General Chat

I would like our garden looking good, but it's never going to happen! The Front is reasonable but the Back is a lost cause.
North facing so the sun is never quite where you'd like it.
Mature trees on the neighbouring garden boundary = too much summer shade on that border
Ivy and Ground Elder. Impossible to eradicate because the weed roots are entangled with the tree roots + they are spread from next door anyway
Copper Beech hedge with the widow next door - that castes more shade + sucks up moisture from the soil
3 or 4 mature Lalyandi whatsits in a neighbouring garden - because of the spread of the roots, even weeds can't survive let alone grass.
The grass will never be flat as tree roots cause it to undulate with the seasons. Being in the shade most of the time, moss thrives.
Soil is clay on top of chalk - no point adding compost as it only improves the trees. It's impossible to dig down more than a couple of inches before hitting tree roots

Sooo... apart from spring bulbs which flower before the trees are in leaf, most of our planting is in pots which we can move around to chase seasonal the sunlght
If we ever move, we won't choose a home with a north facing rear garden, or with mature trees so close to the boundary!
Do you know how difficult it is to buy plants that don't specify full or dappled sunlight?
:-( :-(

Good morning all all. Det, if pretty much nothing will grow and flourish there why not pave it and maybe have some decking at the rear of your home to stand viarious sized pots containing flowers on it? There usually is an eye pleasing solution.

Morning all

David, if it were smaller we probably would put down shingle or something similar. We do have that where the L roots have killed everything off. We did that years ago. However, as the trees have grown so have the root spread! As long as they can establish themselves, shrubs seem to survive in other areas. We just have to work with what we've got but it'll never win prizes. It looks it's best in the spring as the back boarder isn't shaded by the trees. As soon as the leaves come out, that's it.
I plant up pots with annuals and move them into the shade once they are established. Of course, they lean towards the light but at least give a bit of colour.

OH has built a couple of raised boxes where we attempt to grow a few veg. This year he wants to try Swiss Chard. We'll also have a few tomato plants, one hanging from the shed and runner beans on a dividing fence.

As long as it stays dry, we'll probably cut the grass. There is enough in the sunlight to sit out in or for children to play.

Don't mind me - sometimes I get a bit grumpy.

Sorry Det, I wouldn't want to make you or any else grumpy.

David, you've said or done nothing wrong. There no need to apologise. I'm a natural pessimist; OH is the opposite. We sort of cancel each other out ;-)

Afternoon from this Mrs. Grumpy :-D :-D :-D :-D. As it happens and this is no joke I have my t shirt with grumpy picture on it on today. Underneath it says 'Bringing Grumpy back' :-D :-D :-D :-D. I must have known about these posts before I put it on this morning.

Not at all Grumpy just weary. The brood are out for the day with my son so I have managed to clear up the bombsite a little but no doubt it will be a mess again later albeit a clean mess :-D :-D :-D :-D. As you all know I love it really ;-)

Weary's a strong word LG
It's like despair
Look at me, only joking :-D :-D

Evening everyone :-)

Nothing very much exciting to report today :-D :-D

I'm glad to hear that someone else is having problems with their grass and moss!! It makes me feel much better, DET :-D I don't have any issues with trees, although there are a couple of roots on the cherry blossom tree that are only just under the grass, so I have a bit of difficulty when I am edging the border round the base of the tree :-(

Evening all

Hope you feel better for the rest LG x

So no 'news' is 'good' news, eh? ;-)

In the end we didn't do a great deal. By the time we were ready to face the world, it had started to drizzle. Instead of the garden, we made a flying visit to J to drop of something, came home then decided to go to Sains for a few bits + a coffee.
In between, I've been furiously trying to record as much as I can off Ancestry before my sub runs out this evening. Everyone has their financial comfort zone for the cost of hobbies; the world wide renewal fee has now exceeded mine! There are a few discount codes around. Can you lend some fingers and toes please??

I'll try to remember to take some garden photos once the grass has been cut. As its a non-standard shape, its difficult to descibe. The satellite map view only shows the crowns of the neighbours trees, not our garden. That in itself gives some indication of the amount of shade we have.

Evening DET :-)

Coffee and a bit of relaxation at Sains sounds quite good to me :-D :-D

I hope you have managed to get as much as you need from Ancestry. I have never had worldwide membership with them, otherwise I would have done some searching for you

:-)

I was with Ancestry in the past. Also MyHeritafe as well as GR
Have any of you looked at WikiTree?

No, I haven't looked at it, David. Is it any good?

evening all i am shattered just got in from work

I'm on WikiTree. It is stricter about ancestors and relations you may post on your tree.

It is interesting and different. Have a look.

Have you considered buying turf? Just a thought.

Hello Maz, put the kettle on :-D

Evening all. Brood are all flaked out they have had the whole day at the zoo. I caught up with a bit of my knitting and basically chilled until I went out to have my hair pruned :-D :-D :-D

Good to hear you've managed to have them tucked up LG.

Hope you are putting your feet up Maz.

Just checked my Ancestry account - it expires on Friday :-D :-D
I'm having terrible trouble with 'this week' :-S

Torrential rain all night, April showers?

Morning David!

The forecast showed a deffinate north/south divide. You've got the cold bit, we've got the mild ;-)
We apparently had overnight rain but have no idea if it was torrential. We were dead to the world!

If it dries out enough, we might have another go at cutting the grass.

morning all
i went to turn this on then it had a load of updates do i got my hair cut while it was happening now i am in until i have a physio appointment later . so i intend to do some chores .and relax as well .