Q: Any advice on the best way to tackle creeping buttercup without using weed killer? It’s starting to take over some of my flower beds, where it’s smothering perennials and smaller shrubs. MJ, Co Kilkenny
23.01.2024 - 15:36 / theenglishgarden.co.uk
Little is more discouraging than discovering healthy and recently-planted spring borders and developing vegetable crops damaged or eaten by rabbits; it’s enough to bring the Elmer Fudd out in the mildest of gardeners. Annoyingly rabbits are most active feeders early in morning and at dusk, and so often hard to spot; they also seem attracted to newly-planted areas. But by employing a range of tactics it is possible to reduce problems.
The most effective way to prevent damage is to install a barrier. This will need to be metal such as galvanised wire, as rabbits chew through plastic. Holes in the wire should be no more than 2.5 cm wide- it is surprising how tiny a hole a hungry rabbit- especially a young one- can fit through. For a belt and braces approach, a double slightly staggered layer is best. The barrier needs to be 1.4 m high as rabbits are accomplished at jumping, and it should be buried 15cm deep to prevent burrowing, the bottom of the wire bent away from the fenced area at 90 degrees to stop them pushing under. Secure the fence to the ground with metal staples if rabbits prove determined. Check they are not able to squeeze beneath gates and always make sure these are kept closed by fitting a gate spring. Walk your fence regularly, watching for burrowing and to ensure no animals are trapped. There are three approaches:
Fence the entire garden In a small garden this may be feasible; especially if you can attach wire to the bottom of existing fencing, although make sure all rabbits are clear of the vicinity- it is distinctly counterproductive to be fencing them in! If your boundary is a hedge, this can be hard to rabbit-proof- erect a barrier well within the boundary to bury the base.
Fence vulnerable areas Often
Q: Any advice on the best way to tackle creeping buttercup without using weed killer? It’s starting to take over some of my flower beds, where it’s smothering perennials and smaller shrubs. MJ, Co Kilkenny
You can sense it in the slowly stretching evenings, the higher skies, the shifting quality of light, and the noisy chatter of birds. And you can see it in the flowering hellebores, witch-hazel and sweetly perfumed daphne, as well as the snowdrops, daffodils, cyclamen, aconites, crocuses and dwarf irises that have pushed their snouts through cold, wet soil to burst into determined, brilliant bloom.
The soil must have adequate drainage; otherwise, air may be excluded, and the more beneficial micro-organisms may be destroyed. Soils which have poor drainage are often sour and acid. It will be necessary to improve this acidity by applications of hydrated lime. Wet soils are cold ones, and this means that plant growth is severely retarded. The situation is even more critical in the northern, colder parts of the country. Waterlogged soils cause roots to rot and a combination of all these problems can produce complete failures in some gardens.
Q: Could you please recommend a good peat-free seed compost? I’ve tried a few over the last few years but haven’t had great results. I’d really like to do the right thing environmentally but am now at the point where I’m sorely tempted to go back to using a conventional peat-based compost. CF County Kerry
Sketch image from a garden planting plan recently created for a GardenAdvice client
One of the most enjoyable aspects of landscaping is reviving the gardens of older properties, where generations have pottered and pruned.
PHOTO: Rachel Marek, PROP STYLING: Sophie Babcock
Q: I have a winter flowering jasmine, growing profusely on a 3m-high north-facing wall. For most of its six years, it has produced an abundance of flowers, from early November until March. During the recent summer, I took a lot of its stems, which had bunched at about 2m, and gently stretched them out along a series of horizontal wires. This November I can only see a handful of flowers (less than 10). Did my gentle summer manipulation cause this drop in flowers and if so, how? CD, Co Dublin
In a world being reshaped by climate change, gardeners are increasingly asking themselves what can be done to counter the destructive effects of extreme weather events. The answer, as we’re discovering, is to take a nature-friendly approach that supports and nurtures resilience.
I’m Maria Nieuwenhof from Quebec, Canada (Zone 5). I was going through my pictures over the last few days and trying to figure out what annuals I will start from seeds this year for my bouquets. When I go to see friends, or when I visit my father in Montreal, or when I have an event to go to I bring one or more bouquets. I started in late April with my first bouquet that had daffodils and ended in early November with achillea.
Flittering, twittering, and singing—birds bring so much life to a garden. Apart from their beauty and pleasant songs, they also add to the biodiversity of our landscapes by spreading seeds and eating insect pests. How can we encourage birds to not only visit our yards but to nest there? Here’s a hint: it goes beyond hanging up a bird feeder. You must provide sustenance and shelter for birds to truly thrive in your garden. Here are some tips to attract them and make them want to stay.