Does anyone know anything about gardening?

YES!

actually having read a bit about ladybirds, don't release them onto the lupins, keep them caged and fed, allow them to have sexy time then put the larvae on the lupins, the larvae have the advantage of a) they won't fly onto your neighbours lupins immediately you release them b) they are the main feeding stage and are voracious eaters

a ladybird can produce 150 eggs per day, a box of 100 would see your whole neighbourhood right

Having a torrid time with the old box blight.. planted a hedge about 2 years ago established quite well at first and now they about 50% Brown or discolourrd and gappy.
Any one successfully treated this, there appears to various products I can try ... anyone got any recommendations?

:D

(not shouting)

I'm certain you will have read this:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=96

Were I to be considering a short evergreen hedge, I hope I would plant Yew,
with the added bonus of the berries for the wild birds.

Mowed the lawns today, well over ten degrees. I raked fallen leaves out from under the hedge and ran the mower over them and stuffed four boxes of clippings into the compost heap. Bloke down the pub reckons he NEVER turns his heap, he just keeps adding stuff and takes lovely black compost from the bottom every 6 months.

My dad never turned his compost. Wonderful black stuff. Mind you, I grew up in warmer climes.

Volume can be key with compost heaps, the larger the heap the more heat it generates and the quicker vegetation breaks down. Most small gardens don’t provide enough raw material to build a big heap.

Read that gonna give the ultra clear a go.. and may be pesticide.
Dunno how the hotel and certain other have such lush hedges... perks of professional Gardner's who know what they are doing

Sorry missed your reply.
Yep, I also suspect there are businesses that supply 'hedge services'
and just replace manky/diseased bushes under contract.

Adjacent (municipal) golf course has yielded several 6inch diameter whitebeam logs.
Currently in my garden.
Any use to you?

been busy these last couple of week top dressing pretty much the whole garden with a layer of leaf mould ( found an excellent source of well composted leaves in a local park ) , a layer of bark / wood chippings thats been sitting under a huge bird roost so it's coated in guano, and am currently finishing it all off with a layer of spent barley maltings from crate brewery, rucksack by rucksack full, it's been an effort but the garden looks good for it if a little barren time to start hitting the seed catalogues for this summers colour and vegetables
a good couple of inches all over flower, veg and wild beds
thought i'd give no till a go for a year or two and see how the plants differ, will grab a load of rye to plant as a green manure and that will hopefully root deep into the soil break things up a bit and then add some nutes when i chop, not sure if i'm a bit late on that front though, may chuck a bunch in just see how they go

Thanks but I think I'll pass. Right shoulder dislocation is keeping my ambition levels low.

Has anyone got any snow drop shoots up yet?

Chelsea Physic Garden has galanthus week down as from 26th Jan...

I have sproutings but I don't like to talk about it.
Sunny Bracknell.

Congratulations

I've got inch long showings but no actual flowers.

Last year, which was snow drop year one, I got about thirty green shoots and one flower, from 90 planted in the green the year before.

I'm hoping for a better show this year, but early indications are poor.

My tree lilies are popping up.

There's nothing to do in the garden so I stuck a fork in the trugs I filled with rainwater and weeds and soil and leaves and lifted out a stinking sludgy wodge and stuffed it in the bins. Where the grass cuttings were in the top there were tunnels dug by rats so I hope they'll move elsewhere. One time I lifted the lid off and a rat jumped out. I had to sit down for a bit and gather my thoughts.

Woah there son, wait for it, wait for it...

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My daphne is in full bloom at the moment and it is spectacular. It;'s a rare one that I bought as a present for my wife when we got engaged (when it was about 2 feet tall). it is now 7 or 8 feet tall and covered in the most fragrant flowers ever.

it's the biggest one i have ever seen and makes it a real joy to venture out to an otherwise dreary garden at this time of year.

be careful when you cut that back, matt. I killed one by going too hard with the shears.

Good advice thanks.

Please post a pic of your Daphne?

i'll get one when i get in, but it is one of these: