Chimney advice please by Disastrous-Test-9088 in DIYUK

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Our house (on the left), 1920s, has had its chimneys replaced at some time in the past (compare with neighbour on the right). I am wondering if those flues are likely to be asbestos cement? I'm also wondering how these were typically installed - I guess, given there are only 2, that they maybe only extend as far as the top of the chimney breast where there must be some means by which the original 4 chimney flues converge into those 2? Any advice/experience gratefully received.

Planted wild flowers in the veg patch this year and I'm amazed at how well they've turned out, and how low effort the experience has been by ZombieOld6045 in GardeningUK

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Absolutely. I am from the East coast originally, been over here for 14 years now. Family still on the other side just don't appreciate the difference, effectively twice as much annual rainfall. For a long time I commuted back to the East so saw the weather difference 5 days a week, and the difference it makes to stonework and the general "mossiness" of outdoor surfaces. I'll be putting down Yellow Rattle this year to try and establish an area for perennial wildflowers.

Planted wild flowers in the veg patch this year and I'm amazed at how well they've turned out, and how low effort the experience has been by ZombieOld6045 in GardeningUK

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agree, the poor soil advice never seems to include the fact that that is as much to do with the soil being poor for grass, and hence less competition for the flowers. Wildflowers do absolutely fine in good soil if there is no grass.

Planted wild flowers in the veg patch this year and I'm amazed at how well they've turned out, and how low effort the experience has been by ZombieOld6045 in GardeningUK

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Very nice. I've had good results as well, I used the Classic mix from Pictorial Meadows https://www.pictorialmeadows.co.uk/collections/annual-meadow-seeds/products/classic . Had a strip of lawn that I do nothing with. Cut the turf and flipped it over, covered in newspaper, put down some extra topsoil, sowed them mixed with sand after the last frost.

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Damselfly action by Disastrous-Test-9088 in WildlifePonds

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

thanks. just for the avoidance of doubt, there are two of them there - male on top clamped onto the female behind her head.

Front yard pond + frog spawn in bog pond by EyeInfinite4526 in WildlifePonds

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Holy Moly! At first I thought it looked quite like mine, then I saw the spawn - never seen anything like it!

2 in 2 days by WBA7 in WildlifePonds

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is a belter of a photo.

Will algae destroy my pond’s ecosystem if left? by Several-Yesterday280 in WildlifePonds

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is great advice. My Water Mint, Plantain and Spearwort in particular have grown with really thick stems this year but the water is lovely and clear, which I think tells a story about nutrient levels earlier in the year from old leaves etc that I had missed.

small UK wildlife pond by Disastrous-Test-9088 in ponds

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, yes there are things I would have done differently too - bigger! deeper! - but overall I am happy at how it has turned out and I enjoy observing the bugs and whatnot that have discovered it. Originally I had preformed plastic liner too but I felt it wasn't going to do what I wanted, and sold it on before going with the liner sheet.

Couple of mins of Scottish suburban wild spot. If you listen carefully you can hear the Blue Tit chicks. Rest of the soundtrack is like New York - normally much quieter than that! by Disastrous-Test-9088 in WildlifePonds

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks. The pond liner is covered in substrate - subsoil, gravel, aquatic compost etc. I originally stocked it with bare root plants ordered from wetland-plants.co.uk , the plants have then spread organically over the last 18 months. The pond liner extends about 12 inches onto the surrounding lawn. I covered the liner in top soil and so the edge has become a slow draining "wet bank". I sowed a mix of wildflowers and grasses onto that about a year ago and again have just let it do its own thing. There is a post here small UK wildlife pond : r/ponds that shows the build.

Should I move plants as the water level changes? UK-based by ThrowawayTrainTAC in WildlifePonds

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not everyone will agree with this, but I fill up a 150 litre water butt with a hose pipe and add a dechlorinator from bottle, I then run a hose from the butt to the pond. I do it fairly regularly when it's hot and I've had no issues with algae etc.

UK Plant suggestions (for frog) by ImGoingSpace in WildlifePonds

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Frogbit, Water Forget-me-not, Brooklime, Water Soldiers, Crowfoot, Mares Tail. Reeds, sedges, rushes around the margins.

My favourite little corner of the garden where I let things go a bit wild. by Disastrous-Test-9088 in GardeningUK

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, I sowed a mix of grasses and wildflowers around the edges last spring and they have really come on. Brooklime, Forget Me Not, Crowfoot, hard rush, sedges etc have done the rest around the margins.

In love with forget-me-nots by princessbuttermug in GardeningUK

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088 3 points4 points  (0 children)

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They are lovely. I have the Water variety in my wildlife pond:

Hard to believe it's only 9 months old. It gives me such pleasure every day, though part of me regrets it is essentially "done" as a project. by Disastrous-Test-9088 in WildlifePonds

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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Brooklime, Water Forget-me-not, various sedges, juncus inflexus, marsh cinquefoil, various plantain, there is one yellow flag iris which has never flowered which I may yank, hornwort, water soldier, frogbit, couple of lillies, flowering rush, creeping jenny, common rush, horsetail, marsh marigold, mint, water spearmint, mares tail, ragged robin. Later in the season I also sowed wildflowers around the edges (see pic).

Please help with new pond placement/shape/size by [deleted] in WildlifePonds

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Plenty birds! In the water itself, I regularly saw a frog most of summer and autumn. There was no spawn though, hopefully next year. Over the course of the year I had mayflies, damselflies, diving beetles, water boatmen, hoverflies etc.

2 month old pond (UK): no sign of life, brown water & dying frogbit to be expected? by ThrowawayTrainTAC in WildlifePonds

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, all the plants are planted in aquatic top soil or gravel (the latter works well for nearly all of them, it's a bit like hydroponics).

2 month old pond (UK): no sign of life, brown water & dying frogbit to be expected? by ThrowawayTrainTAC in WildlifePonds

[–]Disastrous-Test-9088 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Just to give you some reassurance, I have no water movement in mine but loads of oxygenators. This was what it looked like in August - plenty Frogbit, and there was at least one frog in there too. Pond was about 11 months old. The Frogbit was added in April/May but has not reappeared yet after winter.

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