East Renfrewshire: Balcony Brilliance, Reluctant Camellias and Making The Most Of Moss

Q1 – “Why do I only ever get one flower on my camellia?” (01’23”)

Q2 – “I've moved from a house to a flat with a west-facing balcony. What fragrant rose and evergreen would you recommend?” (04’04”)

James Wong

• Trachelospermum jasminoides, star jasmine

Kirsty Wilson

• Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ ('Ausbord'PBR) (S), rose ‘Gertrude Jekyll’• Rosa ‘Olivia Rose Austin’ ('Ausmixture'PBR) (S), rose ‘Olivia Rose Austin’• Rosa ‘Queen of Sweden’ ('Austiger'PBR) (S), rose ‘Queen of Sweden’• Rosa ‘Cutie Pie’, rose ‘Cutie Pie’• Salvia rosmarinus (syn. Rosmarinus officinalis), rosemary• Laurus nobilis, bay

Bethan Collerton

• Fatsia japonica, Japanese aralia• Ficus carica, fig 

Q3 – “What can I do with a mossy, shady, neglected shared garden?” (10’01”)

Question context

• Common ferns• Sambucus spp., elder• Viburnum spp., viburnum• Camellia spp., camellia• Berberis spp., barberry• Ligustrum spp., privet

Bethan Collerton

• Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’, Siberian bugloss ‘Jack Frost’• Myosotis spp., forget-me-not (comparison)• Astilbe spp., astilbe• Viburnum tinus, laurustinus

James Wong

• Mosses (general)• Erigeron karvinskianus, Mexican fleabane• Pratia pedunculata (syn. Lobelia pedunculata), pratia/ blue star creeper• Meconopsis spp., Himalayan blue poppy

Kirsty Wilson

• Cardiocrinum giganteum, giant Himalayan lily• Narcissus spp., daffodil• Tulipa spp., tulip• Camassia spp., camas• Allium spp., ornamental onion• Acer palmatum cultivars, Japanese maple• Hardy geraniums (Geranium spp.)• Geranium ‘Splish Splash’, hardy geranium ‘Splish Splash’• Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’, avens ‘Totally Tangerine’• Geum ‘Scarlet Tempest’, avens ‘Scarlet Tempest’ 

Feature – Commonwealth Plants at Glasgow Botanic Gardens (Bethan Collerton with Robert Jamieson)(18’53”)

Australian collection

• Melaleuca alternifolia, tea tree

Tree fern collection

• Tree ferns (various species)

Araucaria collection

• Araucaria columnaris, Cook pine/ New Caledonian pine• Araucaria heterophylla, Norfolk Island pine 

Q4 – “Our greenhouse grapevine has prolific leaves but produces small, bitter grapes. How can we improve the fruit?” (24’37”)

Bethan Collerton

• Vitis spp., grapevine

James Wong

• Vitis ‘Fragola’ grape, grape 'Fragola'• Vitis vinifera, European grape• Vitis labrusca, fox grape• Concord grape 

Q5 – “I have two pitcher plants in my kitchen that keep dying. How can I keep them healthy?” (32’15”)

James Wong

• Sarracenia spp., trumpet pitcher plant• Nepenthes spp., tropical pitcher plant 

Q6 – “Which seeds can eight to ten year olds grow indoors that will germinate and grow quickly with only weekly watering?” (36’40”)

Kirsty Wilson

• Tropaeolum majus, garden nasturtium• Vicia faba, broad bean• Pisum sativum, garden pea• Helianthus annuus, common sunflower

Bethan Collerton

• Cosmos spp., cosmos• Cobaea scandens, cup-and-saucer vine

James Wong

• Zea mays var. everta, popcorn maize