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Gardening Advice

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  • SantaClaus
    SantaClaus Posts: 7,651
    My 9 month old Lab loves digging holes in my lawn and I'm going round in circles telling her off, refilling, reseeding and then watching her dig another one. Any tips form the dog owners on here?
  • DaveMehmet
    DaveMehmet Posts: 21,594
    I need to put a new pond in as e current one is too close to the house after our extension. Was planning to use a raised pond but the ones I’ve looked at have been a bit too small for our fish, some of which are fairly large.

    Anyone got any recommendations on places that sell then?
    Better to make one yourself 
    I made mine with two rows of Railway sleeper so its raised then you havent got to dig so deep😃also then you could have any size and depth you require
    Cheers, have thought of doing that myself but quite like the ones with side windows. 
  • Sillybilly
    Sillybilly Posts: 9,234
    My 9 month old Lab loves digging holes in my lawn and I'm going round in circles telling her off, refilling, reseeding and then watching her dig another one. Any tips form the dog owners on here?
    Short of AstroTurf or gravel mate I’m afraid I’ve come to the conclusion that lawns and dogs are an either/or scenario. 
  • I purchased 7 hybrid T roses last year from Thompson's on Shooters Hill.  By far the most vigorous, free flowering one is 'Perfect Harmony'.  I've already dead headed several blooms, about to remove some more and there are more coming, and this pretty much before any of the others have even bloomed. It was the same last year.  Definitely worth a look if that's the sort of thing you like.

       
  • I need to put a new pond in as e current one is too close to the house after our extension. Was planning to use a raised pond but the ones I’ve looked at have been a bit too small for our fish, some of which are fairly large.

    Anyone got any recommendations on places that sell then?
    Better to make one yourself 
    I made mine with two rows of Railway sleeper so its raised then you havent got to dig so deep😃also then you could have any size and depth you require
    Cheers, have thought of doing that myself but quite like the ones with side windows. 
    Yeh do like the windows have seen the glass for sale online but it's quite pricey 
    If I remember rightly a piece about 2 metre x 1 metre and 3 cm thick was somewhere around £600!!
  • blackheathaddick
    blackheathaddick Posts: 1,404
    JohnBoyUK said:
    Ok, just about to pull the plug and buy an automatic watering system set up.

    I've tested my water pressure/flow and its good enough (thank god!)

    Has anyone had a go at doing this before?  It looks easy enough with the minimum of DIY skills required.
    My only worry, what I can't see documented anywhere, is what the maximum length of hose is as presumably towards the end of a run of hose, the pressure would be less.  I watched a you tube video and they said the maximum was no longer than 50m.  Any advice?

    (Christ, I'm in proper middle age now arent I?)

    What exactly are you trying to do? Is it a drip watering system or something more extensive?

    Drip systems should be fine for a good length (30m+) because it doesn't really rely on excellent pressure, just for there to be a supply reaching it at all.

    However a misting system for example would be more problematic because it's totally reliant on high pressure.

    You can get some good cheap drip systems on amazon for about £30 and they work fine. Add in a timer for a similar amount and you can have it going off at whatever your required interval is.
  • blackheathaddick
    blackheathaddick Posts: 1,404
    A couple more from the garden. More and more of the roses blooming now.





  • Raith_C_Chattonell
    Raith_C_Chattonell Posts: 5,677
    edited June 2020
    I was reading that a gritty sand was good to add to your compost mix for potting plants up. 

    The article said that it must be horticultural sand though as builders sand contains harmful salts.  That's a pity I thought, I've got a whole sackful of builders sharp sand in the garage.  Anyway, someone else commented that you could simply rinse the builders sand and the salt will disperse with the water.  

    Off I goes to the garage holding a large flower pot and a trowel.  The flowerpot had crocs over the holes to hold the sand in as I filled it up, nearly to the top.  Then I pick the flower pot up - and within a nano second - the whole lot empties onto the garage floor.  It was like an old fashioned egg timer, but on speed!

    Well anyway, I've now cleared it up and put the sand in a bucket with no holes, topped it with water,swirled it round a bit and poured off the excess, gawd knows if that's good enough.  I'm gonna sodding well use it now though :neutral:     
  • Carter
    Carter Posts: 14,241
    I was reading that a gritty sand was good to add to your compost mix for potting plants up. 

    The article said that it must be horticultural sand though as builders sand contains harmful salts.  That's a pity I thought, I've got a whole sackful of builders sharp sand in the garage.  Anyway, someone else commented that you could simply rinse the builders sand and the salt will disperse with the water.  

    Off I goes to the garage holding a large flower pot and a trowel.  The flowerpot had crocs over the holes to hold the sand in as I filled it up, nearly to the top.  Then I pick the flower pot up - and within a nano second - the whole lot empties onto the garage floor.  It was like an old fashioned egg timer, but on speed!

