"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
"Martin" wrote
after"Bob Hobden" wrote:

It's even worse on some allotment sites.
We have today finished putting down ex-Council 2ftx3ft paving
slabs
(bloody
heavy they were too!) along all our paths on our plot to cut down
on the
mud
and so it looks nice.

We use crushed seashells.

Last year, the first on this plot, we put down fresh bark chippings
which
did the job except that this winter the mud has come up through,
hardy
surprising considering the amount of rain.
Won't have that problem again now.

If you had just put some old carpet on the paths before you put down
that topping of fresh bark chippings, you wouldn't have had the
problem with the mud coming through :-))

Monty Python - we want a snobbery!

--
I smile and go off waving
(Amiably) - for that's my way

Baal

http://www.helden.org.uk
"Keith (Dorset)" wrote in message
...
Good afternoon all,

What IS this total obsession that many gardeners seem to have with junk?

I'm talking about: old baths and tyres, half rotten roof battens, plastic
bottles and discarded carpet.... then there's the 'Blue Peter' greenhouse?

Does incorporating neatly laid paths and raised beds - (and trying out new
and colourful vegatable varieties make me a gardening snob)?

Well, I'm, not - nor am I made of money...... yet the only crap I can
stand in our garden comes from the local stables - and the veg. grows all
the same.

Have fun whatever. ;-)

Keith















--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"Baal" wrote in message
.. .
Monty Python - we want a snobbery!
Baal

Nie !
Jenny

"Baal" wrote in message

Monty Python - we want a snobbery!

For some reason, when I read this a picture popped into my head from
the book on Prince Charles garden at Highgrove. Anyone remember the
pic of the structure made of roots?

On 6/2/07 00:46, in article
, "Farm1"
please@askifyouwannaknow wrote:

"Baal" wrote in message

Monty Python - we want a snobbery!

For some reason, when I read this a picture popped into my head from
the book on Prince Charles garden at Highgrove. Anyone remember the
pic of the structure made of roots?


aka The Stumpery, I think They were very popular with Victorians. When the
Duke of Edinburgh saw it, he asked his son when he was going to have the
bonfire. ;-)

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"Keith (Dorset)" wrote in message
.......

Perhaps you just need to look at some things in a different way? For
example, having had cancer treatment last year, my veg garden got
right on top of me. I had a huge pile of weeds that needed to be got
rid of, but then I realised that if I could grow spuds under straw, I
could grow spuds under weeds. I now have a thriving extra patch of
spuds under weeds (in addition to the spuds under straw).

By doing this I'm effectively turning the weeds into compost by sheet
mulching. It works and works well, but then I have a big garden and
another garden on another farm and I have to do things that work
within the time constraints. Live is too short for me to run anal
gardens.


Hi Farm 1,

By concidence I have an extremely good idea about how cancer can disrupt
things. My wife, who I look after, and who lives at home, has needed 24 hour
care through a brain tumour that took a hold many years ago. Needless to say
my gardening time is somewhat limited. The consultant told me back in 1988
that she might be fortunate and have around another ten years to live. We
too therefore have been aware of how short life is... for a very long time.

Anyway, I'm sorry if you took offence at my post. (re, your comment about
'anal gardens'). The purpose of my comment 'Have fun whatever' followed by
the wink smiley was to indicate that that my message was not intended to
cause offence - merely to start a lighthearted and topical thread.

Best wishes,

Keith

On Feb 6, 4:34 pm, "Keith \(Dorset\)"
wrote:
For
example, having had cancer treatment last year, my veg garden got
right on top of me.

Oh my Darling man, my heart goes out to you, all day yesterday, my
birthday I was thinking of my mum who died at 49 of cancer and my
beloved sister who died just a few years ago with cancer of the spine,
Daddy died 16 weeks after her and then I had a lcancedrous lump
removed. But you are going through this now and even though I don't
know you, if I can help in any way whatever, you only have to email me
and I will give you my telephone number.

By concidence I have an extremely good idea about how cancer can disrupt
things. My wife, who I look after, and who lives at home, has needed 24 hour
care through a brain tumour that took a hold many years ago. Needless to say
my gardening time is somewhat limited. The consultant told me back in 1988
that she might be fortunate and have around another ten years to live. We
too therefore have been aware of how short life is... for a very long time.

