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It's natural - birds are pinching all sorts of stuff for nest building. My NDN, who keeps sheep for showing, recently refurbished a garden border - put the plants in and covered with sheep wool. The Jackdaws love it and take it on a daily basis for their chimney and church bell tower nests. ...

Phormiums can suffer in cold, wet winters, especially if you have clay soil. I thought of Yucca as an alternative too. They have an upright, less arching habit so might suit you better.

A bit earlier this year I'm thinking lots of things are, its been chilly but frosts have been rare or very light since mid January.

I don't think that it's a willow either. The growth isn't twisted and the leaves look like they have lobes.

No one, least of all myself, is saying that anti sematism doesn't exist - it does and, as you put it is "alive and well". As for your experience with that poor schoolgirl, I would hope most right thinking people would intervene just as you did. As for her assailant, I would describe him as a...

It didn't strike me that way at all. Just someone asking for advice, concerned about doing the wrong thing for their plants. In my book that is being sensitive to a plant's needs.

Hi @BOSullivan, Thevictorian is right, a fork job should be doable. Replace the soil with good compost perhaps mixed with some fertilising stuff such as Blood, Fish and bone, rotted manure or granular feed, water well and the Nandina should be just fine. If the Pyracantha is healthy, you...

Last year we had a thrush nesting in our neighbours’ ivy on a brick wall. The removed it all last month. I haven’t seen or heard the thrushes since.

I always used a pressure cooker for meals when the kids lived at home. It became redundant when there was just OH and me but I used to love it. Also, having been used to cooking with/on an electric cooker and now we have a gas hob, I would not know how to gage a pressure cooker as I don’t like...

Don't worry @potted - I won't tell you how many mistakes I've made - but the pile of labels from plants I no longer have would give you the idea! You just have to pot up what you've bought in good sized pots (or the hanging baskets for the begonia and petunia) and look after them. The wisteria...

Yes it is. When we 're working in our veg plot we have to rescue worms before the chooks get them. Not always succesful.If you add Ile de France to your profile, people will be better able to tailor advice - climate and soil make a huge difference to what grows well.

Do you have any other materials around the garden, can see a few stones in the background. Dry stone wall should be straight forward to do and will last.