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Thanks for the images of the stones Scrungee, that's helpful. What a great photo of the Fox John! I had a Golden Retriever years ago and she could detect Fox poo at a hundred yards and roll in it Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Gardening for 2019

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Awe thanks Owl I will do that

Well, like they say, anybody who can claim to remember the '60s wasn't actually there!

Thanks @Tetters tht is certainly a lovely looking tree. I'm having a think.

Considering your lawn has been scarified it doesn't look in bad condition. I would be inclined to leave it over this winter and use a weed and feed next Spring to encourage the grass to grow and thicken. With the moss gone that should be enough, but if not you could top dress and seed it if it...

empty fountains. bag all outside cushions tuck inside gazebo, get cat house organized with heater, and water bowl with heater, take inside plants inside, replant any bulbs that was thinned earlier, use up some mulch. put grill away, set up Christmas lights. rake leaves, rake more leaves, ...

Thank you everyone. I will try. Spring is a long time to wait :(

If you deadhead regularly your buddleia will flower much longer too Jools

Thank you for sound advice. Will let you know how i get on .

Thanks @pete I would do it differently but....all is well..

Thanks! Although with my lack of gardening knowlede and the Yew's potential toxicity, I may just remove for now.

@Verdun

As a trial I sowed Cornflower, Coreopsis, Pansies, Honeywort, Lavateria, Sweet pea and was so delighted that they have all germinated and since been potted on. They are still in situ in my cold greenhouse and look very healthy at the moment but how do I overwinter them. I have an option to use a...

Hi @hoofy, if you can manage any more digging it would be best to get some of the old, infertile soil out. We made a new big border this spring and first took the grass off and then dug away about spade deep of the rock-hard wormless clay and rubble. In went hundreds and hundreds of litres of...

Hi all thanks for all the replies. We can now share our before and after photos. I'm going to start putting bulbs in this week and hopefully some evergreen shrubs.We are hoping to get some colour all year round any advice in that sense would be appreciated our next project is putting a...

Thanks for your reply I think pretty much all that you said tbh. i'm not sure there is anywhere in the garden where it will get sun all day but will look at it with a view to moving if necessary.Soil is not very well drained. I am constantly adding grit to improve. It's not clay or anything...

Thank you!

I agree with Tetters - just plant them, you have nothing to lose. I wouldn't bother trying to get them to sprout - depending on the bulb type not a lot happens until the spring as they need a period of cold weather to trigger top growth.

Many thanks to all those who have contributed.I think the suggestion of Prunus lusitanica is the closest species match thus far. The fine details match and overall it does have a laurel-like appearance.Spring seems like the best idea for a heavy prune - thanks @WeeTam and I will probably...