Flame gun

[terambulan]

Anyone know where I can get a flame gun to burn weeds.....its dock and thistle!

[Ice.Maiden]

You need a good weedkiller that gets down to the roots. They can go deep with these plants, especially thistles.

[terambulan]

The seeds attract lots of interesting and pretty birds so I prefer to burn them.

[Ice.Maiden]

Not the birds, I hope!!

[terambulan]

No, not the birds....its after seeding; the birds usually eat most of the seeds but then the dock and thistle blacken and look a mess.

[Ice.Maiden]

I know hun. We have an area of the garden that's left to nature - on purpose, but it can get very messy, as you say.

[terambulan]

'course my neighbours don't appreciate thistle flying about in summer but c'mon we don't all want sanitised lives! I see flocks of plovers, finches and woodpeckers. Much nicer than exotic plants. Another oddity in spring is flocks of sea gulls over a neighbouring field and we're 80 miles from the sea?

[Ice.Maiden]

No - seagulls come inland. We get them where we are as well. Are you near to a river?
Luckily, I don't have to worry what neighbours think, because I haven't got any immediate ones, but I'm with you on the "exotic plants" and carefully manicured gardens. They all look the same!! I like trees, and woody shrubs such as rhodedendrons, which fortunately we have of both. The wildlife's amazing, but oddly enough, I've only seen one woodpecker.

[woofgang]

I have one of these
http://www.gonegardening.com/xq/ASP/dept_id.40 26/pf_id.7704000/referer./qx/gg_shop/product.h tm

works pretty well, but if you have acres, you can get a bigger one
http://www.lpg-farming.co.uk/organic-farming/w eed-burner.htm

[terambulan]

thanx Woofgang but have had a good tip from our lovely Polish people.....they chuck old deisel on the weeds, strike a match and run!
You're right Ice-maiden I think the seagulls are terns. I only see them thru binoculars but wonder why they return to same spot each year around March?

[Ice.Maiden]

Probably because there's a rich supply of food where you are. Seagulls come inland when the tide covers their feeding places, or if the weather on the coast's severe. Seems they just like where you are!!