Hi Roger Rabbit and previous replies, thanks for taking the time the time to
reply - I've decided in the short term it's going to have to be the
chemical solution to begin with and take it from there ..... the new built
in borders with new soil (vetted of course?!) (I think my preference will be
slightly more acid than what I currently have) and a choice of hardier type
of plants might be the solution. I think this wee courtyard space might
prove more of a challenge than first assumed ......

I must admit I thought that such a small space would be easy to convert into
a garden, now however, the the complications of such a small space having
scorching sun from early morning in one spot, deeply shaded in another part,
hardly touched by winds or frost and no ingress of birds, frogs, hedgehogs
etc ....and what appears to be all the bugs arriving from the lack of other
'amenities' in the local ...... I just hope it's not going to be more
expensive than interesting in the end!

Yours, with newly installed raised bed today, no soil or 'anything' in it
yet!


"Roger The Rabbit" wrote in message
...
I've heard good things about www.just-green.com.

"Sharon Hughes" wrote in message
...
Hello All

I've been a fan of this group for quite a while now but have been off line
for around 7 months or so (I'm sorry if these questions have been asked
before, but I'm desperate!) busy with a 'new' courtyard garden - and I
have
to say it's been a real learning curve - one that I haven't done very well
on!

I would so appreciate anyone that might have advice on how to naturally
deal
with infestations of caterpillars and vine weevil. I've been out and
bought
some over the counter stuff for vine weevil, but I have to say it's pretty
pricey, not as pricey as replacing plants of course, but I just wondered
if
anyone might know of a home made recipe or a natural biological remedy?
(Plus: I used loads and the damage is still being done!) The
caterpillars
are the latest infestation and have done huge damage (can't relax either
now
in the garden, always watching out for the beasties). In my last garden
slugs were a huge problem so this lot have really taken me by surprise.

I would like to think that there is a natural combination that can be
found
to not encourage these blighters - I don't have frogs or birds here in
this
garden (got my own 'pest' living in aka the cat, plus it's a built up area
with little in the way of green stuff) so am a bit stuck on the knowledge
front otherwise.

As most of the infrastructure stuff was only finished a couple of months
ago
I decided to fill up this year with lots of annuals in pots, I think this
might have had a lot to do with it? I've noticed that any perennials I
have
in pots have mostly been left alone, sort of.

I was so pleased to start seeing a bit of 'wildlife' coming into what was
previously a concrete wasteland but am feeling a little despondent at the
mo, any advice would be very gratefully received.

Yours, with the tattiest geraniums in the world, the holiest cannas ever
seen..... and so on and so on