Plantsmans Diaries Monthly...Early May 2024

It's difficult to put such a busy month as May into one video so I will likely need to put together a second later in the month....The weather has marginally improved and the wet land is making growth quite lush, there has also been a distinct lack of frost...good in some ways but concerning in others. Anyway, best wishes to all.
Malcolm

[@fionamoriarty4050]

Please 🙏 don't stop Malcolm 🙏

[@PamsMountainGarden]

Oh, Malcolm, I get everything from your videos. I always get some laughs, often at your dogs, and some joy at the beauty of your garden. Then there are incredible nuggets of knowledge. I have been gardening and reading about gardening for decades but every vid has some pithy thing I didn’t know. I often go back and watch older vids . What a wealth of information! I know how much time it takes from doing my own sad little films; so, thank you! It makes my day when one of your vids posts.

[@gigi3242]

I love your collection of beautiful plants; such a wonderful garden. Thank you for sharing. Have a wonderful Spring

[@Goshtkub]

you have no idea how happy I was to see you posted another video. Thank you M.

[@plantsmanscorner128]

I don’t have any idea Goshtkub….I’m astounded anyone is particularly interested in my horticultural ramblings at all……but as I’ve said to someone else, I’m actually enjoying making this series. And comments like yours are really nice to hear. Thank you and best wishes….Malcolm

[@Bons_Eye]

YAY! Malcolm's back

[@bencollyer2296]

Spring mornings coffee and chilling in your garden Living the dream

[@plantsmanscorner128]

True Ben…..but it’s been f***ing knackering getting here, but I hope to share it vicariously with people, as I’m actually enjoying making these videos now. Best wishes and I hope you’re chilling also….Malcolm

[@helenwilliamson7099]

Beautiful, enjoy America Amanda looks amazing, luv the poem ❤️ x

[@dianecompton2245]

Thank you Malcolm, I truly enjoy your videos.

[@plantsmanscorner128]

You’re very welcome Diane….I’m actually quite enjoying doing them now. Feels less business like and tutorial and more a relaxed chat amongst gardening friends. Best wishes….Malcolm

[@davidrevitt7470]

Fabulous video as always,always entertaining, and informative,and funny, i would sooner watch you than gardeners world

[@UZI-Max]

Luv these videos .. I'm always happy when you've uploaded another one 😊 cheers from the Netherlands 🇳🇱🤝🏻🇬🇧

[@fionamoriarty4050]

Yippee I am so happy to see your videos again , love them always a pick me up thank you all the way from Ireland ❤🎉

[@plantsmanscorner128]

You’re welcome Fiona…..I hope you get something from them….warts and all 😊…best wishes….Malcolm

[@Cherryparfait41]

Oh, I so enjoy you! 😅 A wonderful relief from all of the stuffiness people around me bring. I need more plant loving people like you in my life.

[@sheilaackers3854]

Thank you Malcom great content as usual. I love aqualieja so delicate and great colours. Those dogs are a laugh a minute.

[@GrandmaSandy]

Thanks for a great video. Full of all kinds of great information. A great chitchat today my dear friend. See you in the next video.

[@backyardmechanic921]

Good to see another video from you. I shall watch with interest wether the Hosta grows. Loved the dogs looking out the window.

[@williamfaulkner5506]

Another great video malcolm. Thanks for posting

[@digsowgrow]

‘Condom Pink’ 😂……great to have you posting again Malcolm. Garden is starting to really kick on…..be great once those roses and apple espaliers fill those frames.

[@Jiangmi25]

I only found your channel this year : for the delphinium propagation video! Since then, I have binged on your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and keeping your unique style. P.S.could you pleaaaaazzzzzz show us how to propagate clematis? 😬

[@plantsmanscorner128]

I actually need to do some this year so I shall give a demonstration of how I do it over the next couple of months Jiangmi. I will also redo the Delphinium class with the home gardener in mind. Best wishes to you….Malcolm

[@Jiangmi25]

⁠@@plantsmanscorner128Thank you ever so much in advance! I will be looking forward to it 🙏🏽

[@gilliansmyth7167]

Hi Malcolm lovely video so much information again. My interest in growing plants start when I was a child I'm 70 😜my grand father had an allotment at Rothamsted you know well lots of building work going on soon be a housing estate.

[@plantsmanscorner128]

I know Rothamsted well Gillian…spent almost ten years there …..which part is being built on? I used to live in the lodge by the Ministry of agriculture building (as was) on Hatching Green…sold plants from a table outside the house for a few years also. Seems like a lifetime ago. It amazes me how many people were introduced to gardening by grandfathers with allotments. Very best wishes….Malcolm

[@gilliansmyth7167]

@@plantsmanscorner128 I think you will be shocked at the building work that's gone on. The big Ministry building has all gone and a housing estate has been built next to the lodge. Opposite all bees have gone the land cleared and bungalows built all behind the Thatcher cottages. That's the latest building work. They have a big conference centre with restaurant which the public can use. The Manor House is hired out for weddings and films. It's nice to walk round with the dogs. Not as lovely as your walks so jealous. Keep well love gillybean.

