h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oh Hypatia thank you I am so grateful I'll send the e mail right away. Along with a bit of information about the climate. I can't remember if it faces west or east and I'll have to check!

I think the OTD e-mail is the one at the library, so I won't get it until Tuesday. But I'll answer as soon as I get it. And you're welcome.

You'll have to tell us your decision and the results, Z.

thanks again.

Does it matter which way the roof faces? It's sort of South East facing?

As I'm sure you know, we have a fairly rainy climate! in the winter the temperate can go below freezing at night and we can get some frost. In the summer it's around 50 degrees F (10 degrees C) at night, and it goes up to 68 during the day.


I like the idea of lettuce it a pot, it seems quite amusing, and spinach would be useful, because the greengrocers on our little row of shops doesn't sell spinach because "only you ask for it" But lets start with herbs, it seems far less complex. I love spinach, but not quite enough to go to the supermarket. Living two doors down from a greengrocers makes you lazy, I usually only buy the veg I need just before I cook the meal anyway! If I find I need something I haven't got I'll just pop out and get it, rather than making do with what I have got. So the chances of me walking for 20 minutes to a supermarket for one veg are slim anyway.

Thanks again.

And Gwen, of course I'll tell you all the descions, if it's really impressive I may even post a picture online somewhere..

I almost had to stop my self posting a map of my street just then I looked it up on multimap.com to see which way we faced, and I realised that it I live above the post office, which is kindly marked with it's own special symbol on the map.

Much as I love you all, I draw the line at drawing a map to my flat on a public website..

[GDZ]

Hypatia, um...can I get some of those seeds? I have a fairly shady porch, but it needs *something* besides pots of pothos and whatever that thing my daughter gave me for mother's day a couple of years ago is (something long and trailing and pretty much indestructable)

Leave for church at 10 in the morning, don't get home till midnight. Twas a bit of a long day, though usefully spent hanging out with friends. And for teh record, I am back to hating snow full time now.

The single most important thing is the roof structure, Z, as GD has already mentioned. But your L/l may be prepared to consider a structural survey if the roof garden might aid renting or letting ability, I would.

I grow herbs in pots and a sqizz at what is selling in you nearest garden centre (outside not indoors) will give you an idea of what will survive outside. Against a wall and out of the wind can have a surprisingly Mediterranean mini-climate if it gets lots of sun.

Watering is the next big problem, you will need to water once a day, twice a day if the sun is really hot, regardless of whether it has rained or not. Feeding can be sorted by using those slow release pellets.

In the winter frost can cause the roots to die off and wrapping them in bubble wrap, sacking, old carpet or anything else you can get your hands on, will protect them.

Of course, the minute you have got your garden looking pretty, all the other tenants will remember that they have access to it too

But I should add that if it sounds like a lot of hard work, the best thing about gardening is the more effort you put in to it the more it rewards you in beauty and a sense of achievement.

Hi Z! The people before me in my new house were very keen gardeners. There are tubs, pots and hanging baskets everywhere! I daren't count. Even the shed and the garage have window boxes and every wall has several hanging terracotta pots. I can see I'm going to be busy when the better weather comes.

One corner has many pots on the wall and arranged around a wooden bench (very rustic) including 4 small pots clumped on the floor which I discovered to contain parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (not very imaginative!) All seem to be doing well, especially the rosemary. I could have a look at which variety as they've helfully left the name cards for me. I cut some rosemary when I moved to put under a warm grill, just to fill the house with a nice smell (they were smokers and it's taken ages to clear that lingering odour).

One website I find really useful is http://www.angliangardener.co.uk/ Ignore the name, I'm sure the information will apply in Birmingham! Helpful pages here for you. http://www.angliangardener.co.uk/green_up_your_fingers/pots_container_plants.htm

For Americans who want to recreate the unique eccentricity of an English garden, they have a mirror site with advice about getting the same look in different conditions.
http://www.english-gardening.com/

Here's their definition of the difference (comments invited):
"The English Garden is more of an "Outdoor room" an extension of the house that should be just as attractive and comfortable as a room in the house. It is seen less as somewhere to "produce" things - food, flowers for cutting, but more as an outdoor living space. As you delve deeper you will discover information and advice on how to achieve this effect. There are also some rather esoteric corners to maintain the English reputation for eccentricity"

You've answered most of my main questions, Z. What do you want to grow, and what direction does the roof face, and so on. Everyone says "herbs are mediterranean and need hot dry spaces", but I grew herbs incredibly successfully for well over a decade on a north-facing slope which got NO SUN EVER.

I think the "plants in tubs" approach is better than the "roof garden" approach, and I would advise keeping them near the edges, where the rafters of the roof will be supported by the walls below.

