Spring Garden Bug?

[LovelyLadyLux]

Caught the gardening bug today after 2 days of sunshine. Went to 3 garden centres and came home with 15 bunches of dahlia tubers. Mostly mixed but an assortment of colours - pom poms, cactus, decorative and 'other' The other was a bag of 5 mixed dahlias of unknown lineage! I love dinner plate dahlias but they're usually a bit of a pain as they get so top heavy they all over so did stay away from them but they're definitely dramatic.

Also picked up a dozen or so multiplier onions and got them plunked down into the garden too. Nothing too exotic about multipliers but they're a real easy way to ensure a supply of green onions over the summer. Herbs are now IN here so will be reviewing what herbs I have and will be then going tomorrow to see if I can find any I don't have.

Was a good afternoon of planting and am definitely excited about garden colour for this summer.

Anybody else have the garden bug yet? Any new plans for your garden this summer?

[Horus]

Nothing yet, just a general tidy up in the garden.

[Kiya]

Nothing but I did notice the grass will need cutting soon

[Grandad]

Nothing much LLL. I DID pressure wash the front blockpaving last week but have still to do the rear patio.
I had planned to create a herb garden at the foot of the railway embankment.....that is still the plan. Mrs G uses lots of herbs and it would save on the regular cost of buying them. We can buy small potted herbs at the supermarket of things like basil and rosemary. If you water them they will keep you going for a couple of weeks which means you have fresh herbs....but I want a more copious supply.

[LovelyLadyLux]

It is still cool to cold here but I think all will be well. My only option was to plant now vs towards the end of May so am hoping we don't get anymore super heavy freezes.

My parsley sailed through the winter totally fine, the chives are up and growing albeit needle thin. The cilantro is sort of sitting there but am thinking it has survived. I'm actually going to plant some more herbs as the cost of getting a teeny tiny bunch is fairly substantial and I think they look quite ok tucked in the garden about the flowers.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Goal for today is to go to the garden shops and try and find Kale starts and maybe some chard (but I've never seen chard). Putting in more Italian curled parsley, chives. Will put in some sage, thyme and rosemary too if I can find 'em.

Not sure what other herbs are perennial that are sold around here. I love basil but it is rather tender and takes lots to look after it. Don't use enough dill to bother planting it and while I do like Horseradish I don't have any container areas to contain it.

[Grandad]

You haven't mentioned mint LLL. I love mint and there are a number of different varieties. You can have a little taste of Egypt mint tea at home, and put it in salads.
We pressure washed half the patio this morning, will do the rest tomorrow. Have not done it for several years, such a dirty job because as my patio is completely enclosed I had to make sure it would drain. To achieve this I left wider than usual gaps between the slabs and filled them with gravel. Unfortunately the 'blaster' blows out a lot of the gravel so there is a major sweeping up job after blasting...
I will split and re-pot the hostas, there is a bamboo to split but apart from that, some plants in pots a little later and that will be IT. What we have noticed this year is that the ferns in pots have not gone back. We usually cut them back after they go brown then enjoy all the new fronds. This year they have remained green so I don't know about any new growth?
Activity in the bluetits nest box continues

[Horus]

I have been so busy since last Thurday, I called on my neighbour (a really good mate) just for a social visit and finished up helping him to recover two roofs at his home, the garage and the conservatory. Both needed stripping down to the roof supports and then re-timbering as flat roofs, then recovering with a new fangled EPDM rubber material that eliminates the need for hot felting. He also had a problem of properly sealing the intersection of three roofs where they meet the main building, this had gone on for several years. So I decided to grasp the nettle and sort it all out for him and at the moment we have half the roof tiles out on one corner, so that I can insert a specially made gutter section that I made in my garage to redirect all the roof water from one side onto the garage roof and into the surface water drain, hopefully this will cure his problem. We have broken it's back as a job, but I reckon two more days to get it all completed, I keep telling him that I only called around to borrow a cup of sugar.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Gheesh H! All that for a cup of sugar! I must say I LOVE your prices!!! Soon as you're finished howsabout you pop 'round here?!!??!!??

My question H - what is "hot felting?" Have not ever heard the term. Sounds like you've really undertaken quite a job. Sure hope the weather is cooperating. The only thing predictable about the weather here is that it is not predictable. Sun most of the week, then rains, then sun. Today it is grey but not raining - much.

I was out this morning. Was on the lookout for herbs. I wanted to plant another curled leaf parsley but only found an Italian parsley so got it AND I bought a SAGE plant.

I think somebody on here recently was talking about Sage and indicating that it is good for memory - but - I forgot WHO was posting about it. OR maybe it was an email I got but recently somebody was talking about Sage and its beneficial properties.

Got both of them planted just before another timely shower passed through. Am sure these will take and grow fine on their own for the next two months.

@ Grandad - I LOVE hostas but unfortunately deer do too and will go to great lengths to chomp down any hostas they can find so I don't have any planted around here. The back of my house is fenced with a 6' fence and I keep my fingers crossed the deer won't jump into the back yard but don't want to tempt them with hostas. And the back yard gets most of the sun so am not too sure they'd actually prosper out there. They'd do best in the front of the house but there it is open to deer.

Got my bleeding hearts planted across the front. Four sets of roots so am hoping for a good show and apparently deer do NOT eat Bleeding Hearts or Dicentra (which I think is the Latin name for them) aka Dutchman Breeches here.

