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Home Farmer Magazine // blogs
Hello, I'm looking at some advice, I used to get home farmer magazine and loved how it was a general all around magazine and well as I'm slowly getting back into my self sufficient ways and trying to make what I want work I was going to re-subscribe and can see that it is no longer functioning :( . I was wondering if…
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Starting a herb garden
Hi all I have 2 belfast sinks. I want to turn them into herb gardens. I have some mint (which I know needs to be contained otherwise it will take over the whole basin) and some chives. Wheres the best place to buy herbs? (I dont know anyone I can take cuttings from). Shall I have the same herbs in each basin, or different…
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Stone Trough Planting Suggestions
I have 2 stone troughs outside my front door. Every year so far I have filled them with Summer bedding plants which, as long as I water them, looks absolutely lovely. Here's the rub though because they are in the porch area so don't get any rain they must be watered. Since we are now planning to go away more in the Summer…
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Growing on roadside windowsills
Hello, I'm looking for some advice and when I google it I never really get an answer. I live in a terraced cottage which fronts onto a road. It's not a massively busy road but it is used regularly and I was wondering whether I could use the three windows to grow extra fruit or veg? I know a lot of people in London grow…
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Is it too late to mulch?
Full disclosure, I know nothing about gardening, this is the first once I've had. Long story short, I've just moved into a new house which has some beautiful mature shrubs in the garden (mainly roses, rhododendrons and various conifers). These were obviously once impressive specimens, but the rhodos and roses especially…
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Experiences of garden shredders/mulchers
I'm recently retired, and spending a lot more time in the garden than I did before. As I do so, my ignorance is showing :) Large garden, rural, lots of trees and shrubs which have grown into monsters over the last few years. (My wife is a keen gardener, but disabled and can't do any of the heavy stuff.) I am gradually…
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Pods growing on winter sweet?
As above. Is this normal? Can/should they be removed?/conserved? I can find no reference to pod growth using these search terms.
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not had many frogs spawning this year, anyone else ?
hi folks, I know the "early spring" only lasted a week or so, we had frogs spawning in the pond, but only 4 or 5 normally we get 30/50 do you think the long hot summer has had an effect or maybe the dry winter ?
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Double extension ladder where to buy at good price
I'm looking to buy a double extension ladder each piece about 3.6 ,has anyone bought one that size and can tell me where to get one from at a good price please?
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Can anyone identify this plant please?
(The yellow flowered one towards the front.)
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Harlequin ladybird larvae
My garden seems to be overrun with these creatures - will they be prove to be a problem?
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Weed/grass control fabric for border
I have a sizable garden which I want to make less maintenance of as there is a lot of grass. I'm thinking of putting weed/grass control fabric in front of the established bushes on the border to block the grass from growing and then adding smaller bushes into the fabric, do you think this will work? Also can you recommend…
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Peony
When I moved here I brought my lovely red peony with me. In the process (it had to be dug up and parked temporarily before being planted) a tiny bit of tuber got broken off. Waste not, want not, I stuck it in a pot. Didn’t really expect it to survive, but it has and this year has two healthy looking stems. Still very…
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Woken a sleeping beast.....
History - New build garden. the first owner was very much a gardener. The second owner was really not. I'm keen to learn and have been working hard to get my knowledge up. The garden is south facing it is very shaded by a tree and has dry stony poor quality soil. I've been working on the soil with lots of organic matter,…
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Raspberry canes
Hi all, I planted some raspberry canes in Feb. They don't seem to have grown very tall. Have I missed a step? They are autumn canes and I dug in some well rotted manure prior to planting with plenty of watering since. https://postimg.cc/SJHSV1tf
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Mixing two shades of culprinol
Hi there, My quest for just the right decking colour goes on.. I’m used the culprinol and wanted the decking just a shade lighter than the fence which is silver copse. I’ve used silver birch which is too light and urban slate is too dark. My question is therefore can I mix the two colours together or would they not mix…
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Marauding Foxes!
Just coped with one problem, now I am being besieged by foxes. My garden backs on to a large expanse of overgrown land, by the edge of a single track railway, and I've often seen a fox in the garden, perhaps a few times each year. But this year, they are visiting mob handed, and have wreaked havoc, digging up flower beds,…
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Fly repellent
I noticed that my violas in my window boxes were shrivelling, closer inspection was they were covered in green/white fly. I started soaking them in shop bought fly spray and soapy water too. We had a week of torrential rain and I've just looked at them again. Every single one of my pots That were blooming are shrivelled…
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injured small pigeon - help
We've got a half sized pigeon in the garden that cant fly, no visible damage but its hiding in the hedgerow, looks like been attacked as few feathers nearby, but no signes of blood or wounds. Ive put some seeds out for it and it started eating straight away What do we do with it, next door have 2 cats that always pass…
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Pull the weeds or dig them in?
Been away for 8 months and of course the weeds have really bloomed. OK a lot of poppies and Foxgloves around as well. I've started pulling the weeds but wonder if it might be better if I just dug them all in. It would help the soil structure?? And after I've finished pulling the weeds I'd have to turn the soil over in any…