Hi Nature's Babe, glad to see you back and thanks for the link. You are quite right when you say that there are ways of controlling pests and diseases without having to use chemicals and, for the most part, that is what I do. There are times however, when everything else has failed, that there is no...

Well said Elaine, I agree wholeheartedly with all your points. Having tried organic supermarket vegetables and been disappointed in the flavour, I was staggered at the difference when I tasted my home grown. Pesticides etc are a last resort for me too; I think JB calls it pragmatic gardening. The wh...

Hi Flowergirl, I too can sympathise. When we first created our raised beds here we discovered that when the house extension was built 10 years previously they had spread all of the blue clay that was dug out for the foundations over the area that was then covered in geotextile and used as a plant nu...

Hi, Alan.
Happy Saint David's Day to you too. I would have posted an almost identical post to JB - our wild daffodils have just started to open today and we are experiencing glorious sunshine with the buzzards calling overhead. Wonderful.

Regards, Diane

Thanks, Monika. I will add them to the list of ones to look out for. We are very limited for choice in this area so I might have to try the Internet, however, I'm a bit reluctant to order any without having tried them first. Never in my days of living in town did I think I would ever be concerned wi...

Beryl and Elle - thank you for your suggestions ladies and for the feedback regarding MuckBoots. Neoprene lined wellies sound like a great idea, standard ones are pretty cold in winter even with thicker socks. As you say EG they are expensive but if they last and fulfil all the other criteria it mig...

Thanks for your replies. Hi Shallot Man and Primrose - Hunter's are ridiculously priced - I think their market is the people who live in 'up market' rural areas but don't actually do any work ! Argyll's are made by the same people but are half the price - which is still quite pricey (mine were a pre...

Hi All, I am looking for a replacement for my Argyll wellington boots which I have had for about 2 years and found them to be the most comfortable pair I have ever owned. In addition to that they have soles that don’t stick in the mud and are not so heavily cleated that they pick up stones (we have ...

I agree with you Bergamot. I too am relatively new and it is great to find answers to questions on the forum and it is also good to know you are not alone with your problems. It is nice that people are so willing to share their experiences, good and bad and offer advice so freely. On the weather fro...

Hi there, RF
Thanks for your input. I would be really interested to see the results of your trial, if you think about posting after the harvest. I'm sure others on here, especially beginners like me, would find it helpful to know which ones faired best.

Regards,

Diane.

Hi OH and JB, Looks like I have a use for the left over insulation from our workshop build!!! I'll be prepared next winter should I decide to try again in the autumn. I managed to get hold of some ‘spring planting’ garlic bulbs this morning so wish me luck with this lot which I will pot up later tod...

Hi JB, thanks for your reply. I did wonder if the exceptional sustained cold was the problem and you have confirmed that belief. I have now checked all the batch and have had to consign them all to the bin. I think it might be better for me to plant in spring in future to be on the safe side. I now ...

Because our soil is clay, I start my garlic off in pots in Autumn and keep them in the cold greenhouse overwinter to plant out in Spring. This has worked for me for the last 3 years but this year it has been a complete failure. The bulbs started into growth but the the shoots stopped growing at less...

Thanks for your replies - most helpful. It is clear, from what you have all said, that I have been planting my seed much too shallowly which would explain why the yields have not been great and I did get quite a few exposed green ones as well. I was trying to get three varieties in a relatively smal...

Evening all, I have been following this thread with interest. I don’t have a lot of space for potatoes but like to grow a few and from your comments it would seem that Maris Bard would be a good variety for me to try as they seem to be pretty versatile. Unfortunately it is too late for this year as ...