Verdun

keeping mice off pea seeds

My peas are now outside growing well.

Sowing indoors is the only way to keep mice away. Plant out when seed plant has outgrown the seed.  Sorry, holly sprigs will make no difference

I have tried many of the so called remedies over the years...none of them work.  

nematodes

I have used nematodes for slugs ...they were effective. But they are expensive

Think I will stick to my tried amd tested salt in a bucket

Jewell garden - suggestions

Matty

Honka will grow on ??ou.   I got to enjoy it more and more last summer.  It's left in the ground but think its shooting now.

Prob completely wrong but does your dierama get enough water over summer? Cant recall what you  said about that but a good soaking when warmer might be the solution

Tomatoes

You are welcome Sarah.

Good Evening FORKERS

Evening Tina, holly, archiepen, gardengirl....who all beat me to it today. Hope you all had good day. EveniNg to everyeNe else to come

Its been glorious today...Blue sky all day and now.

I think it will be cool tonight so will have to delay plantIng beans out.  Will do so later in the week though cos its  nearly May

MORNING FORKERS

Mornimg folks.  Hope all ok at docs blackest

Sunny here.....looking good

Talkback: How to cut clean lawn edges

Half moon is best..clean and sharp.  Spade will do it too.

My lawns have concrete edges....look natural and maintenance is easy.  Don't like these plastic or wooden rolls

 Best to keep a "ditch" between lawn edge and border

New Lawn HELP!!!!

Hi mav359

I would turn over, by hand, this area.  Trench in the grass ....placing upside down... In the trench.  No need to dig too deep, say 12" or so.

Then rake, level....using a wide rake or lute....and rake, tread, rake and tread.

If you can incorporate some compost, dried manure etc so much the better

Then add fertiliser and rake in.  

Seed ....half one direction and lightly rake, then half the seed sown in another direction and rake.

My lawn is bit bigger than yours but I also then pinned down fleece until germination....10 days to 2 weeks.

Lightly water and keep moist until germination

This is what I would do....what I did.

Don't like rotovator or roller

help with ornamental tree choice

Hiya blairs

I grew Aztec pearl along with sundance. And the more common Ternatta.  I simply didn't like it....no scent, no leaf smell and less bushy.  

Another shrub I like is pittosporum tobira Variegata....this could look good in Steves garden too

Vine Weevil

It's a difficult choice.  Scientists often get things wrong. I'm far from convinced by climate change for example

We don't want to lose our precious plants but don't want to kill bees etc.  we have to use our own individual judgement without being bullied by anyone else into doing what other people think we should be doing

For vine weevil I use nematodes when I can but as already said these don't work outside of the warmer months so. I do use Provado too.  I do the soil sifting on vulnerable plants and hunt the adults at night so I try to strike a balance.

We each have a right to decide for ourselves

best foliage perennial plant for the garden

ACER FLAMINGO

drat and curses to this hot sunny weather

The best dicentra is........?

Expensive perennial plug plants

SPIGELIA

Saint or sinner?.....don't like annuals

It's made my day......

Marigolds in the veg patch

Cannot propagate new guinea impatiens

Veronicastrums and heleniums

The very best variegated herbaceous n perennial plants....and do you like em?

More blue n yellow

Late seed sowing

Plants for summer scent