Age old wisdom

I picked up a book at the library a few weeks ago called the "Curious Gardeners Almanac- centuries of practical garden wisdom." This is an amazing collection of gardening advice, from fruits and vegetables to wildlife. I picked out a few tips that I'd like to share with you. Enjoy! *The best time to transplant trees and shrubs is spring and early autumn so that the roots have time to establish themselves before the heat of the summer or the cold of the winter. *Water your garden or lawn in the early evening or, failing that, in the early morning. Much of the moisture will be lost to evaporation if you water in the heat of the day, and on very hot days the leaves of some very tender plants may even "burn". Only water when your plants need it and make sure you water them well to encourage deeper root growth, rather that little and often which will only encourage roots to head towards the surface in search of moisture. *There is an old saying that if a shrub flowers before the middle of summer, prune it in the autumn. If afterwards then wait till spring. There are exceptions to this but generally it holds true. *Slugs detest the smell of peppermint, spearmint and elder, so an infusion made from the leaves of any of them, poured or sprayed around the plants you want to protect, will send them oozing and sliming their way to more attractive pastures. It's best to do this at dusk when the slugs start to emerge. Rats and other rodents, meanwhile, loathe the smell of tar, so if your garden has a problem with them, soak some rags in tar and leave them scattered around. Rabbits hate foxglove and onions and it is unlikely they will bother your patch if you have good quantities of them in situ. Mice don't like the smell of mint. *There are a number of cheap painless ways of ridding your pathways or drive of stubborn weeds without resorting to chemicals. A mixture of salt and ashes works will but even just pouring a watering can of hot salty water should do the trick. Quote for the day- " It is a regrettable truth that the better the quality of the soil, the bigger and more prolific the weeds." Isn't that a wonderful thought! :p