On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 19:35:22 +0000, Janet Baraclough wrote
(in message ):

. My plan is to buy one of those calor-gas-fired
weed burning appliances that you can use to burn weeds at ground level
without bending and just zap what shouldn't be there maybe once a week
or so
and let the things that should be there grow. its crude but it may do the
trick.

Save your money. They really aren't good for maintenance between
plants you want to save, unless it's field rows. The gas-canisters don't
last long enough either. If you can't bend, you'd do better to use some
kind of contact weed-wand.

Ok. That's certainly worth knowing! I've never heard of contact weed-wands-
are there any specific models, makes or web sites you can think of that i
could look for?

I recommend Geoff Hamilton's book "Paradise Gardens". He was a great
gardener, a great teacher, and it focuses on a smallish garden he
created as a "sampler". Full of reliable, easy to understand practical
advice, plant suggestions, great pictures etc. It's available 2nd hand,
or good libraries would probably have access to a copy.

Ok. I've ordered a used copy from Amazon. Plus I've also ordered both vols 1
and 2 of How to be a Gardener by Titchmarsh, used. That lot should get me
started!

Don't assume that hover mowers are easier to shove around than other
sorts..the exact opposite is true imho. If you were doing it yourself it
would take much longer than your few minutes a week, and you'd need to
be able to get down and scrape clean the underneath after nearly every
use.

Hmmm. Aaaarrrgggh!

In your situation I'd have areas of slip-resist paving laid instead of
lawn....doesn't commit you to a central rectangle or mowable shape! You
can leave gaps for beds wherever you like.No maintenance, can be walked
on all year round, a safe firm base for seats or table or mobility aids
and makes a great foil to plants. Although it's initially more expensive
than having a lawn laid, you'd be saving the (high) longterm expense of
paying someone to mow grass year after year.

Now that is a good idea. I've always liked paved gardens (preferably walled
also, but never mind). I can certainly use the paving idea.

You could also invest in some tallish containers to place here and there
on the paving, in which, with a few minutes per week available, you can
grow some herbs or seasonal interest annuals/bulbs, within easier reach.
(Stewart Plastics now do some large urns, very convincing terracotta
lookalikes which are easy to move while empty, and not expensive). Or
fill one with water as a mini-pond. In the rest of the ground-level
planting spaces left , I'd grow the kind of strong, hardy, shapely
weed-smothering plants which look good all year round and need only
minimal maintenance, perhaps once a year. Examples are, rugosa roses
(double-flower forms for scent; will reach 5 to 6 ft ) hebes, phormium,
tall clumping grasses, fatsia japonica, lavenders, rosemary, dianthus.
For a fast-growing 6 to 8 ft once-a year-maintenance screen at
boundaries, you can't beat buddliea davidii. If your soil is not limey,
japanese azaleas and camellias make an attractive evergreen shape with
beautiful flowers. While the plants are filling out, have some bark
mulch spread on the soil to keep weeds down.

This kind of garden, once it was set up, could be easily managed by
having a friend in (or paying someone) one or two days a year for
prune-and-tidy maintenance, plus some pleasurable easy short-spell
pottering by yourself.

Also, think of installing birdfeeders or a bird table..they'll give
you endless hours of pleasure even from inside the house. Find out if
there's a local garden club to join..they always welcome beginners and
are an unbeatable source of information, help, and free plants suited to
the area.

Janet.

Brilliant. Thanks!


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