@@cricketcrazy86 That’s some way after my 1967/8 😂…..It was always known as ‘dustbins’ in my time there. The features I remember were ‘the tower’ which I got caned for throwing an ink bottle out a top window…..and the moat…..which was what it sounds like, though really just a glorified ditch. I did attend Wescott Road school prior….kind of just around the corner. The gardening/sports teacher was George Fountain. Tough but fair and I could be a little sod. The headmaster was a a Mr Bancroft (Banger) ……he was a looming dark presence who scared the life out of everyone, he was genuinely terrifying. Best wishes…Malcolm

@@davidrevitt7470 It’s his sister Finn David……She’s damaged her cruciate ligament….second time she’s done it, and it takes about two or three month to get over. There are operations but at 14 she’s too old as it requires 8 weeks in a cage, which would be almost impossible for her. But she’s recovered before. Very best wishes….Malcolm

I’m not sure what you mean by root shoot George…..if you mean a sucker arising from the ground then probably no. Most liquidambars are grafted, so even if you got the sucker to grow….which might be possible, it wouldn’t be the same as your tree but that of the rootstock which is likely a seedling Liquidambar styraciflua.

Thanks for that Malcolm..yes it would be a sucker so not worth persuing. @@plantsmanscorner128 th

@@VerdantSoul “Creating the perfect consumers…..” I had never thought of that Verdant, we certainly have a consumerist society,frighteningly so, and here the main focus of our governments of all shades is ‘growth’…..not sure how you increase growth without more rampant consumerism. National happiness is always measured by money, never contentment, happiness or personal fulfilment…..but then perhaps that’s how the majority of people think, and it’s easy for me to suggest considering such things when I’m relatively comfortably off and not living in a tent eating baked beans from the tin. The heathers extend for about 20 miles south and west from here….deep into the Yorkshire dales and they are very dramatic in august, beekeepers love them, the bees moreso, and heather honey attracts a premium price….for us consumers!……I must be careful with politics and religion or I’ll get another KZbin warning! I will take a look at your pond. Very best wishes….Malcolm

@@JoseMartinez-df2db Here in the UK Jose the common name is ‘Bugbane’. It was once used to keep insects away….obviously not the flower as that’s highly attractive to them, so I suspect it was the foliage. Best wishes…..Malcolm

@@gilliansmyth7167 Yes you can Gillian…..I would probably do it late winter or into spring. There is a method known as hatracking that can be used on hollies (and other plants). It is quite drastic and occasionally the plant doesn’t recover. I’ve taken a 30ft holly down to 8ft in height and from 12ft wide to 5ft wide….but it also takes a couple of years to thicken back up. When it does the result can be astounding, however there is always some risk. If your plants are too big then sometimes our head has to rule our heart, particularly if they are blocking light or access, and just reduce them. I think the timing is most important and if it were me I’d give them a whack in late March. I don’t know if this will work but here’s an interesting video….not quite how I’d do it but you might get the principle ….. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXazY4aXhrSrfpo Hope that helps….best wishes…Malcolm

@@peterdaubney3100 ….If you’re in the UK Peter and you’ve not found it by May…..I’ll send you some cutting material. Or you can try Eggleston for a plant…..but the postage is quite expensive on finished plants.

@@plantsmanscorner128 ah wow, thanks for the reply Malcolm!..:). That is really kind of you, yes I live near Hastings. I have sent an email to Eggleston and will continue to look locally and online. I have the white perennial one but would love a pink one. Have to echo the comment below especially about your pond, just beautiful. thanks again for replying, means a lot🙂. All the best to you and yours

@@jimkrahn7079 Thank you Jim…..I have done that without the PEG, then cooked it in 20-30 second bursts in the microwave, letting it cool down in between……But it is quite a faff on……so I only do it with small bits of laburnum which along with yew is my favourite wood from in the UK…..my least favourite I some 3 foot chunks of elm that have been dry stored for 50 years and are like turning concrete…..and I have the most of that. Which is annoying. Anyway, thank you for the suggestion and I’ll give it a go. Best wishes…Malcolm

@@patgentry7268 Not a thorn Pat…..a cruciate ligament damaged. She did the other back leg last year and took about 6 months to recover. I expect it to be the same this time. Operations on cruciate ligaments cost thousands and are rarely successful and the dog has to be caged for several weeks, small dogs I am told can recover quite well given time….a serious operation is not something she wants in her 14th year….we just lift her on the bed and stuff, but she gets around and up the stairs ok and isn’t in pain while it heals itself. best wishes…Malcolm

@@cew9837 I’ve never thought of making mustard….its one of my favourite accompaniments….well English mustard is…..I’m a bit unadventurous with food really, slightest sniff of being “foreign” and my face looks like a smacked arse…..I have absolutely no idea why and I’m quite ashamed of it really…..Will look into mustard and thanks for the tip cew. Best wishes…Malcolm

The viability of the seed is nearly always disappointing Simon….some trees never produce viable seed some about 5%…..a good tree with regular viable seed can earn you a great deal of cash. They are so frustrating. Thank you for the kind comment. Best wishes…Malcolm

@@judykatchen1834 I’m not sure which plants you mean Judy…..but there is a lot of heather….and the sort of shimmering grasses are a mixture of bents and fescues….there are also a lot of rush and sedges, along with bracken(ferns)…..the primary colour though is purple in August with the heather. They’re all specialist moorland plants, along with huge amounts of sphagnum moss in the wet areas, ditches and becks. The dogs love running through it….maybe not the old girl currently who has done a cruciate ligament again….but her brother adores running through heather and grass despite his 14th year. Best wishes…Malcolm

Hello Matt…..the plant is ‘Dactylorhiza fuchsii’…..it’s commonly known as the common spotted orchid and is quite widespread throughout the British isles. It is very similar to Dactylorhiza maculata, and the ones I have may be a hybrid of the two, it’s hard to say because I’ve grown both and have been fortunate enough to have seedlings over the years…..but they are very similar, I just think it’s more similar to pure fuchsii. I don’t know where you are in the world Matt, but you should find a supplier somewhere easy enough. They are not difficult to grow and are fully hardy….they even sow themselves into other pots of plants occasionally on the nursery, often their worth more than the plant they’ve colonised! But they never become a pest or invasive. They clump up over time and you can lift and divide off shoots as they emerge in spring….pot them up into 9cm pots and grow on for a year. Hope this helps…..best wishes….Malcolm

@@plantsmanscorner128 Thank you, Malcom! I'll let you know how they do here in Philadelphia.