Tim Burr

Water butts

I installed a second water butt this year as I found one was not enough. Even this year with all the rain, I was using water butt for pots and containers, and topping up pond. I've just got water bill for first half the year - ??40 cheaper than over same period last year. Well chuffed. Water but has paid for itself in less than six months.

Hedgehogs near extinction

Great news. Have found a local rescue that is willing to take Spike. Will be dropping him off in the morning. Thanks for all your support folks.

Hedgehogs near extinction

I'm currently baby sitting a small hedgehog weighing less than 300g. I found it on the doorstep on Tuesday. Have been ringing around rescue places but they don't answer or it goes to voicemail. I appreciate moat rescue places are run by volunteers so will keep trying.

The hedgehog is in a guinea pig hutch in the conservatory and has plenty of food and water - ate a 100g chicken terrine on the first evening and another 50g in the morning. It has ignored the dry cat biscuits, and mealworms I normally put out for the birds. I've put in plenty of hay, and a bought a grass tube from Pets at Home, which it especially enjoys sleeping in during the day. I know there are other hedgehogs frequenting my small garden as the food I put out is being eaten. I think this juvenile may be one (and only?) of their young as the two that I regularly see in the evening were doing hedgehog courting rituals on my patio in the late summer.

Very underweight hedgehog found on doorstep

Got home this evening and found a small hedgehog on front door step. Stepped over him and got kitchen scales and then back out and weighed him and he is 284g, well below survivable hibernation weight. Might seem unlikely the chap would survive winter due to weight. Watched a programme on TV the other day and also read various articles on line which advocates bringing in underweight hedgehogs in for safe keeping around this time f year. I have done that and he is now in his own box in the conservatory which is also where I winter the guinea pigs. I've provided chicken cat food, both dry and wet food. I will contact rescue centre tomorrow to see if they can take him. I do have a spare guinea pig hutch in the garage and wonder if that may be better for him. Although not heated, it doesn't freeze in the garage. I did read the key is to stop hibernation occurring, but no sure how that is achieved.

Tree Lily

I planted four Tree Lilly's in the ground quite late (June/July) - they were cheapies from Thompson and Morgan - I think I paid a 1p for them. Nothing appeared at all. Are they likely to just be sitting there waiting for next Spring, or would they have just rotted in the ground?

Hard pruning pyrancatha hedge

When I acquired my first garden, I had huge pyracantha shrub. It was hated for the obvious reason - whenever you walked within two foot of it, I'm sure it used to leap out of the border and scratch. In the end, I cut it down to within a foot of its life - no more branches, just a stump. I thought by doing that, it would just give up the ghost and die. By eck, did it not. Within 6 weeks it had resprouted all over the stump, and within a year it was back to nearly same height I'd hacked it back the previous year. It was too big to dig out of the ground. I just trimmed it back hard every year early in the spring. Eventually I showed it whose boss - I sold up and moved out!

Tidying up herbaceous plants for winter

Thanks for comments folks - think I'll tidy what I can and if weather gets rough, I will leave till spring.

In the meantime - anybody offer advice on Crocosmia Lucifer. It started yellowing on a few leaves in early September after flowering in July, and I thought by October it would have all gone brown - but most of it is still green!!! That is something I do want to clear out the way as its fallen over with recent heavy rain. Will I starve the newly forming corms if I cut back now? I was thinking about cutting back to around 6" above ground.

Tidying up herbaceous plants for winter

I'm in two minds about clearing up summers perennials that are now fading from green to yellow/brown. Somebody once told me to simply leave it to provide winter protection for the plant, and the garden wildlife (both good and bad), but I have a friend who clears all dead growth, which enables her to fork over her beds and apply a winter mulch of well rotted manure and compost over the plants before winter really sets in. Is there a preferred method (from the plants/wildlife point of view), or is it simply down to the gardeners preference?

Bulb planters

I recently purchased one of these...

http://www.josephbentley.co.uk/Store/Product/JBY0049.aspx

1p change from ??30, but worth every penny in my opinion. It has stood up to planting in ground where I get a constant supply of small pebbles and flints working their way up to the surface. If I use a trowel it goes no further then the pebble. I could have bought one a bulb planter a third of the price but it would not have lasted. I like it because being a long handled one, I can get plenty of welly behind it.

You can buy on line, but mine was cheaper at the Garden Centre. Life time guarantee.

Siberian Iris

Is it too late to split up and/or move Siberian Iris? The leaves are just starting to go yellow at the tips. Or, can I move successfully in the spring before they kick back in to life. This would be better as I can do it at the same time I plan to move other things around the garden.

Too late for a Chelsea Chop?

Season is 3/4 weeks behind so really, we're still in May, right? 

Plant or weed....?

....never seen anything like this before 

Gardening errors.....

......made good (or bad) 

Flaming Weeds!

Stamped on lilies

Big foot strike again 

Umbrella Plant

To chop or not to chop! 

Crown Imperials

Lazarus bulbs! 

Too cold to relocate perennials?

Cold days and freezing nights 

Bird box v bird feeding

What to so in small garden 

National DIY chains remove bug killer containing neonicotinoids from sale

.....but still on sale in your local Garden Centre 

Hellebores

Do they spread? 

Is it too late/early to move perennials?

New year growth starting early

Very underweight hedgehog found on doorstep

Practical advice please 

Tidying up herbaceous plants for winter

Leave for winter protection or clear away?