Does anyone know anything about gardening?

Interested to hear if you find anything on this. I have something of a long-term plan to create a green wall down our side return that our kitchen looks out on to. Best I could find was the 'Wonder Walk' planters in bulk from Aldi. Probably still more money than I'd like for the area I need to cover. Wondered about making a former for some stainless wire to hold standard 8" pots.

First time I ran across it was BBQ shopping oddly.

https://www.oxfordcharcoal.co.uk/product-category/biochar

Would be super interested in your results.

I used some - Grochar brand - over winter and it does seem to have helped my soil considerably, which is such heavy clay you can dig up lumps that literally look like bits of house bricks. I've also added grit, bark, strulch, chicken manure etc so it might not be the biochar alone

I've seen some monster slugs in our garden around that time, so yeah, guess I'll just grab them put them in a container then release them in the park.

Anyone have first hand experience with canna’s? Wife went berserko at the garden centre (buy first, research later) and they look mega but sound faffy - very thirsty but needs free draining soil, dig up rhizomes to winter store etc

Cannas do need protection from a damp, cold UK Winter,
but,
they are definitely worth it.
Wonderful colours in the leaf and a striking flower stem.

Turn the digging up of the rhizomes into a family event?

I'm growing them for the first time this year. I usually dig up my dahlias so just another thing to add to the list.

The shape is stunning and hopefully the height will add some much needed depth to the immature borders.
I guess I was hoping to dump 6” of mulch on top but I won’t risk it for what they cost.

canna’s

My folks had an amazing group of them in their old house in SW France - so possibly not helpful from a UK perspective, but thought some of the overall info may help:

• walled garden, very protected
  
• on the south facing wall
  
• no intervention/left in the ground unprotected over winter
  
• brilliant agricultural soil
  
• middle of winter tends to be pretty cold - colder than London, but not too wet. Rest of the year does have rain, albeit less than the UK.
  
• fuck all watering ever
  

I also am trying a Canna for the first time this year. So far hasn't grown much but I haven't killed it either. Trying it in a big pot having added lots of organic food and will be keeping it very moist.

Yeah we moved in at the start of March so it was quite a lot less green then!

Got loads of mature herbs, few types of lavender, few types of sage, massive rosemary bush. We've got Lilac, a great Acer, peonies, alliums, loads of stuff I don't know the name of yet! 🤷🏼♀️

you make it look so effortless @Cazakstan what joy, thanks for sharing. It’s good to inherit an established garden, but don’t be afraid to add new stuff in future seasons, whether it’s traditional or a modern twist.

This thread just keeps giving

Amazing, must be like getting a present every day now the plants are all coming up!

Anyone know where I can get some black garden wire? I don’t want green. I’m a fussy bastard

We've already started a little Jurassic Park corner. 😅

Feral poppies in the tulip planters

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Is that anti-squirrel mesh?

Prunus lusitanica (Portuguese laurel) in flower

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love the random planters

Foxgloves looking good

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Yes. Squirrels, also cats and foxes.

Clearing some of the trees/shrubbery from the edge of the brook ahead of @ColinTheBald and his crew's visit on Monday to work on the retaining wall, because somebody is too good to do the clearing as part of the job (#winkyface, I know it makes no sense for him to do it and I can't get a tree surgeon in time). When all you've got is a pruning saw and some loppers, it's warm going. Still have the other side to do and that might involve getting my feet wet.

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Had to get into the brook to attack the ivy.

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But, it is now gone too.

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Nice work - my Silky Zubat was a great investment for seeing off trees, although you're all but done now by the looks of things!