Our small pond had heaps of frog spawn when I looked yesterday, which is unusual as the larger pond is usually first. That is full of noisy frogs, but no spawn yet.

My sister-in-law had been staying over night and asked why the bedroom had been shaking at 1 am she thought it was a ghost! I'm afraid we'd been out celebrating my birthday and never heard a thing, but the whole of the rest of the neighbourhood had got up and switched their lights on to see what was...

I agree, it is a beautiful book, seasonal recipes, recommends her favourite varieties and mostly nice straightforward recipes - beautiful photos too. It is a pleasure to use.

The French idea sounds really good Goldilox, as cost is a more motivating force than anything for most people.

So long as the information in the magazine relates to the month it says on the cover, then it is better to receive it a few weeks early so you can plan your gardening jobs, or send for things you want to use the next month. It gets confusing and annoying when the events have already happened, or the...

I must say that I'm glad Organic Gardening has changed back. It is 23rd Feb and I've just received my March magazine covering what to do in March. It is so much simpler than having to check exactly what dates all the information applies to.

I bought one quite a while ago and did find it helped, but the last time I used it it didn't seem to be working, so while I was all hooked up, I turned the knob to full power and nothing happened, then I thought I might not have plugged it in properly. What a fright, the shock of being hit with full...

Compo, I've just seen one today, in one of those catalogues they start sending you when you reach 50 - along with the incontinence pads, things to stretch waistbands, and gadgets to pick things up without having to bend down. It is the Solutions catalogue, order online at www.renwoods.com Battery wi...

Thanks for reviving it Alan, I'm waiting for the nettles to start growing here.

That's lovely Lizzie, I know what to cook for dinner tonight now thank you.

I should be able to dig the leeks up today - I couldn't get them out of the ground yesterday everything was frozen solid.

The trees looked beautiful here too yesterday, but the temperature inside one greenhouse had gone down to -8 C. Good job I hadn't anything important in there. The rhubarb stems round the outside of the plant have collapsed beyond recovery, but the central stalks have perked up again now it has thawe...

The Jerusalem artichoke recipes were delicious and prompted me to dig lots up. We just enjoy them and put up with the consequences. Fortunately we don't inflate painfully, just have a smelly tuneful evening!!! Not good if you go out after dinner. I wonder whether using fennel or dill to the recipe w...

If you want to reduce the side shoots a bit you can grow new plants from them just by planting them in individual pots. They root very easily and you get another plant that will fruit a little later - extending the cropping period. I usually do this with my cordon tomatoes, just selecting the first ...

I've not put the plastic down yet as the ground didn't thaw out much at all, but I checked the temperature under some black plastic I had put out a couple of weeks ago before the cold weather, and at lunch time the soil under the black plastic was still frozen whereas the open soil next to it was wa...

I'll have to try growing some brassicas in the greenhouse and see what happens.

I must say I also grow some tagetes outside among the veg in summer and don't have a whitefly problem, but only notice them in winter when there aren't any flowers about.