jo4eyes

Fork Handles

Kate- glad things improving. No, dont agree with you re 'just a cold/flu' they can be much more 'grotty making' for a short time. I wasnt a happy bunny last w/end!

Re my situation, just a moaner these days, but actually fed up as been grotty with one thing & another for 12mths now. Have a course to go on later this month called 'Moving On' & yes I need it!! Actually have been seriously ill 2x before so I've had enough.... see am moaning again! Shall fully participate in any discussions!

If OH & daughter ruffle my hair one more time.....grr. It's actually fluffy & sticking up/out in all directions & curling again! Not quite long enough yet to comb, but getting there.

Still only 1 pot of germinating sweetpeas, but hope yet for others... J.

Fork Handles

Morning all. Family all gone. Peacful here, until washer sings to me.

Ironing didnt get done after all- Hollie H I know, I know, but some hings do need doing. I have adopted daughter's tip of quick get from tumbler, shake & hang, but OH does this for his shirts at 'the little house' & you can tell!

Do small fungii growing from houseplant pot count? Shows how c**p these 'new' composts are. 'stillconfusedfrommanchester'

Fork Handles

I can remember Radio Luxemburg too- Tony Prince! Is he still around?

Blast, OH got remote again!!

Have eaten too much, own fault, but I didnt have 2 puddings, unlike some others around here!

Really need to do some ironing, but just cant get motivated........ J.

Dealing with the impact of trees and shade

KatyH- You cannot guarentee that, even if the existing tree owners are willing to maintain the trees now, future owners will, sorry. So accepting that you have a partly shaded garden in the wet Nwest is half the battle.

One thing though that does come to mind about the wetness that is- are other neighbours gardens also as damp? You'll know whereabouts you are in relation to slopes, streams etc, but your property should have land drains to deal with some of the possible dampness. Is your underlying soil clay? If that has compacted then it'll act as a barrier to any water/moisture draining away.

So, I agree rotten decking not sensible with children & pets & in any shade it'll always be slippy. You can however get ridged concrete slabs I think that would be a better surface -something to consider for paving in the shadier area if needed.

Accept that a lawn can be ok, sort of, in a part shade garden, but will get moss & never be a 'bowling green'. Then with children & pets.... BTW you can get turf/grass seed more suited to shade.

Re landscapers- ask neighbours who may have used people, ask in local GC who they know. The GC may also offer a design/construction service themselves.

There are lots of 'easy', shade loving plants & shrubs, so they can be planted once you have the groundwork in place. Read as much as possible in advance- the winter months are ideal for doing that. Beth Chatto- Damp garden, Woodland garden & others by her are inspirational- local library may also have some good books.

Hope that this hasnt been too negative? Be realistic with what time, effort & finance you are prepared to spend & then you wont be dissapointed. J.

Loveage

Yes it will be dying back about now, so no panic yet! After it's died back it would appreciate a mulch/feed of well-rotted manure or homemade compost. J.

Fork Handles

Hi Inka, surprised that you didnt feel anything, but glad too as wouldnt be that nice.

Even in Manchester, UK, we had small shocks some yrs back. Think the epicentre was down in West Midlands, remember my Dad not feeling a thing & it was only a few miles away. He slept through it, but it woke me over 100 miles away- we have a pair of mirrored doors to a cupboard in bedroom & they rattled like mad in the middle of the night! Afterwards the shocks continued for ages- you could feel them crossing the room towards your feet- weird. J.

Fork Handles

Great minds think alike!

Paperwork done, apparently the 'baking' not going well- glad  am not involved.

Kate- I too used to feel as if hallucinating when took certain OTC remedies! Cant take them now coz of other medication.

Mind you am sat here feeling as if falling to LHS & stone cold sober! Could be the knackered chair seat of course, never did find someone to sort, still on the 'to do' list, or more likely a response to the latest drug infusion had on Friday. J.

Growing Sweet Peas

Because of the imminent frost warnings, & we did go down below freezing this week, I put the pots onto a window sill. My greenhouse is NOT frost free!

Germination just now starting, so will move them as nec into the big coldframe. J.

books

I now possess a copy, very tatty now, of 'Adam the gardener'. Circa 1954 via Daily Express I thnk. Some of the basics are still useful.

Am ashamed to say that as a small child I was a scribbler in books but must have been interested even then! J.

Growing under holly

I'm another who has removed lower branches.

Varigated ivy, nearest the stem. G.Macrorrhizum & G.Nodosum both cope. Tellima Grandiflora too. These can all be planted into 'pockets' of better compost nearer the edge of overhanging canopy & that gives them a good start. All more or less evergreen, with the geraniums having good Autumn colour & the bonus of flowers.

Small bulbs eg Muscari will also cope at the canopy edge.

Like the cyclamen idea.... J.

Care & maintenance of elderly Bramley apple trees.

Suggestions for planting in a sunny, boggy site.