Thank God she has proved him wrong and I'll bet those years you have
had have been precious, this is too personal for a newsgroup so I will
end here and with it my warmest best wishes go to you and your wife.

JudithL xx

Judith,

Hi, and thank you so much,

I thought it would be nice to illustrate a 'happy scenario' after a
diagnosis of cancer.

(My wife is in no pain, appears very well, although often muddled, and we
have a really terrific, happy time together - every day, despite her
limitations).

We even both got out into the garden today!

Take care,

Keith



wrote in message
ups.com...
On Feb 6, 4:34 pm, "Keith \(Dorset\)"
wrote:
For
example, having had cancer treatment last year, my veg garden got
right on top of me.

Oh my Darling man, my heart goes out to you, all day yesterday, my
birthday I was thinking of my mum who died at 49 of cancer and my
beloved sister who died just a few years ago with cancer of the spine,
Daddy died 16 weeks after her and then I had a lcancedrous lump
removed. But you are going through this now and even though I don't
know you, if I can help in any way whatever, you only have to email me
and I will give you my telephone number.

By concidence I have an extremely good idea about how cancer can disrupt
things. My wife, who I look after, and who lives at home, has needed 24
hour
care through a brain tumour that took a hold many years ago. Needless to
say
my gardening time is somewhat limited. The consultant told me back in
1988
that she might be fortunate and have around another ten years to live. We
too therefore have been aware of how short life is... for a very long
time.

Thank God she has proved him wrong and I'll bet those years you have
had have been precious, this is too personal for a newsgroup so I will
end here and with it my warmest best wishes go to you and your wife.

JudithL xx

"Sacha" wrote in message
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote:
"Baal" wrote in message

Monty Python - we want a snobbery!

For some reason, when I read this a picture popped into my head
from
the book on Prince Charles garden at Highgrove. Anyone remember
the
pic of the structure made of roots?


aka The Stumpery, I think They were very popular with Victorians.
When the
Duke of Edinburgh saw it, he asked his son when he was going to have
the
bonfire. ;-)

I'm with the Duke on that (and especially as I know how well and how
hot, roots burn).

It does have a certain rude charm about it. I do think it would be
well named as a "Snobbery".

"Keith (Dorset)" wrote in message
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
"Keith (Dorset)" wrote in message

Perhaps you just need to look at some things in a different way?
For
example, having had cancer treatment last year, my veg garden got
right on top of me. I had a huge pile of weeds that needed to be
got
rid of, but then I realised that if I could grow spuds under
straw, I
could grow spuds under weeds. I now have a thriving extra patch
of
spuds under weeds (in addition to the spuds under straw).

By doing this I'm effectively turning the weeds into compost by
sheet
mulching. It works and works well, but then I have a big garden
and
another garden on another farm and I have to do things that work
within the time constraints. Live is too short for me to run anal
gardens.


Hi Farm 1,

By concidence I have an extremely good idea about how cancer can
disrupt
things. My wife, who I look after, and who lives at home, has needed
24 hour
care through a brain tumour that took a hold many years ago.
Needless to say
my gardening time is somewhat limited. The consultant told me back
in 1988
that she might be fortunate and have around another ten years to
live. We
too therefore have been aware of how short life is... for a very
long time.

Anyway, I'm sorry if you took offence at my post. (re, your comment
about
'anal gardens'). The purpose of my comment 'Have fun whatever'
followed by
the wink smiley was to indicate that that my message was not
intended to
cause offence - merely to start a lighthearted and topical thread.

Hi Keith

I didn't take offence at your post at all in any way, shape or form.
If I ever do take offence, I go direct for the jugular and there will
be no doubt that I am in attack mode (I am an Australian after all and
our national reputation is certainly not one of being subtle in any
way).

I have a BIG garden (in fact 2 gardens - the one here is big and
another on another farm which is only about a quarter of an acre, but
I know that is considered big by comparison to many UK gardens).

I am the sole gardener and as an woman in later middle age who has 2
bouts of differing primary cancers, I don't have the time or the
physical strength to be as fussy as I could be. Not that I'd want to
either.

I think that gardens are so diverse that it's just about impossilbe to
really talk about any garden as satisfying or meeting any sort of
"standard" and that includes what is one man junk. Standards are for
setting for garden competitions where if one enters, one knows how the
judging is done.

