Gardening thread
Comments
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Holly was our problem. These things were up to 20 feet high and about 2m deep, so took upna fair bit of garden space. Cost a small fortune to have the trimmed as we needed the 'professionals' to do it, so got them ripped out last year and some new fence/wall up where needed. They needed chainsaws and stump grinders to do the job but glad we did it.
Mrs. 666 now has a large soil verge running right up one side of the garden that she's planting stuff in.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
We've added some French style touches to our kitchen with our home grown produce.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]1 -
Fork fork and triple fork. Got tomato blight active in the greenhouse. Erse. There is no chem type treatment available, season turns to a salvage job. Erse again.
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Commiserations
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Wahey, actual edible figs. This summer has been good for something.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition2 -
I predict that courgettes and beetroot will feature heavily in home cooked meals soon (in addition to the garlic).
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]3 -
Anyone recommend a decent weedkiller to kill of the grass growing between my patio slabs? I need to repoint them but until the weeds / grass are properly killed it isn't worth it. I've tried all the usual supposed super tough products but they don't do the job, tried burning them too but that doesn't work either. Will probably get the slabs lifted and rebedded with a new weed suppressing membrane eventually but that's a job for next year.
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If your relaying them properly next year I'd just remove all the weeds / grass to a reasonable depth then just use a dry mix off sharp sand and cement and brush it In. It should be OK for a couple of years at least. You could brush just cement in the gaps before pointing up and this will burn the weeds stopping them for a bit. Don't be tempted to use the resin pointing stuff as after a few years it starts to go powdery and break up. Had my patio done in it and I've got to redo it after 3 yrs.
Too many bikes according to Mrs O.0 -
Giving the legs a day off after yesterday's climbfest, so did some gardening in the sun (ha!)... raked & clipped the grass short so that if there are any seeds lurking the air & light will get to the soil, and for the first time had a good hack-back of the (mostly) herbs in the border. Mostly happy with the fruit trees after their pruning the other day.
Other than a mow or two (depends on the rain between now and the beginning of September), that'll be pretty much it till next Spring, though I might plant an apple tree at Christmas.
The house now nicely reeks of aromatic herb clippings: thyme, sage, rosemary and mint.
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In an attempt to make Casa Stevo a bit more continental and do something with the gap in the grass left by removing the big holly hedge along the border, Monty Donette (aka Mrs. 666) has invested in a palm tree, amongst other plants. One of the hounds seemed vaguely interested but didn't cock his leg on it.
Next job: planting it in the ground.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Hope you don't call her that to her face 😬
They can be surprisingly tough. We had one in a tub that died right back after some drought. We thought we'd lost it, but a few months later a new shoot appeared at the base of the dead trunk.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
No, I just roll my eyes when she wants to watch Gardeners' World once too often...I'm guessing it's more frost that might be a problem, but we can always get a frost cover for it if needed.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
You're right, I'm misremembering. It was frost that killed the top of it.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
What's the genus / species / variety?
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Good question - not sure. I'll need to traipse up the garden later on and have a look at the label 😊
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
It's a European Fan Palm, aka Chamaerops Humilis.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
I'll ask the pros of The Gardens for any tips on how best to look after. Think there was one of them inside a glasshouse, poss now gone. But there are prople there with walled gardens, botanics etc experience so v likely to have managed this one.
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Cheers, seems they are relatively cold resistant as palms go (OK down to about -5cC apparently). Mrs. 666 is researching it as we speak...
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Hmm, slightly concerned about the early leaf-drop on my greengage here, given I've been watering it well during August... it did look a bit peaky in June, despite the wet first six months of the year, so it'll be interesting to see what it looks like next spring. Meanwhile, the cherry, which always seemed to look a bit stressed, is looking splendid this year.
Mind you, a lot of the local walnut and horse chestnut trees are looking decidedly autumnal already, so maybe my greengage is just showing solidarity. We'll see...
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Neighbours have the fan palm and it's done well in the sunny climate of south derbyshire. Only known him to wrap the crown once and that was about 5/6yrs ago when we had a bad winter. From memory it was an old hessian type sack with straw inside.
Too many bikes according to Mrs O.1 -
Good to hear that Oxo. I expect Mrs. 666 will be keen to protect her prize plant even if it doesn't get that cold down here very often.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Feedback from pro gardener / instructor. Things to look out for: wet and cold. Make sure soil bed is free draining, no risk of water saturation esp in winter months. Rec to add some grit into planting bed. As said before, cold protection in winter. You will get risk of colder, continental type temps compared to here. Ideal winter protection is to use some chicken netting type wire wrap around stuffed with straw so keeping air flow and reducing moisture build up, with fleece layers over the top.
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Will this help cold pensioners as well? 🤔
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They can just burn tenners as they are all multi-millionaires.
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🔥 😁
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Thanks 'Loon, appreciated 👍️
Wet shouldn't be a problem - soil is dry and well drained - we are on a sandstone outcrop - and the palm is at the top of the hill so no waterlogging. Cold will be an occasional problem down here but good idea to have some sort of protection like the one you mention as we do have the occasional cold snap.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
I planted 3 baby apple trees in late spring, different varieties. They are little more than 1m high now, 🤞they were concentrating rightly on root growth.
One of them has 2 (only) proper sized apples produced. Just sampled 1 of them, really good. 👍
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We have two little saplings grown from pips from supermarket apples. No blossoms yet, but both a couple of years old. Need to get them in the ground rather than tubs, but not sure where.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
Landlord chopped down the massively overgrown willow tree in back garden last summer, down to a stump ~30cm above ground.
Over the summer, the stump has grown numerous new branches of ~200cm long, need to get down there and snip them all off!
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2020 Voodoo Marasa
2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
2016 Voodoo Wazoo0 -
Willows are amazing. If you snip off the new growth around end of February and then stick them straight into the ground you get new willows. A local park did this and weaved them (very bendy) and they grew into a living willow tunnel. Great for hedging too.
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