Matt Lee

Hedging shears

Hi Joe,

Got some Darlac Drop Forged wooden handled one's in the summer. I wanted the traditional ash handled type and these were just what I was looking for. They also have a nice rubber shock absorber, are razor sharp, very comfortable to use, and also have the appearance of a quality product.

I'm picky with things like this and I'd recommend them any day.

I give up!

Yup !, bad year all round for Veg. I seem to have inadvertently invented several new dwarf varieties this year . Things have just been so wet for so long (plus the fact that sunlight hours were something like 25% behind average), that even the most experienced, (and previously succesfull) gardeners have drawn a blank. Dont give up. The only upside to a summer like we've just had is that next year can only be better (probably) and the rewards of eating your own organic, home grown veg that tastes better than anything you can buy from a supermarket, (I dont care what anybody says), makes all the hard work well worth it. Or you could just roll over, let our sorry summers beat you and admit defeat

Overgrown Garden

Hi Sandra,

I'd use a strimmer to get the grass down to something like a sensible level to enable you to assess the situation properly. Dont just rip the shrubs out though.......have a look at what you've got (by the sounds of it you cant see properly), and then - dependant on the result, prune back now (still time left), in the spring, or move during the winter... you never know you may have some hidden gems (have you seen the price of well developed shrubs at Garden centres) ?. As regards the grass, Im with Doctoc63....... give it a couple of weeks and then use the mower on a high setting for the rest of the year. Come September / October... scarify and aerate with a fork and rake, Sprinkle on some sharp sand to help with drainage, give an autumn feed and then leave it over winter. Come the spring start on a high setting and gradually lower it to the level you want (with a high nitrogen weed and feed product in the spring to help green it up and see the weeds off). It'll take a couple of years to get right but it'll be worth it.

Sweetcorn

Mine are the same, now at about 12-14" but they've taken ages - planted direct in early June. Down to all the wet I'm afraid. Fingers crossed for a warm and dry Aug/Sept.

What has eaten my Lupin - I need to protect the other 3

I use "Growing Success" slug pellets from B&Q. Always seem to work a treat. Had the same problem with one of my Lupins..., sprinkled the pellets  over the plant (the label tells you not to but the git(s) had obviously climed up the stem) and a couple of weeks later all is well again.

Dog repelant ?

FloBear...I'd thought of that myself. We've also got a cat that would turn the beds over for me on a regular basis until I made a dedicated patch filled with sharp sand for her to use.....could be the answer !

Dog repelant ?

Dog repelant ?