Hi Malcom i have had a delivery of chrysanthemum from parkers nice plants but the time they took to send in the post or carrier was 6 days they should be sent courier urgent so they are delivered in two days only or they start to compost down, i lost several plants but the others survived with my care. Great videos and nice to see the young coming on.

[@marshmenne8657]

The gardens are beautiful, the edged path looked great, Amanda’s segment and poem were perfect and, I have never laughed more watching you Malcolm. Best Agro-Comedy around! Thank you.

[@julietomlinson7368]

Can you show us your Himalayan lilac Malcolm? We bought one from Eggleston and are very pleased with it. I think you said you would have to keep it pruned? So pleased to see you back

[@badbooks476]

Great video & wonderful catch up, Lovely to hear Amanda. I remember in the 1980’s, the local flower show would have the most wonderful Cut flower Sweet Pea’s displayed so delicately in a fan & in a vase. My Grandad never understood BBQ’s, as he said it wasn’t too long ago that we ate inside & Shat outside in the Netty.

[@DeirdreHickey-nx8nt]

Yah, I cannot believe you are back. This is wonderful news you look great by the way. Now let’s get down to some serious gardening 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❤️

[@helenyoung8012]

I have given up with Parkers. I will only buy bulbs from them. Look forward to seeing how you manage to resurrect them.

[@plantsmanscorner128]

I’ve always thought that Helen, even with the wholesale side…….However I do want to explore what we as the gardening public get for our hard earned money without being deliberately confrontational….I can see things from a growers perspective which helps but I also understand degrees of difficulty/rarity and good husbandry. I might ask for some input from subscribers in this later on. I’ve no intention of becoming an influencer or the like, but I do like quality plants….or people get put off gardening and all its health, emotional and spiritual benefits. Best wishes….Malcolm

[@helenyoung8012]

@@plantsmanscorner128 thank you. I have learnt and enjoyed much from watching you over the years, and as for the dogs !!!!. 😂😂 Your garden is coming on in leaps and bounds and I have serious Trillium envy. Look forward to seeing what the plug plant buying experiment brings.

[@andreamacinnes4644]

John Kirkwood is brilliant! Excellent man...excellent food. And yes, full Pooh.

[@laurenb6451]

I was afraid to look to see if you posted another video because I didn’t want to be disappointed! But here’s the new video and it’s great! (Before there were phones with mute buttons I sometimes stuck the phone in the refrigeratorr so It wouldn't wake me up. 🤡

[@mariapascualy2598]

Loved the walkabout. Thank you!

[@susanok2264]

I'm a California subscriber who gets excited whenever you put out a new and always enjoyable video. That said, when you were discussing rats, I had a flashback to when rats invaded our backyard storage shed. We had to discard everything they contaminated and basically rebuild it. Cost us thousands of dollars. We now have rat bait stations in our garden. They are filled with a no secondary kill poison...and monitored by a pest control company. If birds, dogs, cats, and the many coyotes in our area eat them, they aren't affected. Sometimes one has to choose lesser of two evils. So good to have you back!

[@plantsmanscorner128]

That’s interesting to know Susan, Thank you. They can be a problem and seem very pleased to cohabit with humans given the opportunity. Though having said that there are one or two humans with whom I’d prefer to live alongside rats. Best wishes.to you in (sunny?)California. Malcolm

[@MDA-rs4uf]

Shirasawanum "aureum" is likewise my favorite and this year I finally got it to graft. Believe it or not.

[@lenaolivetti9366]

Thank you

[@sallynolan5928]

Yep - John Kirkwood is great. Plain, simple and tasty.

[@annescott6137]

Hi from Scotland hi malcome thank you for the amazing vidio I really enjoyed it I just love your knowledge on all the fantastic trees and plants can't wait for the next vidio your garden is amazing cheers malcome till next time anne from Scotland 😊

[@plantsmanscorner128]

You’re very welcome Anne…..always nice to hear from you x Malcolm

[@gracem3654]

Lovely to see you back this morning, interested to see you growing in large pots. Ive moved and my garden is now a yard so lots of pots mostly 30ltr and above, What compost/soil would you use typically.

