How about a gardening thread?

[Mrs. Doolittle]

	Quote:	amogles
	I often felt its UK gardens with their sometimes maniacal insistence on mowing the lawn in nice parallel stripes that were overdoing it. You don't see the Swiss doing that quite as much.

I don't have much success mowing on straight lines as we have so many trees.

My neighbour, however, has a robot mower. The lawn looks like a green carpet. You don't really see the lines though. I think it is because it is cutting everyday. It seems these are becoming more popular but I find the noise very annoying.

[ladylou]

Hi everyone,
I'm looking for some plant suggestions. I have small kids and don't get out every evening to do the necessary slug picking and the problem is really getting out of control. I don't want to use slug pellets because of the kids and the same for pots standing around with beer! Its bad enough my son drinks the rain water out of every container he can get to!
I would love a bit more colour in the garden that the slugs don't eat! Is this possible? Any suggestions of what i can plant? I had some nice grasses last year, but the nice purple-y one never came back.. so have to look into replacing that. Would love tall flower ideas that slugs maybe tend to avoid (and aren't poisonous to the kids) as well as flowering scrubs that aren't invasive. Berry plants are out too.. is there anything left for my fussy specifications?!!!
Also thank you for all the suggestions last year.. i posted about an invasive plant popping up near the house and all over the lawn and i found out it was a trumpeting vine. Beautiful plant, but needs a lot of pruning to keep in control. Just in case anyone remembers my pictures and wanted to know!

[smoky]

	Quote:	ladylou
	Hi everyone, I'm looking for some plant suggestions. I have small kids and don't get out every evening to do the necessary slug picking and the problem is really getting out of control. I don't want to use slug pellets because of the kids and the same for pots standing around with beer! Its bad enough my son drinks the rain water out of every container he can get to! I would love a bit more colour in the garden that the slugs don't eat! Is this possible? Any suggestions of what i can plant? I had some nice grasses last year, but the nice purple-y one never came back.. so have to look into replacing that. Would love tall flower ideas that slugs maybe tend to avoid (and aren't poisonous to the kids) as well as flowering scrubs that aren't invasive. Berry plants are out too.. is there anything left for my fussy specifications?!!! Also thank you for all the suggestions last year.. i posted about an invasive plant popping up near the house and all over the lawn and i found out it was a trumpeting vine. Beautiful plant, but needs a lot of pruning to keep in control. Just in case anyone remembers my pictures and wanted to know!

For tall flowers what about Gladiolas? They are easy to grow from bulbs, slugs don`t seem too keen on them, and they make nice cut flowers for indoors.

I learnt (from EF and my mother-in-law here) to scatter very few slug pellets only around the borders of garden, under the shrubs and out of sight. The pellets ATTRACT slugs, so don`t put them in the garden near plants or you end up with slime and rotting slugs all over the place. Better to control your borders than allow them into garden!
This way my box of pellets has lasted me 3 years

[Tasebo]

	Quote:	ladylou
	Hi everyone, I'm looking for some plant suggestions. I have small kids and don't get out every evening to do the necessary slug picking and the problem is really getting out of control. I don't want to use slug pellets because of the kids and the same for pots standing around with beer! Its bad enough my son drinks the rain water out of every container he can get to! I would love a bit more colour in the garden that the slugs don't eat! Is this possible? Any suggestions of what i can plant? I had some nice grasses last year, but the nice purple-y one never came back.. so have to look into replacing that. Would love tall flower ideas that slugs maybe tend to avoid (and aren't poisonous to the kids) as well as flowering scrubs that aren't invasive. Berry plants are out too.. is there anything left for my fussy specifications?!!! Also thank you for all the suggestions last year.. i posted about an invasive plant popping up near the house and all over the lawn and i found out it was a trumpeting vine. Beautiful plant, but needs a lot of pruning to keep in control. Just in case anyone remembers my pictures and wanted to know!

I think the simplest approach is to plant things you like, then use it as an opportunity to educate your small children about what grows in their garden. I think very few people live in circumstances where a garden is childproof from potential dangers. Perhaps setting aside a small area where they can have their "own" garden and look after simple "safe" plants that require little care will draw their attention away from other plants you would rather they don't bother.

As for the slugs - maybe you can get them squishing the slimy things? Not sure how old your young children are, but crawling around in the garden on warm summer evenings was always a favourite in our family.

[amogles]

If you have a barbecue or a wood stove I would keep the ash and regularly sprinkle it around the plants that suffer most from slugs. It won't stop the slugs completely but dissuades them.

Similarly garlic won't stop them completely but they tend to keep their distance. Plant it in between other stuff.

Slugs are also encouraged or discouraged by the way you combine plants, as they start eating one and then move on to another. Sometimes relatively minor changes can have massive effects on slug behaviour.

Finally, hedgehogs are good against slugs. If there are any in your area, encourage them.

[kiwigeek]

I thought you could use coffee grounds? or even egg shells to ward off slugs?
Mind you, I'm not sure having your kid devour a bunch of coffee grounds is more preferable to slug bait.

[dodgyken]

My gardening project for 2015 was going to be to build some nice raised beds - it is however turning into the "year of the fence".

Being as it costs the national debt of Liberia to build 23m of fence I will take on this ambitious task myself.

Now: to concrete the new posts or just tamp down really well with sand, gravel and then dirt?

[smoky]

	Quote:	kiwigeek
	I thought you could use coffee grounds? or even egg shells to ward off slugs? Mind you, I'm not sure having your kid devour a bunch of coffee grounds is more preferable to slug bait.

I throw all our egg shells and strained coffee grounds into a thick paper bag and after a year of drying out, crush the whole lot by stamping on it, sprinkle that all over the vege garden - maybe thats the reason I havent seen any slugs this year ?...... yet.

