Does anyone know anything about gardening?

Was going to say the same. I really like those sorts of builders gloves. I like that you can clean them easily by washing your hands in them.

Oo builders gloves look the ticket, thanks

I use a variety of gloves that are in the sales. Daughter who is a gardener uses Portwest and Tegera I think.

Bought an auger bit off Amazon for bulbs. Much quicker.

I do not want to know what your fitness regime is to be able to hold enough tension in your fist to twist that auger by hand

I cheated and used an 18v drill

Looks messy compared to

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Yeah that's probably better still, but it was an improvement on the handheld version of that.

How heavy are the sort of sleepers you make raised beds from?

Is it a two strong person job? Or could an average person carry them through a house with two weak people guiding it to stop shit getting fucked up?

About 20kg per metre I think

Much less than that for new softwood (ie not genuine reclaimed)

I (average to weak mid 30s male) could carry the 200mm x 100mm x 2.4m ones through the house and up some stairs no problem on my own. Google suggests that type and size are around 30kg.

Advantage of new over reclaimed is that they aren't saturated with decades worth of diesel spills as well as whatever now-illegal chemicals they were originally treated with. Probably rot quicker as a result though

I think the 100x200 softwood ones we have have lasted over 5 years. I painted them with creocote, sat them on compacted type 1 and didn't use any kind of liner to keep them from soil contact. They're just about starting to show signs of mild rot but I reckon they should live to about 10.

No chance with oak

Filled a bag with leaves today - let's see if the leaf mold people are right, will check in a year or two to see what it's done.

If you add Marijuana stems it will become sentient and consider the Universe, then do nothing.

On sleepers: only old reclaimed sleepers are suitable for retaining more than 50cm of bank.

On carrying sleepers: softwood 1 person unless just treated. Cheap Oak 1 person, decent Oak 2. Reclaimed 2 strong people, 2 normal desk jockeys won't do it and a third at the centre makes no useful contribution.

Cheers on the sleeper info. My folks are wondering about a raised bed on one side of the garden.

They really need to think what they want though as they could also do with redoing their raised terrace at the end... and removing a pointless* mulberry tree in which case it sounds like a job for someone else.

But if it's just the sleepers I wanted to know if I could do it. Sounds like I probably can.

*the squirrels eat all the new shoots so only a handful of supper long shoots that the squirrels fall off have leaves and support the tree.

Acers. What do I need to know?

I have a spot at the bottom of the garden with something I've fucked the pruning up on years ago. And after visiting the garden at Cheslyn House the other day I was wondering about an Acer.

There is a solid forsythia in front but I think a Acer in behind and offset would be nice.

It's pretty much the sunniest spot in the garden.

Some nice autumn bits are discovering what is apparently Arum italicum Pictum which I've never seen before. Also the potted star Jasmine is on great form with dry weather turning it seriously red.

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@slippers re garden inspo have a look at Garden Rescue s9e1.

Idk if it's 100% where you want to go, but the size, shape and division made me think of your pics.

Also as a general point it was a good e.g. of how incorporating existing established plants.

Acers, only advice don't get a red one if it's a really sunny spot as it'll burn. We made that error. They prefer a bit of a sheltered, shady spot.

Dalia's came out last night. The tubers got huge this year so going to struggle to find somewhere to store them.

Would they survive in the shed?

They look an awful lot like the trees that grew (probably still growing) in the yeard of the school I attended for a year in Chile.
Never thought they could be used for spice.
Will try an find one for our garden, I think.

I’ve wrapped mine in news paper and they’re in the garage.

If they are 100% dry they can go in a tub if saw dust.

Hmmm... When you say red, you mean one that's always red?

I would be OK with a green one but do want vivid autumn colours.

Any acer recos welcome.

We have acer palmatum Ryusen in a ‘weeping’ style. Very pretty, quite small, leaves and lovely autumnal colours.

One thing to beware with acers is wind. They get scorched by windy conditions (leaves curl up and go crispy), so always good to have them protected.

thanks, will check that out!

On the acer front our red one always gets too much sun and burns too, even in a part-sun/part-shade spot.