blairs

Remove Robinia Tree?

If it is just leaf spot disease then keep the tree. Spray it with sulpher and that should help. Hopefully next year will be less wet!

Reusing clay soil to raise patio level?

I have clay soil and laid my patio on it. Use a thick layer of builder sand (3 inches) and that stops subsidence. I would level out the patio with the clay, level it and comact it down, remembering to allow for the sand and slab/stones. It is easier to level with sand remember.

Slugs

Milk works the same, the slugs crawl in as they are attracted to the sweetness and are drowned. Cheaper than alcohol!

GROWING BULBS IN POTS FOR PLANTING OUT IN SPRING

How cold does it get in your greenhouse? Some bulbs need cold weather as part of their growth. They also will need watering over winter. I would keep the pot outdoors apart from the most severe of weather. You actually do not want bulbs to grow over winter as they will be long and lanky with the poor sun light hours and may grow up blind. Better smaller and stronger than longer and prone to falling over.

New Garden, need help to design

I agree with the above. I would plan a courtyard garden with lots of structural and architectural plants and adding colour with annuals. It looks way too shaded for veg from the photos. You need full sun for that TBH.

Laurel hedge

Yellowing is a sign of stress and on Laurel is is normally either mineral deficiency or over or under watering or a mix (over watering causes minerals to wash away). I would add a good feed around the plant - use liquid and pellet versions. If it is getting water logged then you need to fork around the area to imporve drainage.

Brand New Garden - 1 Year on

I would replace the ranch style fence (why do developers have to be cheap and stick those in?) with the same 6ft fence to increase privacy. As everyone else has said, you created the washing machine affect - small border around the lawn. You can extend the borders over time and it will look better, about 1 metre would be minum and extend the patio area with the seat into a garden room by extending and adding height to the border their.

Acer problems

Most Acers are killed or damaged by overwatering or waterlogging - for example putting in a pot too large for it.

Secondly wind - they hate wind, esp young ones

Third - they do take sun, taking more sun with maturity

Fourth - good draining soil, they really do not need acidic soil. A well fertilised soil is great as they have surface roots that feed. A leaf much and they will be happier still.

@ Robin - looks like wind damage to me

To raspberry or not to raspberry?

I have Autumn Raspberries and clay soil. They are doing fine in it. I loosened the soil all around the plants then added compost then bone meal then the plants in with more compost. I can't help but think that all you did was dig a hole and all that did was recreate a pot in the ground that restricts thier growth and probably fill with water, even if you cannot see it, water might pool in the hole you dug, hence you ned to fork (I do not own as a spade as spades and clay do not go together). They only fruit on this years growth, so you need space for them to grow.

Talkback: Vine weevil

Vine Weevil's tend to eat lots of small notches into leaves. My Cercis and Acers had lots of larger, rounded holes that I thought was Vine Weevil. I sprayed with Provado then noticed a few weeks later that it was leaf cutter Bees. So do not automatically reach for the bottle. Make sure you do have Vine Weevil before using insecticide.

Agave Seed Germination

Not GWM getting advertised discount @ Crocus

tetrapanax papyrifer seed germination