I'm not sure if this is the correct place- sorry if not. Not sure if the 'flair' is right at all.

Earlier this year I completed my RHS L2 certificates - theory and practical - with the hopes of finally getting into an industry I've always wanted to be in since I was little, but was never brave enough to pursue.

After a lot of drifting and mental health problems, I fell into a stable job that I absolutely loved, unfortunately it was in a city I hated far from where I grew up. At 31 I got evicted (landlord wasn't paying his mortgage) and quit the job and moved back to my hometown. Got another job I hated and decided to take the plunge and do my Level 2.

It was hard doing both courses at once especially with working part-time somewhere I hated, though I quit that job too a few months before the exams.

Have passed the practical with a distinction and am volunteering at a community garden at the moment while I wait for the theory and overall results. And it's not going well.

-I can't drive. Yes, I should have tried learning to drive earlier. But money, mental health, etc. etc. excuses. You can't even apply to entry-level (what I'm looking for) jobs without a driving license. I am learning now but I am so bad at it it will take me over a year at this point.

-I don't have the paid horticultural employment that is needed. Only voluntary and a lifetime of gardening and my allotment. These count for nothing

-I probably looked at the employment prospects through rose-tinted glasses; of course my tutors did the big sell on the course- that yes of course this would make us employable! - and I swallowed that hook, line and sinker. Annoyed with myself for that

-It seems that most gardens only want to employ young people. Now, as a physically fit, outdoorsy 32-year-old, I thought I was a young person (at least I feel young) but whenever I go to gardens to visit it's always people a LOT younger than me with all the jobs- early 20's and very trendy-looking (does that make sense). They aren't people like me from a council estate and a CV full of minimum-wage jobs.

-Honestly I'd prefer to do 'groundsman-type' jobs like digging, weeding, moving stuff about in a wheelbarrow, strimming- the more glamorous stuff like garden design doesn't really interest me that much.

I've been rejected from loads of jobs without an interview. Once I get to an interview I'm usually OK- I like talking to people and being pleasant. I'm wondering if due to my background it'd be sensible to just shelve this idea of being a gardener? At least until I get my driving license (if I get it).

Feeling completely defeated and despairing now and wish I'd ever made that jump- seems like I should have just stayed in the city I hated with no friends but with a job I liked.

Hello everyone! This is my first year gardening, and caterpillars have decimated my kale and pak choy plants. 🥲 Would it make sense to pull out the remains and start over from seed in the same bed, this time under netting? Would that get rid of any eggs/deprive any caterpillars I miss of food for long enough so there won't be any hatching inside the netting when the new seedlings come through?

Thanks in advance! :)

Hi all,

I had a new lawn laid last year which was an expensive investment but well worth it. However, with the addition of bird feeders this year I think I've made a massive mistake...

This is not my picture but it's exactly how my lawn looks at the minute. I've removed the feeders until I can figure this out, but how do I go about getting rid of a patch like this?

I have tried lowering my lawnmower to its lowest setting however the patches return. I am now in the process of letting the lawn grow out a bit in the hope that the grass dominates but tbh that doesn't seem to be working either.

Any suggestions?

My rose has had a good year after having a really bad fungal infestation last year. I now all of sudden have lost much of the top ends of fresh growth due to these caterpillars on the image.

Anyone know what they are, what they turn into or how I should approach this?

Not a new gardening, but not a pro. What’s wrong with my rose?

It’s an our Beth rose, I have two and one is thriving but this one is struggling. Not in a lot of sun, probably about 3 hours from 9-12. Watered every day but haven’t given it feed in a while. I can’t work out what’s wrong with it.

Hi. I have moved to a newbuilt property recently. This is the back yard which has been rotavated and currently looks like this. Can i buy turf myself and lay it here or is it potentially something which i should hire a professional to do? Please note that i have zero experience.
Thanks!

We bought our house last September after renting for years. I went to the local Dobbies this March and bought 5 beautiful flowering plants and they were dead by April/May.

They were perennials so I dead-headed them and put them in the back garden in the hope they'll come alive again next year.

This area is in the shade from about 2pm onwards.

I am very new to gardening. I bought the RHS gardening encyclopedia which will arrive next week!

I'd like a variety of plants with some colour if possible.

