Lovely plumage which I imagine must glow in the sunshine . Have they been sneaking a few feathers from any neighbouring peacocks ?

Seems however long you are breeding chickens Alan there is still always something new to learn !
You seem to have plenty on nice long grass for them to forage around in, not like the dried up drought stricken turf we have here in the south east.

Wise, I think, to consider moving your plant indoors fairly soon. Tempting g to take advantage of the daytime sunshine and temperatures but just one night of low temperatures can put the plant into shock which may mean you risk losing all the remaining fruit on it which would be a great shame. I mov...

Wise, I think, to consider moving your plant indoors fairly soon. Tempting g to take advantage of the daytime sunshine and temperatures but just one night of low temperatures can put the plant into shock which may mean you risk losing all the remaining fruit on it which would be a great shame. I mov...

Very imaginative. My gardening friends will love that one !

Just cleared two large patio pots of tomatoes. Mixing the compost in them with lots of grass cuttings and other compostable material like banana skins to recharge the compost for a couple of weeks before putting a few pansies to brighten up the winter. This works very well for me. I never have to ch...

Geoff, do you shred and compost a lot of your surplus paper then?

I'm out too. One butternut squash for a plant that ended up taking almost a half of my growing area is not a good use of space. I had a second small one which starting rotting at one end. I chopped the rotten part off and covered the bare flesh with clingfilm in the hope it would ripen enough to eat...

This is interesting Stephen and obviously concerning as it's a similar story to how fish and other marine creatures are being affected by micro plastics in the oceans. What is is worrying is the mention of micro plastics in manures. It would seem that whilst many of us are adding manure from various...

This is such a nice vegetable. I can,t understand why it is isn,t more widely grown and sadly you rarely see it sold in supermarkets. It's delicious raw in salads and coleslaws. Sadly my entire crop was devastated by pigeons this year before I even had time to put a protective covering over them.

A useful guide Alan. Thanks although I suspect I may approach my next roast duck and orange salad meal with slightly less enthusiasm after reading about their diet preferences!

Our brown slug population has increased massively. I used not to remember seeing those massive big brown ones in our garden at all but when I look out on our patio in the mornings now their silvery slime trails are everywhere and the faster I despatch them, the faster they seem to increase. I think ...

A shame about the disappearances but three years of peaceful and stress free retirement if you're a chicken is lovely way to round upyour story.

Many happy returns. Hope the sun has been shining for you .

Sounds like your sister has plenty of land for them Stephen. It's lovely to think of them all gradually exploring and enjoying a new life of freedom. I bet this is the first chance they have for their individual personalities to start showing themselves.