Posts by: A Happy Gardener

Glad to see they are showing the only decent gardening programme on the TV, Gardens Unplugged on the new channel UK Bright Ideas. I hope they show the very first series as I have never seen any of those. The makeovers they do would be easy for ordinary people like myself and I hope they do a new series this year. They come across as friendly decent people not big headed like a lot of these TV gardeners.

Its a pity that Simon and Ryan couldnt have taken over from Alan Titchmarsh on Ground Force but I dont think that sort of large scale gardening would be to their liking. I think they like to try and help the majority of us who maybe dont have large gardens or large bank accounts! Lets hope they give them a new series this year and maybe a longer running one.

If you havent already visited it you could go to the Mad Mac Productions website and see a little more of Simon and Ryan. They dont give much info about them but its worth a visit from us true Simon and Ryan fans! Even my 6 year old son enjoys Gardens Unplugged and painted a picture of them which I sent to UK Style who said they would forward it onto them.

The trouble in my garden seems to be that everything in the garden is covered in that horrible green slippery slime! I think my plants have survived but like you say it remains to be seen. My garden is mainly patio with a pond and containers so im hoping that my plants didnt freeze in their pots. We got rid of the grass last year because it was either a mud bath or solid concrete, as we have terrible clay soil. Ive noticed some buds forming on my corkscrew willow so im feeling hopeful that spring is just around the corner.

I have to agree, maybe a nice subtle yellow would be more inviting?

Deborah

I have just visited the homes and property section and that is laid out in yellow and it looks really bright and cheery which is really how you want the message boards to feel.

Deborah

I have noticed that no one has posted a message on here for a year so maybe we could get talking about the lovely Simon again. Any fans still out there?

Deborah

I have to say there seems to be a lot more information on the new look website. I'm looking forward to some good competitions this year. A complete garden makeover curtesy of Gardens Unplugged would be an excellent prize!!

Does anybody know how old Simon and Ryan might be? I think they might be in their late 30's. (I apologise if they're younger in case they might be looking in!!!) I'm 37 so I'm hoping they're about my age.

Could anybody give me some ideas on how I could use some roofing slates in the garden. I have a quite a few and rather than using them as a decorative topping if I break them up, I wondered if I could make a feature out of them. I have a patio garden, lots of containers and a large pond. UK Style e mailed me some ideas but I just wondered if maybe some of you out there might have some original ideas. Hope you can help.

Deborah

Yes, I quite agree, a power hose would be a great idea. I 'll invest in one and come perhaps March, April time I'll give it a good douse! I've also got 3 rabbits and a sizeable run for them and they seem to delight in throwing sawdust and straw out of their hutches and watch it blow all over the garden! My garden seems to be a full time job but I really love it all the same. I seem to be quite interested in grasses just lately and I love cordylines. Going back to my rabbits, last year I couldnt believe it when a tomato plant sprang up out of nowhere on a small bed I have. I couldnt figure out where it had come from and then I realised. My rabbits eat tomatoes and I sometimes let them run round the garden. You have probably guessed! Where they had a call of nature hey presto! up sprung a tomato plant. I didnt really fancy eatimg them though!!

Sorry run out of space. Speak to you soon.

Deborah

Trouble is if I met him I'd get all tongue-tied and make a complete fool of myself!!! Watched him yesterday doing a garden in Scotland and he looked so nice, even when he got covered in coal dust from the chaps coal bunker!

Deborah

Thanks for replying. I shall consider your advice. While I am here I have another dilemma to rack your brains! I recently acquired quite a lot of bamboo. We visited the seaside at Hunstanton just before the new year and at the swimming pool they had thrown out all this bambo. They must have had some poolside feaure going on at some time. We did ask if we could have it and they said yes. I nearly froze all the way home what with the bamboo sticking out of the boot and the exhaust fumes choking me. I only went for fish and chips!

Anyway, could you think of any way I could use it in my garden. I thought of maybe building something over the pond but all ideas are gratefully recieved!! Hope you can help. Speak to you soon.

