Morning all. I was given a plant a couple of years ago but didn't know what it was/is. It appears to be a small Brugmansia, it has blue flowers. It gets overwintered in my conservatory, all good up to a couple of weeks ago then it started to look stressed and I noticed some wart like growths at every point where you'd expect now leaves to form, see image. They are hard. Any ideas what's going on? Thanks Nethacott ..read more

Hi Im new to lawn care and have turfed my garden two years ago. After heavy rainfall i have birds coming to the garden to pick on the grass and i assume feed on worms. They pick and leave divets in the grass. I went to use a hand rake to collect what the birds have left. I was amazed to see how much dead grass which i assume must be the thatch i have been reading about. I also have a lot of meadow grass or POA which is very unsightly considering i only turfed two years ago. I have read... Read more ..read more

Being a fan of purple top turnips, I was curious how these Asian varieties would fare in the garden and on the table. I grew them in one of my HK containers and started them a bit late as the hot weather is now upon us. They did not disappoint, however...in fact, they are really good raw with salt. Noticeably milder taste than purple tops. Also, considerably sweeter. Easy to grow, white, and smaller than purples, I definitely give them and will grow a crop of them next fall. I'm also... Read more ..read more

I grow cucumbers all the time up a trellis but they hang there no problem. Never have I grown bigger fruit up a trellis (cattle panel) so I need something to support the fruit. Any recommendations on a netting or any tips ..read more

Hi, I recently picked up a bunch of old redwood fence boards that I'd like to make into vertical planter boxes about 4' tall with interior dimensions of 5"x5" for a narrow strip of the yard that gets 4-5 hours of sun a day. Ideally whatever is planted will grow fairly tall, maybe 1'-3', the higher the better, though maybe due to the size of the boxes this is unrealistic. I'm in Northern CA zone 9b. Any suggestions? Thanks ..read more

Sorry for my English Seeking advice on transforming our pergola into an outdoor kitchen. With our patio repaved and a larger pergola installed, we're looking for modern design ideas to complement our existing furniture. Considering adding a propane-powered fire table and exploring extra seating options. Any guidance would be appreciated! The video we've watched so far has presented some amazing design ideas that are really cool. However, it's missing guidance... Read more ..read more

We've got a Thuja Smaragd and a Gardenia that both have different issues we can't figure out. The Thuja - it seems to be browning in one part near the center. It's been outside all summer, it's never had pests, it seemed to be doing fine. Then over the course of a few days, we added a bit of the community compost from our building and at the same time our weather here in Montreal went from cool (18C) to intense heat with humidity (31C) to cool again. The Gardenia - Has been... Read more ..read more

Will there be a grub/ snail problem with this? Or deer? Thanks ..read more

I was worried about my soil staying too wet using Vermiculite. But was reading getting Grey Matter going. Main trouble with plants is compacted soil. It can be very wet but long as it can get air it will be ok. Also reading Vermiculite and Perlite work differently. Vermiculite holds water, Perlite don't hold as much is more for drainage. My soil is loose with just Vermiculite but I'm going to start mixing 50/50 Vermiculite and Perlite. big rockpile ..read more

I’m not sure if this is the best sub-forum for this as it’s a building question. I plan to put down a 6” deep concrete footing followed by two courses of bricks to support a 10 by 6 foot greenhouse. Note, this goes round the edge, the soil inside will remain for planting. My neighbour did this, and it’s fine after 20 years. does anyone know if I could use 2” hardcore followed by 4” concrete for the footing instead? It would make mixing concrete easier ..read more