Leave them on for show? I like to eat mine!

No harm done Colin - got us all worked up for a moment there!

Must admit I've never tried any sort of scientific trial Primrose. Hanging them in the plants is new to me last year - just thought I'd give it a try, but to be honest, they may have ripened anyway! I am pretty sure they do help if the fruit is picked and placed close by a ripe banana or banana skin...

Here's my latest sowings. The ones in the ground were sown on 6 April and are just ready for harvesting (Ishikura). The ones in the tray ('Lilia') were sown on 23 June. So 12-13 weeks for the first harvests. So quicker than parsnips, but slower than mustard!

I knew an old gardener who would trap the pheasants that came looking for his peas using a wire mesh 'cage' baited with corn and propped up on a stick at one end. He reckoned they went well with peas! Yes, tight netting helps prevent them getting caught in the first place. It is a bit expensive but ...

Never suffered with that problem thankfully, but will certainly be aware next time. I have heard that sap in combination with hot weather makes it worse - something to do with your skin being more sensitive or open pores or something, but that may be rubbish! When I worked on a nursery thousands of ...

Just got another KG off to press! What's this about taking tomatoes off the plant to ripen? That way lies madness! They'll ripen when they ripen, although like most I do take them off as the weather worsens in the autumn and grey mould and blight are rife. I have been known to hang a few banana skin...

Yes foxgloves are biennials or short-lived perennials best treated as biennials. In other words they grow one year, flower the next. Had a lovely show of white ones this year and hope to save seeds, but also want to try 'Suttons Apricot' which is lovely for a dark corner under trees and shrubs.

Good idea Johnboy, thank you! Yes you are right about pods hiding away - kept finding more even as I was putting the haulms into the compost bin!

Yes more closely related to leeks than onions (or garlic).

You can plant in spring or autumn, but you are right - I think the bulbs need a long growing period and cold conditions to form good cloves, otherwise you find that lots will form complete bulbs with no cloves - although these are still tasty. So to answer your question (eventually) Plumpudding I pl...

Like garlic, but milder. I think they are delicious, especially baked whole in the oven!

No matter how fast I harvest, mangetout peas always get away from me! Just harvested the last of my 'Shiraz'. Glad to say they make delicious peas as I'm sure you chaps already know. These are going into a salad tonight to sweeten things up.

You can grow them on Robo. In fact you may find that any bulbils left in the ground after harvesting the parents will sprout of their own accord and grow on for next year, but you can of course carefully separate them. I'd tend to plant them rather than store them as I think they might dry out, bein...

Yes maybe Westi although my friend wondered if it was just a trait of 'Tumbling Tom Red'. It will be interesting to see how the 'Ildi' perform.

Liking the idea of the stuffed marrow Westi. Anything involving cheese is alright by me! You might have the answer.

Do you know Primrose you could be right - I hadn't thought of that!