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Thanks, I assume you mean when the undercoat is thoroughly dry?

I have put two coats of Zinsser 123 Primer on MDF doors, followed by two coats of Crown Satin white non drip water based paint. Its not covered well and is patchy, some bits shiny, some matt. I have also done some MDF shelves with the Zinsser, followed by 2 coats of Dulux oil based coloured...

Don't forget to water really well once a week through the summer(use a sprinkler) after turfing, you'd be surprised how quick it dries out, particularly around the edges.

Hello again, I am guessing its something like a Yucca, or a Cordaline. They are not entirely hardy and we have had one hell of a winter;. If the pot is covered in moss its been in there too long. You can try repotting it in a slightly larger pot in a good compost (not multi compost). John...

It doesn't sound very promising. Is it living outside? Could you have over or underwatered it? It sounds as though it has rotted off. Have a look at the rootball and see if it looks healthy. You may have to chop all the leaves off and hope for regrowth. Only water it if the soil is very dry.

I'm assuming these are mophead hydrangeas? If you look just below last year's dead heads, you should see new green buds forming, cut above a bud and you will get flowers this year. If any stems look dead cut them off right down to the ground, this will encourage new growth.

Multi purpose usually has a lot of peat in it and doesn't hold water very well, neither does it have enough nutrients for strawberrries. John Innes 2 with a (well rotted) manure is ideal. You should also feed with liquid Tomato feed every two weeks. Strawberry plants only fruit well for...

Thanks for your advice. What is a 'spud bar'?

Hello, We have bought two posts 3 x 3inches and 7ft tall to use as a support for apple cordons. :? The posts will be placed about 3 metres apart, with galvanised wires between to tie the three apple tree cordons to. Should the posts be concreted in or can we use metal post holders (or both)...

I bet there are loads of lovely people here who can help. A course would be good but in the meantime there are a couple of books you might like to read. The Complete Book of Garden Design, Construction and Planting. Cassell Paperbacks or Garden Planning by Robin Williams, this one is an RHS...

That sounds about right. They use to recommend adding paraffin to the mix but I have noticed they don't put that in the instructions anymore (health and safety probably) Apply it with a brush so you don't get it on the other shrubs.

My Good Housekeeping freezer book says this: You need 6 pints of boiling water per 1lb of veg. Trim beans as you would for cooking and put in boiling water for two minutes (timing is essential) Whip them out of the pan and plunge in ice-cold water - put ice cubes in the bowl so its really cold...

Try growing them in pots, but if your slugs are as greedy as mine they will climb up the sides. Then you can put vaseline round the pot rim. Slime and grease don't go apparently.

Oooh! you've got a fairy ring. Its a bit of a pain to get rid of. You may notice the grass in the ring is not as healthy as the rest of the lawn and sadly its not caused by fairies getting on down at the woodland disco. Its caused by a fungus and it chokes the grass roots. The only way to...

Thanks people

Its less than a year old and it has a sealed lid. Its more pongy when the rain hasn't topped it up for a while. You can smell the 'oak' in it as well and possibly a bit of old sherry. I think that's what they used it for before it got regenerated into a water butt. Perhaps the pong will wear off...

As we are getting on to smells. I have an oak water butt outside the back door and the water pongs terribly. Every time I use it, the family start moaning that the whole house smells of bad eggs and sewage! Any solutions? :?:

What a sweet little thing. Any songs yet, Breezer? Perhaps it only sings at night, you know Moon River, Tonights the Night etc.

Does'nt breezer love his gardening. Nick is right about Boston ivy, it won't wreck the pointing, unlike the bog standard green one; but they do grow like mad. I used to have one on a side wall and when it threatened to climb in the guttering we would cut it halfway down the wall ( do this in...

When you say geraniums I assume you mean the summer bedding type (pelargoniums).If the plants all started out the same size I'd be very suprised if they are not all flowering by 21 July. Don't skimp on water but don't worry too much about feeding, they should flower without it. Don't forget to...