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I've just seen compost for sale in Lidl at £3.49 for 40l. That's cheap enough that even if it's poor, it's a starting point

I don't know whether Pest Control has altered over the years but they always advised to stop feeding birds in your garden for a few weeks. Always wise to avoid any food waste in a compost bin/box except for raw veg waste. Sometimes, if the water authorities have been digging about round...

Stems and leaf veins can sometime look purplish if the plant has had a chill. There are other reasons no doubt.

My father ( RAF ) was also stationed in Palestine during Israel's creation as a state. I was never able to get him to tell of his experiences just as he refused to talk about his time as a crew member of the Lancaster bombers over Germany during WW2. I also worked for several Jewish companies...

I see your point - it looks as if the ivy on the ground is of the PITA variety. As already mentioned, you could start at one end and try pulling each leader as far as possible until you come to it's main root and then dig that out. If the ivy on the fence is disturbing your neighbour, you...

My OH uses the MO Bacter granules and they are very good. He recommended them to someone who bought the instant product by mistake. By all accounts it was quite smelly, a faff to apply and not as good. OH couldn't understand why this would be until he realised the wrong product had been...

I always take mine in during winter. I'm sure the hose itself would be fine but in the past I've lost several spray guns (both Hozelock & B&Q's own brand) when they've frozen and then burst, so now I don't risk it.

It looks like it. Lift up the pots and carefully look around the base and under the rim for slugs and snails. You can use slug pellets. These are now based on ferrous sulphate and don't harm birds, hedgehogs etc.

Sorry, I wasn't clear.I meant why not wait until autumn to remove the moss and reseed, rather than spring/summer when the risk of weeds establishing is more likely.

Unfortunately I don't have any other materials in the garden to use, and there is quite a large area to cover so I fear putting in a drystone wall would be beyond my level of skill.

I understand where you're coming from, but there is already a symmetry in this area (either side of steps) so it is an issue

That looks very similar to the one my brother has. We had colder than -5c here this year and it suggests burgandy spires can only take a lite frost, so perhaps similar cultivars are the same.

From the new picture I agree that the stems and bud do look like an ash. Looking at the old picture again where I thought it had lobed leaves, I believe that might be your neighbours tree. I took the green to be one tree and not two and I could only see leaf detail on one half.

A lovely cluster of Pagoda Red ...