Gardening

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I'm not much of a gardener, and our garden is quite large and a blank canvas at the moment. We want to add some structure and shape to the garden, but after a trip to Keukenhof this year, I'd like to plant some Tulips. I'm thinking I may be best off with pots this year whilst we plan the rest of the garden. What pots would…

I have diligently kept a notebook with the names of plants/varieties and now I have lost the notebook! I planted this several years ago and it has never produced these berried bracts before. I liked the leaves,so left it amongst the hosta and geranium. I think it came in a "collection" from Lidl.

Just removed overgrown conifers from this 18ftx3ft border. Stumps are a few inches high - would be more if the 3" of gravel was removed. Can't face the hassle/expense of this it so will work around it. I would like to cover the whole area with some sort of low grass-like plant, putting the roots in the soil below the…

Well it's been downright awful here in Somerset for the last couple of days with non-stop rain! Just wondering how committed you lovely peeps are... have you been put off by gardening when it's raining? Are you a shrinking violet or a hardy perennial? Just a light hearted thread ☔🌧️

We have a corner back garden with a huge laurel hedge at the boundary. We’ve tried to maintain it, paying £500 earlier this year to reduce it in size but it grows so quick and now is out of control again. We are now considering just removing the hedge completely and replacing with 6ft fence. It’ll be an expensive outlay as…

Welcome to the new ups and downs of growing your own! Everyone is welcome. Come and tell us about your growing shenanigans Maybe tell us a bit about yourself; What do you like to grow? Are you going to try anything different this year? Did you try anything different last year? Did you like it? Would you grow it again? Do…

My house frontage paving is badly pitted and dirty from over thirty years exposure to seaside air. I have bought a Karcher K2 'home kit' which includes a special rotary pressure jet of which I have heard good things and seen demo videos. The 'home kit' comes with car washing brush and detergent together with a 500ml 'Patio…

Have had this area cleared from this To this: Following on from the rubble garden thread, was thinking of partially planting it with verbena, lavender and possibly grasses. However, there is "bulletproof" membrane under it so I'm a bit worried that cutting into it will mean the Spanish bluebells and ivy will grow back,…

There's been a lot of regrowth, but nothing in these patches, should I rake and seed, or give it until the spring? Last question I promise (for today☺️)

My fig tree (Brown Turkey, about 10 years old, growing in a large container) has had its best year so far with seven figs which ripened. It also has about three dozen little figlets which have developed since early summer but are still at the size in the photo. I know they won’t ripen now and need to be taken off. Is there…

Hello everyone, I’m new to the forums and looking for some advice on tackling my overgrown patio. I hope it’s okay to ask here. I’m 30 and this is the first time in my life I’ve ever lived in a home with a garden so I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. Please be gentle and excuse my ignorance - I am totally winging…

Am going to replace two apex sheds, with two pent sheds, one is 10 x 8 and the other is 16 x 8. Am planning on putting guttering on them do I can collect water in a butt. Having never had one before I have no idea what size I need? Given the size of the sheds, are 100 litre and 210 litre water butts too small in proportion…

I have been composting in dalek type composters for many years, just raw food waste like peelings, with lawn clippings, and brown paper/cardboard. I am considering investing in something to compost cooked food - bread, sandwiches etc (I collect food from shops just before it expires and redistribute, through Olio app, but…

It's new and experimental at the moment I think and there isn't a planting mention for the title photo but I'm curious as a way to deal with droughts https://www.positive.news/environment/theyre-resilient-low-effort-and-beautiful-how-to-plant-a-rubble-garden/ I think it maybe tempting floods next year. But with getting…

It was given to me in a small pot, bought from Morrisons. I had no room or really wanted it but it survived neglect, bitter cold and drought so I planted it this spring. It's grown lot! Still neglected. So I'm thinking I should make use of it. The flowers are pretty. No scent and not attractive to insects which is a shame.

The management company have at last cleared the Ivy and bramble from our communal garden. We can now see that the group of very tall trees at the bottom of the garden actually sit on a raised, almost circular, mound. It would be great (a) to prevent the Ivy and bramble from regrowing (the roots are untouched) and (b) to…

New turf lawn last autumn. Watered it until hosepipe ban, now mixed green and brown patches with long shoots in many parts. Should I cut these with the mower at a high setting or leave them until the first proper cut - whenever that may be

I've never had caterpillars eating my roses before, have I just been lucky for the last 26 years? I'm used to them munching through an all-you-can-eat kale buffet (I swear my kale hating OH smuggles them in), but I've never seen them on roses before. So I'm afraid a pair of kitchen scissors "slipped" repeatedly, and think…

When can I scarify my dry brown lawns. A few green shoots showing after a little rain. The dry dead grass is forming a mat and I'm thinking more rain would get into the earth if i remove this. Is this a good idea or too soon?

I have a medium sized garden pond - no fish but numerous types of the usual pond life. To top it up recently (twice this year) I've used a garden hose to fill a water butt to which I add a conditioner to prepare the water for the pond. I then attach the hose to the butt tap and let it drain into the pond. (I have three…