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Growing veg after treating wasps nest
Late last summer, we started having problems with wasps mobbing us in the garden which meant I couldn’t hang washing out. With the help of a builder working on our house, we realised there was a huge nest behind a rock wall round the flower bed under our kitchen window (I think in a hollow between the wall and actual…
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Can anyone identify this plant please?
Hoping so as I saw a lot of winter flowering shrubs and it seems more important than summer.Need more colour in winter. Just care about sun in summer sort of. A bit fuzzy because it was a gale force wind and into the sun. It had grown up and over a wall so a tall shrub and happy to grow
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Weedkiller
What is the strongest weedkiller that we, as public, can buy?
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2023 - the good, the not so good but hopefully not ugly of growing your own!
Welcome to the new good and not so good of growing your own! Everyone is welcome. Come and tell us about your growing shenanigans 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 you have any tips for growing?…
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getting rid of honey fungus
I've read some bumpf online and it says the only way to get rid of honey fungus is to dig up everything that is infected and get rid of all the soil as well. Great but.... ....when we bought our house nearly 6 years back the previous owners who were obviously wonderful gardeners had left a huge stump in the lawn. Didn't…
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Landscape over land drainage pipes
Hello, I would like to find out if I can plant perennials, shrubs and possibly dwarf fruit trees directly above a land drainage pipe without causing probles to the pipe? We bought a new build house, which turned out to be built at the lowest point of the road so the back garden is affected by a great amount of run off…
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Begonias - newbie question
I've never been green-fingered, so please forgive me asking a pretty basic question! I planted a couple of begonias in a window box, and they trailed over the side, making a splendid show. They have now started to wither away, They have stopped blooming, and bits are falling off. Should I now pull the remains up and stick…
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When to buy a Christmas tree?
This year I'd like a real tree, just a little one, pot grown.I know they vanish suddenly but would getting one 4 weeks+ before the day be too soon? I wondered if anyone had experience that may relate. It would be a supermarket one. Considering buying one now while there is choice and putting it outside in the garden,…
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Invasive bamboo - help!
Does anyone have experience with removing invasive running bamboo please? We moved into a maisonette a few months ago, our garden is tucked just behind the garden belonging to our downstairs neighbour. Lots of other little adjoining gardens. Over the past few weeks, lots of weeds have sprouted through the cracks in our…
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Roses
Hello all, I'm hoping for some guidance on the state of my roses. All were planted as bare root roses in February/March last year, a mixture of shrubs and climbers. The majority are in a north facing rear garden and are relatively sheltered, the minority in front south-facing beds. In the last 4-6 weeks in particular I…
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Help! My apples have vanished
I've had 3 huge Cox apples hanging on my little tree that I can see from my window. They were firmly atttached so I left them there to keep fresh. Today was the day to pick. Went out and they've vanished :'( I've looked all around, gardens quite clear at this time of year, and there's no sign. No cores, no damage. Just…
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Shedding the past, in search of a shiny upgrade.
I've been having work done on my garden this year, and the next stage is replacing the leaking aluminium shed that blocks the view from my kitchen and getting something new at the bottom of the garden. My builder is booked in to pour the new base in February or March, so I need to confirm the size... and that means…
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Recomemndations for a decent garden incinerator
Hi I bought a garden incinerator from Aldi. OK, it was cheap and I wasnt expecting it to last many many years, but Ive had perhaps 4 fires in it, and the bottom has fallen out of it and the sides have disintegrated. Ive only been burning twigs, sticks etc... Can anyone recomemnd a decent garden incinerator that will last a…
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Premium quality hose gun (revisited)
There's not been a post like this apparently for a number of years, but it's the bain of our garden. Every year or less we have to replace our hose gun. We've had two Hozelocks, a Rolson, a CW and a Titan 'Screwfix'. They always spring leaks from somewhere and are not repairable. Is there any way to buy something that will…
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Lavender 'infection' what to use?
I have 4 huge standard Lavenders that have been happily growing to give me privacy so over 4ft now. With the stress of the drought and heat wave one got loose from it's moorings in the dry soil and started with a sudden die back. I've lashed them back to upright, they look a tad better but the die back is patchy so still…
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Moved a ceanothus bush, how do I rescue it?
Last month I decided to move a ceanothus bush that was fighting for light. I know it was not the right season and I was too impulsive. Since the move I have watered it everyday, but it looks to be dying. The leaves have shriveled up and the blue flowers dried up and are falling off. Any tips on rescuing it?
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Ladybirds love Japanese Anemones
I have been clearing out the old growth on plants ready for the winter. I have noticed that there are lots of ladybirds on my Japanese Anemones. I am going to leave a few standing for them. Also another thing I have noticed. I love the white varieties. I accidently purchased a Whirlwind three years ago. This has been the…
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Any slug proof Winter Bedding plants?
I use geraniums in my tubs all summer and the slugs seem to leave them alone, i am tempted by a bit of winter colour with something like violas but i worry about slugs and snails, anyone experienced this?
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Shrub bulb and plant advice for north facing boundary……novice gardener
As stated in title, I know almost nothing about plants etc. I’m trying to smarten up my very large garden but having to do it in stages. At the moment I’m tackling the ‘yard’ area (in between drive and carport) I want to put in a raised bed, as the ground there is very clay and flinty, along a north facing fence but have…
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Any ideas as to what this tree is and is it dead ?
It was probably planted at the same time a the new build 2008 I has looked on it's last legs for a couple of months Approx 2.5m from the building and about .3 from a low wall you can't see on its other side. The land is approx 75cm above the footpath that runs in front next to the main road