Could you pick up a few bags of compost and some fish, blood, & bone, and sprinkle it around where you want to grow your perennials? If you're not up for it, or it's around other established roots, don't worry about forking it in. The worms and critters will do that for you.. and the rain will take nutrients down towards the roots naturally. Also, consider laying out a soaker hose on a timer switch attached to your outdoor tap. Cover that with some bark mulch, if you fancy, to help retain the moisture during the summer and improve the soil. Maybe it will aide in evaporation in the winter, and the wet wood chips will increase surface area? Or maybe it will keep it wet longer.
I thought I would come back to update this. I believe I now know what is accounting for most of my plant deaths
I knew we had a vole or two (she says naively) but over the last fortnight the edges and about a foot inwards of the long, narrow, twisty lawn that runs down the garden is completely wrecked with shallow tunnels.
This morning, running the hose on the holes that I could SEE, reveals a vast number of holes/tunnels into the borders as everywhere - and I do mean everywhere - the earth collapses like a series of mini sink holes.
I had planted many Cosmos and other gap filler annuals at the start of June and lots haven't done what I expected... Running the hose on them this morning, they float to the surface, soil around then collapsing and several nearly dead grasses planted last year were sitting in thin air - the hose fits for a good 2' into some of the tunnels.
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I expect you've looked at the RHS's list of dry summer/wet winter plants. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=912 Here it is for others.
I knew we had a vole or two (she says naively) but over the last fortnight the edges and about a foot inwards of the long, narrow, twisty lawn that runs down the garden is completely wrecked with shallow tunnels.
This morning, running the hose on the holes that I could SEE, reveals a vast number of holes/tunnels into the borders as everywhere - and I do mean everywhere - the earth collapses like a series of mini sink holes.
I had planted many Cosmos and other gap filler annuals at the start of June and lots haven't done what I expected... Running the hose on them this morning, they float to the surface, soil around then collapsing and several nearly dead grasses planted last year were sitting in thin air - the hose fits for a good 2' into some of the tunnels.
Now I wish I DID just have poor soil
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Haha re the cats...I now have vision of them sitting by the many holes a la Whac-a-Mole..or in this case...