Happy Birthday(sorry I'm late, been away on Grandad baby sitting duties).

One of the worlds finest rain dances, stick 6 bits of wood in the ground and get some blokes dressed in white to dance round them, guaranteed to rain

Not seen a Ladybird up here yet.

We have a lot of these in the garden just now, Silver Y moths

Not too keen on the Red Cherry, a bit mushy texture, though that might be my fault going on holiday in the middle of the growing season .

They are late making nests, we are getting the drunken crawling ones now, maybe from Plumpuddings wine!!

sally wright wrote:Dear Colin,
what about some large headed nails in the raised bed edge such as felt nails to loop the net over. They should keep the net in place I think.
Regards Sally Wright.

I used some galvanized roofing felt nails, trouble was the net can tear when it's windy.

Happens to mine every year, though it was later this year, fortunately usually long after the flowering has finished, so I have sort of accepted it as a part of nature. Tried squashing them, but it had little effect and like you I don't like to use chemicals.

I grew Lark and F1 Swift last year, both very nice.

Suttons F1 Sundance, Plumpudding, quite light coloured but nice and juicy.

The Sweetcorn must be around 8 or 9 feet tall, I notice a ridge cucumber has crawled through too.

Despite the heat (not as hot as doon sooth mind) and a two week holiday away, the greenhouse is earning it's keep again.

One way to find out, I would suggest as big as possible and plenty of good manure in it too.

I'm lifting some Charlottes and they are nice and clean, not a massive crop, but very tasty.

I don't grow runner beans, I prefer French beans and they have been very good this year as have the Broad beans, the brassicas seem to be doing well too, had our first Romanesc the other day and white cabbage and some purple broc are not far away.

Happy Birthday