Sainsbury's have green and grey cloth gloves that I find very comfortable, no protection against thorns and not waterproof but very comfy and cheap. Thanks for the suggestion Peter, but I've been through 3 pairs of these this summer. You're right, they are comfortable, but if they get damp they jus...

I have a constant problem with finding garden gloves that last well and provide enough hand protection for the jobs that I do in the garden. I do a lot of pushing a heavy petrol mower about, a lot of digging and hoeing and at this time of year a lot of leaf raking, and all of these jobs tend to rub ...

Liking the sound of the spiced apple jelly. I have an apple overload & there are only so many pies, purees & dorset apple cakes that you can make. I bought a jelly at a food fest a few years ago with little flakes of chilli & some black seeds (maybe Nigella), anyway it was lovely with j...

I make this jelly with cooking apples or crab apples, but any apple with a good flavour will do. Sweet and mealy doesn't work, though, I've found. You will need: 1) A large lidded preserving pan or other large lidded pan with a heavy base 2) A jelly bag, or a sieve lined with a muslin square (muslin...

I have some recipes for preserves and wines using apples, plums, damsons, quinces, sloes, greengages, blackberries, elderberries and bergamot oranges. I used to sell the results for charity at my workplace and they were all popular, and the ones listed below are the best of the bunch. I know that to...

Never heard of them judyk but will look for them. I always risk a late sow of runners & peas in the hope I will have space in freezer for them as will have used the others up for sure. So they share the structure - sometimes I get lucky as down south, but think I will be in the freezer aisle th...

I got a free packet of "Champion of England" this year, and knowing nothing about it I tried some on a 6' willow frame and a few more on a spare bit of space I had on a metal arch (about 10' at the apex). Germination was good but I did lose about 25% after transplanting, which is not usual...

Thanks for that! I am actually planning to replace all my bottles & jars this year as my mother-in-law gave them to me & although I was able to get new seals etc. that fitted initially I can't now, so probably a metric v's imperial issue. My larder is cool but ver full so we are converting ...

Not too keen on hot but deffo like spicy! I maybe will do a mix of mustards as I progress! Why only 1 month if sterilised jars? OK when opened, but how long if sterilised & put in a dark but coolish larder do you think? Here I am planning in advance for the overload, I've loads of fruit but rip...

Thanks for that judyk! I was planning to make some ketchup with the overload this year and only just started looking for recipes & confused already! Perfect timing! That was lucky! I hope you enjoy it. The original recipe uses dry mustard powder - almost certainly English mustard, although they...

let them trail round the bed on the grass (paving would do just as well). Already being told off for my raised bed encroaching on the flower beds. Think I would be told off even more for that by the wife Um, tough one. I know! Next year, seed some mixed border flowers in the area where the squash v...

I will take a look at them, take it I would still need 2 plants? Wonder if the wife would notice 2 more pots turning up in the garden? Also bear in mind that only the roots and main stem need to take up space in your vegetable bed. I have rough grass surrounding my small raised bed and I plant my s...

As it's about the time when you wonder what you are possibly going to do with all these tomatoes, this is my all-time favourite tomato ketchup recipe. I found the original recipe on the internet and modified it to make it slightly less spicy, but the old recipe is still out there. "Fog City Din...

As the Calabrese is about ready to harvest now (at least it is here in the south west), I thought I'd share this tip for making sure it doesn't go into the pan with any little friends from the garden still attached. The little green caterpillars (cabbage looper moth and cabbage white butterfly) are ...

Hi Tansy. It's difficult to see if that's all one plant you have there, or if it's two or three plants. If it's one plant, three fruit are likely to be too much for it to bring to full size in the short British growing season, unless it's a variety specially bred for here. I normally limit mine to 2...