Does anyone know anything about gardening?

Cheers!

We've got a little 18l bokashi bin in the kitchen, when that fills up I transfer it to the big 300l bin outside then cover with shredded paper that I wet down... No grass clippings as, like @andyp says, they take much longer to break down... Repeat this process and you'll be fine...

Makes great quality compost... Too hot for worms so we've got a worm farm in a shady spot as well, the worm castings and tea are amazing for the garden...

turning it with a fork

I feel bad doing this, as it upsets the mice living in there.

I'm lucky to have a large garden and always have a compost bin or two on the go. My electric shredder really helps with this; chops tree & shrub cuttings etc up small enough to get composting quickly.

I try to avoid any food including veg as it encourages rats.

I've been through plastic compost bins, wooden slatted bins covered with carpet and plastic bags to keep warm and am currently just on two open topped bins each one made from four wooden pallets screwed together.

They all work.

Great to know, thanks for the comprehensive reply.
I think I'll err on the side of caution and get a large bin.

My electric shredder

Ships in certified frustration-free packaging

Now that's nice.

Planning on planting up some herbs from seed. Last year was a fail, mainly bc I went on holiday so the seed trays all dried out.

Does anyone have any top tips?

• basil (large leaf and Thai)
  
• parsley (mix)
  
• mints (mix)
  
  

I've got those large garden centre trays plus some small plastic grow pots. All will be planted in a shed in a sunny spot with blinds. Plan was to keep blinds down for first week or two.

Spent a weekend on the garden, prepping was the hardest part, so much shit buried.... really happy with the way it turned out bearing in mind I have no idea what I am doing.

Going to order some tall grass for borders and a couple of little trees. Hopefully I won't kill it all.

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Nice work.

Are you putting a path on the right? or will that be a deeper bed?

cheers! Its actually a path already, just covered in mud... the large square at the back will house a large bush/small tree and I may let more things encroach on the grass as the year goes on.

Plant a load of bulbs in the grass now as well, for next Spring?

Taking the green waste to the compost at the end of the garden gave me hope this morning. 50% of the lawn is still waterlogged, but there is a whole section that you can walk on without seeing water come up around your feet.

Also I can't remember who suggested this, or even what they are, but these have been lovely this year

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Seriously, why can I not longer post multiple pictures in one post?

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User error? I did it yesterday so it’s not the forum software.

These look like Winter Daphne (Daphne Odora)

Checked my emails for orders and it's Daphne Odora Aureomarginata and BRM.

I probably should have staked it better. to start, but now it's a bit bigger it works well.

This is what the area looked like before with potato plants:

I usually sow a load of wild flower mix. There are also some chives, which I've decided i fucking love - such excellent value plants with great interest throughout the year.

I'm hoping this year we'll get around to redoing the terrace and take that bed and the raised bed out completely.

Yeah, BRM loves his Daphne

i do love it. i have tried to take cuttings for three years and might have pulled it off this year.

did i show it to you? it was absolutely epic this year.

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Wow

cool, eh? i am up the stairs. when the door is open (or any windows) you can smell it through the whole house.

it's called 'Cobhay Snow'. they are only supposed to grow to 4-5ft, but it obviously loves it there.

New place and a blank garden, so I have set to and planted a few seeds in trays. Flax, digitalis, holihocks, marigold, poppy, delphiniums, coleus, cosmos, toadflax, sweet pea, scabious and aquilegia. Some of the seeds are years old so they may never germinate. Been in the soil three weeks now and a few seedlings have popped up but a bit of heat and sunshine would help........

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.......Meanwhile, outside I have singled out and repotted purple verbena and the onions which I will plant into the borders and grow as you would an alium, which they are, of course. I have a Lychnis too which I have divided into 3. They have pale green leaves and the most vivid dark pink flower you can imagine.

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Ordered a 200l Hotbin today.
Hopefully come next week. At least I'll be at home to perfect my composting for the next 3 months! Expect more boring compost posts from me as I perfect my technique!

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If I've been weeding and get dandelions or weeds up by the root I put them in a bucket and mash them with a spade then leave it steeped in water for a fortnight then tip it into the compost bin. It stinks but the sludgey bacteria is like rocket fuel for the heap. I like the built-in thermometer.

I found that I had to move my compost bin last week, to make room for the garden office that I am building.

Things that don't compost well:

• Whole potatoes - they just sprout.
  
• Whole aubergines.
  
• Something that was just a big ball of mush.
  
• Clumped leaves
  
  

Things that did compost well:

• Grass cuttings mixed with shredded paper
  
  
  

I think that getting rid of a load of potting compost & topsoil also helped the process work well.

The heap was teaming with life (RIP the mouse family whose nest I accidentally destroyed), and I'm looking forward to next year when I can spread it all about.

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