Nice People Thread No. 15, a Cyber Summer

chris_m

PasturesNew wrote: »

I wish you'd posted that at any past date .... not after I've "solved" the problem with long-winded/pricey solutions.

If I'd known, I would have

Well, that was a productive day - I've dug up the last grotty bit of lawn in my back garden and turned it into a flower bed, raided the garden centre for an assortment of things to put in it and planted them in. It's all looking much tidier now.

When all the seedlings I've got occupying the rear half of my lounge are ready I can get the front garden tidied as well - got loads of things growing, the idea being to have ground cover so the beds will (should) look a lot tidier and hopefully won't get so much in the way of weeds able to try and take over.

GDB2222

Pleased you've found a handyman, Pastures. I'll miss the drama, though.


By the way, The drill should be able to take a 1mm drill bit, but it may be unwieldy for delicate work. A bit like trying to butter your bread with a garden shovel.

bugslet

chris_m wrote: »

If I'd known, I would have

Well, that was a productive day - I've dug up the last grotty bit of lawn in my back garden and turned it into a flower bed, raided the garden centre for an assortment of things to put in it and planted them in. It's all looking much tidier now.

When all the seedlings I've got occupying the rear half of my lounge are ready I can get the front garden tidied as well - got loads of things growing, the idea being to have ground cover so the beds will (should) look a lot tidier and hopefully won't get so much in the way of weeds able to try and take over.

Lawn, don't speak to me of lawns. Lola, now 9 months of giant bounce, has turned the back lawn into a mud bath, most of it trailed into the house:(. I'm thinking of going to B&M for the cheapest fake grass I can get and laying it very badly over the mud so that I can at least have my white gloss kitchen units unspattered.

ukmaggie45

bugslet wrote: »

Lawn, don't speak to me of lawns. Lola, now 9 months of giant bounce, has turned the back lawn into a mud bath, most of it trailed into the house:(. I'm thinking of going to B&M for the cheapest fake grass I can get and laying it very badly over the mud so that I can at least have my white gloss kitchen units unspattered.

Sounds a bit like the dog in the Flash advert.

bugslet

You know Maggie, that is basically her:cool::D

Conrad

chris_m wrote: »

the idea being to have ground cover so the beds will (should) look a lot tidier and hopefully won't get so much in the way of weeds able to try and take over.

If you keep a hoe to the ready and go over your beds very regularly - like for example if chatting on the phone - you will find you really get on top of the weeds and they next year are far fewer and in time fewer still.


It's just that getting in the habit. My kids berate me as I will stoop to sort a weed when picking up the ping pong ball during a game.


I've had a lot of trial an error with plants and ground cover.
All too often ground cover plants end up all twiggy and woody, such as Thyme and your'e back to bare soil, or things like Periwinkle which end up taking over and between which grasses grow and are hard to weed out.


IMO the best ground cover are dwarf pines, they never let you down and are very, very low maintenance. Now I do mean pines and British dwarf / squat Juniper, not conifers which can look like old people home planting schemes.





Pinus Mugo

Conrad

bugslet wrote: »

Lawn, don't speak to me of lawns. Lola, now 9 months of giant bounce, has turned the back lawn into a mud bath, most of it trailed into the house:(. I'm thinking of going to B&M for the cheapest fake grass I can get and laying it very badly over the mud so that I can at least have my white gloss kitchen units unspattered.

Ha, sharp sand is your best friend where mud is concerned, I swear by it - masses of it.


I put it for example on this patch of front lawn people seem determined to walk over which as you say gets all muddy. Bags and bags of it twice a year keeps it all nice n dry so nothing sticks to boots. Sharp sand, not soft. If you do try this, you will need more than you think so don't be shy.


Incidentally I also top dress lawn with it - makes it far nicer, tougher and with better drainage etc, but it will look like a beach for a month or two (no point top dressing unless you really go for it - like 2 inches - it does soon sink away )

Loanranger

Does anyone know of anywhere I could buy a copy of the Sunday Express, 4 November 1945, or get a copy from a microfiche? Or just a photocopy of the front page?
I have tried google but it appears that the Sunday Express is not readily available, unlike the Daily Express. It needs to be this date and this newspaper.
It is for family history purposes.

bugslet

Conrad wrote: »

Ha, sharp sand is your best friend where mud is concerned, I swear by it - masses of it.


I put it for example on this patch of front lawn people seem determined to walk over which as you say gets all muddy. Bags and bags of it twice a year keeps it all nice n dry so nothing sticks to boots. Sharp sand, not soft. If you do try this, you will need more than you think so don't be shy.

I'd have a beach then! Literally there is 10% lawn left. This about half way through it's destruction.....

http://buzzsta.com/m/1437838807982154131

and explains why there's a flipping big fence stopping her getting to the other bit of the garden!

Edit - PS, like the dwarf pine, might factor that in as I re-design the side garden.

Pyxis

Loanranger wrote: »

Does anyone know of anywhere I could buy a copy of the Sunday Express, 4 November 1945, or get a copy from a microfiche? Or just a photocopy of the front page?
I have tried google but it appears that the Sunday Express is not readily available, unlike the Daily Express. It needs to be this date and this newspaper.
It is for family history purposes.

Have you tried eBay or Amazon?

Bit of a long shot, but you never know.