These are my greenhouse strawbs that I allowed to take over the borders. An early French variety, ciflorette. Can't wait! I'm doubly pleased as I promised hubby that I'd do my best to have home grown strawbs ready for his birthday on 4th May, which is looking likely now. A nice treat.

Quality control is so important, isn't it OH?!

I've been continuing work on clearing, digging and topping up my raised beds which were neglected last year due to eye issues. It's so good to see them coming into productivity again. I've got plenty going on in the greenhouse and put my tomato plants (still in pots) back in there today after bringi...

To see this! I've been watching it like a hawk for the last week, now it's a question of who gets it first tomorrow - the woodlice, hubby or me, in that order of probability.

I'm afraid every one I have found in my greenhouse has been promptly stepped on and squished. I have used nematodes this year but they can take a while to get settled in so I resorted to a heavy stomp. Very quick and chemical free, too.

@Colin2016 - how long does a full battery charge last? Roughly how many hours of pumping do you get from it?

I should have added that this type of thing is probably more relevant than ever as we move into a peat-free world as peat-free composts generally don't have the same water retention qualities of previous times and need to be kept constantly moist as they're much harder to get wet again.

I really must get out and tackle topping up my raised beds. I've had some bulk compost delivered but it's some distance between the compost and the beds with a muddy lake in between the two, not ideal for dragging a wheelbarrow through! I might enlist some help on that, though, as time is ticking wi...

Has anyone tried these? I'm having a look as although I can run a hose on a time out to my greenhouses, our water flow and pressure are so low, the water doesn't make it through the tubes to all of the outlets, only 50% at best. I can't get a mains power supply out the greenhouses due to distance. I...

My greenhouse sowings are coming along nicely, with plenty of brassicas and flowers. Some duds from old seed that I took a chance on, so I've already re-sown with newer seed. I suspect that seeds that languished in my greenhouse last year got too hot and have gone crispy, so I shall have a sort out ...

I've been out with the nematodes today. The blighters are having a nibble on my newly emerging asparagus, and that just won't do. I don't mind losing a bit of excess parsley, but I have limits to my mollusc feeding generosity. It has been a glorious day here in Deepest Darkest and the first of last ...

Anyone fancy a freshly opened but mostly unused packet of collard green seeds? See the post in 'Best Practices' first, though!

Oh blimey, thanks Westi! Forewarned is forearmed! In that case, I'm not sure that I will give the plot space to them. I prefer to lightly cook my greens and don't fancy anything that needs boiling to oblivion and back just to make it edible. There are so many delicious things to grow that I don't be...

Has anyone tried these? Apparently, they're very popular in the US and I've seen them mentioned in lots of cookery articles. They're not quite the same as kale or spring greens.
I saw some seeds for them, so bought a packet and have now sown some, so I can report back later in the year.

It's a squelch-athon in the bog that passes for our garden. We're on heavy clay and I can't see this much water draining properly much before mid-April. My kitchen garden is all raised beds, but the greenhouse borders are flooded as they're at regular ground level plus a few inches. Anyhow, I've got...