Homely59's Inbox

Hi Sue, i recently contacted a company called `GREEN THUMB` and they basically come in and look after your lawn for £15.00 a visit ( all feeds and fertilizers inc in price ) and free advice on lawn care etc, they visit 4 times a year ( once a season ) and feed etc as required, to my thinking by the time you buy all the various types of feeds etc, it may be well worth considering having a proffesional do it, what do you and other members think ??

Paul

Very Nice

Thanks, Sue.

I'll look forward to more of your photos of Bertie and your plants.

Hi Sue - is the tree getting enough water? Being in a small pot, they dry out very easily. Has it ever been repotted? I've never had one, but I believe they are root pruned and repotted every couple of years to maintain vigour. Try giving it a nice foliar feed - it might pick up - and then repot it in autumn/winter when it is dormant. I should say I'm, just guessing here - perhaps another member can give more precise advice?

The Cocker Spaniel Breed Standard says 'merry', and your Bertie certainly looks very happy indeed. My Sheltie collects up garden pots and saucers, so he and Bertie might make a good double-act ...LOL

They certainly aren't good for the grass if you leave them - they make marks and the grass underneath dies off! I agree - I like the grass and edges looking good. My husband is in charge of the cutting (I do the edges) as we have rather a lot, and he leaves it until I have to nag....

i know what you mean homely, with all the rain and heat we are getting over here i seem to have to cut the grass a couple of times a week just to keep the garden looking tidy. it always makes the garden look so much better when the grass is cut. i have several large trees behind the back garden wall which shed their leaves just as soon as the grass is done, swear they wait for me to finish before dropping lol

Yep I do the same. I go out with my bowl of Muesli and Juice, and eat it on the patio. Our terrace is usually too hot at breakfast time. Then I take my coffee for a walk and inspect everything. I feel deprived in the winter when I have to eat breakfast indoors, but I soon put a jacket on and take the coffee out.

I have to smile to myself, it appears as though we are all cut out the same "gardening" cloth. It's amazing to me how quickly a person gets so caught up in this gardening frame of mind and excitement of it all. I too have to check out my "domain" first thing every morning. I only wish my backyard (and garden) were right outside my back door so I could walk right out there in my robe and walk around, I have to traipse across a double driveway in front of the powers that be and everyone else to get there, so I have to be happy with looking out the window. :) lol

well every1 out ther it pouring down here, i hav 2 open my blinds first.lol. happy holidays 2 every1.

Yep im exactly the same , rain or shine I open the kitchen door and have that first cup of coffee looking out over my domain , lol , Happy gardening everyone x

Absolutely a great way to start the day! I usually can't wait to grab my first coffee & have a quick look round the back gardens to see what has bloomed overnight. Once seed is put out for the birds they will come visit on the back porch with me - it is so refreshing & uplifting before beginning a workday! Happy July to you!

No, Impatiens - Busy Lizzies - are annuals so you'd have to plant more next summer.

Lol. My old cat, Fluffy, used to do that when I lived in the old cottage. She'd try the front and back doors aswell as the two sets of French doors hoping it would be dry through one of them. She'd do it almost every time - never learnt.

I've heard someone saying "white rabbit" on the first of the month Homley. I think it's a thing they say in Swansea, that's where she's from. It's supposed to bring good luck. So "White Rabbit" and I hope it's a good day for you in your garden. : )

Although they are not two feet tall, busy lizzies will give you all the colour you want right up until the frosts finish them.

How about Heucheras and Saxifraga Urbium? I have these in a shady area and they are evergreen and flower in the summer. Heucheras come in various foliage colours.

I'm thinking maybe some kind of low growing bush like a Holly. Maybe variegated. It would still have it's leaves in the winter along with some berries ? Maybe someone in the UK can suggest something that would be perfect as I'm not familiar with a lot of the plants that you have there. Best of luck with this project :)

Sometimes I'm too organised for my own good.
I have a database on the PC which should contain every plant in the garden, when and where it was planted and where it came from. Except occasionally I find something growing that is not on the database. The down side is you finally have a lot of entries for stuff that has died :-(

There's nothing like a busy gardening day - nothing can beat it.

I have posted it, Homely! Just for you!

My 5-year Gardeners' Log is VERY useful for remembering what plants are and where and when they were planted. I am into the second year of it now, and I'd never have remembered all the plants' names without it...

I can remember the botanical names better than the common names. But then I'm weird. ;-) Re tags, I tend to semi-bury tags near the base of the plant.

Bertie looks lovely and what a smile!!

I think we are all a bit like that , and yet there is an elderly gentleman we know, who can hardly remember what day it is but he knows all the latin names , nothing to do with the work he did because he was a builder .

Don't know about name tags, i'm terrible at remembering the latin names for plants, there again i can't even say the names.

I get trouble with name tags - I take them off and keep them safe but then I can't remember which plant they relate to. You'd think I'd be able to tell from the description on the tag but they're not always very accurate. Sometimes the wrong tag is on the plant anyway.

You are probably right, Sue. You can get almost-red ones, pink-ish, white, cream and yellow. Shall I post a photo of the flowers on mine?

you certainly did have a busy day, well done

Homely - please would you tell us what a 'day dawn' is? Then someone will be able to help you with advice. Glad your garden is looking good.

What a Joy! Hi Bertie!