It is a good idea to begin to educate small children about possible poisons from garden plants (if they`re at communication level and if not then they need watching anyway). Just dont plant any Ruhbarb so as not to confuse them about not eating the leaves, yet the stems are edible - when cooked (dunno about them raw).

Kids could collect the slugs in buckets and then go desposit them in the forest. Our local rose-grower does that, doesnt believe in killing anything.

[kiwigeek]

	Quote:	smoky
	It is a good idea to begin to educate small children

Ah, must be the end of the day - just read this as "It is a good idea to begin to eradicate small children! Then again, my plants would fair a lot better with less little fingers pulling them out at every opportunity!

Kudos for your coffee ground / egg shell dedication Smoky!

[newtoswitz]

	Quote:	smoky
	Just dont plant any Ruhbarb so as not to confuse them about not eating the leaves, yet the stems are edible - when cooked (dunno about them raw).

Rhubarb leaves being dangerous is a bit of an urban myth - they are slightly poisonous, but even a child would have to eat several whole leaves and then most likely just feel sick and get diarrhoea. They taste even more sour than the raw stalks (which aren't poisonous) so it's unlikely.

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:	carlasmom
	Odile, we bought a house with a beautiful garden. Now if you could come, take a look at it and tell me how to take care of it!

It looks like a lovely well established garden which just needs a bit if maintenance.
Maybe a few foxgloves, some asters ( Michaelmas daisies) and some valerian would brighten it up a bit. I have loads of them going spare.

	Quote:	Belgianmum
	I am not getting my hopes up just yet but there is a very tiny feathery looking sprout in the location of the tuber. It s very early days yet but I am quite hopeful.

I am now extremely happy to report that it was not a figment of my imagination and my feathery little sprout now looks like this.

[neddy]

"feathery little sprout
Is it a peony?

[Belgianmum]

	Quote:	Tasebo
	This type - paeonia tenufloria. Attachment 97269They are rather stubborn when moved, but I am determined to succeed and keep trying different locations! The one a Cambridge friend planted didn't do a thing, but she may have planted it too deep, as you are absolutely right the herbaceous types are rather like iris, just below the surface. Love peonies, and Occitane can (almost) bottle the scent

	Quote:	neddy
	"feathery little sprout Is it a peony?

Yes it's a peony but not just any peony. It's the paeonia tenufloria which Tasebo kindly sent to me last autumn, which is pretty temperamental and not easy to transplant apparently and which is now growing happily in my garden.

[carlasmom]

Thanks for the kind offer, Belgianmum.

Our garden really is well established. I am amazed at what is popping up. We will just leave everything as is and watch throughout the year what has been planted by the previous owner.

I also love peonies and am stoked to to see some growing in our yard!

[carlasmom]

Lat year, I paid my kids for picking up the slugs. Our rate was 5cents a piece. Could you put your kids to work?

[/B]

	Quote:	ladylou
	Hi everyone, I'm looking for some plant suggestions. I have small kids and don't get out every evening to do the necessary slug picking and the problem is really getting out of control. I don't want to use slug pellets because of the kids and the same for pots standing around with beer! Its bad enough my son drinks the rain water out of every container he can get to! I would love a bit more colour in the garden that the slugs don't eat! Is this possible? Any suggestions of what i can plant? I had some nice grasses last year, but the nice purple-y one never came back.. so have to look into replacing that. Would love tall flower ideas that slugs maybe tend to avoid (and aren't poisonous to the kids) as well as flowering scrubs that aren't invasive. Berry plants are out too.. is there anything left for my fussy specifications?!!! Also thank you for all the suggestions last year.. i posted about an invasive plant popping up near the house and all over the lawn and i found out it was a trumpeting vine. Beautiful plant, but needs a lot of pruning to keep in control. Just in case anyone remembers my pictures and wanted to know!

[Tasebo]

	Quote:	carlasmom
	Lat year, I paid my kids for picking up the slugs. Our rate was 5cents a piece. Could you put your kids to work? [/B]

1sfr/20 slugs...anyone have any data on the official Swiss rate?

Sounds like a good deal for both sides, just make sure they don't "recycle" the pickings

[Tasebo]

Well done - must have transferred good vibes! This is what the "mother" plant looked like 2 weeks ago...

	Quote:	belgianmum
	it looks like a lovely well established garden which just needs a bit if maintenance. Maybe a few foxgloves, some asters ( michaelmas daisies) and some valerian would brighten it up a bit. I have loads of them going spare. i am now extremely happy to report that it was not a figment of my imagination and my feathery little sprout now looks like this.

[amaraya]

i have a question for the gardeners here- i'm not really too good at gardening- but i've found that by just leaving everything alone (except for occasional watering when it's dry/ hot) my herbs, plants and berries do well.

now that we have had so many days of rain- my little two baby leafed tomatoes are underwater. my gut instinct is to just leave them with the water- and let nature take it's course. i tried to pour out water the other day and the little plants fell and looked just lifeless. but as we are expected to have more rain- i'll put them in a covered area- but in the meantime, should i scoop out the water or leave it? i'm sure it's a dumdums question but i'm a hands off gardener thanks!

[Belgianmum]

Tomatoes don't like to be waterlogged so I'd try to get as much of the water out as possible. I am assuming that the pots don't have holes in the bottom otherwise you would have been able to drain them very easily.
If tipping the water out is difficult I would suggest making a 'wick' from absorbent paper ( kitchen towel) and soaking the water up that way.

[pilatus1]

	Quote:	dodgyken
	Now: to concrete the new posts or just tamp down really well with sand, gravel and then dirt?

What are the posts made of?