Gardeners!

[PaulSB]

Spent 4 hours scarifying and aerating the lawn today. I there’s another 6-7 hours to go.

One of those jobs when you think before beginning I’ll regret starting this. I was right.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I quite like scarifying, I love the amount of stuff it gets up. I pile it onto a tarpaulin, then pack into bins to remove. The area looks grotty for a couple of weeks, but I imagine the grass saying "thankyou I can breathe".
What I didn't like was getting bitten by all the flies/ mozzies I disturbed when scarifying.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

There is a recent debate that exists on a GQT podcast that argues scarifying is a waste of effort and could be one of those things we could forget about. I may experiment with a couple of clients’ lawns. I hate doing it, but it pays the bills.

Aerating and helping drain the lawn is of considerable benefit. Especially because all the little plugs are very fertile.

In a past life of mine (Africa) lawns were top dressed with tobacco sweepings (leftovers and dust from the auction floors and cigarette factories) Staggering results. I wish there was a similar product here in the U.K.

 

[User16390]

There is a recent debate that exists on a GQT podcast that argues scarifying is a waste of effort and could be one of those things we could forget about. I may experiment with a couple of clients’ lawns. I hate doing it, but it pays the bills.

Aerating and helping drain the lawn is of considerable benefit. Especially because all the little plugs are very fertile.

In a past life of mine (Africa) lawns were top dressed with tobacco sweepings (leftovers and dust from the auction floors and cigarette factories) Staggering results. I wish there was a similar product here in the U.K.

Years ago I and a colleague had to look after three bowling greens on our contract area, when the season finished we had to scarify, spike or hollow core tine then top dress, which was a pain as the only access to one of the greens was through a narrow gate so you had to barrow it in. Then spraying for diseases such as Fusarium Patch kept us really busy. Still like you said it paid the bills

 

[Tin Pot]

Do some people only plant bulbs?

I’m really impressed with how strong and sturdy they look (apart from the potted ones).

Violas and dahlias are a bit wimpy by comparison.

Can you just keep swapping them out so you get spring, summer and autumn sorted? Then bare over winter.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Do some people only plant bulbs?

I’m really impressed with how strong and sturdy they look (apart from the potted ones).

Violas and dahlias are a bit wimpy by comparison.

Can you just keep swapping them out so you get spring, summer and autumn sorted? Then bare over winter.

You are getting this gardening gig aren’t you? Addictive. Good stuff.

Just plant out a variety of bulbs that will give you a show over a number of months. Dr Hessian’s Easy Plant Book for Bulbs will help. It also is dependant on when you plant. Some go in now. Some go in Autumn. Beware the deals in shops. Often that means you are too late. Bulbs are pretty easy otherwise.

Get some lilies and crocosmia for reliable repetition and increase in plants.

 

[Dave 123]

I repaired my raised beds today. Some of them I did repair properly, using 4x4 posts at the internal corner and some nice long screws.
Some, I have to admit I cowboyed them good and proper! I hope to get at least another year out of them until I completely redo the garden which I can't be arsed to do at the moment.

Mrs Dave did some much needed pruning. It's starting to look like a garden again.

 

[Dave 123]

Do some people only plant bulbs?

I’m really impressed with how strong and sturdy they look (apart from the potted ones).

Violas and dahlias are a bit wimpy by comparison.

Can you just keep swapping them out so you get spring, summer and autumn sorted? Then bare over winter.

Have you any dry, semi shady bits in the garden? There are some lovely cyclamen you can plant

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=589

Strictly speaking it's a corm, not a bulb...... but it does the same trick.

 

[Tin Pot]

Have you any dry, semi shady bits in the garden? There are some lovely cyclamen you can plant

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=589

Strictly speaking it's a corm, not a bulb...... but it does the same trick.

Yeah.

My back garden is south east facing, so one fence gets tonnes of sun - I’ve got grape vine planted there last autumn by the path. So the other side is just grass with trees of the neighbours over looking so it’s pretty shady there and NE facing. Wondering what to do - might put in an island border attached to the fence to break up the plain lawn, and seperate the play area/swings.

 

[Tin Pot]

You are getting this gardening gig aren’t you? Addictive. Good stuff.

Just plant out a variety of bulbs that will give you a show over a number of months. Dr Hessian’s Easy Plant Book for Bulbs will help. It also is dependant on when you plant. Some go in now. Some go in Autumn. Beware the deals in shops. Often that means you are too late. Bulbs are pretty easy otherwise.

Get some lilies and crocosmia for reliable repetition and increase in plants.

I’m trying to balance my life equally between family, cyber security, and ironman triathlon, all of which are stressful so gardening should be the low cost relaxation element.

My wife loves telling me how awful the garden looks since I started trying to fix it

Is it this one?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/09...sayon+bulb&dpPl=1&dpID=513YCG6JKML&ref=plSrch

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I’m trying to balance my life equally between family, cyber security, and ironman triathlon, all of which are stressful so gardening should be the low cost relaxation element.

My wife loves telling me how awful the garden looks since I started trying to fix it

Is it this one?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/09...sayon+bulb&dpPl=1&dpID=513YCG6JKML&ref=plSrch

Said like an expert. That’s the book

 

[pjd57]

My garden is still a soggy mess.
Had a quick attempt at some tidying today , raked over the small patch I usually put potatoes in around now but think it's still far too wet to do anything with .

The grass is still waterlogged.
Hopefully a few dry days and I can give it all a tidy up.

 

[steveindenmark]

Its too cold and damp to be gardening in Denmark at the moment. But we got a few more bird boxes put up and birds are in them already. Bulbs are coming up all over and so Spring is not far away. It looks drab and dead out there but it will soon be full of colour.

 

[Tin Pot]

Beware the deals in shops. Often that means you are too late. Bulbs are pretty easy otherwise.

Get some lilies and crocosmia for reliable repetition and increase in plants.

RHS sent this “offer” but seems a bit pricey compared to the prices of daffodil bulbs I got last autumn. £2-£3 per bulb, rather than £7 for a pot full.
https://www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/vid.1799/canorder.1/
Is it a good deal?

Some of these grow 1.5m high apparently(!)

 

[Heltor Chasca]

RHS sent this “offer” but seems a bit pricey compared to the prices of daffodil bulbs I got last autumn. £2-£3 per bulb, rather than £7 for a pot full.
https://www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/vid.1799/canorder.1/
Is it a good deal?

Some of these grow 1.5m high apparently(!)

Yes it’s steep. Big too. I’m yet to see those monsters and if it’s true, I wouldn’t plant in a windy place. Best planted in autumn for more of a chance of flowering. Of course if you have bought them, they are better off in the ground now rather than the shed. You will probably only get foliage. That said I did some for a client a couple of years ago and almost all flowered.