[@plantsmanscorner128]

The best I could afford Grace. A good tree and shrub compost…..recommendations online or maybe “which? Gardening” have done some assessments by comparison. It’s hard for me to be definitive because I use one that is specially made up. You might look at the “LBS Horticulture” website. I wouldn’t get too hung up on descriptions such as tree and shrub or potting or seed….though I never use seed and cutting composts. You need one with a long period of nutrition, then remove an inch or two of old compost from the surface each spring and top dress with new and some slow release fertiliser to cover as much of the growing season as possible. If you don’t the plants will not flourish….they may hold their own for a year or two but eventually become stunted. I think I will film it, but not until next spring now as I’ve done mine and forgot about filming. I am making a list as we go through the year and people ask me stuff. There are many methods of doing things, all I can do is show mine and the results. Hope that helps. Best wishes….Malcolm 👨‍🌾

[@wendychandler8304]

All your hard work paid off Malcolm' beautiful. One disagreement - Spanish bluebells are hell to get out once they are established; I've been trying for 20 years, They do cross-pollinate, to the detriment of our native delicate English ones. so I hope you are not near an English country woodland.

[@plantsmanscorner128]

I don’t mind them Wendy they were here when we bought the house…all over, but.I’ve reduced them to one little clump……they still have a right to life though, although I do find them a little more plastic looking….a bit like hyacinths. I’m not sure how you can stop them, like all introductions into the uk….Rabbits, American crayfish, snowdrops, Himalayan balsam, grey squirrels etc……they find our climate very acceptable and thrive. I feel there are a great many things changing rapidly as our UK climate changes. I did a video on the three bluebells (English, Spanish & Hybrids) a few years back…..I like them all frankly but nature will take its course…..The UK was the last bastion after the land broke off from mainland Europe, but travel and past desires for more exotic plants in the 18th century circumvented that natural formed barrier. I suppose it’s like your son or daughter marrying a totally unsuitable partner…..you might not like it but the genes will never be the same again….could be worse, might be better. They certainly don’t have the delicacy, that others might call weakness. Less than half of UK plants are native today, but we have a diverse gardenscape. Think of the poor Neanderthal, happily eating nuts, berries and each other then along comes homosapiens and bred them out of existence, thus we are here to enjoy our gardens today 😉…..very best wishes…Malcolm

[@laurenb6451]

I can’t remember which book by P H Wodehouse, but there are references to shooting rats with an air rifle. (Very funny story)

[@nickwilson5637]

Long time no see, its good to see you back Malcolm. Ive just noticed that you posted two other videos that i wasnt notified of... KZbin playing silly buggers again

[@plantsmanscorner128]

Well I’m hoping to put out one a month this year Nick….probably two this month as it’s a busy one growth wise. Best wishes….Malcolm

[@petercresswell5402]

Think i prefer the eating stuff to the trained Labrador tgat used to deliver manky stuff from the reservoir. Daily walks on the narsh hed occasionally cone back with a goose.......

[@Nate770]

Cheers Malcom, I was trying to eat a chocolate brownie when you started going on about chamber pots. Thanks for that 🤢😂 👍

[@plantsmanscorner128]

😂You’re very welcome Nate 💩

[@barrylong8274]

I have tried a few airlayers with mixed results.Would be interested at seeing your method.

[@plantsmanscorner128]

There are several methods Barry….i’ll maybe do a couple a bit further on in the year, depending what I grow. It’s not the most reliable method but is cheap and relatively easy which is my two criteria for the future so everyone that fancies it can have a crack. Best wishes…..Malcolm

[@annmcdonald2442]

Love having you back but I wish you hadn't started talking about false teeth and chamber pots just as I was eating my dinner.

[@Goshtkub]

Malcolm, how do you get the snails off yours Hostas? Thanks again.

[@plantsmanscorner128]

I’ll mention it in the next video Goshtkub…..it’s all about balance in the end, but that depends where you live to a greater extent. Best wishes…Malcolm

[@gilliansmyth7167]

I wanted bill Wallis in my garden sent away for it on line very disappointed with the very tiny plant I received it will grow in time.

[@plantsmanscorner128]

Bill Wallis is a lovely little geranium Gillian…..it’s a pyrenaicum and seeds about quite well once established. Not a big plant but a lovely blue, though it’s hard to distinguish from the straight pyrenaicum type species these days. I think it’s about time someone took a few of these mail order companies to task and promoted good ones. I never sold weak stock to customers at my nurseries and I don’t like seeing it done…..more on this in future videos. Having said that, It’s ok to sell small plants if the buyer is aware and informed they need growing on in the first instance….easy enough with today’s technology. I feel maybe even easier with smaller family run businesses. I may in future offer the odd plant to subscribers, like the occasional trillium or dactylorhiza…..or items you see me propagate….but only the odd rarity. Very best wishes….Malcolm

[@MDA-rs4uf]

They are just being dogs...all dogs are attracted to dead stuff...it's Channel no. 5 for them....m