Hello

I am Simon. I have read some of the topics, but I have to confess that I don't really understand how to carry out the requests. I am also a total novice at gardening, other than cutting grass and digging - manual labour I can do. I don't know about what to dig and when then. Like pruning, I don't know about pruning, but I cut firewood for the woodburner. I live a pretty simple life really with an easy garden that is being taken over by ivy - it is everywhere.

I am in Uttoxeter, which is in Staffordshire, near Alton Towers. We have a mostly grass garden, with a bit of a veg patch, and some flower type beds with different plants and flowers in. I like the old trees and wild flowers we have introduced. I brought some wild primroses with me from my real home in Cornwall and they are thriving and spreading. It is a little reminder of home - they were plants that were getting washed out of the hedges by erosion. When it rains heavily some hedge banks get washed away and the plants get washed out of the ground. These are the ones I rescued. I brought about dozen primroses and now we have them well established for a bit of spring brightness and hope.
For the autumn I have some wild cyclamen, which were dug from the local woods back home on the farm. They carpet the glades and give a pink flower in the autumn. One has done marvellous, the other few are barely hanging on by the skin of their teeth, and they are planted nearby (within a foot or two).
We have some irises which are taking over and Iwould like to get rid of them, so the ground is freed up for other plants. Other than digging them up, is there anything I should know about removing them?

I look forward to learning about proper gardening, and what to do when. I cut the grass for the first time yesterday but there are some bare patches where the grass has died. I hope as summer comes the grass will grow and fill these patches in and it will look better. So anyone who has any hints and tips please feel free to offer them up. I shall soak it all up like a sponge.

 

Hi Simon,



Welcome to Gardeners Corner

Sounds like you have a bit of a task going on. The thing to remember is to tackle it one step at a time and don't go in like a bull in a china shop, that'll only get you flustered and frustrated.

I think what you should do is work out all your queries/questions and post them individually into their respective categories e.g. Pruning techniques, Lawn maintenance etc.

Good Luck with everything and remember that there are a lot of members on here who can help you with virtually any subject you can think of.

PS.... We love photos

 

Thanks Anthony - I am not very good with computers. I know most people spend their lives using one. I am not one of them though. I fumble my way through.

 

I haven't even got a computer, I do everything off my phone

 

Hi Simon.
I am the same as you, pretty clueless on much of it. I am reading the forum subjects that interest me and gaining some initial understanding. I will be getting down to work in my greenhouse and proposed veggie patch soon and my own questions will be flying in thick and fast.
At the moment I am clearing garden junk and cutting up old logs..beyond that I haven't a clue, but I'm sure with help from GC, we'll soon be weaving that ol' garden magic.

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Simon. We're a friendly bunch and no matter what the question....gardening, computing or any other topic we'll be happy to answer your questions.

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

Hello Simon, a very warm from me too .
Do ask as many questions as you need too, we will all help you.

 

Thank you for the welcome guys. I also work away a fair bit, so there will be longish gaps between visits. So don't be surprised if I don't answer immediately. If I am about I can - but my phone doesn't even do pictures! I can't understand the modern things - I bought a Galaxy 2 a while back, (20 mile drive to get to a phone shop) but after a week I took it back because it wouldn't answer incoming calls....I could send and receive a text. I could send out calls, but I couldn't answer incoming calls. The girl behind the counter was perplexed, so I got her to ring me and I proved it to her. The phone rang and the green telephone appeared n the screen, I pressed it frantically and said, "there, see, it doesn't answer."
Then she looked at me, and said, "you have to swipe it."
How the hell was I supposed to know that - I gave it back and bought a small Nokia with no frills whatsoever, no camera, just calls and texts and the battery lasts a good 10 days too. It is so liberating to NOT be tied to the damn thing. If people aren't prepared to call and talk to me, they are probably not that important anyway. It bugs me to see people with their buried in their phone constantly.

 

I completely agree with you, Simon. My phone does basic text, photos and calls and that's all I need. I am glad I'm not alone in my thoughts on this