NEW Gardeners !

Thank you. I'll try that!

There are different zone ratings depending on the country code you are using. I am in Zone 5B - as an example the temperature this morning is 3F or -16C (decidedly warmer than the last few months) and we will be experiencing that through til at least the end of the week. On the map below, I am...

Ha ha Shiney....nice try

We've done all ours. Have good look first to see whether the new shoots are visible and then cut just above them. We always do ours early as there's so much that we have to use a hedge cutter.Some of the less dense grasses I snap the stems off instead of cutting.

Hi,Not meaning to put a dampener on your plans, but a soakaway is not a simple as it sounds. The ground its in has to be able to soak away the water , but if its all clay its going nowhere. Even if it could, you need a very large hole to cope with the area you are covering plus what comes...

As for plants growing beneath them I would suggest Pachysandra, they are low growing, evergreen plants with white flowers. They good groundcover plants also.

Get a few climbing Fuchsias or a couple of Jasmines.

Maybe they had dried out too much prior to you watering them, that would cause the new leaves to go brown. It is not easy to get watering exactly right especially with new seedlings, they can dry out very quickly on a sunny window sill. Then if they are over watered it's just as bad as drying...

Many thx for your reply

Also I used a compass standing at the front of my house and it faces West so any help for a west facing garden would be brill

I'm not the best to advise on shade loving plants as we don't have a deal of shade in our garden. Hostas work well in the bit of shade that we do have.To hide the tanks, something evergreen that shields the area. Laurel hedge ? It covers well and is easily managed to sensible heightsIf...

Sounds like a good start, but make sure you have a good look at this; as screened topsoil can be very variable. Mypex is one brand of permeable membrane used. My cousin had some cannabis growing in her back garden and the result was a permanently stoned rabbit (imagine Dylan off the Magic...

sort of babysit now and again

Hello @Idris and welcome to the corner We have several raised beds here, mostly to grow big tall grasses and flowers in order to create some height. These are plants that are easy to grow and rustle nicely in the breeze making their own bold statements

Most herbicides if not all should have a information that shows side effects or that relates to heath and safety. Here you will find the information but most are toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects and it’s the leaching into the water system that’s a problem or a spill. Most will...

All good advice.Make a long term plan.After clearing the rubbish. Start with the bit nearest the house, You'll be ale to see your efforts from the window, which will encourage you to carry on with it.

Thanks for the images of the stones Scrungee, that's helpful. What a great photo of the Fox John! I had a Golden Retriever years ago and she could detect Fox poo at a hundred yards and roll in it Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Gardening for 2019

and and

Awe thanks Owl I will do that

Well, like they say, anybody who can claim to remember the '60s wasn't actually there!