Deborah

Hi, Angie,
The birds make quite a mess in my garden too. Sadly the other day a robin flew into my conservatory window and I found it on the floor. I was hoping it was just stunned so I put it in the shed, just in case maybe a cat would have a go at it, but unfortunately it was dead. Such a shame when you hear how our, birds even the sparrows seem to be declining. My budgie, who flies around inside my house, loves to look out into the garden and watches all the birds. I am looking forward to seeing the frogs again. Speak soon Deborah

Hi Angie,
I agree with you. I would love to see things off camera with Mr T! I think with Simon, what you see is what you get. Do you think Simon and Ryan knew each other before Gardens Unplugged as they seem to have quite a good rapport? I think maybe Simon has his own gardening business and I could imagine him living in a lovely old farmhouse. I'm probably totally wrong! Speak to you soon,

Deborah.

Hi Angie, thanks ever so much for your advice, it is really appreciated. Do you work in horticulture as you seem to have a really good knowledge of gardening? It is actually dead bamboo, so, like you suggested, I shall probably lash some together and make a structure over the pond. We live in Peterborough so we are only about an hour from Hunstanton and on the way we always pass the lavender farm you mentioned. We also live only about half an hour from Geoff Hamiltons Barnsdale garden. We visited there just after he died but looking back now TV gardening seems to have really changed since his time. Yo'ure probably not as old as me (I'm 37) but do you remember Cyril Fletcher and Bob Price? They were alway disagreeing about their gardening but it seemed be more vegetable and rose gardening in those days. Talking of Hunstanton it could do with abit of a spruce up. The beach never looks inviting to me. Anyway must go to town to get car tax, speak to you soon,

Deborah.

By the way I remember the path you're talking about in Ground Force and I really thought it was effective. How long do you think it would last? Do you think maybe the bamboo the bamboo would break up? I think Mr T said it would sink if it broke up, what do you think? (I really must go too town!!)
Deborah

Lilac sounds great!! Do the hosts monitor the message boards all the time or do they just look in occasionally?

Deborah

Sorry about that!!! We actually had to have a frog put to sleep last summer. We found him with a mangled leg and he was very thin so we took him to the vets, but they couldnt do anything for him. We felt a bit strange though, because we had him in a bucket and everybody that walked past gave our bucket a funny look!!!

I hope you have recovered!!

Deborah

Hi, We just recently decorated my 6 year old sons bedroom and I got some end of line wallpaper, very cheap, and did his walls in different colours. We chose yellow, blue and green. He has a very small room but it really opened it up. We painted his furniture in a dark blue and I managed to get some scatter cushions in the 3 colours of the walls. I suppose you could get transfers of the things he likes to put on the walls or they have lovely themed borders dont they? I tried to do it as cheaply as possible because their interests change so quickly and he'll probably want it different in a years time!! I also got him a lovely bean bag that he sits on to play his playtstation. This probably wont help you at all but I'm sure there's lots out there that who will come up with some good ideas for you.

Deborah

Hi, my husband bought me for my birthday a Babyliss bath spa. Its the one where you lay a mat in the bottom of the bath with a hose attached to it and you get those lovely bubbles of air!! Theonly thing it is very noisy and sounds like you have a hoover in the bathrom with you! It really is very relaxing all the same. When I first used it, I put too much bubble bath in it,(you're not really supposed to use foaming stuff), and the bubbles went everywhere! I couldnt see the bathroom.!! I definitly would recommend it though, especially having candles around the bath at the same time. I might buy a bath with a built in spa next time I need a new bath, but I doubt if that will be for some time.

I must admit 15 minutes is about all I can stand

Deborah

Hi, Last year we took a away a small pond we had in the middle of the garden and built a bigger one at the back. When we emptied the small one, we must have had about 60 frogs in the bottom!!
I'm sorry steph I wont mention frogs anymore!!

Deborah