Good evening, and welcome to the first in an occasional series. I've left the Phantom in the kitchen, and have come into my domain.
I won't pretend to be an exceptional gardener; our garden is still very much a work in progress. But it is a place of sanctuary, a place to lose oneself mentally, if not physically...
Our great friend the Legal Eagle asked what she could do to counter the slugs and snails that have been happily munching through her Lupins.
As usual in life, there are no perfect solutions to the problems these irritating molluscs create. (The slugs I mean, not the Legal Eagle and her Beau). But at Phantom Towers we have come up with a couple of good techniques for reducing the damage they cause.
The stuff in the box is something we have tried for the first time this year. It's an absorbent ceramic in a gravel-like form.
[CUE PACK SHOT]
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It works by the fact that it is both very rough and highly absorbent. It doesn't kill the critturs, but they sure as heck don't like going over it. I guess it's a sort of commercial version of the old idea of putting down crushed eggshells.
You simply surround you vulnerable seedlings and plants...
In this case Mangetout Peas. So far we haven't lost one..
And here it's protecting a young Hosta...
The other weapon in our war was also featured in the photo above. Let's zoom in..
Yup! It's the trowel. If you look carefully you will see the lower edge is serrated. That's for cutting the slugs in half... Snails can be picked up by hand, or you can use the extra leverage provided by flipping the snails on the trowel to make sure they travel into the next garden but one. Or you can just smash the little B****RS with the flat bit.
I'm afraid I didn't get the name "She Who Gardens At Night" by pruning in the dark. You go out with a torch and a trowel, and exact pro-active revenge on the slugs and snails who would turn your Hostas into lacework and your salads into breakfast.
Sorry for any sensitive folk, but the Gardening Phantom has her priorities worked out....
4 comments:
Many thanks for the advice on slug control, we will look out for the gravelly stuff in the garden centre. We have a great image of Mrs P dressed in her SAS combat gear, complete with head torch, searching for the enemy after dark. In fact, if Mrs P needs any more combat attire we can recommend an establishment in the East End that will meet all her needs. The Legal Eagle & Beau
My MiL gardens organically; she doesn't like to use chemicals because that deprives her of the enjoyment of cutting slugs in half with a pair of nail scissors... you have to get up close and personal to use a pair of nail scissors when checking over your hostas...
She's definitely part of the SAS - Slaughter All Slugs!!
LOL now that's really funny! Nice one, Phantom!
Amalee
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