Does anyone know anything about gardening?

Will you be able to reach all the unwanted growth from the ground?

I managed to find some funding for the voluntary conservation group I belong to.
We bought the extending Sthil hedge trimmer HLA86 that reaches out from 2.6 to 3.3 metres.
Pricy when you include the Stihl batteries + quick charger.

Cheaper alternative would be the Ryobi OPT 1845, (or any replacement model), where you can screw in an extension bar, which is what I bought for home use a few years ago.

Yes, exactly like that one, good price too. I bought mine as a bare unit as I have masses of De Walt tools and batteries.

I’ve switched to square strimmer wire and it’s made a massive difference. The only issue is I’m putting it on the spool wrong but can’t figure out any other way.

Once I’ve wound the lower rim round and put it into the little notch it’s sitting proud and won’t put into the strimmer head properly.

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i can reach by standing on garden wall or using step ladder for some bits. i also have a pole saw (manual version) but that only works on thicker branches.

I can’t remember what this is but it’s been stripped by slugs I think. Anything I can do? There’s one branch hanging on but it’s quite flimsy, I don’t think it’ll manage

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Drown in slug pellets, water it as required, and hope.

Our mulberry tree has fruit that is actually ripe, after a disappointment last year.

Got a couple of smalls pots full but need to get a ladder out for some higher ones, plenty more red ones ripening too.

Such a pain/mess to pick though - you can see why you can never buy them as they just collapse when you pick them and stain everything

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Could you put a tarp down and shake it

If you wanted a river of blood red juice on your tarp, then yes :p

The fruit is incredibly delicate when ripe, hence my stained fingers. They also need to be picked when ripe and not before - they don't ripen off the tree.

Is this blight?

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Not late blight, imho. Little black lesion might be early blight. More likely a bit of drought/lack of nutrients. My tomatoes look like this and worse since I’ve been away.

I'd cut all the those lower leaves off, anything with dying or yellowing leaves. Basically everything in that pic.

They're reasonably well watered but definitely lacking feeding. I'll cut off the blemished/yellowed ones.

Cut back brutally. They can handle it and allow it to focus on the fruit. Any leaves shading the fruit can be cut. I just did mine last night after some neglect.

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Could you put a tarp down and shake it

Light_EDDed is correct.

You don't pick them with your hands, you put some form of sheeting down and then shake the tree.

Any recs for something for a Mediterranean style front garden? So far I have an olive tree and lots of lavender, looking for something that maybe goes up to waist high and will be happy in a small but well lit bit of soil.
I know nothing of plants.
Something evergreen too if that’s a thing for this vibe.

Rock rose, Cistus Alan Fradd. Mine is very low maintenance and does well every year.

I'm guessing this isn't what I want then?

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Just been out harvesting. I'm looking forward to tonight's dinner of errr... runner beans, overgrown cornichons and plums.

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I may even collect some of these interesting vampire chillies, some of which are growing upside down. (Hand in there for scale only although seems to have also affected the colour correction).

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Yellow will be lack of nutrients as described by others

Curling of the leaves according to Monty Don is down to drafts

They don't look too bad to me. You can cut off some of the lower leaves if you fancy it but I usually just pull them off when they get tired.

Dis magnolia grandiflora at our holiday rental, incredible scent.

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Wowee, that is amazing.

More of the mystery dahlias are out

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