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Thanks for all the advice.The compost is a bit wet and sludgy at the moment but it has plenty of worms in and beetles and woodlice and a few slugs. I would take this to be a good sign?Another couple of questions if I may?Green Fingered Blogger - If the cardboard is wet going in does this...

Hi @LMcG1983 sorry but your trimming question seems to have been overlooked. Perhaps i might suggest you put this question out on the main forum boards General Gardening Discussion so it will be seen, I'm sorry not to be able to give you any advice re trimming as I've no experience with plants...

thank you silu and carolineL was not sure you could use your home grown ones.regards peter.

By doing what Sian suggests I did manage to get rid of a tiny patch at our previous house, but it was tiny and it took over 5 years of removing every shoot which appeared on a daily basis.

Mildew on peas is usually something that happens towards the end of the season, often a bit dry at the roots and lacking that spring flush of growth as the days shorten.Personally I'd eat all I could and just buy new seed next year, saving your own might work, but is it really worth it? Good...

Think I would be tempted to have a bed by the garage wall for various veg and fruit. You can use the garage wall as a heat sink /reflector and a support for taller plants like blackberries, raspberries, runner beans etc etc and space in front of them for the smaller crops like lettuce , beetroot...

If it's going to be lawn then adding plenty of gravel would improve drainage rather than organic matter. The gravel would need working into the soil. The other thing is to aerate the soil, maybe it is compacted from the heavy equipment during the new build so you could try loosening it with a...

If digging over in the spring to the depth of one spit is considered tilling then I am guilty and have been for 45 years or so. I need to do it even more since I've been growing green manure over winter, cant imagine trying to smother that with a top dressing, and planting in the winter...

Hi Sonya, I have a similar problem to you as the entirety of my front lawn, and two thirds of my back has been overpowered by moss, and I also have a cat. A few years ago we put down a mosskiller and grass feed which was non-toxic to animals in the front garden. We had great success with that...

Thanks for advice. Cut off the larger leaf earlier and left the bag off for most of today, as it was very cool in the room it is in. It's warmer now though, so have put the bag pack on. Pete, a bottle's not really a good idea as it will most likely touch the plant, so think I'll stick with...

I bet they loved the TLC though

Hi,Am no lawn laying expert, but your front is clearly a mature one, so your soil will probably be good enough as it is.If you push your spade right in, if it is still similar soil 9" down then that should be fine ; if you have you a lot of clay or flints just below the surface thats a...

Many thanks for all your comments! I spent a half hour a day pruning this bit of my garden, and this is what I get after a week:Reckon I will need another week to really clean it up...

I agree with @pete - wind damage and slugs (the clue there being the bulb damage). Amarylis leaves have fibres running through them that slugs can't get through hence the partial damage.

I got one Allium

Some cracking varieties around now Irmemac but sniff a couple to see what you like. My own have been flowering for several weeks and will be hard pruned soon to make a tight dense and neat silver/green aromatic hedge. Five years old isn't too old if hard pruned annually......I kept a lavendar...

Thanks guys!

Unfortunately I have no choice, so whatever happens I will learn from it. I usually go on holiday later in the year but again I have to go early this year so it will be part of the learning curve. Thanks for your help.

May b I'm wrong but its looking good... the chopped leaves reminants looks to me as if grown a bit in size may be 5mm

hydrangeas will take very readily and so will the Euonymus-like plants. Fern I have had no experience and the conifer I have no experience either. While you're at it, stick in some salvias.. It's easy for them to take as well. Or Fuchsias .. Or .. Hehe, I'm getting carried away. As long as you...