Dear Peter, the best bit of advice I can give you is to colour code the corners with spray paint. Two blobs onto each piece where the roof meets the sides and the end. At the bottom where the walls meet the base plate one blob. This will ensure that all the pieces go back in the right direction. Don...

Dear Johnboy,
I had heard that chard was recommended as an alternative to spinach for those who could not tolerate the high quantities of OA, so I had assumed that it contained none. I was not aware that it still contained a small quantity. Useful information that.
Regards Sally Wright.

Dear Mick, is the flight path; that is the route south from the hive going to be across your plot? If it is then you will have a problem. Bees resent anyone wandering into their "airspace" and will fly at you. If it is not then the bees will usually leave people well alone. As they die whe...

Dear C-B girl, they may not be poisonous but they will not be at all tasty. They are what is known as inedible. If you want pretty squash to look at before you eat them I would recommend some of the following, harlequin, festival, sweet dumpling, turks turban, jack-be-little. The organic gardening c...

Dear Johnboy,
chard does not contain oxalic acid because it is a member of the beetroot family and not a member of the spinach family. But I do agree with hacking it down to get rid of the chewy stuff.
Regards Sally Wright.

Dear Bigpepperplant, put a pan of water on to boil. Thinly shred the chard into strips and when the water is boiling put a steamer on the top with the chard in it. 5 minutes later put some gnocchi into the boiling water and wait a further 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile grate some blue cheese, or smoked chee...

Dear All,
the strangest thing we have found in the compost heaps at work was a fake robin made of plastic with feathers glued on to it. We think it must have been part of a christmas decoration of some kind.
Regards Sally Wright.
ps the nest of grass snake eggs was a little un-nerving too.

Dear Poppyseed,
I have found capsid or shield bugs in mine; they are usually green and hide very well in the foliage and are not always found before consumption. (they taste VILE!!!)
Regards Sally Wright.

Dear Chez, I am still about, but I have had some big personal problems recently and they have put me off schedule and I have been very busy trying to catch up. By the time I look at the forum the questions already have the right answer so I tend not to bother. It is nice to be missed though. Regards...

Dear All, what about Margurite Patton? Her 1000 favourite recipes is the cook book that spends most of it's time in the kitchen in my house. Closely followed by her 500 recipes for jams, pickles and chutneys. Others who I use are Delia, Madhur Jaffrey, Elizabeth Luard and of course Elizabeth David. ...

Dear Old Herbaceous, I have a copy, and mine's autographed! I got it at strawberry fair in Cambridge where the Central council of Cambridge allotments had a stall and I was helping to run it. I had been for a wander round (as one does at these things) and bought it off a bookstall. Later on this cha...

Dear Mazmezroz, Semi ripes at the end of July. Take them from as low down the tree as possible as this will give the beter rooting potential. Bits about 6" long set round the edge of a six inch pot which has been filled with a mix of 2/3 peat based compost and 1/3 sand. Trim the cuttings just b...

Dear Pigletwillie, I have grown both SM and Roma and I can agree with the others. Sm is prone to B.E.R and Roma is less able to deal with blight. So if you can predict the weather for this summer Roma should be grown in very hot dry conditions and SM in dull and damp conditions. Grow some of each an...

Dear Mezmaroz,
undo the clip from the jar and place the clip under neath the metal lug on the lid and lever it up using the rest of the clip. This is not an easy thing to describe how to do so I hope that I have been clear enough.
Regards Sally Wright.

Dear Pigletwillie, don't use soapy water as the soap will ruin the waxy cuticle on the leaves. Use a solution of vinegar and water and spray it onto the plant and wait to let the mould soften and then wipe off with a soft cotton rag (or similar). It will also get rid of any limescale deposits. Regar...