[WG.]

.horrible weed which I think is ground thistle which was multiplying faster than I could get it out.

Anyone know what it actually is?  flat growing soft leaved plant with hairy leaves ( the hairs are quite stiff, in spots on the leaves and I have a mild  alergic reaction if I handle them without gloves

Does it look a bit like a small version of lambs lettuce?  Small blue flowers as I recall??

[WG.]

a horrible weed which I think is ground thistle which was multiplying faster than I could get it out.

Anyone know what it actually is?  flat growing soft leaved plant with hairy leaves ( the hairs are quite stiff, in spots on the leaves

Could it be Field Mouse Ear, jinger?  Picture on http://www.theseedsite.co.uk/weeds2.html

[moz]

I love the carpet dea, never thought of that and have an old one in the garage that was going to go to the tip...not anymore. Has anyone tried cardboard as a path covering ?

An old bloke on our site says he only uses scaffolding boards, then at the end of th season he stacks them all up, spreads manure, then rotorvates the whole plot . Then he decides where he want his paths next year and lays the boards down as he wants. He says by doing this he can clear, rotorvate, and re-arrange his plot in just one day. I like this idea but just need to get hold of some planks, or maybe I could just do the same with some lenghts of carpet !

Cheers,

[Trillium]

I love the carpet dea, never thought of that and have an old one in the garage that was going to go to the tip...not anymore. Has anyone tried cardboard as a path covering ?

Just leave a cardboard box on the ground for a few days, Moz, and you'll have your answer. Even multi layers of cardboard won't hold out the season unless you're looking for a source of ground matter, not particularly organic at that. I have friends who have permanent paths with carpet laid upside down (juting side up) on the path and topped with pea gravel (edged of course). They never take it up and have never had a weed in the 10 yrs it's been down. Doesn't smell at all either, so I can't see why so many folk take theirs up. I plan to do this in my own garden as I'm fed up with the grass paths and all the dandelion seeds that eagerly take root in those spots. I do like the plank idea though if I didn't have flowers which I can't move. They attract the bees for better pollination.  

[wellingtons]

... central path going straight down the full length of the plot.  And although it really isn't the most practical thing in the world I do keep it as grass ... because I like it!  Yes it grows into the borders but it's a once a year job to keep it under control.

I've grown creeping thyme, corsican mint and chamomile in amongst paving stones on the patio at home, and I have tried a chamomile lawn in the past ... but I really wouldn't recommend any for heavy foot traffic.

And you really should go for corsican mint rather than penny royal if you're going to give it a go.  Corsican mint is very much like a very dense low growing thyme and good for shady areas, but doesn't like it too damp.

I can't keep a chamomile lawn looking pristine here in Surrey, although it possible in warmer climes (like Cornwall where my mum had a chamomile bench!).

[tinshed]

Thanks everyone for these ideas - far more than I expected.  I think I'll try the black weed control material as I already have some.

By the way, I have only recently taken over my plot but did grow veg a lot when I was younger - intil the kids turned my patch into the local sports ground.

Difference now is that I've lost quite a lot of my sight - registered partially sighted but find veg growing is one hobby I can manage quite well.  Would be interested to hear experiences of any other visually impaired gardeners.

Really enjoy reading this site and will definitely try newspaper pots this year for beans at least.

Regards

Tinshed

[legendaryone]

Tinshed, did you watch "Grow your own veg" ? they had a partially sighted bloke on and he had a wonderful plot.
My two lads are partially sighted and cope quite well when they come down to help. I do make sure that the paths are really defined and that there those actimel yogurt type pots on canes to help them as well. I also bought a yellow hosepipe so they could see it on the ground and not trip up  
I have a 8 foot piece of timber marked out every 6 inchs so they can sow their own seeds without my help. Apart from that i think they cope quite well  

[jingerpot]

.


Thanks for the sugestions Whiskey but they look nothing like any of the pictures on your link

I will have to take a photo and post it on here to see if anyone can recognise it....it has short straggly  roots which are very white

[WG.]

I will have to take a photo and post it on here to see if anyone can recognise it....it has short straggly  roots which are very white

Do that jinger - maybe in a new thread?

[tinshed]

Hi Legendaryone.  Your partially-sighted lads might be interested in the service for partially-sighted gardeners provided by Thrive.  See:

http://www.thrive.org.uk/specific-services-blind.asp

They provide courses, events, competitions and a newsletter.

Regards

Tinshed

[legendaryone]

Hi Legendaryone.  Your partially-sighted lads might be interested in the service for partially-sighted gardeners provided by Thrive.  See:

http://www.thrive.org.uk/specific-services-blind.asp

They provide courses, events, competitions and a newsletter.

Regards

Tinshed

Thanks for the link Tinshed  

[ted_woodley]

I've done paths in several ways.

On one (bordered by plastic planks www.linkabord.co.uk) I just put all the stones I remove from my beds - over the years this has built up to quite a thick layer that stops all but the strongest weeds.

On another I have put down paving slabs but with large gaps between them and I'm growing many varieties of thyme between them (www.thymus.co.uk)

Elsewhere I have put carpet down.

In my experience that weed control fabric doesn't last very long anyway and using it as a path would increase the wear on it.