backyardee

Hosepipe Ban

Maybe chap ought to have a word with the editor of the paper where I used to live. They reported some folk fined.  But maybe that was a scaree tactic......... who knows.

Keeping Chickens

Off to treat all my lot with vaseline and tee tree oil to keep scale mite away. The wild birds bring all sorts of bugs and deseases in.

New Zealand Flax Flower

Maybe, Lost all of ours that were in exposed places winter 2010. The protected area of the garden still has them growing. 1000' up in west wales

fertilizers

I would have thought that slow release food and slow release fertiliser were similar, but maybe containing different elements

Tomato feed (liquid form) gives the equivalent to a big meal every so often. slow release is like being on a diet, little and often but you never know when it's run out.

Hosepipe Ban

No it's not gobbledygook.  Where i used to live, Folk thought that using a hosepipe for either draining out water from the bath or off a water butt was fine. some were fined, an article went in the local paper with a headline similar to 'HOSE PIPE BAN MEANS HOSES ARE BANNED. An offical came round to the local gardening club and took questions about it. I left after about 30mins. There was no doubt there was a ban on hosepipes.  As he said they couldn't stop you filling your bath and using a bucket to get the clean water out, which I thought was fine for folk in bungalow but pointless.  i also saw the plans for the new 'oxbridge ark' 330,000 extra houses to be built................... but no plans for reservoirs...... Glad I moved from the ever growing rat run.

USE BY DATE ON SEEDS

I keep ,my seed in their original little foil packets, they are all in a paper tray, which is on a top sheld in the lobby. It is draught proof and frost free. I never keep them in an airtight tin. Especially as I collect a lot of seed and it may not be quite dry enough to store. Damp seeds rot easily if airtight. I check viability of old seed by dropping in a small amount of water, those that sink are viable, those that float have had it and can be tipped out with the water.

Keeping Chickens

I have 18 hens and 2 cockerels. A few of my hens are buff orpington x warren.............

They are large gals, lay huge eggs, bigger than my duck eggs, and are very fluffy. I call them wuffs. I also have number of warrens and a couple of retired black rocks, they are in with the old buff cockerel (he's 8). Oh and 1 black aracana hen.

The large troop free roam over the colder months. I feed them pellets or mash made into a porridge with kitchen scraps first thing in the morning. They have a scattering of corn late afternoon. I no longer have a problem with red mite as I powder the houses with diatom every week when i clean them out. I collect up the bedding in the winter and mulch my veg beds with it. Inthe summer it goes on the compost heap to help rot down all the grass clippings etc. I also collect the worst parts of the bedding and make a fertilser tea from it.

I get on average 10 eggs a day sometimes maybe 14. I usually get around 6 duck eggs a day too. My ducks have free raom of the plot and use the lake most of the day. But they hate it when it rains or is extremely windy, then they shelter in the garden on the small pond. Or sit under a couple of large vehicles.

New Zealand Flax Flower

Sounds like it could be, but it looks dirty too. Not a nice colour at all. Sadly I haven't a photo of it.

Ground cover plants - suggestions

A few varieties of Hardy Geranium would be suitable for your border, but they are not evergreen.

New Zealand Flax Flower

I have a lovely form, Don't know the variety name but it has the most amazing stripe on the leaves......................but the flowers are the most disgusting dirty mustard. Doesn't fit well with my pink and purple colour scheme.