Things I have learned about gardening.

 Whilst spending most of the weekend tidying up the garden I mused over the
many things I have learned during the seven years we have owned this place.

Weeds are easier to pull up if left to grow a bit.

A hoe merely spreads the little ones around.

Ground elder should be accepted in some areas as effective ground cover.

Weed killer doesn't.

It never rains within 3 days of spreading lawn weed and feed.

Its easy to take cuttings from shrubs I don't need more of.

Don't plant daffodils in the grass as they are a pain to mow around.

Frost only kills the most expensive plants.

Its not possible to dig out all of a dandelion root.

Yew berries are a PITA.

A big bonfire site is essential.

Mike

 

A very good list of niggles and I am with you I00%

You missed one though, It always rains after you have watered.(well not
this year yet. Silly me)

I bet you have started a thread and a half here, there will be loads of
others.

Baz

 On Tue, 3 May 2011 10:35:10 +0100, "MuddyMike"


This sounds like the Beeb's weekend "10 things" (though you have 11).
My ten would be:

1) In spring, strong winds are caused by blossom on crab apple and
cherry trees;
2) The number of different answers to a question is almost always one
greater than the number of gardeners who answer;
3) Watching a neighbour edging her lawn with a pair of scissors is
marginally more amusing than watching paint dry but a lot less amusing
than watching her come out with a vacuum cleaner to clean up the
cuttings afterwards;
4) Bees that you free from a spider's web are ungrateful creatures
(they can also be remarkably adept at finding their way up your
trouser leg and into your boxer shorts - ouch!);
5) In summer, strong winds are caused by people putting up their patio
umbrellas;
6) Don't listen when the RSPB says leave seed heads on plants for the
birds over winter - they've missed out the "prolifically self seeding"
bit;
7) You can never have too many pairs of secateurs for different jobs;
8) If you live next to a farm, it's pointless aiming for anything more
than a "utility" lawn and your lawnmower is probably the best
weedkiller you have;
8) If you grow just about the number of bedding plants you need, a
fair few will die but if you grow about half as many again, they will
all thrive;
10) In autumn, strong gusts of wind are caused by clearing all the
dropped leaves from a lawn.

Jake

 On Tue, 03 May 2011 15:08:31 +0100, Jake wrote:


That would be a joy to see. I want my own neighbours to get rid of the
Japanese knotweed that is spreading into mine.

Warwick

 On 03/05/2011 10:35, MuddyMike wrote:

Unfortunately they grow a great deal when you do this and some quickly
develop sharp needle thorns that go through leather gardening gloves.

Nah. Hoes work pretty well in a dry year like this.

And a possible cure for gout too.
I blame the Romans for this along with nettles, rabbits and sycamores.

Except for overspray on your boots which leaves ghostly outlines that
take two weeks to appear after you walked back across the bowling green.

It does round here, if you wait long enough to apply it...

Corollary of Murphy's Law or principle of selective gravity.
Dropped tools always fall where they can do most damage.

Oh yes it is. 12" screwdriver is perfect for this job.

But smell nothing like as bad as ginko nuts.

It gets bigger automatically though not necessarily without collateral
damage to adjacent wooden structures.

Regards,
Martin Brown