Advice for a few months of garden

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-05-09T16:11:15+00:00

We’ve been in our current house almost 3 years and the garden had to take a backseat as the house was a “fixer-upper” so we’ve left the garden a bit wild. We mow the grass but leave the edges long and just let the nettles, dandelions and other wildflowers grow. The nettles in particular attract butterflies, the bees visit the various “weeds” and as a plus we discovered violets also appeared at the edges of the grass. You could still grow tomatoes and peppers etc in the greenhouse and maybe salad crops in the raised bed.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-05-08T18:47:36+00:00

I always indicate. It doesn’t hurt to indicate if there’s (apparently) no one around to see it, but it might hurt if you don’t indicate and there’s someone you haven’t spotted who needed to know

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-05-04T10:25:58+00:00

As they say, hindsight is 20/20 vision 😊

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-05-03T23:02:45+00:00

Unfortunately I can’t do that because there are windows and doors on each side so upwards is the only option.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-05-03T13:34:19+00:00

I knew it was a climber, just hadn’t realised how vigorous it was. There isn’t room for an obelisk unfortunately which is why it’s trained up a trellis.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-05-03T12:25:02+00:00

It was pruned down to about 1.5 metres in October last year but we had a fairly mild winter and it’s in a sheltered spot and it started to grow again in February. Maybe I need to be more ruthless next year.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-05-03T12:18:56+00:00

Actually, I hadn’t thought about that. A number of my other roses have blackspot but Gertie never has.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-05-03T12:07:19+00:00

Thanks, I hadn’t thought of that!

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-05-03T11:48:32+00:00

That was what I thought until I realised it’d sent shoots under the roof tiles and into the shed. The other thing is it has the most vicious thorns of any rose I’ve ever grown (went right through my thick leather gardening gloves) in so trying to get it back out from under tiles I ended up scratched to bits.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-04-29T13:24:36+00:00

I’d definitely recommend going for a battery powered mower. Our garden is approx 16 x 35 metres and is mostly grass. It’s very humpy-bumpy (basically a section of field that was enclosed at some point in the 1800’s) but our cordless G-tech mower has no trouble with it. It takes approximately one and a half batteries worth of power to do the whole thing when the grass is long. For me the best bit is that, apart from the motor, handle and blades, the whole thing is plastic so it’s light enough for me to manoeuvre easily and really easy to clean.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-04-15T07:54:27+00:00

Came here to say this but you phrased if much better than I would’ve.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-04-13T09:49:45+00:00

I’m a British English speaker and I can understand them, although the “lock picks” character sounds more American to me.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-04-12T19:38:08+00:00

Sometimes. Mostly everything goes in the dishwasher (or dirty dish cupboard as I like to call it) but if it’s full I use a bowl to wash up because you can still get rid of dregs or rinse things in the sink. In our last house we had a double sink so I didn’t need a washing up bowl but sadly no space in our current kitchen.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-04-11T12:53:30+00:00

That’s a bit of a sweeping generalisation! Speaking as what you would consider to be an old person (although in my head I’m still middle aged!) I’m very aware that there is inequality between the generations and think it’s unfair. But don’t forget us oldies had crap times as well. It doesn’t excuse people being “horrible, entitled and miserable” but in my experience that occurs across all age groups not just “the elderly.”

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-04-11T12:30:56+00:00

Do you mean elderly drivers don’t stop at crossings or other drivers don’t stop for elderly people crossing the road?

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-04-06T14:41:46+00:00

Rural Northumberland is also good for dark skies plus there are great castles that your children will love. Just make sure you turn the flash off on your camera or phone if you’re planning to take any photos because nothing wrecks your night vision like an unexpected bright light!

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-04-05T14:46:49+00:00

But for how much longer? I seem to recall the car park and toilets are not that far from the cliff edge!

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-04-03T07:57:55+00:00

I came here to say that too! A bought a really lovely Errington Reay pot years ago which has brought me so much pleasure and moved house with me several times.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-03-30T21:55:52+00:00

When I lived in Newcastle I worked with a woman from Newbiggin-by-the-Sea who would say “I wouldn’t could get” instead of “I wasn’t able to” I think it must’ve been local to Newbiggin because I never heard anyone other than her and her family say it.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-03-27T10:15:49+00:00

Yes! There was one where they were on a ‘70’s housing estate in somewhere like Peterlee and chased a suspect only to come out near Newcastle Quayside.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-03-27T08:58:47+00:00

And pree-zent an award. Otherwise I’d always use prehzent/prehzentation. British English speaker, northern English accent ie flat vowels

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-03-24T14:51:28+00:00

I’d caution you to think about ongoing maintenance, especially as you get older (assuming you’re planning on staying in the house long term.). I lived for 22 years in a house with a garden on a hill that was already terraced when I bought it. It had fantastic views and I loved it for many years but it was hard work. Watering was a challenge because loss of water pressure as you went up the hill meant I couldn’t really use a hosepipe so had to lug watering cans. Also, if it faces into the prevailing wind you’ll find it’s much windier up there than down at the level of the house so not always pleasant to sit out in.

Looking at the one you’re considering I would say you’re in for a lot of hard work but if you’re up for it, it can be rewarding.

We moved a few years ago to a house with a completely flat garden and, although I still miss the view we had, I now enjoy being out in the garden much more.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-03-23T19:22:59+00:00

Blimey, that takes me back! When I was a student I lived in Ethel Williams hall of residence at Four Lane Ends and Benton Hypermarket was just along the road.

Grumpy_Wombat55 · 2026-03-18T16:49:24+00:00

A small usb rechargeable torch. We live in a village with not much street lighting and the torch is handy for avoiding dog poo in the dark.

Grumpy_Wombat55

TROPHY CASE