We'll certainly be doing the Big Birdwatch again this year, including two of the granddaughters (10 and 11) who are very keen. Contrary to the national reports, we, too, have had plenty of blue, great, coal and long-tailed tits this year and they are clearing the bird table of black sunflower seeds ...

I mix the pea seeds with damp potting compost and wait till they are growing both a short root and leaf sprout and then sow them virtually on the surface, then ridge the soil up from one side only, so that alongside each row of peas there is a shallow depression. All rows are then covered with a wir...

Coming back to the cooking part: to use it as a separate veg, I steam it for a few minutes, then chop it, bung it in a bowl with some salt and freshly ground pepper and mix in a spoonful of creme fraiche (half fat), then heat it quickly in the microwave. When washing Cavolo Nero, make sure that no c...

Hello Rooster, here we go: We (that is, my husband and I) have a small vegetable garden at home, mainly for salad stuff and herbs, and a large allotment at the other end of the village where we grow all the other vegetables. Our two apple trees are more for decoration than fruit because our climate ...

Amanda, I suppose you could grow only blight-resistant varieties like Sarpo Mira and Sarpo Axona, but as you will see from another thread on this forum, not everone likes their taste. Another variety is Lady Balfour which is fairly resistant. We grew Anya, Lady Balfour, Kestrel and Sarpo Mira this y...

When I was sorting my seeds out over the weekend, I realised that an order I sent to Suffolk Herbs in November had never arrived (I had sent an order to five firms so I never missed it at the time). The cheque had gone through the bank in December. Well, I sent them an email on Monday, just in case ...

I thought that was their normal progression: green, yellow, orange, red, or am I completely wrong?

Don't ditch them, Mark. We have grown them for the last three years (from Thompson and Morgan who, I think, are the only seed merchant selling them) and they grow well and eat well. Two years ago we also grew Sarpo Axona, the other blight resistant variety but found that the potatoes were huge, some...

You did say, "any other thing at all", OH: Well, we had a thunderstorm tonight, with hail, sleet, rain and some terrific gusts of wind. Wasn't at all funny and the lights kept flickering, but so far so good. We could do with some lovely crisp winter weather now, not this damp, dark and din...

Oh, please don't, Johnboy. First count to ten and then have cup of tea. Your fury won't change the programme, so there is no need to use your energy.

They do say that when you can put your foot on ten flowering daisies at the same time, spring has arrived - I think, folks, we'll have to wait a bit longer for that to happen!

Thanks again, Johnboy, and sorry, Clive, I meant YOUR photos, of course, in my previous posting!

Why is it that the ordinary person, that is, you and I, are encouraged to recycle, save resources and all the rest of it, when larger organisations can squander resources to their heart's content? I know I am on my hobby horse again, but why did we spend x thousand pounds on fireworks in London this...

Hello, Chantal, This afternoon I made the onion jam according to the Sainsbury recipe you recommended and it turned out just as I was hoping it would. I used four large WHITE onions but all the other ingredients were according to the recipe, and it tastes really good. Many thanks again! You were rig...

I did it, but only just. There was certainly a strong urge to change direction and it needed concentration to keep it going! How strange.