A couple of tips

Just to finish today's blogging I thought I might throw in a couple of tips.

When I was looking for the link for Gills nurseries I noticed this tip on their site, I am sure they won't mind me passing it on.  


Hedgehogs

Look after the hedgehogs – get porridge oats down as slug deterrent. Slugs eat the oats which kills them and then are safe for the hedgehog to eat.



If you try it let me know - does it reduce the slug population?  I wonder if it is cheaper than organic pellets?

You can follow more tips from them at http://www.boscownurseries.co.uk/news/pauls-blog-hedgehogs

My tip is probably a feeble one but was an accidental find for me.  I was too lazy (as usual) to get out the trug for just dead heading a couple of hanging baskets and a handful of roses, but fed up with the petals flirting about all over the place because I can't get a good grip on all the rubbish I knew I would accumulate.  I just grabbed an empty pot and took that round with me - brilliant -  lightweight and it could be held under where I was snipping and in the junk went straight in.  

This photo is turning into a bit of a triple tip actually.  Here you can see my new snips and new secateurs.  The secateurs tip is, if like me you never sharpen the ones you've got, you really do need to buy some new ones after donkeys years of use.  My old ones were really blunt.   It is such a gradual progression you don't really notice it.  I have wanted new ones for a long time but couldn't get any decent small ones.  They are mostly made for blokes with hands like ham hocks.  They are heavy and open too wide for my grip.  These small Burgon and Ball ones from a National Trust property are good.  Not the fine fit of their predecessors but I will get used to them in time.  

On another NT visit I treated myself to the snips (I hadn't found the secateurs then).  I had seen them around for a long time and had read/heard good things about them, all of which I poo-pooed as just another faddy item to make money out of gullible people.  So I eventually lined up with the gullible and bought a pair.  Love 'em - keep them by the back door key and pick them up and put them in my pocket when I go for a stroll round the garden.  No more black finger nails from dead heading as I go.