Does anyone know anything about gardening?

Yep clay has to be the right humidity or it's no good to work it and it just makes it worse.

Tx will see what I can find. I have a good bit of compost in progress but not there yet.

I read woodchips and mushroom compost are good is that what you'd use?

To be honest, I have stables nearby and a few minutes digging gets to stuff that has rotted down for years and has a texture like Christmas pudding, a pickup load of that goes a fair way and they're glad to shift some of Mount Shitarest.

Mount shitarest lol 😂

A lot of allotments get free horse poo from stables it seems to be great stuff.

gotta wait for that to rot down though, it arrives in the immediately post-meal form

"lightly processed hay" :)

we have two rabbits and I never really considered it as what comes out the other end seems to not be much different to what went in and assumed it wouldnt be much good as it wouldnt be 'processed' enough/broken down enough

Apparently though it has a higher NPK ratio than horse shit and isnt 'hot' either

https://www.groworganic.com/blogs/articles/choosing-the-best-poo-for-you#:~:text=Horse%20manure%20is%20richer%20in,of%200.7%2D0.3%2D0.6.

I've been forcing the rhubarb since the snow in February when I covered it over simply to protect it from the weather.

The strong wind yesterday blew the cover off so it seemed like as good a time as any to pick it off.

Rhubarb crumble tonight

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That's some great looking Rhubarb. Well done. Any idea what variety it is?

no idea but it's been in the garden for about 20 years and comes up every year without fail

Greenhouse arrives tomorrow. Am excite.

Long shot but… Anyone interested in a group buy for a multi-stem Amelanchier Lamarckii? I really want a couple but I definitely don’t want 8 to meet the minimum order requirement

https://www.hopesgrovenurseries.co.uk/shop/hedging/amelanchier-hedging/

I've got one of these and it's fantastic. Not interested in another, but they are pretty popular so would have thought you could find a couple at a local nursery or garden centre?

Thinking of replacing my 5x4 meter grass with landscaping mulch and installing some corrugated planters. The grass struggles with drainage, and half of it never sees sun and the dog pees on it. It's either returf or find an alternative and im leaning to an alternative. Has anyone here done something similar and can recommend a mulch?

£250 at the local garden centre albeit for a more mature one :-(

If you are anywhere out west I went and chose mine from these guys for about £100, it was about 10 foot high

https://www.chewvalleytrees.co.uk/

Most expensive plant I have supplied to a client, £375+ VAT trade price.....

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Bargain for a 6ft tree fern. Have they killed it yet?

I keep all my tubers in a box full of saw dust over the winter

No, but I have little faith.....

I asked before, but now I’m pretty sure these are Peony, which is great cos the two I bought haven’t done anything!

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Have been looking at garden design and only getting more confused.

My simple brain says tall plants at the back, shrubs and mid size middle, low at the front, randomize position a bit and position plants based on light / soil conditions.

So no primrose in the baking sun but stick the lavender there instead etc.

And try to mix up leaves and flower style, have flowers at different times and cool looking leaves for winter.

But then there is prairie style, shrub gardens...and I have plants for both but the style guides are "one or the other" it seems. Does it really matter?

Or do I have to plan some transition? As the Very Baking Bit is probably best for prairie but I'll be having shrubs not too far. You just intermix with plants that grow everywhere to soften the transition?

(Also feck off rain the clay is still unworkable....)

Plant whatever pleases you in places the plants will prosper. Don't beat yourself up by growing rhododendrons in alkaline, chalky soil or lavender in acidic. Try to stagger flowering and fruiting seasons. Think of faunae, not just flora. Avoid straight lines. Glory in self-seeding.

What makes you happy is perfect. What makes a designer happy is profit.

But then there is prairie style

In a domestic garden isn't a core element a path + massive beds on the side?

Like this

So I'd of thought that's an easy one to tick off. Either your want your garden like that or you don't. Obviously you can make "rooms" where one bit is like that.

From the sounds of your garden a lawn isn't that useful. You could also add drainage to the path - maybe even elevate it a bit + a camber. Then the clay and boggy lawn won't be such an issue.

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Garden design: make the mistake of taking the kids with you to the garden centre, come back to the garden and slam the various random plants they’ve demanded you buy in whichever space looks most appropriate and then see what survives.

Garden is coming alive now - most of the daffodils are out and the rhubarb is getting big

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