Does anyone know anything about gardening?

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  • They look nice!

  • Cheers. I'm pretty pleased. We're going to seal them to keep them black, otherwise they'll be a bit grey.

    In case anyone is weighing up larger vs smaller slabs - one thing we had never considered is that a larger slab gives less flexibility in terms of any cut outs.

    One of the breaking points for the bay was that it sat so the slab cuts would be ⅔ on one side, ¼ on the other and then a whole slab on another. We've lucked out with the top bed being bang on, but it may not have been.

  • Alternatives to Spiraea (Nipponica?). I have three of these. Probably my favourite shrub, but flowers only briefly and gets beaten up by the rain. Anything similar but with longer more robust flowering season?


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  • Choisya? Or, less similar but nicer imo, Guelder Rose?

  • Looks like you were right! I thought that they didn't flower until they were much bigger, and that's when they 'split'.

    V interesting!

  • We're going to seal them to keep them black.

    If they are natural stone apparently this is not a good idea - but I'm sure @ColinTheBald might know about these things

  • Black lime.

    I've done a bit of reading on products. It's only foot traffic.

    Ideally we would have bought slate, but the price difference was pretty big even if it had been available. This was £26.15p\m².

  • Does anyone in SE have a pond, and possibly willing to give me some cuttings of aquatic plants? I put a couple of very small ponds (one 40l and one 80l) in and want to put something in them before they fill with algae.

  • https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/may/10/ditch-your-spade-forget-fertiliser-listen-to-the-weeds-alys-fowlers-guide-to-laid-back-gardening?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

    My husband saw the headline and said "That's very hippy" but I'm doing most of it and it seems to work ok.

    Bar not digging at all. Plastic binliner crap over hard clay everywhere needed removed, the bed is dug over two years ago is now doing well with just occasional weed pulling.

    The tomatoes I am growing to plant out though may not do so well, perhaps I should get some dried horse processed grass manure at BnQ.

  • Any suggestions for a plant that can live underneath this gap with no direct light?

    Extra points for something leafy and jungley.


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  • Hostas possibly?

  • Cheers. I reckon Bergenias are a good shout as you get the winter flowers.

    Not sure if hoatas would survive the slugs.

    Definitely up for more ferns, it's just sourcing true shade loving ones. I've had to move a few of mine as they needed more light.

    Oh and I guess a multiplier bonus to any suggestions that ward off cats and foxes. Although I wonder if shitting underneath is better than round the edge(?).

  • For anyone that is experiencing cozzie livs or is just cheap like me, now is the time to get your free Euphorbia seedlings. Just find a local garden where its growing near the front fence and look on the street side of the garden wall. You'll normally find some seedlings coming up in the junction between the footpath and the wall. Just watch for recent council spraying. Can find many free plants this way. The recent rain and heat have meant there's an abundance this year. Here's a couple that I've recently found (two distinctly diffent types) that I've put in with a Hydrangea cutting.


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  • Nettles!

    On the patio: 900x600 limestone isn't light, I've carried a lot of it. However, it's less likely to move when laid on Type 1 than smaller slabs. Hopefully they laid it on a continuous sheet of mortar at least 25mm thick, nothing else will do. For what you've paid, you appear to have got a very tidy job.

    On sealants: I have never seen one that works on 'black' limestone, it inevitably fades to mid grey. If you do go down that route, ensure you get one that penetrates the stone, one that sits on the surface will wear in high traffic areas leaving you with grey paths. I will be asking how it has lasted in about 2 years if you do decide to seal....

  • sourcing true shade loving ones

    These guys are good
    https://www.plantsforshade.co.uk/

  • Mortar prob is about 25mm thick. My dad said the same things about big slabs.

    I was going to get one of the sealers this guy who hates black limestone begrudgingly sort of doesn't recommend:

    https://www.pavingexpert.com/stonpv05

    I'm planning that it'll be something we aim to do every 2yrs... and only actually do before we move. But will keep you updated.

  • Thanks for that, an interesting read with sort of scientific tests which largely confirms my prejudices. Go for it and take pictures 48 hours after the second coat. Your 2 yearly report will be eagerly awated.

  • I pull up free plants in the footpath too.

    Got some free verbena, purple toadflax and yep there's a free euphorbia around here too :)

    Not had a good experience with it in rental, deep roots coming up between cracks...

  • AHA I'd been trying to remember all last week where tf I got my ferns and hostas from, and it was plantsforshade.co.uk! Obviously you weren't suggesting this to me, but you can have my gratitude anyway because I was going nuts for not being able to recall

  • Good luck. Most of their stuff seems to be out of stock until Autumn 2023.

  • heh, I'm good. I just wanted to find the site again so I could figure out what the heck I ordered last time because I've lost all the tags!

  • The Paths of Glory and the Hippo Wallow paving are finally complete. 90% recycled slabs left by the previous tenant, no two the same, let alone the same thickness. Paths laid on mortar, hippo wallow done properly, total cost £130 and a fair bit of my time. Not perfectly even, but fit for purpose!


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Does anyone know anything about gardening?

Posted by Avatar for carson @carson

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