[Horus]

LLL, hot felting is a method of water proofing a roof without using tiles or shingles. It is usually done on a flat roof and involves pouring melted and very hot pitch (tar) onto the roof timbers and then rolling out a thick tarred fabric onto the hot pitch, you continue doing this with several layers that alternate at a 90 degree angle to each, each layer having another covering of pitch. If done correctly it will be totally water proof and last around 20 years, but the stuff we are using is just a single rubber (EPDM) membrane and it is glued down and should last 50 years or so.

[LovelyLadyLux]

That is interesting H. I've seen them 'tar' roofs here and maybe they're felting I've just not noted it. Most roofs here are not flat however there are a few. Just hadn't ever heard that term before.

[Grandad]

Glad you mentioned the EPDM Horus because before too long I expect that one of my flat roofs will need re-felting. They are both hot felted at present and as I would not attempt that, the EPDM sounds a manageable and better alternative.
Do you lay it with similar overlaps like mineral felt or is the overlap much larger, and how wide are the rolls. And how about finishing edges over a batten? Do you use the same EPDM or a mineral felt?
You have got me thinking and planning ahead

[LovelyLadyLux]

For flat roofs I like the idea of a large pad that would prevent the water from coming through. I honestly believe here that hot tar and mops are used. I could be wrong but I've never heard of hot felting or the use of big mats as Horus suggested.

@ Grandad - as for the mint it tends to take over. LOVES growing here but it is super hard to contain so I haven't planted it. Same as horseradish. Love it on beef but once you plant one horseradish root you have a field of 'em! I also think Jerusalem artichokes are like that too.

[Horus]

Grandad, you would basically order up the size you need, plus some overhang. Then on a clean surface (usually new decking boards) you fold up the EPDM so that you can work one half at a time, next you apply an adhesive similar to PVA glue with a roller and finish about 6" from the edges. Now roll out the EPDM and smooth it out ( I used a squeegee mop) once that is done you raise the edges back and apply contact adhesive to 6" wide on the underside of the EPDM and the roof boards and when tacky press it down, this secures the edges all around. When you deal with the corners just make a 'pigs ear' by folding and glueing the rubber back onto itself like you would with a parcel, this will keep the whole membrane intact and watertight. You can make life easier for yourself by working out the area you need to cover and just buying the nearest 'kit' size and that will contain everything that you need including brushes and rollers, adhesives, edge trims, corner patches etc. You may have a few bits left over that you don't need to use, but it hardly matters in the scheme of things. If you need any guides on prices or other info just get back to me and if I think on I will point you to some videos on the web that are very informative on using the product.

[Grandad]

Thanks for that H Sounds like a job to get one (or two) of my lads to lend a hand with. From what you describe, it sounds as if the EPDM comes in large sheets. I worked in the rubber industry for 25 years and sheeting is normally callendered on a callender mill. It got me wondering if they use VERY WIDE mills to callender the EPDM......just the way my thoughts wander

LLL, you can always contain plants and herbs, that tend to spread, in large pots. But I know what you mean about mint spreading, and when it has got a hold it is the devils own job to get it back under control.

PS: We finished the 'blasting' yesterday so we can now start some re-potting and prep for some colour around the 'backyard'

[LovelyLadyLux]

Spent yesterday afternoon with the dtr. We went to a couple of the local Plant Nurseries and she was able to get 3 rhodos, 3 heather (bright pink) and 2 blue dwarf junipers. They're for a front garden area that was overgrown so after our purchases we spent the next hour getting them all planted. We stuck in some dahlias for her too. She should have some pretty good colour happening out front which was her goal as everything previous was pretty overgrown and drab.

[Jayway]

My garden bug was Monday, after the monthly market, planting 200 onion sets. Will buy more next market. LLL it was me who told you about the sage. As for mint, I have put bits everywhere hoping it would spread but it doesnt, only get enough to make tea about once a month. Parsley, thats different, I have enough to feed an army or supply a lot of overweight people (diuretic) - luckily Glory likes it.

[Horus]

Grandad, they must use some sort of heat & pressure bonding similar to the vulcanising method used for attaching the tread onto the carcase of a car tyre, as the finished item is a fully integral sheet and does not have glued joints. It looks like they have a standard roll width of around 6 feet (in old money) and they then produce you any size that you require as one large bonded sheet of any length or width. Here is a link to the UK supplier so you can peruse the site, if you look through it you can follow an on site link to some tutorial videos which will explain the method as well as info on the available products you can buy.
http://www.rubber4roofs.co.uk/

[LovelyLadyLux]

@ Jayway - yes - now I recall and yes it was you who told me about sage. Planted one so am hoping to get some good nibbles later this summer.

Parsley doesn't spread here. Doesn't grow in a clump and basically seems to grow year 'round. I've planted the really curly leaf variety and now just planted a clump of Italian parsley.

Mint on the other hand - we get Peppermint, spearmint, chocolate mint and a bizzillion different types of mint but it takes off and becomes quite invasive. It has to be grown in a container.

I'm also on the lookout for a few wooden boxes to place here and there and would fill up one with mint but so far don't have the wooden planter boxes. I went to where I saw them for $30 last year and this year the price on a plain wooden planter box was $75!!! More than double the previous year sooooooo just gonna wait on this one and will get some planter boxes when I see them in my price range.

I also really like basil but it seems finicky. Haven't had much luck in growing it before. Might give it another try - not sure.

Don't mind growing herbs as they're perennial and so very very healthy too.

[Horus]

Years ago the old gardeners would grow mint (Apple mint is the best variety for making mint sauce ) by planting it in an old galvanised bucket dug into the soil to prevent it spreading.