Why don't you buy a soil testing kit and check the the ph of your soil
in several different places? If you act on the results bearing in mind
the type of plants youwish to grow in these places that should take out
all the guesswork and old wives tales.

good thought, I should do that. But Much of my garden is under next door's
overhanging pine tree which I'm told makes the soil acid with its needles,
plus I get lots of moss which also likes acid conditions


thanks all for comments (excpet the prat with the gin & lime of course;
there's always one saddo with nothing to say who says it anyway)

Jon