Show us your gardening purchases 2025

Ta dah!

And before anyone says this is not a gardening purchase, it is if you can't do any gardening without one!

 

Nice colour @ViewAhead .

 

I set off this morning to buy a Clematis or Lonicera to add some interest to my fencing. I came back with a Hydrangea anomala petiolaris "Mirranda". I think it will do more than cover the fence, if I let it . The leaves are lime green with a yellow edge which will brighten up the area.

 

Why am I thinking about cheese and pineapple @Michael Hewett? I know, it's all those cocktail sticks .

 

That's a sizeable plant already, @Plantminded. 9 cm pot it ain't!

 

How does that help with the gardening.

 

I wear it on my lower back ... which allows bending, sometimes even as far as the ground.

 

If you have a bad back like I have you would know the answer.

 

I have back problems but never used a hot water bottle, years ago I tried ralgex but I 'm not sure you can get that kind of thing anymore, my usual go to these days is Voltarol.

It does help but nothing is a cure.

 

Deep Heat! Also when my back twangs I use a tens machine turned up as high as I can take. I've even fallen asleep at night with it on, it helped so much. But these are muscular problems - don't think they work for arthritis, rheumatic etc.

 

I can't use any of the creams or gels as these all contain ibuprofen or other NSAIDs, which significantly impede my breathing. Given the choice of back stiffness or being unable to breathe, I'd rather have the former as the lesser of two evils.

 

No 9cm pots for me @ViewAhead, I can’t wait . This was a 7.5 litre pot, the plant looks bigger in the photo because of the hedge behind which is a similar colour. A good size though and about to flower.

 

I don't think the heat based ones do, they generally contain things like capsaicin from chilis. I find both the hot and cold gels quite helpful when my back goes, but voltarol etc don't do a lot for me.

 

Regarding lower back issues, obviously what works will depend on the cause of them. Mine is a herniated disc (that I had surgery for when I was 21, and as I get older the area becomes more sensitive).

I would definitely recommend one of those medical lower back supporting belts. I reluctantly bought one recently and I put it on whenever I need to do something physically demanding e.g. move something heavy.

As a preventative step, it works really well. But you need to only wear it when you need it, otherwise the muscles might get used to relying on it.

 

I've tried all the back rubs on the market, none appear to work for
me very well. Years of nursing and caring lifting overweight patients
have not helped....but I won't moan