ChapelGirl2

Does Anyone Know What This Mauve Flowered Plant Is Please?

It's borage!

Get Rid of your Lawns

Palaisglide, when I were a lass (up where Carol Klein comes from) we had a small front garden next to the (short) drive which had a standard rose in the middle, a little circular path around that and annual and perennial flowers, sedums etc. in the borders around it. That was the bit "for show", but no lawn.

In the back, we had a York stone paved back yard next to the house, a small border against the brick wall between us and next door, and behind the house was a long narrow lawn (with washing line).  When we were kids we had a swing on the lawn.

The rest of the garden was privet hedges fronted by borders filled with dahlias, a Conference pear tree and plum trees, and a greenhouse at the bottom with lots of tomato plants in summer.  My mum used to fill Kilner jars full of bottled tomatoes and pears.

When a local factory closed down my dad got the chance to buy some panels from the greenhouses they had in the grounds, so about 50% of the lawn was turned into greenhouse!  But by that time us kids had grown up and didn't need the space to run around in any more.

Green Magpie I agree with you, you need a bit of open ground so that you can stand back and admire your borders etc.  The only alternatives to lawns, as I see it, are gravel (which needs spraying with chemicals), decking (expensive to fit and also requires maintenance) or paving.  Or you could live in an Italian mansion with stepped terraces affording a panoramic view over your immaculately manicured trees and shrubs!  

Get Rid of your Lawns

Well said, Frank.

I wonder if Bob Flowerdew was being provocative?

My 'lawn' is actually a mixture of grass, bugle, primroses, dandelions, plantains, you name it.  It has 'evolved' from the meadow it used to be before our little estate was built in the 90s, and the meadow over the other side of the fence supplies it with plenty of weed seeds, if ever I run out!  

It is steeply sloping in some parts, and lumpy and undulating in others.  I take the mower over it when it starts to look really untidy and I dig out a few dandelions and plantains when I get the urge to, but it never gets watered and it seems to survive.  The bees and hoverflies love it, as do our 2 dogs. 

The amount of 'gas' that my grass guzzles is probably about a third of a can per session.  If I were to lay the whole lot to gravel (what a horrible thought), the diesel used by the lorries which would have to bring it here would doubtless be the equivalent of a whole lifetime's worth of petrol mower outings.

drunken Blue Atlas Cedar

We have inherited a Blue Atlas Cedar which has been planted below the house, at the foot of a steep bank.  The trunk is now 2 metres or so high, and with a pronounced lean outwards from the slope.  The arching branches add another couple of metres to the overall height, and it is somewhat wider than it is tall.  The previous owner had fashioned some 'crutches' from wooden poles, to prop up the main 2 lateral branches.  It has been a handsome plant but its angle and general appearance now give me an 'edgy' uncomfortable feeling which is difficult to describe.  The weeping branches overhang the grass strip at the base of the bank and make mowing difficult.

Is it possible to pollard these trees effectively?  It would need to be cut back quite hard, and even then, since the main trunk is leaning outwards I wonder if it wouldn't just grow back looking ugly?

Should I take it out and replace with something else, perhaps a lower-growing form of blue cypress?

Dying Thymes

Yes, check for pests.  Another thought is if your pots are in the 'glorious' sun they might have dried out just a little bit too much.  If they are actually brown and brittle all over they may be beyond recovery, but it might be worth moving them into a more sheltered spot and increasing the watering to see if they put on any new growth.  I've got some common thyme in a 12 inch pot on my patio and at the moment I am watering it well every evening.

home made plant supports

Steve, I think you'd need to use a plumber's pipe-bending spring to stop a copper pipe from folding when you bend it.

What is it please

Myrtle, a plant native to the Mediterranean, is cultivated primarily in Europe and is most commonly found in recipes from European cultures. It lends a slight bitterness and a citrus note to dishes and is perfect when paired with bacon or veal.  In the past, it was used commonly as a wrapping or stuffing for clay-baked or pit-roasted meats and it imparts an interesting flavour. Like many other aromatic leaves (bay, eucalyptus, allspice leaves, rosemary or thyme), myrtle branches (or even dried myrtle leaves) thrown on the hot coals of a barbecue impart a very interesting flavour to barbecued meats. Myrtle leaves also make an useful addition to the wood used in smokers.

Using vinegar to kill weeds

I have to agree with sotongeoff.  I am trying my best to be organic and have spent a lot of time hand-weeding our garden.  I have hand dug, sieved, applied cardboard mulch, you name it.

A local landscape gardener who is organic-friendly said that in his opinion there is NO alterative to spraying off the weeds on our gravel drive and under the fences etc. twice a year with glyphosphate.  Having spent a year NOT doing that, I'm afraid to say i have to agree with him.

As regards lawn weeds, I recently bought one of those Fiskears gizmos for pulling out plantains, dandelions etc. and they seem to work quite well, but you will end up with a few holes which you might have to fill in.

What is it please

I think it might be a myrtle bush.  It has shiny evergreen leaves which have a scent which I'd describe as a cross between bay leaves and caramel (just my opinion).  It has fluffy white flowers, followed by blue-black edible berries. The oil from the leaves is supposed to be good for sinus complaints.

Frugal gardening techniques

I haven't tried vinegar as a weedkiller but I doubt it is THAT effective or there simply wouldn't be a market for Roundup etc.  I am trying to be organic and have spent very many hours hand-weeding, but a local organic-friendly landscape gardener told me that if I wanted to weed my boundary fence and gravel drive there was simply no option but to spray them twice a year with glyphosate weedkiller.  

I have a gas canister weed flame wand.  This is definitely NOT a cheap option, but doesn't involve chemical sprays.  It works, but during hot weather if you are weeding around heathers, grasses etc. you can end up setting a fire which is difficult to control.  If you use one of those burners in dry conditions be sure to keep a hosepipe or several buckets of water handy!

Identifying beneficial insect larvae

preserving heritage tomatoes

drunken Blue Atlas Cedar

I-Spy Carol Klein

Roses on my driveway

Something is eating my lavender