tarttartan

Tool Storage Solution

Looks usable Tom, I used to have a similar item some years ago, for holding brushes and mops in the kitchen cupboard.   The only problem I had with it was getting the clamps holding the handle in place to release without practically tugging the fitting off the wall.   Yours looks better than my array of nails and hooks on the garage wall!

Best of luck.

New garden border help!!

I started off my mixed border years ago by placing in the shrubs which would give me structure and colour all year, then added herbacious plants and flowers.   Tried to get everything balanced to give all year round colour but 20 years later I am still changing things and getting it wrong at times.   Some of my plants must be dizzy with the number of different locations they have inhabited.   Don't worry about it too much but a wee bit of planning does help.   Have fun!

pruning trees & shrubs

Thats useful advice - particularly for the cherry tree - its getting old and creaky like me, but still looks magnificent [unlike me unfortunately!]

pruning trees & shrubs

I live in central scotland and have a lovely cherry tree in my front garden which has become a bit top heavy with lots of wispy brittle branches plus one or two larger ones which need cut back and thinned out.   Could I do it now or wait until after flowering?   My thinking is that I can see the structure easier at present while there are no leaves on the tree.

Secondly, I have a pieris in a small pot on my patio which has been there for a number of years and is very healthy.   However, a wayward branch is making the plant lop sided and I would like to cut it out.   Can I do it now or as with the cherry tree, wait until after the spring?

my 1st allotment!

I took over my allotment at the end of last summer and have almost cleared all of the weeds [until they pop their heads up again at the first bit of sun!] but there are still loads of jobs to do.   The one I have been puting off a bit is making a work plan of  what to do when.   When to sew seeds in the greenhouse [really a shed with lots of windows!], how to calculate how much of any veg to grow and in what order to do it.   Everything really!!  You can see I need a work plan to keep myself focused.  Is there a good web site which puts fruit and veg into categories, ie. legumes etc.   I'm so excited I want to grow it all.   I have an acid soil, well dug, sunny position.

Talkback: Ground elder

Agree with the advice given. This has been my tactic for the last 8 years and I am still pulling out shoots of ground elder. I clear the soil when replanting and nip out any green shoots when they appear. I have been known to resort to systemic weedkiller. Try pushing a cardboard tube or small box over the offending shoot before spraying which will keep the spray off nearby plants.

Talkback: Creeping buttercup

I have creeping buttercup in my borders and attack it from early spring by digging up any plants and runners I can see. This is generally easier to do in spring before the shrubs etc start spreading. Hopefully I will beat the buttercup one of these years but so far the little monsters keep fighting back!

Talkback: Self-seeding plants

I have most of these plants but find that they dont self seed very easily in my shady acid soil garden. My friend who has a sunny garden with wonderful crumbly soil is always pulling out seedlings which threaten to over-run her garden. I suppose its the old story - if you have curly hair you want it straight...

pruning trees & shrubs

Advice on cutting back some wayward branches? 

Talkback: Creeping buttercup