I personally don't like super neat gardens or those that are full of
annuals and lots of colour that I consider to be garish, but that
doesn't mke them any less enjoyable to their owners or the efforts of
the owners any the less valid than my own efforts or my own garden.
The skills and knowledge involved in gardening as well as the constant
"doing" are something we all share (or try to learn) and what works
for one may not work for anyone else or in anyone else's location. We
are all unique as are our gardens.

I make use of "junk" as do most other gardeners I know. I use
polystyrene greengrocer boxes from the tip for propogating plants and
have found nothing better for protecting the plants in a hot climate.
I have another friend who uses an old bath to hold her potting compost
and she has a propogating area which I think I'd almost kill to own.
I have another friend who uses a bath as a worm farm with a bucket set
up under the drain hole to collect worn liquid. I'm envious of that
set up too.

It's horses for courses. What works for me and turns me on won't do
that for another gardener. If you don't like junk, then I don't mind
if you don't see the value of junk then it's just more junk for us
other gardeners who like it :-)) (I added the emoticon specially even
though I generally don't use them).

I hope your wife is doing well and that you are managing well. I know
it can't be easy for either of you - cancer in all its forms is a
mongrel thing.

In article
, Farm1
writes

It's horses for courses. What works for me and turns me on won't do
that for another gardener. If you don't like junk, then I don't mind
if you don't see the value of junk then it's just more junk for us
other gardeners who like it :-))

I think the main trouble comes when, as a result of the size of gardens
generally in the UK, it's what you see from your windows!
A neat and tidy gardener would probably despair if he overlooked a
scruffy gnome-filled patch with weeds and "wildlife" encouraged
planting, uncared for shrubs and the odd pile of tyres and freezers.

However the same would be true in the reverse.
I don't think people mind what anyone else likes in a garden maybe it's
just living with it if you overlook a different gardening viewpoint

I love the thatched cottage and pretty houses of some areas of the
country and wouldn't mind living opposite them but would be frightened
to death of actually owning and upkeeping them!

Same goes for the Christmas garden/house decorations that are now
becoming common. A friend lives opposite a truly car-stopping set of
Xmas decorated houses. As she said, "it's okay if you live in it a d you
can't see it but it's another matter to try and sleep with the migraine
inducing flashes of a 7 foot father Christmas climbing up the front wall
of the house opposite"

Janet

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

On 7/2/07 11:32, in article , "Janet Tweedy"
wrote:

snip

I love the thatched cottage and pretty houses of some areas of the
country and wouldn't mind living opposite them but would be frightened
to death of actually owning and upkeeping them!

I'm sure you're right. When I was house hunting round here, I was very
taken with a pretty thatched house which, for other reasons, turned out to
be not the right thing. But at the time a friend with some experience said
to me "live opposite one, not in one"!

snip
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

Hi 'Farm 1',

Thanks for posting back. I admit it - we do actually have some junk here!
This morning I have been shifting some builders' rubble 'out of sight'... I
haven't got rid of it because it will 'come in handy at some stage' for a
greenhouse base or whatever.

The more I try to keep on top of the garden, the harder it seems - except
for the veg. patch that is! I have been so busy with that over recent years
that I haven't had chance to put in a great deal in the way of flower beds -
certainly not annuals. We don't like garish flowers either... ( I really
hate petunias - but don't tell anyone).

I really do hope you manage to enjoy your gardens with all the work it must
entail, and that it is not becoming too much of a struggle.

Naturally I send all our best wishes. Again I will look on the bright side
and say that those of us with gardens must be the fortunate ones. One fails
to imagine being under the circumstances we face - and being unable to
'escape' on a regular basis, for some well needed fresh air.

Take care,

Keith


"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"Keith (Dorset)" wrote in message
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
"Keith (Dorset)" wrote in message

Perhaps you just need to look at some things in a different way?
For
example, having had cancer treatment last year, my veg garden got
right on top of me. I had a huge pile of weeds that needed to be
got
rid of, but then I realised that if I could grow spuds under
straw, I
could grow spuds under weeds. I now have a thriving extra patch
of
spuds under weeds (in addition to the spuds under straw).

