Yes, we had frost last night but everything was well covered or wrapped up. Today's daytime temperature is up to 20C - incredibly warm for April. Our daughter took me to a large garden centre not far from here yesterday and I was amazed how much frost damage they had had over the last few days on ha...

The first frost free morning for 13 nights - whoopee! I suppose it's the price you have to pay for almost daily wall to wall sunshine and clear nights .... But it has been wonderful weather for outside gardening and walking. We could do with a bit of rain now - the total precipitation for April to d...

It looks like the last night frost here last night for a little while - I hope so. Even the broad beans looked rather sorry for themselves every morning though they always perked up again. We have lost most of the new foliage on our Buddleia davidii bushes and we think the Buddleia alternifolia has ...

I have often wondered why KG comes out about six weeks before the actual date on the cover. Many other magazines do the same, but usually it's not as critical as in a gardening mag.

I know, Geoff, I feel sorry for the poor birds trying to find insects in this weather. We also saw the first pipistrelle bat out about 10 days ago (when it was a lovely warm evening!) and hope it's gone back into hibernation. Snowing here at his minute.

"Our" cuckoo usually arrives between 20th and 30th April, occasionally a little earlier (last year it was 19th) and sometimes a little later. Just for interest, in 1908, the first cuckoo was heard in the area on 30th April, so not much change. We have seen the first swallow (7th April), ch...

It's a white white world out there! We had heavy snow early last night, followed by clear skies and -3C, so the snow is sticking to the trees, walls, everywhere. It does look very pretty in the bright sunshine, but I fear for all the plants already out. Just seen a pair of blackcaps and a chiffchaff...

Hello, Johnboy, great to hear from you and especially to hear that you are keeping busy in the horticultural business! Keep going! I Hope you and your family will be able to have a big birthday do when allowed.

What a pity, Primrose. You won't be the only one so affected - it's been a right snorter of a night .....

Happy Birthday, Johnboy! Take care and do pay your old friends a visit sometime!

It might be lovely and sunny but, by golly, that wind is vicious. Even our garden pond froze over last night. Everything will be well wrapped up and covered with fleece the next few nights, I think. Warmer weather to come next week .....

Strangely, I was lamenting to my son yesterday that I am running our of pots. I always grow too many tomato and pepper plants, pot them up into approx. 10cm pots and then give most of them away! So this year I am seriously short of roughly that size. Many of our pots are at least 40 years old becaus...

It may not be suitable for your site, Primrose, but the 'grower frame' from DT Brown with a micro mesh cover is 1m x 3m x 1m, the supports made of steel and easy to access (two large zipped openings) and can be used year after year in different places. We have used ours for five years now, first on ...

retropants, we love kalettes (or flower sprouts as they are also known). Their taste is not like sprouts or kale, much more like savoy cabbage. The beauty is that you can pick just as many as you need, rather than having a large cabbage to feed a crowd when there are only two of you! Unfortunately, ...

Ah, well, Geoff, don't ever trust the forecasts ...... I didn't and covered up anything 'touchy', just in case.