The Edcawber Principle

Suffolk_lass

I have been digging for weeks. I am v fed up with it but our garden is quite big and my work meant I had neglected it for 2 years so a fair bit of recovery to go. The veg plot is looking better but the rest is still a mixture of periwinkle, nettles, brambles and bindweed invaders. We are due to open it as part of a Village Open Gardens soon, hence the focus.

My cat has not been out yet this year, I want to have moved on from Veg beds before I prepare her (ahem) facilities - the idea of it in with food we will eat is why...

teapot2

Dandelion removal going on here too, feels never ending. Cats seem to love a newly dug or mulched bit of ground :mad:

Hope being back to work isn't too painful after your lovely weekend and well done on the gym work.

edinburgher

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

I have been digging for weeks. I am v fed up with it but our garden is quite big and my work meant I had neglected it for 2 years so a fair bit of recovery to go. The veg plot is looking better but the rest is still a mixture of periwinkle, nettles, brambles and bindweed invaders. We are due to open it as part of a Village Open Gardens soon, hence the focus.

My cat has not been out yet this year

That sounds idyllic SL (although shudder at the mention of bindweed)! I did not realise that you had a cat

teapot2 wrote: »

Dandelion removal going on here too, feels never ending. Cats seem to love a newly dug or mulched bit of ground :mad:

Hope being back to work isn't too painful after your lovely weekend and well done on the gym work.

I'm surviving. Work is somewhat quiet at the moment, which is a novel sensation... I have just passed six months in post and I honestly haven't had a quiet day before now!

I have ordered a new dandelion puller (after wincing at the cost, I suppose that's what the Home Maintenance budget is for). I also ordered some bee friendly wildflower seed as I'm going to convert our smallest lawn to a wildflower meadow (all 25 square metres of it)

beanielou

How much are dandylion pullers?
They are breeding herew

edinburgher

beanielou wrote: »

How much are dandylion pullers?
They are breeding herew

The good ones (Fiskars) are roughly £40! :eek:

I know that sounds horrendous, but they are the only brand that has lasted six months or more, the others all tend to crack after a few good sessions. I think we have super weeds or something... :think:

Last night was horrendous - the cat !!!! I could see was just the one sitting on the surface - it was like a turd graveyard out there!

Any ideas for how to deter cats that don't involve ultrasonics? Not willing to subject our wee one or others to that.

*Edit: my CC payment of c. £400 from a couple of days ago never went through. I have made it again and OPed £2.58. Mrs E gets paid today, so will feel a bit less skint for approximately one week until all our DDs go out

Karmacat

For deterring cats, the natural alternatives are supersoakers filled with water, and ground pepper sprinkled on the ground - but the pepper would deter your own cat too, of course But you might really need to do that in any area where your little girl might be playing.

teapot2

beanielou wrote: »

How much are dandylion pullers?
They are breeding herew

I've had mine for a few years so it has lasted well. It was from L@keland and cost about £15 from what I remember, I've had a look but they don't seem to do them any more I like it 'cos it doesn't involve bending to remove them

edinburgher

Karmacat wrote: »

For deterring cats, the natural alternatives are supersoakers filled with water, and ground pepper sprinkled on the ground - but the pepper would deter your own cat too, of course But you might really need to do that in any area where your little girl might be playing.

Haha - 99% sure it's our cat who is the culprit!

themadvix

Curry powder works too - except it smells like an Indian restaurant when it gets wet! It's unusual for cats to use their own gardens to poo though, unless she (?) doesn't leave your garden?

edinburgher

themadvix wrote: »

Curry powder works too - except it smells like an Indian restaurant when it gets wet! It's unusual for cats to use their own gardens to poo though, unless she (?) doesn't leave your garden?

She is still a young cat (8 months). I know that she leaves the garden, but her paths are short and irregular and she won't have an established territory yet. She is (literally) testing the boundaries though - I regularly hear shrieks from next door's overweight cat - my previous crapping visitor.

I will try pepper, curry powder doesn't sound like one for me

£6.19 OPed.