I think your tree may have two ailments, not one. Cox's Orange Pippins are rather prone to diseases and deficiencies, I'm afraid.First, the...
Hi RobertYes, blackbirds seem to very territorial in my garden too. I think a blackbird's song is just about the most beautiful thing to hear...
It's a sign of a true gardener when you welcome the rain in summer!Watering by hand is the job I hate most in the garden. And it never seems...
HiDid you give your lawn a good scarifying in the spring? If not, it would probably benefit from a good raking. But you'd need to time it...
OmbosYou dad must have been quite revolutionary growing sweet corn in, shall we say,"the old days"! I started growing them in the 1970's and...
Yes, I'm a fairly recent convert to mulches and use them on my borders. I use my own compost, grass clippings and a peat free mulch from New...
Hi CharltonThe fact that your tree is losing leaves and not growing any more yet suggests a physiological problem rather than disease or pest...
Hi KristenCrop duration = how long a crop "holds"? Am I right? On that assumption, I would agree with you that 3 weeks is about right for...
Hi CharltonBay trees are often treated badly in DIY sheds so yours may just be suffering from accumulated neglect. It may take the rest of...
Hi JWKGreat pictures of Mottisfont. I hope you also took a stroll along the banks of the Test because it's a wonderfully relaxing place to be...
evemarie8That's good. Sedum spectabile is a very reliable, versatile plant. Butterflies and bees love the flower heads that will form in late...
Yes. Rose of Sharon is tough and can put up with some pretty inhospitable conditions. But it probably won't grow as big as it would if planted...
I'd be very wary about introducing evergreen ground cover plants into a bed where they were herbaceous perennials or bulbs. How would you fork...
Hi WinnieThere are various types of leaf miner and they attack different plants. Other pests, like the mangold fly, have larvae that cause...
Hi evemarie8You don't say which type of sedums you've planted.Generally speaking, outdoor types do prefer well drained soils but the...
I can't tell who's coming off best, the slug or the plant!?But that's a beautiful Venus Fly Trap plant. I tried to grow them a couple of...
RandkellAh well, if you're on the IoW, you're quite close to me and my clay based "soil" has been bone dry for weeks now. Just like brick...
Ooo er, Palustris. That sounds a bit sinister!
Clueless and Pamsdish are spot on about using old CDs.I've used them for years and think (not sure, mind you) they deter pigeons. They don't...
Hi NatThose insects look like whiteflies to me. Or a close relative. Maybe it's just the light in the photo. Anyway, I bet they're sap...
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