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New to the Gardening board? Start here
💬 Some other boards on the Forum with a similar ethos * Green & ethical MoneySaving * Crafting * Old-style MoneySaving ℹ️ Some relevant guides elsewhere on MoneySavingExpert.com * Gardening on a budget * Home, garden & pets deals 💡 If there's a link you think we should include here, please send me a message!
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arkonite_babe's very useful Gardening Index
MSE update August 2014 Check for any offers, discounts etc on our Home & Garden and Gardening pages. If you have updates to add please PM either arkonite_babe or Pink.. MSE update March 2022 Please note that some of these links are now out of date. Back to the original post... Below is a list of useful links for gardening…
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Awful weather - typical Brits talk
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 ☔🌧️
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What size of water butt do I buy?
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…
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Help with weeds taking over
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…
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Figs
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…
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Best way to compost cooked foods
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…
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Has anyone tried a rubble garden?
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…
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Any one know what this plant is?
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.
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The ups, the downs and the insides out of growing your own in 2026!
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…
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Suggestions for shady area
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…
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Cut sprouting grasses on dry lawn?
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
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Caterpillars????
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…
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Scarifying dead lawns after summer drought
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?
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Hosepipe ban
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…
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Hose pipe bans
I live in one of the areas that has just introduced a hosepipe ban! Typically the Water Company's FAQs are very ambiguous as to whether this applies to (micro) drip systems and come to that what constitutes such a system? Any idea what is the norm? Apparently there is a seven day delay before the ban (which has started)…
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Diaries of some garden!
New year new garden, eh! 🤥 Not sure how it got to this state despite the effort last year :/ .. I realise that the passage to the shed is very old and needs rework… a job for March. I've been negotiating with self to get on with it since end of March, but... here to hold myself accountable. Starting with the patio... my…
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Flowerbed Improvement
Hi All, This is the flowerbed at the entrance to my house. I've recently bought the house so I've inherited what the previous owner has planted. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to bring this to life? Thanks in advance.
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Houseplants
I am new to plants and would like to buy a zz plant and an aspidistra or a cast iron plant, I have found some on amazon that get good reviews and are not too expensive, I'd like them to be quite large at least 60cm, but before I buy I wondered if anyone who knows better than me can suggest somewhere to buy, none of my…
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Garden buildings
I am moving to a house which has a garden building which looks natural wood but different colours due to the weather. Anyway I was considering painting the decking and summer house grey but worry it may be costly as I need someone to do it? I’m also keen to some sort of decoration and screening. Also it’s likely October so…
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Cementing over soil
Hi all, Not sure if anyone will be able to help or whether I need to go to a specialist place for advice.. Ive removed our old wooden shed and there is parts of one side where the new metal shed will go that is currently soil and I wanted to cement over the soil but I didn't know if I could just put some normal cement over…
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growing
Hi everyone, I'm looking to save a bit more on my food shopping and was wondering if growing fruit, vegetables or herbs at home is actually worth it financially. For those of you who grow your own, which crops have given you the biggest savings? Are there any that aren't worth the time or money? I'd also love to hear any…
