Gardening beginner

jendafer1

Hi everyone,

I'm a terrible gardener so would like some advice before I hack my plants away! With all this lovely rain (!!) we're getting, my garden path in my front garden is getting completely overgrown. On one side its a bush so thats fine to trim down with the electric shears, but on the other its various bushes/flowers etc which are now completely taking over the path. Is there a healthy way (for the flowers, not me! lol!) that I can trim these back while also keeping them looking sort of pretty? Or is it just a case of setting the shears on them as well?? Also does it matter if its been raining etc when I do this?

Also - slugs.. all over the path - what on earth do I do with them?? Im a bit squemish, but also not a fan of unnecessarily killing the little guys - any ideas? Hints? Should I sprinkle those green pellety things??

thanks!!

martinn123

jendafer1 wrote: »

Hi everyone,



Also - slugs.. all over the path - what on earth do I do with them?? Im a bit squemish, but also not a fan of unnecessarily killing the little guys - any ideas? Hints? Should I sprinkle those green pellety things??

thanks!!

Beer. they love it, and die happy.

Beer
Slugs are attracted to beer. Set a small amount of beer in a shallow wide jar buried in the soil up to its neck. Slugs will crawl in and drown. Take the jar lid and prop it up with a small stick so rain won't dilute the beer. Leave space for slugs to enter the trap.

jendafer1

Haha, I thought you were joking until i googled it - thats amazing! And I guess they die happy then... Better than being squeished in any case!

paddy147

jendafer1 wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I'm a terrible gardener so would like some advice before I hack my plants away! With all this lovely rain (!!) we're getting, my garden path in my front garden is getting completely overgrown. On one side its a bush so thats fine to trim down with the electric shears, but on the other its various bushes/flowers etc which are now completely taking over the path. Is there a healthy way (for the flowers, not me! lol!) that I can trim these back while also keeping them looking sort of pretty? Or is it just a case of setting the shears on them as well?? Also does it matter if its been raining etc when I do this?

Also - slugs.. all over the path - what on earth do I do with them?? Im a bit squemish, but also not a fan of unnecessarily killing the little guys - any ideas? Hints? Should I sprinkle those green pellety things??

thanks!!

Slugs hate copper tape.

Horticultural tests have shown that the copper tape works the best.

3 euro for a large roll of it.:)

LaChatteGitane

OP, can you post some pics of the plants you have ? We would be able to advice you better.:)

Jellybaby1

I'm a terrible gardener too, and there are lots of us, so you are not alone. I'm so grateful for the folk who give advice as I'd be lost without them. Thanks guys! I put out the pellet and the slugs strolled past them and ate......well, everything this year unfortunately. Now I have reverted to salting them and watch them fizz up. Ugh!:(

Oldtree

If you want any solid advice as a novice fanatic gardener then you would do no better than Geoff Hamilton to guide you. Any of his books would be an inspiration. Used to do gardeners world on a friday night up until his death in 1996.:

his garden:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3dffldPDiU

his books, my favorite is cottage gardens and practical gardening:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/278-6406320-5584406?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=geoff+hamilton#

obituary, sadly missed but not forgotten:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituarygeoff-hamilton-1308409.html