Does anyone know anything about gardening?

i'm growing garlic in raised beds (plastic tubs actually)

I'm after something bigger to grow in for next autumn - was thinking a metal beer keg cut in half lengthways might be an idea.

Any reason it wouldn't work? I was thinking maybe lack of insulation from cold? - I would be using real-ale kegs (so not pressurised).

Do know how expensive aluminium kegs are? I'm sure you could find a cheaper alternative.

Of gardening I know nothing, but my slightly crazed neighbour has gone scorched-earth on us again and annihilated almost every living thing in the border opposite my flat. Okay, it was a bit messy, but she took out loads of bulbs and some nice ground cover I put in.

It's a narrow strip against a wall, under a tree, with no direct sunlight. I was thinking about maybe a couple of shrubs. Is it too late in the year to plant new stuff?

Bodies would decompose quickly in this heat, it would add nitrates and minerals to the soil ready for planting. Anyone did that to my garden they'd be worm food.

I completely agree, but I have to think of the children.

it's a bit dry and warm to be planting stuff. It might work if it is shaded and gets enough water but you are much better off waiting until autumn or next spring

Bought a lawn rake today. 6.5 hr round trip to do so, trapped by monsoon rains at times, sweating in the tropical heat at others. Serious business, lawns.

it's a bit dry and warm to be planting stuff. It might work if it is shaded and gets enough water but you are much better off waiting until autumn or next spring

Ta. I shall do so.

it's a bit dry and warm to be planting stuff. It might work if it is shaded and gets enough water but you are much better off waiting until autumn or next spring

if rickster lives in london he might have some taps inside the house, in which case if you turn said tap and extract some life giving water from it, that will cure the dryness issue

if it's warm that should encourage plant growth so i think we are ok

if rickster lives in london

He doesn't, he lives in South London.

he'll have to find his way to the river then as he probably doesn't have a tap
plants are doomed

Of course I have a tap. So it's outside... so what?

Schick and dicki earmarked for fertiliser.

There is an army of snails sliding across my patio towards my tomatoes. Well tough luck shitheads as all you're going to find over there are beer traps and slug pellets. 7 of your comrades have already died in the last hour. Mewahahaha.

+1 on beer traps, esp buried ones.

Copper tape is worth considering too, some kind or chemical reaction that they just don't like to sliver over.

I've resorted to bricks and patio snail sandwich once or twice, not so nice though :-(

do people have something against just stomping on them ?
or is that deemed animal cruelty ?

Have awoken to find 22 dead snails, hurrah

I did think about getting all godzilla and stamping on them but it's a bit messy

Slugs n snails: I saw an old boy on the telly equipped with a bucket containing brine, a head torch and some bacon tongs.
He goes out at night, picks up gastropods with the tongs and drops them into the brine.
Effective and no mess.

Slug pellets are great and work even better when thrown into a neighbour's garden, as they attract slugs.

i don't know what kind of death that might be but mushing them up quickly makes me feel like they don't suffer too much
my sister is Buddhist a little has rubbed off on me, i try not to kill anything unless it is either trying to eat me or my possessions
a quick painless death is the least they deserve

although going down via the beer trap route sounds nice

My squash plant is doing AMAZINGLY - thanks Kat.

Today I had home-grown strawberries on my porridge; lettuce, dill and sorrel from the garden in my lunch, and a squash flower on my salad for dinner. Full of smug, home-grown feelings (and probably a fair amount of soil and slug pellets too, not sure I washed the lettuce very well)

It's a fab feeling. Been eating lettuce and chard for a while but had first proper summer salad on Sunday - baby broad beans whole in the pods, tiny new potatoes, radishes, spinach. Yum.
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Nice! Anyone got any experience of cooking with tansy? I've got some, and really like the taste, but apparently it can be toxic?

KT, how does the dill do*? I am thinking of adding some to my herb garden (hanging pots) but have never grown it before. Is it all right in a pot, or are the roots as flouncy as the foliage? (no gardening knowledge here, I made all of that up, btw)

*Unintended

I got my first female squash flower today so i rubbed it with a male one and hopefully the little squash will develop now :)

Our kale is about ready to be munched and our tomatoes are huge. The Holly hock has survived the slugs, thanks KT. The Hellebores my dad gave me did not. :(

It's been a year of abundance for gastropods. The slimy bastards.

Too bloody true. The buggers.