to give what is following chance to get good roots down.
  This is not a new idea and has been done in parks for yonks!
  You could plant them in an empty part of the garden such as the veg patch if you've got one or hang them upside down somewhere for the birds to get at.
  Are you sure this is not another dig at Toby?

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by Trillium (U2170869) on Sunday, 25th October 2009

  I think this sequence highlights the difference between professional and amateur gardening - by which I mean paid-for horticulture work and gardening for yourself.
  
  All over the country in public and large private gardens, teams are being sent out - have already been sent out - on a schedule to take out all the summer bedding and replace the schemes, exactly as Toby has done. It will be done quickly, efficiently, all in one go and the plants being removed will be discarded as the waste material they are, no matter how many open flowers there are on them.
  
  Domestically things are usually quite different. We wait and watch, leaving the job until a subtle moment is reached when the pleasure from the few remaining blooms fails to disguise the now scrappy looking plant. We do the job eventually, but with regret and respect, placing the near-dead plants in the barrow with gentleness, perhaps cutting off some blooms for the house as we go.
  
  But if we time it wrong, the weather may change for the worse and it's a week or more before we can take out the now miserable looking bedding on a dismal, cold day in November and a squally gale will drive in, dismissing our intentions of planting tulips or anything else.
  
  So Toby acted perfectly professionally in this piece and the advice was timely.
  
  Instinctively, though, I feel that he might occasionally set his professional training to one side and think himself into the mindset of the overwhelmingly domestic GW audience. Just taking the task a little more slowly, looking a bit less gleeful about it, or taking out large clumps and leaving others for a bit longer would have conveyed a less cavalier appearance - and it was only an appearance - for the plants were destined for the compost bin sooner or later.

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• Message 4

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  Posted by PenylanSue (U13901201) on Sunday, 25th October 2009

  Oh Trillium, you do put it across really well and so much better than I.
  You're always the calm voice of reason too.

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• Message 5

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  Posted by SparklyTwirler (U14172124) on Monday, 26th October 2009

  I agree with Toby, I always do mine before they look really raggy. It is a bit of a nitpicking complaint as wildlife have an abundance of food at this time of year. As for "staying up!" until 10pm on a Friday....I'm sure that to see a review of the year at Greenacres would be well worth the sacrifice of sleep ( but then, I'm a night owl and a gardenholic )

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• Message 6

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  Posted by Trillium (U2170869) on Monday, 26th October 2009

  Penylansue - thanks for the compliment, but personally I think I just use 100 words when 10 would do just fine!

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• Message 7

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  Posted by nooj (U13729031) on Monday, 26th October 2009

  Trillium - I think PS is right!
  You are always reasoned as well.
  Not being creepy - just what I've noticed over the years

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• Message 8

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  Posted by MrGrinch-Champion of the Middle Saxons (U1934518) on Tuesday, 27th October 2009

  Another dig at TB again i see.
  
  I always pull my summer bedding in late September and start to chop back going over perenials around this time. The reason, because if you plant your winter/spring bedding in late September then the earth is still warm enough for growth and plants become established before winter sets in. This helps them in winter and makes the show in spring much much better.
  
  TB, you were 100% correct.
  
  G

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• Message 9

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  Posted by Goldilocks (U2169760) on Wednesday, 28th October 2009

  I must admit that I saw absolutely nothing wrong with it and I am not a professional. Some plants (trees, shrubs, perennials) I treat as old friends,becauae with care they will reward me for years, but I have a detached view about bedding plants. Out they come, straight onto the compost heap.
  I know some boarders try to grow their peppers on through the winter, or take cuttings of petunias to try to keep them for another year, even though the cost of doing so is higher than the cost of buying new (and healthier) ones next spring. I don't blame Toby for doing it right, without explanation.

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• Message 10

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  Posted by Aspidistra (U11680993) on Thursday, 5th November 2009

  I agree, Trills always puts things so well.
  
  But what is this bit Goldilocks about Toby being 'right'? There is no right and wrong about it, it is a question of individual choice and for those of us who want to give wildlife the best chance in our gardens, leaving as much as possible, for as long as possible, is the best option to provide late flowers for insects, seeds for birds and often the stalks of plants themselves can be useful for overwintering beneficial insects.
  
  

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