General Gardening Discussion

I know it's difficult to get rid of ground elder, but I would try to stop it getting into the asparagus rather than trying to starve it out once it's there. Asparagus roots like to spread and I think it would be better to put a vertical barrier between asparagus and ground elder, ie put some...

Around here, the council charges �£25 for a new wheelie bin..... they are very tight fisted (or they have got wise to people getting them for other reasons!!!) ... as for the whisky barrels - if they are sold via the garden centres, I think we all know who is going to make a HUGE...

Fantastic.Thanks, Liz.

nitro The copper tube is probably more at risk than the soil or plants as copper is readily attacked by ammonia.If the pipes aren`t in contact with the soil and you don`t splash ammonia based plant food around it shouldn`t be a great problem though

It looks like root development to me, just have to wait and see.

Mulch is great. The simplest stuff would be out of your compost heap (if you have one) just before it completely rots down into the good stuff. It will keep the moisture in, help suppress the weeds and as it continues to rot down it will act as a slow release feed for the soil. Yum!

I would highly recomend Ronseal Decking Oil, Ive got Red Ceder.Looks more natural as it is an oil and sinks into the wood, and does sit on the top like other wood stains can. The water beads off nicely but needs topping up every couple of years. Very easy to apply.For contrast the decking...

I found African Violets did really well under artificial light when I still worked in a large open plan office. Too much direct sunlight through the windows tended to make them shrivel but in the middle of the room (on top of filing cabinets!) really suited them.To get them to come back into...

PeterS:Usefull tip there re: weedkiller and poly bag. I've got some Everlasting Pea I've been trying to get shot of. I severely weakened it last year with Pathclear but it's come through again so I've let it grow a bit ready for the Roundup. I'll give it a try with the poly bag as well as...

Have a look here, threre is a lot of information available. http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/

P. of S., If you leave the flowers they may set seed. If they do, collect the seed as soon as it is ripe [they produce tiny pods which will start opening, when they do the ripe seed for a pink flower is usually black ] and sow it somewhere sheltered to protect over winter. If you're lucky some...

I put down gravel over a largish area, over a membrane. I looked at coloured chippings, but decided against it, and am very pleased I did. I finally bought 20 mil gravel from a builder's yard, which is cheap.In my opinion, coloured chippings is like a plain carpet. It will show every bit of...

Thanks Elaine I will try that and write down the numbers afore I forget em. :D

There are loads that will fit the bill. This site gives heights.http://www.saska.demon.co.uk/hybridaf.htmlBut a Clematis will only grow upwards if it has something to hang on to. If your fence is only 6 foot, you Clematis can't grow much taller. It will either grow along sideways, or flop...

Thanks Liz,I don't let it flower and try and pull as much out as I can, the roots dissapear under the gravel section of the garden. Thank goodness I forced my hubby to put a liner down before laying the gravel or I think it would have taken over by now. :eek:

Thanks Liz,I don't let it flower and try and pull as much out as I can, the roots dissapear under the gravel section of the garden. Thank goodness I forced my hubby to put a liner down before laying the gravel or I think it would have taken over by now. :eek:

Thanks elaine If it picks up I shall take another photo.

Black spot is far less serious - so that is good news! It is not a fungus, but a bacteria (Pseudomonus. It is spread by insects and even rain splashes. It is unsightly and heavily infected leaves on roses will fall and spread the bacteria. Best thing is to remove all infected leaves now so...

CheersI'll pop them in, give them some acid and hope for the best.Thanks againJim

http://www.nestbox.co.uk/butterflyhouse.shtmlhere it is..and i must say it looks rather grand!!