Congratulations. I confess I'm not a pot washer, if they are dry I reckon they wipe clean well enough.

A cuckoo would be just that to turn up here, I'd recommend going back to Africa, snow and below minus five overnight, snowing again now.

Great to hear from you, pity birthday post didn't flush out more old timers like Alan. Sounds like you are thriving. What a great project/ business you have set up, obviously keeping you alert and active, long may it continue!

Have a good day - I see you are maintaining your watching brief over us. Perhaps spotting your birthday will tempt some others out of the shadows to contribute again.

I wish you hadn't asked that - set me off on a half-hearted survey! I seem to have about 100 trays/modular trays planted up, 9 sets of full rootrainers and 1200 pots. Highlights in the pots are 121 sweet peas, 159 chrysants (old shooting stools and new cuttings), 27 dahlia tubers set to sprout, 69 t...

"Oh, to be in England, Now that April's there" - I suppose it depends on where you are (unless you are on a promise from April of course).

Nothing damaged thanks. I haven't got anything outside but I have stuff under cloches in the cold greenhouse and the polytunnel only I didn't put the cloches back over them last night. It wasn't at its coldest for very long so it didn't get into them but the cloches are back on tonight and fleece ov...

Brrrrr and Grrrrr! I look at three different versions of my weather forecast and none had frost for last night, what did we get -2.9°C! Haven't ventured out yet to inspect, still -2.1°.

Consolation, my son (GP) says a reaction is a good sign it is having some effect. Might be that he has had two Pfizer doses and reacted to them both and I have had one AstroZeneca with no effects, second booked for 10th April.

Sweetcorn do really well in rootrainers. You can leave them in for quite a while until they have a solid root system that is easy to transplant and they then grow away strongly. Germination rate is usually high (good job as the sweet F1s aren't cheap) so sow at one per cell and don't waste seed or s...

I'm afraid I can't cope with sacrificing a dog for a cat.

If you crack it you'll make your fortune! Had to go to the eye hospital recently and the first thing they did was tape my mask to my face. I've always had the same problem trying to use a dust mask and safety glasses at the same time when angle grinding and the like.

As I understand it there are two technical reasons for not direct sowing in pots as large as 3". Firstly, normally seeds are sown in a compost that is low in nutrients (I think it is because a rich compost can inhibit germination) so leaving the young plant in this type of compost for a long ti...

First in the new series of a good Friday night bottle and swear at the telly.

I've not had anything as high as 16, 13 and 11 the last two days, but it has felt very pleasant in the sunshine. All sorts of things stirring; pond full of thrashing frogs and spawn; insects on the heathers that are flowering beautifully include various types of bumble bees, ladybirds and tortoisesh...