Does anyone know anything about gardening?

Anyone ID these strange green fingers that have emerged in the front garden? Very dark green with lengthwise ridged texture. Feel soft and hollow - tubes with closed tip, not a leaf rolled up, but a bit like a leaf from a flower bulb in terms of softness, they're not hard like a stem or branch.

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Cheers. That's really helpful.

Automatic greenhouse window openers. Should they last forever?

I inherited one of indeterminate age but despite it being 20 degrees in our garden in Surrey today and even warmer in the greenhouse it hasn't moved an inch

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The alu tubes were corroded together but I used WD 40 to free them up and so the opener does slide up and down the barrel like it should if I support it (see pic below).

I think they have beeswax in the barrel, will this deteriorate over time?

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Entire yard blank. Finally the grass is coming in.

Got some boxwoods in over the weekend for a hedge near front porch. Moved some rocks around too.

Now need a small tree/bush to put in the bed to the left (not in the grass) at the end where the green dot is. Maybe not a flowering plant, so as to not attract bees to the sitting area. Ideas?

We have cold winters often down to -25C at night for weeks. Sometimes colder.

Suggestions?

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Lovely. I cut ours back it so it is looking a bit jaded.

It gives me an earworm from my Youth though...

https://youtu.be/OBFJVpW3b68

Move to Provence?

not a flowering plant, so as to not attract bees to the sitting area

I wouldn’t worry about that, unless someone in your family is allergic or phobic—the bees will be after the flowers, not the people.

-25 is pretty parky… maybe look at whatever native plants tolerate that? The RHS has some suggestions.

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will this deteriorate over time?

Almost definitely but you’ll probably see a gradual decline in performance rather than a sudden failure. IIRC they recommend winter removal and storage, possibly to stop the piston rods furring up with corrosion. I wondered if ours were working (secondhand greenhouse) but reading up said temps needed to exceed 17°C and it wasn’t until the direct sun hit that they kicked in this week.

A question for those who waterbutt.... I was given three 200L butts with the greenhouse but the only viable location for these is pretty much full sun at all times. Am I setting myself up for an algae tank? The plan is to connect two with a Y at the bottom (so they both fill at the same time as opposed to connecting at the top as an ‘overflow’) which then feed into an old trough with a ball cock for plunging watering cans. Good/bad idea?

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Nice gravel boards you have there, have you thought about making some holes for hedgehogs?

We have! Hedgehog highway is going in the fence panel nearer the house after we had a very confused hodgepig doing laps... there are gaps under our side gate and around the garage but I must admit my first thought when I installed the fence was terrier containment.

Good stuff. It’s always worth trying to coordinate with neighbours as well if possible. If the whole road can do that kind of thing it’s even better. Depends on where you are I guess, but gotta help the little hedgehogs out!

My tanks are in full sun, have lids, no idea if they're full of algae but I don't drink the water.

Would it be the end of the world to have some algae in there?

I want to do this - for the toads rather than hedgehogs. What's the best way?

For hedgehogs a 13cm X 13cm hole cut in the fence base. More holes is better. I expect toads would also appreciate the holes.

More info at https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/link-your-garden/ including some links to suppliers of precast concrete gravel boards with holes.

Ta. More wondering what's the best way to cut holes in precast concrete gravelboards...

Hilti DD3350 as used in Hatton Garden? Or an angle grinder?

Angle grinder will do it, you'll need a diamond disc for the concrete and a metal cutting disc when you hit the reinforcing bars.

What's the height of the concrete gravel board?
If you are aiming for the 130mm indicated above,
if it is 150mm/6 inch you won't have any strength in the remaining
thin edges as you will have cut through the (derisory) reinforcing steels.

If it is 300mm/12 inch you could drill a series of holes through the thinner mid-section and knock out the sized hole you want.

Can you not just dig a tunnel underneath or would the neighbours get a bit shirty?

Yeah I think 150 high. I think the easiest thing is just to remove, chop them shorter, and replace with little gaps either side.

I did try the tunnel thing when I first put them in but it didn't really work, I have planting beds right up against them (hence why I put the boards in) and I feel like they'd just fill up with earth too quickly.

Does anyone have a source of decent and reasonable manure and compost?

Local to, or delivery to SE

All my usual places are sold out

I've had deliveries from Walworth Garden and Plant Savers this week

Shannon's? Compost comes and goes quickly but worth a call.