It seems that you want herbs and pretty flowers. You can get herb-plants from supermarkets, and a lot of the time what you are getting are over-grown seedlings. I have never got them to grow successfully, but I have never put that much effort into growing successfully either. Garden centres are pretty hit and miss regarding herbs. I would go for mint, oregano/marjoram and chives, which are bomb-proof, and thyme and parsley which are too useful not to have but which are very slightly more fussy.

Regarding pretty flowers: Go for annuals, they will give you maximum display this year while you are living in the flat. There is no point going for biennials, perennials or bulbs because you won't be there to see them in their best.

Buzzy Lizzies are cheap and fab. Lobelia is very cheap for the quantity you eventually get. Nasturtiums are cool, because they flower later in the season. I used to grow Petunias, which are cheapish and fabbish, but which are a bit sticky. Snapdragons (Antirhinums) are fairly cheap and satisfyingly interactive. Pansies and violas are lovely, but don't spread that much. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said 'hanging baskets that don't hang'.

How much you pay depends on when you start, but you can often buy pots of seedlings which are maybe 50 or a 100 seedlings at the four-leaves stage. I am crap at growing from seed, and need real plants to start me off, and these are what I go for.

It might be worth growing some tomatoes in grow-bags once the frost is over. Either buy seedlings later in the year, or plant up some seeds indoors straight away. You will get a substantial amount of green for your money, 6'-10' of it, and fresh tomatoes in the season.

If I was you I would buy a couple of growbags and grow some tomatoes up the back wall, and I would buy a tray of buzzy lizzy seedlings and a tray of lobelia seedlings and grow them in a series of containers next to or on the front wall.

Regarding containers, have you considered putting three or four plastic carrier bags inside each other, and then half filling them with compost/soil? They only need to last a year, and if you are growing annuals you are not going to have a problem with strong roots.

This way, your big expense will be compost/soil, and your second big expense will be seedlings. Incidentally, if you want wheels for a trip to a garden centre, then ask me. I really miss gardening.

Oh, and get either a watering can or a hosepipe. You will need to water daily in the summer.



Ben

Nothing to add to the gardening chat 'cept have fun With all the herbs it will smell lovely come the warmer months.

Ah well, off to work

Toc

Z - You have inspired me to apply for an allotment - I've just completed the online form, so let's see what comes of it.

Ben

If anyone has kids, I need some advice. I cannot get my daughter,aged 7 (almost 8) to stop being destructive with her things. Tonight I discovered that she has cut holes in her bedding, and has drawn all over her furniture, and then hid the drawings with toys. I am tempted to take away every toy and tell her that since she cannot respect the nice things she has, that she can't have anything at all.

I am at my wit's end here, folks. Someone please help before I make her room into a prison cell with a mattress on the floor and nothing else.

for MR, but no advice.

The obvious thing is that there must be some underlying unhappiness or - more likely - frustration to cause her to be so expensively destructive, but one cannot countenance or reward destructive behaviour.

Why has she done this now? Is she nervous about going back to school? What else in her environment might make her unhappy?

I wish I had more helpful things to say.

B

The psychologist part of me would agree with Ben, MR. What does the bedding and the furniture represent? The family is breaking up and she can't do anything about it? Or it's part of her old life and she wants to have new things for the new life? Is is what she would consider to be childish? She wants to grow up? Did she ask to bring her new bedding or furniture but he didn't? Or, is it new and she feels like she wants her old stuff back and things to be how they were before? Are the drawings of anything in particular? What does she draw or write about at the moment?

The mum part of me says don't replace anything, at leat not yet. She's not too young to learn that we have to live with the consequences of our actions. For example she'd probably be ashamed to have her friends round with the room like that so that's one thing that can't happen for a while. Perhaps you could allow her to try and repair the bedding with a needle and thread, again to see that damage can't be ignored.

Another thing is that perhaps she's just getting fed up with being indoors? Or she just wants your attention and now she's got it? I don't know if you've managed to get her out of the house? We're once more into the "pyjamas as daywear" stage and Moonlight shifts out of bed to the sofa and not much further. I'm really trying to get her out of the house if not today then tomorrow, when we will go for a walk by the sea and eat chips if we can find somewhere. (Welcome to the wonderful world of teenagers btw, Ben.)

We've been having pretty much the same kind of weather in Sweden as Hati in Estonia - snow that won't stay but start melting. It snowed a *lot* tonight, but it was well above freezing point, so I had to wade through almost ankle-deep slosh, water leaking into my leather boots...

One more thing to add. Forget the so called "terrible twos" - both mine were delightful toddlers. But as 7 year olds they were both ghastly and I've never found anyone who doesn't have problems at this age.

>> (Welcome to the wonderful world of teenagers btw, Ben.)

Gee, thanks!

B

PS - he is coming to the meet on the 10th with me, so you can gaze up at him yourself!