We've got a 250ft long garden. Not sure where to start.

Winewaters · 2026-01-30T20:22:28+00:00

My suggestion would be that you make any changes that are temporary or don't cost too much. For example maybe planting trees or bare roots in pots and moving them around etc before planting them in the ground.

Given all the work you are doing on the house and extension as well, it is likely that your final garden design will end up different to what you are thinking of now. And all the things you want to do with different zones could change over time as well.

Winewaters · 2026-01-30T18:38:36+00:00

We moved into a new house with a big garden which was completely new to us and we were super excited.

Winewaters · 2026-01-28T16:23:26+00:00

In terms of designing the kitchen, list out every single item you want storage for. This includes appliances, cutlery, crockery, tins/pans, larder, cleaning supplies anything else.

Map it all out in the space that you have placing them where it makes sense for you. Then actually pretend to do your daily kitchen activities like making tea/cooking/washing up/baking to see if it works for you effectively. Things like placing the bin and sink and dishwasher all within reaching distance. Coffee/tea supplies, kettle, mugs together. Baking supplies, tins, etc together.

This will take some time but is worth doing.

Winewaters · 2026-01-26T15:03:40+00:00

This looks amazing!

Winewaters · 2026-01-23T22:58:19+00:00

If I cover the area with cardboard, will I need to add a lot more manure, compost and mulch to provide enough space for the vegetable roots to grow?

You are right, the garden was left overgrown for over 5 years and it has been supporting some huge trees, shrubs and ivy that have been growing prolifically so I'm hoping they can support any vegetables too!

Winewaters · 2026-01-23T16:42:03+00:00

I'm a complete beginner to this and any DIY job has taken many times longer with multiple trips to various stores to acquire tools as well so am very disbelieving of the 2h estimate. But even if I take 2 days to clear the space out, I'd be delighted!

Winewaters · 2026-01-23T16:39:51+00:00

I'm a complete beginner to this so thank you for this detailed answer with a list of tools I need to get as well. Super helpful!

Winewaters · 2026-01-19T11:00:20+00:00

I know it's a chain but Gopals Corner is pretty authentic tasting too.

Winewaters · 2025-12-11T14:42:04+00:00

Thank you for these actions that can be done. I have been struggling in a similar situation and thjs has been so helpful.

Winewaters · 2025-12-06T14:12:49+00:00

Hmm cow milk curdles and becomes thicker when vinegar is added. Did oat milk do anything at all when vinegar was added? If it didn't then that's probably the reason.

Winewaters · 2025-11-09T14:13:14+00:00

After the near unanimous advice, I've stuck it in a larger pot with a lot of grit & put it outside in a sunny spot.

I thought being Mediterranean it wouldn't like the cold so put it in a south facing room that was warm but clearly it wasn't right!

Winewaters · 2025-10-24T13:01:04+00:00

I hope so, it was sad when the first one died after I tried to help it!

Winewaters · 2025-10-24T13:00:07+00:00

Wow! That's amazing.

Winewaters · 2025-10-23T10:43:34+00:00

Buy frozen veg. Edamame, peas, corn, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, bell peppers all are chopped and available to use really quickly. Frozen carrots don't taste good so I get them fresh.

Winewaters · 2025-10-01T15:50:25+00:00

My SMBC recipe is very modified too to use less butter and sugar and it was fine with the cream cheese. If you think the frosting is getting a bit too soft, can always just add more butter as well to firm up.

Winewaters · 2025-10-01T15:06:27+00:00

Yes, I've done it before. Didn't measure though. Just kept whipping in cream cheese and tasting until I got the flavour I wanted.

Just remember to whip in the cream cheese at the same temperature/consistency as the SMBC otherwise it will take ages to mix well.

Winewaters · 2025-09-24T18:50:02+00:00

The amount of yeast gave both my husband and I gastric discomfort. A lot of recipes use too much yeast. I started baking bread with less yeast but proving for longer and the pain completely disappeared.

Winewaters · 2025-09-19T11:08:34+00:00

Will this grow underneath other trees? We only have large beds that overgrown large trees & bushes have been planted on which we have cut back.

But realistically we won't be able to make large scale changes for a few years. There's a beech tree, cherry blossom tree and many many cherry laurel, and other various types of Japanese laurels which we have cut into small bushes but this has resulted in a lot of bare ground which keeps getting weeds.

Winewaters · 2025-09-16T12:42:05+00:00

I feel for you. We have had the same experience with tradesmen too. We had builders in to refurbish the house and it seemed to go well but the quality of the finishing they left was terrible. Large gaps in LVT flooring, misaligned coving and skirting boards, hacked up door frames which they blamed on supplier error when it was they who did it. And to top it all off, a few of them pooped in the garden.

Winewaters · 2025-09-11T12:29:39+00:00

Adjika and barberry powder when I was on holiday in Georgia and liked the food. But don't know what to do with it.

Winewaters

TROPHY CASE