"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...

I don't think that lack of rain does help to stop frosts. That
unbelieveable frost we got in October was right in a very dry time

that's a good point. i suppose i just don't grasp frost :-)

i think that makes sense. the idea being, the frost will more likely
have to
travel along the swale & the hedge without being able to get into
the veggie
patch so much?

Yes. It will lie in the swale in a frost pocket on the uphill side of
the hedge and not continue to drain down into the veg patch.

we've got lavender out the wazoo, so i think i'm going to plant a lavender
hedge! nothing ventured, nothing gained! if it doesn't help, i'll still have
a nice hedge. unless it dies, of course ;-)

The shape. But when you mention rocks, I wonder if you're thinking of
the permie mandala beds???

noooooo!

The kidney shaped permie beds I thought you meant were the ones with
the taller plants on the outer edge of the curve with the lower
growing plants on the inner sider of the curves. I think they call
them sun traps?????????? And the ones I've seen pics of didn't ahve
any rocks whereas the mandala beds all did.

the ones i saw in a book (one of those permie books i hated & bitched about
later ;-) were kidney shaped, with the short curve facing north, and the
long curve on the south side. then you would build up the south side so the
sun hits the rocks, so the whole bed was a warm little north-facing pocket.
it's a cool idea! (or rather, a warm one).

Not that it matters
either way - I have enough problems watering with low pressure without
adding to it. BTW, do you have low pressure because Green Harvest
seel those wonderful low pressure 'rattle" top sprinklers which are
wonderful for low pressure country systems - I've got about a dozen
and swear by them..

the only pressure we get is from gravity, so that's... er, it's not bad, but
it's not like in town, but it's definitely ok. i don't have what i'd
consider "water pressure problems" though. i'll have a look at your link in
a minute! do you water veg with sprinklers? i try to water more directly
onto the soil.

But you can plant to suit the season and the position with walls or
just move the planting out from the wall as needed. I put up and take
down walls as I find they work or don't. Just watch out for Joe
Blakes - rotten sodding things, they love rocks with chinks in them.
They also love to hide down the side of old fence posts that are
loose. I've had my husband go round and fill in all the sides of the
ones round the garden this year. He has only just come back from a
neighbour's (who he respects) and tell me what a good idea it was to
fill them in. He didn't say that at the time I insisted he do it :-))

what are joe blakes?
thanks for the help.
kylie