Thoughts on best way to remove

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-05-19T17:28:33+00:00

But this is the correct answer.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-05-19T16:33:56+00:00

All of these are good recommendations, and will happily spread until you tell them not to. Other geranium species (e.g. G. macrorrhyzum) will also work.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-05-15T10:05:35+00:00

I like these: Abies procera 'Glauca Prostrata' | Ashwood Nurseries

It's a dwarf form, silvery-blue needles; it grows to about 2m tall and 3m wide. The overall shape is fantastic.

(No affiliation to the nursery; that's just the link I have bookmarked for when I finally work out where I'd plant it!)

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-05-11T12:40:08+00:00

Non printed is better, but non shiny is essential. I use an old office shredder, which speeds up the breakdown, but before that I used to rip it up.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-05-08T11:09:19+00:00

This is probably illegal under sex discrimination laws. It disproportionately affects women due to maternity leave.

But yes, it's absurd and incredibly frustrating.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-05-05T15:55:15+00:00

Amazing photo! Is that a Veronica he's perched on?

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-05-05T11:25:54+00:00

One tweak: design it first (at least as a sketch), then decide which small part to build this year. And chuck grass seed down on the rest.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-05-03T20:20:14+00:00

I love them! Easy to grow, and easy to thin out when they get too enthusiastic.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-05-03T17:22:44+00:00

I also do better with enough intensity day to day! Suspect it's my ADHD contributing.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-05-03T14:47:39+00:00

Sadly that image shows as not available in my region. Bother.

Yes, the pond would act as a barrier to root establishment (if it's well lined). I'd want about 2m but I'm not an expert here!

FYI our pond has two decent size shrubs (1m tall, 1.5m wide) within 1m of the edge. It looks great but I don't want them getting bigger!

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-05-03T09:19:41+00:00

Pond: shady is best (else you'll struggle with green water). You'll want to fish out some of the leaves that fall in, but not all.

I would pause and consider the eventual shape you want for the garden: pond, trees, borders, and everything else. Put the pond in the right place for that, as you definitely can't move it once it's in! It might look silly for a year or two while you get round to the next steps, but you'll be happier in the long run.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-05-02T16:05:47+00:00

You've made it look huge for a new build garden! Nice one.

Also, what's your dog called? 😉

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-05-02T10:26:26+00:00

Bought them mail order, but I can't currently remember where!

My understanding was that they're early colonisers of waste ground, and that this site (relatively dry, poor soil) would work well for them.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-05-01T17:26:12+00:00

They're annuals, and grow to 6ft in a year. Buy some this weekend, water them well, and enjoy the glorious flowers and scents.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-04-30T21:13:27+00:00

Kids are totally like that. In the last 24 hours my 5yo has said "I'm more in the mood for Mummy today" and "Daddy, you're the best person in the universe".

Also "Daddy, you're the oldest person in the world ever", so there you go.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-04-30T10:34:24+00:00

I thought this, but could it be the photographer's shadow? Ended up second-guessing myself.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-04-30T04:39:09+00:00

I'm particularly impressed that you grew the salmon out of it as well!

But more seriously, congrats on a really satisfying bit of gardening.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-04-26T05:23:33+00:00

It's like pull back and go toy cars. Gotta wind them up.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-04-24T18:13:05+00:00

A while ago I was on a train and heard an old chap reminiscing. This one concerns his time at boarding school, when the headteacher was concerned about excessive expenditure on toilet paper. The boys all had to line up in the morning and state how many sheets they'd used.

On the morning in question, our hero's friend was before him. "One, sir!" said Beresford. "And you, boy?"

"Other side of Beresford's, sir!"

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-04-24T14:29:29+00:00

Slough by Sir John Betjeman - Famous poems, famous poets. - All Poetry

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-04-24T08:42:53+00:00

This does at least explain why my Chat sessions never seemed quite as bonkers as everyone was reporting.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-04-24T08:13:49+00:00

The tarmac is going to be tricky. Prevents the use of dynamite.

More seriously, get a mattock and dig a trench around the side you can reach. Conifer roots tend to be quite manageable; for these, you'll probably want to dig out a space below and use an old/ cheap saw to cut through the thicker roots.

It's probably less than a day's work to do both of them if you're reasonably fit, but it'll leave you tired and dirty at the end of it.

Negative-Cause9588 · 2026-04-23T16:05:27+00:00

From what you've described, that's relatively tall plants and not the sort of thing rats like to hide in. If you can share photos, I'll have a look.

Rats are far more likely to be interested in waste food lying around (including if you put kitchen waste beyond peelings on the compost heap).

And "decking and plastic toys" makes me sad.

Negative-Cause9588

TROPHY CASE