All you birdwatchers: have your wheatears arrived this year? We usually have up to ten birds arriving by the end of March, many passing through, but two or three pairs stay in the area to breed, but this year there has not been a single sighting to date! What has gone wrong? There has not been any c...

I agree with Belinda, I wouldn't move them. Hedgehogs range quite far every night, but they do prefer to make their own choices.

Kings Seeds and Suffolk Herbs sell it in 500g packets, I think.

Just a timely warning: 25 years ago, on 23, 24 and 25 April 1982, our village at the southern end of the Yorkshire Dales was snowed in with drifts blocking the narrow roads between dry stone walls. My husband John was first to get through with our Landrover on the morning of 25th and the wind blew t...

First swallow here yesterday, Monday 16th April wich is a little later than last year but earlier than the year before.

Thank you, Sue. I have checked and yes, it's scale insect all right, so I will start squashing!

No doubt: Anya for real potato taste.

No cuckoo yet in our village, but the willow warblers and blackcaps arrived yesterday, very much on cue, in fact, the willow warblers arrived on the same day (11 April) in 2005 and 2004 (18 April in 2006). Isn't amazing that the thousands of miles they travel to get here, their arrival times stay so...

Our small bay tree which spent the winter in the unheated greenhouse is covered with "sooty mould" and I read that it might be from scale insects. Hoe can I get rid of them organically, considering the leaves will be used in food? Before using one I wash the sticky black stuff off, but it ...

We had a bit of rain, too, but still got our early potatoes in. Also finished measuring up the new herb and salad bed at home and planted some chives, parsley and a French tarragon. Lots of other herbs coming on from seeds in the greenhouse. So this year we won't need to go all the way to the allotm...

There may be more dry and sunny weather on the way, but I happened to look at Metcheck for the outlook for the next fortnight for us and, guess what, folks, there is snow and hard frost forecast from about 20 April onwards, at least for our spot in North Yorkshire. So, be warned! We planted our firs...

I feed them - like Jane, but then I plant them into the ground in the garden and use new ones for pots next year, though I must admit that I throw away (or, rather, compost) the irises, small tulips and hyacinths because they have never done well for me a second year, either in pots or in the ground.

We have just eaten our first superb spring cabbage 'Master Green' from Marshalls. We have tried all kinds of varieties over the years but it's the first time we've been really successful with proper spring cabbage and it tasted delicious!
We'll certainly grow it again.

Oh, DJmrcmb, you MUST have other birds in your garden at Morecambe Bay, a wonderful spot for migrants passing through, particularly. Perhaps not on a cool and windy April day, but by May, especially on a warm damp day, you will have lots of others!!

Hello Melliff,
I have grown leeks for many years and have never trimmed the roots or the tops and they've always done ok, certainly tasting fine and even winning prizes in the local horticultural show. I don't think it's make any difference if you do.