By doing this I'm effectively turning the weeds into compost by
sheet
mulching. It works and works well, but then I have a big garden
and
another garden on another farm and I have to do things that work
within the time constraints. Live is too short for me to run anal
gardens.


Hi Farm 1,

By concidence I have an extremely good idea about how cancer can
disrupt
things. My wife, who I look after, and who lives at home, has needed
24 hour
care through a brain tumour that took a hold many years ago.
Needless to say
my gardening time is somewhat limited. The consultant told me back
in 1988
that she might be fortunate and have around another ten years to
live. We
too therefore have been aware of how short life is... for a very
long time.

Anyway, I'm sorry if you took offence at my post. (re, your comment
about
'anal gardens'). The purpose of my comment 'Have fun whatever'
followed by
the wink smiley was to indicate that that my message was not
intended to
cause offence - merely to start a lighthearted and topical thread.

Hi Keith

I didn't take offence at your post at all in any way, shape or form.
If I ever do take offence, I go direct for the jugular and there will
be no doubt that I am in attack mode (I am an Australian after all and
our national reputation is certainly not one of being subtle in any
way).

I have a BIG garden (in fact 2 gardens - the one here is big and
another on another farm which is only about a quarter of an acre, but
I know that is considered big by comparison to many UK gardens).

I am the sole gardener and as an woman in later middle age who has 2
bouts of differing primary cancers, I don't have the time or the
physical strength to be as fussy as I could be. Not that I'd want to
either.

I think that gardens are so diverse that it's just about impossilbe to
really talk about any garden as satisfying or meeting any sort of
"standard" and that includes what is one man junk. Standards are for
setting for garden competitions where if one enters, one knows how the
judging is done.

I personally don't like super neat gardens or those that are full of
annuals and lots of colour that I consider to be garish, but that
doesn't mke them any less enjoyable to their owners or the efforts of
the owners any the less valid than my own efforts or my own garden.
The skills and knowledge involved in gardening as well as the constant
"doing" are something we all share (or try to learn) and what works
for one may not work for anyone else or in anyone else's location. We
are all unique as are our gardens.

I make use of "junk" as do most other gardeners I know. I use
polystyrene greengrocer boxes from the tip for propogating plants and
have found nothing better for protecting the plants in a hot climate.
I have another friend who uses an old bath to hold her potting compost
and she has a propogating area which I think I'd almost kill to own.
I have another friend who uses a bath as a worm farm with a bucket set
up under the drain hole to collect worn liquid. I'm envious of that
set up too.

It's horses for courses. What works for me and turns me on won't do
that for another gardener. If you don't like junk, then I don't mind
if you don't see the value of junk then it's just more junk for us
other gardeners who like it :-)) (I added the emoticon specially even
though I generally don't use them).

I hope your wife is doing well and that you are managing well. I know
it can't be easy for either of you - cancer in all its forms is a
mongrel thing.

On 7/2/07 17:36, in article , "Keith
(Dorset)" wrote:

snip

We don't like garish flowers either... ( I really
hate petunias - but don't tell anyone).

I'm not mad about those but try the trailing one called 'Lime'. It's
gorgeous!
snip

And all hopes and prayers for all of you battling illness.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
Farm1 writes

It's horses for courses. What works for me and turns me on won't
do
that for another gardener. If you don't like junk, then I don't
mind
if you don't see the value of junk then it's just more junk for us
other gardeners who like it :-))

I think the main trouble comes when, as a result of the size of
gardens
generally in the UK, it's what you see from your windows!
A neat and tidy gardener would probably despair if he overlooked a
scruffy gnome-filled patch with weeds and "wildlife" encouraged
planting, uncared for shrubs and the odd pile of tyres and freezers.

However the same would be true in the reverse.
I don't think people mind what anyone else likes in a garden maybe
it's
just living with it if you overlook a different gardening
viewpoint

I love the thatched cottage and pretty houses of some areas of the
country and wouldn't mind living opposite them but would be
frightened
to death of actually owning and upkeeping them!

Same goes for the Christmas garden/house decorations that are now
becoming common. A friend lives opposite a truly car-stopping set of
Xmas decorated houses. As she said, "it's okay if you live in it a d
you
can't see it but it's another matter to try and sleep with the
migraine
inducing flashes of a 7 foot father Christmas climbing up the front
wall
of the house opposite"

Janet

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk