What a cheek!

[Caro]

My next door neighbour is one of those blessed types who always seems to fall on her feet. There's always someone ready and willing to help, babysit, knit, sew and even shop for her. The lady who used to own our house felt so sorry for her starving husband that she'd drop off groceries twice a week -AFTER she'd moved away! Neighbour is an artistic type

And that ran to her garden. She's been befriended by, hmmmm, let's call him Jim. (Well, it is his name). And he's given her untold help on her little veg garden. He digs, he plants, he waters etc etc. He's a bit of an old-fashioned garden enthusiast, claims all sorts of expertise and experience. In fact, he's taken over almost to the point where it drives my neighbour slightly demented. She's lost control of her own wee patch.

I even used to listen to him and ask for advice. Well, when i got my new greenhouse and raised beds put in at the bottom of the garden last year, I heard through my neighbour that Jim said my greenhouse was in the wrong place and facingthe wrong way. How the h*** does he know if it's in the wrong place?! I know that for ideal gardening in ideal conditions, blah blah blah. but this IS my garden; the greenhouse went where it fitted!

Well, to top it all, OH and I were industriously cleaning the greenhouse at the weekend, Jayes fluid and milton all over the place. Took us hours. It all sparkles. Well, snidey jim came over and said to OH "Oh, you're just cleaning your greenhouse now? I've got my first toms on the go already" etc etc. Well, perhaps he has a heated greenhouse, but I don't and this is Scotland and the temperature is still below freezing every night. So I may be a novice but i know toms won't survive that.

He's absolutely the opposite of everyone on here. Only gives advice to make himself feel superior, and now i've seen how he overwaters next door's greenhouse and makes it literally green all over, green moss, green algae, yuck - well, I don't believe he's all that anyway. So nyah to him!

Rant over, feel better, thank you

[Nicos]

...tis good that you feel bonded to us then eh????


(fingers crossed your toms turn out better than his!!!!( not that I'm at all competitive!!!)

[ginger ninger]

Sounds like a right d..k h..d to be honest caro, people like him have to make themselves feel important because there usually lacking in other areas

[Jeanied]

I agree with Ginger - and a 'gardener' who knows it all is a liar!

[binley100]

He sounds a right plonker. May your greenhouse flourish and he ends up with egg on his face.

[valmarg]

There are two types of gardener (roughly). 1. the helpful, and 2. the knowitall, it doesnt matter what you are doing it is wrong. Your neighbour's friend Jim seems to fall into category 2.

Gardening is a very broad church, we all have successes and failures, but the beauty of it is that we keep on trying.

There are a lot of the 'you don't do that like that' out there, but I think there are far more helpful souls who are happy and willing to give you the benefit of their experience.

valmarg

[Caro]

Thank you all. I shall try to restrict my rants to once a month. After all, my stupid novice questions take up the rest of the time

But seriously, I think this is a fab resource full of fab people with fab advice. Or a good laugh even when there's no advice forthcoming.

I shall let you know how I get on with my toms (free 4 pack courtesy of GYO). Emboldened by my allotment gardening evening course tutor, I'm going for ring culture. Gulp

[kirsty b]

Good for him - sounds a bit of an @rse tbh.

I have no seeds started at all yet. My GH not heated (or cleaned yet ), and still freezing at night here.

All in good time.........don't let him get to you lovey xx

[Flummery]

There's an old saying "Every gardener knows better than every other gardener."

To be honest, there's very often no single 'right way' to do any gardening job. There are better and worse ways, there are favourite ways, there are ways that I always do it because it works for me, etc.

He's up his own trouser bottom and completely out of order. You don't become great by making others appear small.

Stick with us, kid, we'll make you a star!

[Sprocket*]

Caro, are you on the opposite side of my know it all neighbour - with his perfect soil and his perfect veg.....grrrrrr...... (his allotment has been tended by his family for the last 30 years

Just do what I do, stand there smile sweetly then go in the shed and kick the watering can - then go out and do your own thing.

[zazen999]

Hi Jim, how are you doing. We were wondering if you could give us advice on growing crops in a greenhouse all year round - we really fancy having some of those salads that you are growing in Sue's greenhouse, are they microgreens? How often do you chop them down and eat them, do you just toss them in a salad or do you have to cook them.

What, you aren't growing any microgreens....what's that green algae like stuff in there then.

Oh, algae; don't you get that from overwatering? Does that mean the soil is unhealthy then? Doesn't that kill all the wonderful worms then? I think we'll stick to our own methods then, we don't want to kill anything.

* shouts 'Mr Caro, back to plan A it would seem'.

*wanders off laughing to ones-self.

[Nicos]

just make sure you have someone else earmarked for watering duties if you ever need to go away for a few days!!!

[sweetiepea]

Hey guys you've got it all wrong. That's not algae growing in 'Jim's' greenhouse - it pure envy! Keep up the good work Caro. You're on the right track and have an army here to back you up.

[Two_Sheds]

There's an old saying "Every gardener knows better than every other gardener."

Too true. There's one for drivers as well - you're the only one driving at the right speed, everyone else is too slow or too fast.

[OllieMartin]

When I get too know-it-all-y with my family they cure me with two short words.

They're universally accepted, I'm sure he'd know what you meant by them and he probably wouldn't bother you too much afterwards.
You could even preceed them with, "Oh, why don't you just...", that way he'll know you bit your tongue for a while before resorting to them.

Failing that working, it doesn't sound like anything a good hard kick in the ear wouldn't cure.