Snow gone, rain stopped (temporarily at least), time to get on with it.
Today, at Nancy Nightingale’s, we worked on the Nessie beds. Just like the rest of the garden, the soil here is poor and rubbish filled. We plan to make this a feasting border, a mix of fruit, vegetables and edible flowers. It will be bright, naturally, but it was also be tasty. The lawn that we removed last year from the other side of the garden, and piled next door in Nancy’s mother’s garden, has now rotted down to a lovely loam. There was a problem though. Plastic. The turf had been grown on a fine green plastic mesh. Not good. Lawns are not really my thing, but I have never seen this before. A little googling and I find that this is often used to keep poor quality turf stable. Bad. In between trips back and forth from the loam mine, we spent frustrating minutes removing the offending intruders. Sigh.
Then we sowed nasturtiums, calendula and dahlias. That’s better.
If anyone else was as out of touch with turf production as I was, take a look at the discussion on Landscape Juice Network website.
Off The Edge Gardening 
What a pain. Your boots need re-gilding. If soil needs “improving”, have a look at Vital Earth’s Soil Improver compost. Don’t buy it here though: https://www.organiccatalogue.com/feeding-soil-care/soil-care-and-feeds/soil-improvers/vital-earth-soil-improver-50-litre.htm. I’m working my way through a pallet of the stuff which worked out at £1.60 a bag. Would you like a bag to try? I’ll have a bit of room in the boot.
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That would be brill, thanks.
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Great socks Gill!
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I’m afraid I had black socks on and brown boots. So dull compared to my wonderful client. 🙂
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Plastic seems to be getting everywhere. Well done for getting rid of a bit. I want to cut down, then I looked around my shed, so much of my gardening stuff is made from it. I shall reuse and reuse until it can go for recycling. I am almost getting paranoid about it.
I do love those boots and socks, brilliant and cheerful combination!
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And unfortunately not mine – they belong to the marvellous Nancy Nightingale. 🙂
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That is interesting,we use photodegradable mesh on seeded bunching type turfgrass sod here. Bluegrass,fescue,rye, not sure what grass is grown as sod there? The plastic may rot away with the right light and temperature.
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There are definitely bits of gardening that are yummy and bits that are yucky.
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Oh, that mesh! It can be so annoying! Sod did not always have it, but I know it helps keep it together.
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I first discovered that mesh when planting trees and shrubs in a new build for a new client. It is a real pain! It is used by commercial turf growers to improve the handling quantities of the turf while reducing the amount of soil lifted with it. I think it should be banned.
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Glad you agree, seems like it wasn’t thought through properly.
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