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Morning Light: The Fetchland Gardening Wire

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Rosehip Apr 2020 1:17pm, 28 Apr 2020 15,790 posts	Quote Pin Rosehip There was a lovely climbing hydrangea on the garden wall here, it did have wires trained against the bricks to keep it up but one winter the weight of snow just pushed it off and it never recovered. That winter killed my solanum in the same way. Just posted this pic on the "plastics" thread. I was looking for simple instructions to make a micromesh cover for a small raised bed, so not what I wanted but thought it fun. If I were still in school I'd get the kids to help me make one Also saw this thegardenglove.com And am wondering if I can recover an old brolly in micromesh to do the job?
Rosehip Apr 2020 1:19pm, 28 Apr 2020 15,791 posts	Quote Pin Rosehip mised a link thegardenglove.com plastic bottle grow house (husband would kill me - he thinks I'm making the garden look too much like a scruffy allotment already )
Fragile Do Not Bend Apr 2020 1:24pm, 28 Apr 2020 5,819 posts	Quote Pin Fragile Do Not Bend That’s a good idea Rosehip. I’ve been trying to think of things I can cover beds with, mostly to keep the cat off. I covered my newly planted seedlings with fleece to stop him using the bed as a toilet, but then that made a nice warm spot for him to lie on so I had to cover it with sticks too. I need something easier to remove than the sticks and fleece arrangements 😅
Rosehip Apr 2020 2:03pm, 28 Apr 2020 15,792 posts	Quote Pin Rosehip I just remembered the pop up net food covers that MiL always uses when there's a big family BBQ party - they'd probably work for covering small area for a while. I'm teaching Ralph to chase away pigeons - but that only works when it's warm and the garden door is open. I need something that will keep the big fat woodies away but won't upset the smaller birds that live in the garden and eat caterpillars.
Markymarkmark Apr 2020 3:39pm, 28 Apr 2020 11,257 posts	Quote Pin Markymarkmark I've gone for butterfly netting Rosehip. Built a frame using sticks and wire, covered with net, and pegged down at the sides. Feels a very grown-up proper gardener thing to do. Reminds me of my Grandad. The mesh is fine enough not to catch any but the most stupid of birds, I think, and I can water through it. Seems to be keeping the pigeons out (and the cabbage white butterflies aren't out yet, only the Red Admirals), and the neighbours' cats seems to have got the message that they're not welcome here! High fences fixed all round, new solid gate, moved a shed which makes it harder to use as an regular aerial walkway for the moggy, and chasing off when seen! Garden Alcatraz...
leaguefreak Apr 2020 8:03pm, 28 Apr 2020 8,101 posts	Quote Pin leaguefreak Our garden looks so bare. More hacking to do though. This time next year I'll at least have veg in big pots.
Surrey Phil Apr 2020 8:36pm, 28 Apr 2020 3,601 posts	Quote Pin Surrey Phil My wife booked a gardener to do some work before Christmas and he has been too busy until now - even before the lockdown. I've spent a far bit of time hacking down some overhanging branches and will get some replacement fence panels when a visit to Wickes is more acceptable. At least I am reducing his future bill in the process. Unfortunately, one neighbour has a bit of ivy that needs constantly keeping in check. The other side have no gardening skills whatsoever and I'm always having to remove brambles and creepers that come over the fence. They don't even possess a council green waste bin! I must get around to de-weeding the drive when I next get a chance and should put some Jeyes Fluid or cheap bleach down to try and kill them. Has anyone got a better idea for keeping weeds from appearing in driveways and cracks in the path?
Hanneke Apr 2020 9:31pm, 28 Apr 2020 70,554 posts	Quote Pin Hanneke I saw a white butterfly the other day I was given some sweet peas yesterday so this evening, in the rain, after having been cooped up all day fighting my nieghbours, I planted them out and made a pyramid. I have also sown a lot of flower seeds straight into the bed where I grow cut flowers and prepared some of the area under my translocated hedge for the wildflower seed I bought. Tomorrow I shall plant out the onions grown from seed I was given yesterday. They go in the gaps of the sets I planted in Autumn and haven't all come up. I was also given 4 red cabbage plants. I LOVE red cabbage! I will need to net thm, as I have never had any as the caterpillars always have them first!
Rosehip Apr 2020 9:38pm, 28 Apr 2020 15,801 posts	Quote Pin Rosehip I love red cabbage too - they are the only seeds I didn't manage to source in time I am growing red brussel sprouts though, I shall probably only plant out 4 or 5 seedlings - maybe a few more if I can get them to grow in buckets or something. I thought my rather late setting of garlic was doing OK - but today it's all disappeared
Markymarkmark Apr 2020 10:26pm, 28 Apr 2020 11,263 posts	Quote Pin Markymarkmark I confess to having got assorted brassica seedlings from the garden centre the day before lockdown commenced. I've been nurturing them ever since, and they're now big enough to be out on their own (under the netting, of course!). So red cabbage, calabrese, cauliflower and purple sprouting broccoli. I also have 24 Cauliflower seedlings in pots I pricked out yesterday...and sacrificed their weaker brethren to the compost heap. 24 caulis is too many! Esp. if the all come good, within a fortnight or so of each other! We'll see. In other news, I wondered why only 1 dwarf french bean from my second sowing had come up. Investigation revealed the other 5 pots no longer have any evidence of seeds in! Mice, I suspect. They had the sunflowers last year in the same way. They've probably got your garlic too, Rosehip!