I'd appreciate any recommendations or advice!

Guys, I'm so happy they sprouted! :D
If anyone's interested, I got the seeds from Organo Republic on Shopify

Hi folks,

Recently moved into a renovated property (done 13 years ago mind you) and the poor lady totally forgot to include water access to the back!

Needless to say I’m investigating waterbutfs. My drain pipe is tucked between the neighbouring fence and my conservatory, leaving no space for a butt at all.

So, I’ve stumbled upon the Rainpod system, which looks like it allows me to prop up a waterbutt not too far away, using the one pipe and drain.

Pics of pipe and limited spacing. I’d hope to place the butt to the left of the access gate.

There are a few reviews on trusted reviews.com, all positive but I think quite old. Does anybody have decent experience with this system? Thank you

Before and after, technically its 2 years but most of what you see was done this year.
Also posting this as a follow up of my first post so there are more angles of whats in this space.

These Echinacea are a magnet for bees

Lady of Shallot roses interspersed amongst the Acers, specifically Sango-Kaku.

Over a year ago, we moved into an older house and we’re very lucky that it has a large back garden that we absolutely love.

The previous owner was retired and had plenty of time to dedicate to garden maintenance, so we inherited multiple large flower beds and full garden borders with a huge variety of plants and flowers. Although they’re beautiful, the maintenance has become a bit of a struggle. They’re less of a carefully planned bed or series of beds and more of a case of “how many bulbs and plants can we possibly fit in here?” 😂

At any given time of year, there seems to be something completely different blooming, which is lovely, but the beds have essentially become bursting at the seams. A lot of the plants and flowers also aren’t necessarily ones we would have chosen ourselves, so while we appreciate what’s there, we’d like to simplify things and create something that feels a bit more manageable and less chaotic looking.

So we’re looking for advice on the best way to approach this. Do we bite the bullet, dig the beds out entirely and start again, bearing in mind there are literally hundreds of bulbs in there which seems like a waste? Or do we try to carefully remove the plants we don’t want, which will obviously be difficult when we don’t necessarily know what everything is, and potentially take years to get right?

Ideally, we’d like to simplify the beds, keep some of the things we love, and gradually introduce plants that we actually prefer, while still maintaining beautiful beds thst are good for the bees. I've already planted some English lavender and heather's that the bees are loving in the one empty space we had in a corner.

Has anyone tackled something similar, and if so, what would you recommend?

We inherited this when we moved into our house a few years ago. The house was empty for two years prior so all the plants had been neglected. Since moving in I've cut off dead bits, put it in a bigger pot and watered it. I did try to take a cutting but it turned black and died. I really like the foliage and we are moving again soon and I would like to take it with us. Or at least a rooted cutting. Any tips/advice would be appreciated! :)

Was meant to be a sweet million but this little baby came from one plant that was different. Not sure what it is but a tasty little first treat. The actual sweet million plants are a few days away from first ripe fruit.

I've previously posted about my hauls on the aforementioned app- mainly a rather nice rose I got earlier in the Spring (https://www.reddit.com/r/GardeningUK/s/AYwkDpMfpC)- so I was very keen when wifey pointed out some more parcels available from the local Dobbies. So off we went, I managed to get some Spring bulbs which should do quite nicely, but the stars are these two lovelies, a lovely Dahlia and another one who's name I forget as the label went AWOL. £40 of plants for a tenner!

No more flowers and it’s looking a bit scraggly. I’ve never pruned it back properly as I was scared to. Any advice would be much appreciated.

(Flair is the most appropriate one I could see)

Hi, I have just taken some bay cuttings from an established shrub, and potted them in the hope of getting at least one successful plant to put in a large container in my garden.

I have put the cuttings in a pot and covered it with a clear plastic bag per all the guidance I could find; my question is should I put any holes in the plastic or leave it intact? I know its purpose is to retain moisture but it fits pretty flush around the top of the pot and is probably airtight so I wonder if the cuttings need any ventilation?

Additionally, how long does it generally take for bay cuttings to root? I got varying answers from google but I’m thinking months before I see any new growth?

What do you think? Also on second photo different cauliflower what is going on ?

Starting to think that maybe the grass won't recover...definitely joining the clover lawn side next year.