Does anyone know anything about gardening?

Beech hedge has got a bit too tall and wide in places. Both my hedge trimmer and electric telescopic chainsaw thingy are not making many inroads. Local service providers aren't responding to enquiries. What'd be the best kit I could hire to diy it? Low risk of being injured ideally.

My sunflower has got about 4m tall but not flowered yet. I can see it has 5 or 6 tiny flower buds about to open, will it manage it before the winds or frosts kill it? Extreme tension.

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Wider garden looking pretty floppy and scruffy but still some colour, shape, texture in October, despite extreme neglect, so can't complain

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Ferns, fatsias and holboellias still looking fresh too.

According to Monty, 1st October is the gardener's New Year's Day so now it's time to start planning for next year. Thinking some new containers with Salvia Love and Wishes, Geum Totally Tangerine and Pheasant Grass might go nicely.

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Hanging something from that deck could look quite nice

Really like the climbers along the handrail. Cracking Fatsia too

Interested in what you mean by hanging something from the deck? The herbs in buckets are hanging from that part of the decking (mostly I think to stop it being such a fall hazard), which is an arrangement I inherited although I've replaced the buckets and plants.

This section of the decking is starting to rot though, so I'm thinking about ripping it out and finding out what horrors lie beneath. If I do rip it out, could potentially replace the buckets with a big planter that just sits on the ground.

Think I mentioned before but the climbers on the handrail are holboellia latifolia, they are only in pretty small pots and they have done all that growth this year, highly recommend.

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This bit

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If you bolted a long planter along that run of deck and filled it with ferns and some plants which fell over the sides could look pretty cool and soften the edges

Mmm good shout. I always like more trailing, spilling things

If you do, use some kind of spacer to avoid the planter touching the decking. There's little that rots a decking as effectively as a continually damp planter or pot of any description.

Thanks, yes I have discovered this already. That section of the decking is probably beyond repair already and I think it's probably paved underneath anyway, so current plan is to rip out that decking and replace the bucket section with a long, narrow planter.

Speaking of which, any recommendations for large planters that don't cost too much?

any recommendations for large planters that don't cost too much

What materials, and how much is too much? I've got some Primrose galvanised steel box planters (1m x 40cm x 40cm) which I rather like and I thought were pretty reasonable.

They're these ones. Although I'm pretty sure they were a fair bit cheaper when I bought mine. Bloody Brexit.

Wanna quote for a new decking? In all honesty, decking is not the cheap solution it was, timber prices are up over 60% in the last year.

I think given that I'm in Bristol this is not something for you? Could be interested otherwise

I think the travel might make me a tad less than economic. If you fancy a go at DIY, I will happily specify it for you and tell you exactly what you need, in exchange for a beer in the afterlife I don't believe in.

That is super kind. I'll see what's under there when I rip out the rotten stuff as if it's paved like the left hand side, I don't really see what the decking is adding.

Those do look nice, but probably a bit too modern for my garden. Seems like the cheapest option would be pressure treated timber which might look decent painted grey

Yep, I can imagine they wouldn't suit all locations. This is what mine looked like in late August.

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The best value are going to be random scores. A while back Ikea had a load of their stuff marked right down.

Modern faux lead planters look really good nowadays.

I think there's a UK brand that makes pots planters that my LGC sells. I might be going there today, so I'll see if I can grab the name.

Did you manage to find out?

Seen these massive Wetherspoon's branded ones, wonder where they get them from, presumably they are not paying huge amounts.

And yes those people are having 9am pints

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Patio laying going ok.
Forgot my rear fence wasn’t straight so had to do some adjustments but getting there… and saved about 2k.

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Unfortunately not.

Looks great!

Unfortunately, I have been forced to despatch two ninja assassins, as an (alleged) professional it is utterly unacceptable that anyone should do such a good job without paying.

Cheers! I’m pretty pleased so far.