Weekend Work: Time to spend some money on securing boundaries
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.What to do
Thinking is often better than doing at this time of year. By March, the to-do list will be so long, there'll be no time for considering changes in the garden.
In small town gardens, ricketty boundaries, often of wooden larchlap or trellis, may be the single greatest problem in terms of the way the garden looks. If you do not have a secure background against which to pin climbers and wall shrubs, you can't prune them effectively, or tie them in properly.
Spending money on securing boundaries, with strong fenceposts in between sound panels (Metposts may help; log on to metpost.com), will improve the look of a garden more radically than extra plants. When the boundary is secure, stretch wires across at 30cm intervals, so that you have plenty of places to tie in new growth.
What to buy
The new season's seed catalogues are glinting deliciously on my desk. Mr Fothergill is offering a new kind of cucumber which they call "half long". 'Twenty F1' (£2.15 for 10 seeds) is ideal for an unheated greenhouse or polytunnel and bears mostly female flowers. Also new is their radish 'Esmerelda' (350 seeds for £1.45), a long French Breakfast type that can be grown all the year round. Mr Fothergill's Seeds is at Gazeley Rd, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7QB, 01638 751161, mr-fothergills.co.uk
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments