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What to burn in a firepit
Last year we had a combination of pressed paper 'logs' (easy to light, but burnt out in a matter of minutes) and dried wood from the local B&Q/DIY shop, which didnt give hardly any flame, just a face full of thick smoke, only for most of the log to be remaining once it burnt itself out What do we need to burn to get the…
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Suggestions for driveway plant
We've just had our front garden paved over and it's looking a bit sparse so we'd like some kind of greenery to freshen things up. I've got some criteria but I've got no idea what fits this criteria. Any suggestions? * Must be a reasonable size (at least 50cm tall) so I'm thinking tree or hedge rather than flowers * Must be…
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Robotic Lawnmowers - Electricity Costs?
I bought one of these and have set it up today. It's not a wireless one (basic Worx Landroid). Should I leave it plugged in all the time (until I put it away in the autumn)? I could just switch the plug off and plug it on on the days I want it to mow perhaps (maybe every other day would be fine) but would that be bad for…
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Field to allotment help needed
Hi :D I have a large plot that I want to turn into an allotment. It has been laid to grass for many years. I was thinking 1m wide beds by maybe 20m. I have bought 1m wide weed membrane and I have heard it is a good way of doing potatoes without trenching. I though this would help doing some of the digging for me on at…
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Best ladder for cutting hedges?
Can anyone recommend a ladder for trimming high hedges?
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Help
I have a large magnolia tree. Grass has started to grow under the tree in the bed around the roots. How do I get rid of the grass without disturbing the actual tree. Tried digging it out but because of the roots of the tree being so shallow I cant. The grass seems to be taking over the actual bed
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What bird feed is best
I'm currently using Extra Select Premium Mix and get through probably a 20Kg bag every 3-4 months (we have 6 feeders that need refilling every day). I ws reading the reviews and a lot of people were saying its got a lot of wheat filler in it, used to bulk it out and the birds dont like it Should we change the mix we feed…
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Will Roundup Weedkiller work at this time of year?
I have just got an allotment which is covered with weeds. My first job will be to dig over the soil and remove as many weeds as possible. Is it worth my while spraying on Weedkiller first, then waiting a couple of weeks before doing the digging. Even if I start digging next weekend, I know it will be a few weeks until…
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Tree Preservation Order
Hi, I'm just looking for some advice really. We bought our house 2 years ago. There's a tree on our property which we believe is subject to a tree preservation order. However, when I rang the council to check this out, they couldn't specifically say which tree it was. They just said "any tree on your property which was…
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Has anyone mowed their lawn yet?
With all this unusually mild weather, I'm itching to go and mow my lawn. It's starting to grow and looks untidy. I can't think of a reason why I shouldn't, but wondered if it would come to harm if the really cold weather (ice, snow etc) returned?
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Nature Friendly Garden
Hi, I want to make my garden as nature friendly as possible this year. Me and my son are collecting things to put in an insect hotel that we are going to build next weekend. I've started buying some bird feeders to hang around the garden Brought a birdbath and a few other bits like that. I have a metre or so square patch…
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Gravel garden
I have an area in my garden which has been gravelled but it's difficult to walk on. The gravel is really more like small stones. Is there anything I can do, apart from removing the stones, to make less 'bumpy'?
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Grow your own(in a flat)
So I’ve started thinking I would like to grow my own stuff. I’m not sure if it would be economical to grow indoors, or what I could do. But on looking out my kitchen window, some people have hanging baskets to grow outside or plant pots on the windowsill. I’m not sure if the plant pots on the window sill would be a good…
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What oil to use for mower engine
I have an 24 year old Hayter autodrive mower with a Briggs and Stratton Quantum engine. As it is getting more and more expensive to service each year I want to give it a miss this year. I have checked the oil level and the dip stick tells me to add more oil. I have no oil specifically for mowers but I have oil given to me…
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Weeds coming up through stones
Hi all my front garden is just a raised area cordoned off with little wooden stakes and filled with small stones/gravel and I get a lot of weeds coming through it. There are liners under the stones, but are very old (ive been there 10 years and who knows how long they were down before I moved in) and have obviously…
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How to fix bird box to concrete fence post or wood panel
We've 2 or 3 bird boxes to put up and im wondering how best to fit them to either a concrete fence post, or to a wooden fence panel? (Its all we have surrounding our garden to fix them to sadly) How are people fixing bird boxes to concrete posts or wooden panels? (or am i being stupid...) The fence/posts we want to fix…
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Can I have mealworms out with a pet dog?
Might be a strange question, is it safe to have mealworms in the garden with our pet dog? Should I worry in case some drop on the floor and she eats one? Or nothing to worry about?
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Soil Improver
Hi All I've bought some soil improver to improve the quality of our clay soil. Just wondering how long you need to leave it down until planting? thanks
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Leatherjackets in compost
The compost is being made in a recycled wooden crate, slatted wood, measuring about 5 feet x 4 feet. Compost is dropping out of the base on to the ground. Lovely stuff, except that it has small leatherjackets in it - crane fly larvae. They are about half an inch long, and about 20 of them in a bucketful. Should I try to…
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Lawn
My lawn suffered bauld patches in the heat last summer. Just looked and all the weeds have come through and some patches are still bauld im having it scarified next month. Should I then reseed it after its been scarified. If so, how should I do it please