    Well anyway, I've now cleared it up and put the sand in a bucket with no holes, topped it with water,swirled it round a bit and poured off the excess, gawd knows if that's good enough.  I'm gonna sodding well use it now though :neutral:     
    I ended up with a load of very sandy compost last year, didnt purposely buy it but having it in the garden used it anyway for my pots out the front for impatiens and they love it. It drains well and they flourished last year. Used the same stuff topped up with a bit of regular compost when putting the new ones in on saturday 
  • jonseventyfive
    jonseventyfive Posts: 3,353
    Couple of large Phoenix palms due today,  more holes to dig. 
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  • T_C_E
    T_C_E Posts: 16,418
    My 9 month old Lab loves digging holes in my lawn and I'm going round in circles telling her off, refilling, reseeding and then watching her dig another one. Any tips form the dog owners on here?
    Sadly digging, as in most forms of destruction is boredom particularly in young dogs. We are their entertainment as soon as we stop they’ll find their own form of fun. Even with four dogs and us Bow still exercised his growing adult teeth on the skirting board. 
  • i_b_b_o_r_g
    i_b_b_o_r_g Posts: 18,948
    Anyone got any tips for reseading a decent lawn? I'm doing ours tonight, but wondered what fertilizers / methods Lifers use and any tips? Cheers 
  • Redrobo
    Redrobo Posts: 11,330
    Couple of large Phoenix palms due today,  more holes to dig. 
    You need to have a word with santaclaus and borrow his Labrador 😁
  • jonseventyfive
    jonseventyfive Posts: 3,353
    Bored teen to bribe more like then 🍺
  • moutuakilla
    moutuakilla Posts: 7,568
    A couple more from the garden. More and more of the roses blooming now.





    One of your pots has sprouted a small human
  • Addictedoldgit
    Addictedoldgit Posts: 1,825
    I have a 6 year old dwarf cherry tree (Stella )
    Have been disappointed with the fruit so far.
    Last year was encouraging but then the fruit split and the birds grabbed loads.

    This year - fingers crossed! It's looking good, their nearly ready, maybe 2 more days?

    No splitting and the wife hung 3 old CD's in the branches, brilliant! Although the garden looks like a disco with the light reflecting off the twirling CD's   :)
  • Couple of large Phoenix palms due today,  more holes to dig. 
    What you building here jsf?

    All these palm trees you've had delivered lately, sounds like a little bit of paradise.  Any particular theme or just rather be somewhere else? :smile:
  • jonseventyfive
    jonseventyfive Posts: 3,353
    Have been thinking about joining the open gardens scene for a while but it's not quite ready for that, wifey makes a decent cake so maybe one day. 
  • Rob7Lee said:
    Nice, but you need to sort that pond filter out!
    Sorted😀
  • Stig
    Stig Posts: 29,021
    lolwray said:
    What's the best thing to do when a plant has stopped flowering? Is it different for each species? Looked at advice for aquilegia for example.and it says chop it right down and it will be stronger next year.

    Really pleased that our Verbena has come back, thought it had died off. Can't wait for the lupins to come out - something special about them
    Yes aquilegia will come back stronger if you chop them off at the bottom of the stem but you then miss out on them self seeding..I prefer the latter 

    My lupins are out already and showing well in charlton red ..agree they are a lovely plant 
    I find the aquilegia lottery to be one of the best things in the garden. Can never be 100% sure where they will pop up or in what colours.
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  • jonseventyfive
    jonseventyfive Posts: 3,353
    Another day another Phoenix to plant, plus a few other bits, it'll be like Borneo when I'm done. 
  • moutuakilla
    moutuakilla Posts: 7,568
    edited June 2020
    Was very pleased to spot one of these wandering across the garden this morning
  • jonseventyfive
    jonseventyfive Posts: 3,353
    Good old Yodel, today is cotton palm ×2 drop off day, these guys have come all the way from tropical Oldham. 
  • My four year old grandaughter likes to make concoctions up and requested old rose petals on a recent garden visit.

    Yesterday I delivered in a return visit.  As she walked away she said, 'I love rose petals and that's why I order them from Grandad Raith'. 

    ... I guess the free delivery option helps - just call me Amazon.
  • jonseventyfive
    jonseventyfive Posts: 3,353
    After all the new editions over the last few weeks, how nice on a sunny Sunday morning having a nice coffee watching baby birds investigating the feeder, very good for my mental wellbeing. 
  • T_C_E
    T_C_E Posts: 16,418
    I’m looking for some evergreen shrubs to plant along the sides of our garden up 4/5 foot high preferably non poisonous to our dogs. 😳
    Any suggestions please and where to get them online?
  • Chizz
    Chizz Posts: 28,331
    T_C_E said:
    I’m looking for some evergreen shrubs to plant along the sides of our garden up 4/5 foot high preferably non poisonous to our dogs. 😳
    Any suggestions please and where to get them online?
    Photinia Red Robin 

    https://www.thompson-morgan.com/p/photinia-x-fraseri-red-robin/T57530TM 
  • jonseventyfive
    jonseventyfive Posts: 3,353
    Tricky because shrubs will usually just keep growing given the chance ,once a year trim could be in your future my friend, can I just mention that when I was in rehab the dog visits at a difficult time where wonderful, keep up the good work .
  • Alwaysneil
    Alwaysneil Posts: 13,805
    Chizz said:
    T_C_E said:
    I’m looking for some evergreen shrubs to plant along the sides of our garden up 4/5 foot high preferably non poisonous to our dogs. 😳
    Any suggestions please and where to get them online?
    Photinia Red Robin 

    https://www.thompson-morgan.com/p/photinia-x-fraseri-red-robin/T57530TM 
    My front hedge is that stuff, looks great most of the time, have to make sure you chop it right back at least once a year or it gets leggy. 
  • Fanny Fanackapan
    Fanny Fanackapan Posts: 18,737
    Chizz said:
    T_C_E said:
    I’m looking for some evergreen shrubs to plant along the sides of our garden up 4/5 foot high preferably non poisonous to our dogs. 😳
    Any suggestions please and where to get them online?
    Photinia Red Robin 

    https://www.thompson-morgan.com/p/photinia-x-fraseri-red-robin/T57530TM 
    This is what we used for the Memorial garden at SL.