Does anyone know anything about gardening?

The usual advice is to just let it dry out - if it was a feral pond, then it'd dry out during the year anyway, so it's just a normal thing that small ponds do in the wild. Mine completely dried out over the drought last summer, and I thought all the plants and all the wildlife had died, but they didn't, and everything is bouncing back nicely, and if anything it's better now because my Pennyroyal is back, and I thought that had been choked out by my brooklime. Supposedly newts actually quite enjoy ponds drying out because it reduces predation.

Definitely don't use tapwater, you'll upset the balance. I know it feels bad to leave it to dry out (I was TRAUMATISED last year watching it happen), but that's the most "natural" treatment you can give it. Have a look at page 2 of this PDF on pond maintenance from Hertfordshire council

Reassuring, thanks - I'll hold off on the tap water. I was just conscious that the newts have loved it this year and are clearly breeding so wanted to make sure there was enough water for their eggs (so just didn't want it to dry out too soon).

Hopefully next year I'll get the water run off diverting in so I can keep rain water going in as needed...

Apparently we might get thunderstorms (and hail!) this weekend so put lots of containers out if that starts and refill the pond with them (when the hail has melted)

I was just wondering this too with our new pond. Thanks for the advice - we’ll leave it until the rain arrives.

Apparently not

climber in a rectangular planter :)

You joke but a split level planter is where my thoughts are heading.

What I'd really like is an inexpensive non-cheesy way to grow strawberries vertically.

Spitalfields open gardens are quite a nice way to spend a June Saturday

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Should probably put it in the memes thread but seemed more appropriate here

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Definitely something for everyone on that cover page. 😂

I resemble that cover. My artisanal trug is lovely, I've just got a pair of Hunter mid-calf boots for mowing the lawn, and my Niwaki hori hori is my second favourite gardening implement, beaten only by my Okatsune secateurs.

run-off from tarred shed roof

Is water off a shed roof not ok to put on plants, especially vegetables?

I don't know, I'd not have worried but for the fact the water at the bottom of the water butt doesn't look too clear.

Oh yeah, something you could do with your filthy butt (lol) is use a bacterial treatment that'll eat all the silty rancid stuff. Envii make one that they amusingly call "Butt Klear" (lol) and I have a lot of time for that on the basis of the name alone.

That's amazing. I was laughing at the absurdity of it then realised I own a Hori Hori and just earthed my small potato patch up with an expensive ammount of vegetable compost which gives a return probably about the ammount of the lettuce figure quoted above. The more you look, the more you see.....

It's a hobby, not a farm.

Cheaper than therapy innit?

You bought the Husky2000 didn't you.

What's the best Hori Hori under £30?

And do people find a sheath useful?

Quite tempted by this one
https://www.japeto.co.uk/products/weeding/hori-hori-knife-deluxe-leather-holster

Niwaki. The sheath helps clean the blade but that's about it.

+1 for the niwaki

I was tempted by one of these years ago as it was what Monty Don used.

https://www.fruugo.co.uk/metal-detecting-shovel-heavy-duty-garden-trowel-spade-tools-for-outdoor-black/p-131389631-276402717?language=en&ac=croud&asc=pmax&gclid=CjwKCAjw4ZWkBhA4EiwAVJXwqZkskuYY70uDktrkAMxtJiGMBI9UCsIYh8vhHO1j5MBq7C-YjpjbZxoCU_sQAvD_BwE

It's easy, buy it now, travel back in time, dig a star shaped hole, fill it with rotting virgin carcases and live fish, plant the tree upside down, water it with dry blood no times per day, but only in the morning when the sun is setting.

Then the hard part of espalliering it begins.

Cast your mind back half a decade and you may recall the saga of my apple tree.

This year it has fruited for the first time!

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The espaliering has not been too diligent.

I may switch to a fan.

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I need a different type of gardening advice. My neighbours have two very loud and noisy kids, the parents themselves also seem to control the volume of their voices, especially late at night. In between our gardens is a thick conifer, but no fence.

Presumably a fence would help, but it’s their side and they’re not the type of people who think oh I better put a fence up.

Other than ear defenders I’m all out of ideas.

I think you dropped this:

unable

I doubt a fence will make much difference

Frozen sausages in the lawn?