I am glad it's worked out well, Stravaig!

I always envy people who can grow apples - too high up and too windy here. My daughter and I harvested lots of peas, broad beans and quite a bit of tender stem broccoli this morning. My OH had some for his lunch but my daughter took most of it to share with the family. The shallots are going yellow ...

Good to see you back, tigerburnie, and hopefully fully recovered!

I have just found the following on a website called home guides ....: Anthracnose Signs and Infection When cucumbers are exposed to cold, rainy weather for more than a few days in mid-to late season, there is a chance they will become affected by anthracnose. Signs of infection include salmon-colore...

We have the same problem, Primrose. A local beekeeper no longer has hives at our end of the village and I thought I had noticed the lack of honey bees before I actually asked him. Luckily, there seem to be lots of bumblebees about this year. Butterflies, however, are very thin on the ground, only th...

Well, folks, you might not have to put up with me very much longer: my 'gall bladder' problem has turned out to be an aggressive pancreatic cancer which has spread to the liver. It might be a matter of months, but I certainly do not want any treatment other than pain relief. And, as my lovely late g...

I queried the ink on newspapers on this forum some years ago, Primrose, and I think it was dear old Johnboy who pointed out that newspaper print is not toxic nowadays and newspapers can safely be added to compost heaps.

All the best, Stravaig!

I never heard of that, Stephen. I have been putting our coffee grounds of two cups a day into the compost bins for years and have never seen any ill effects.

I had the same problem, Mike, especially when the bags eventually dried out on the beds and flew all over the place. So. for the last few years, I have dried the bags on the boiler of radiator and every few days just open them all onto a paper kitchen towel and put all that in the compost bins. All ...

Lots of weeding here too. The bane of my life are cleavers/robin-run-the-hedge/sticky willy, call them what you will, they are a terrible nuisance. Every year I think I have pulled out all of them before they flower and seed themselves, but every year they pop up again all over the place. Also lots ...

The sun is making my hair rustle like pea straw…. I love the image of that, OH! Yes, it's been rather warm and sunny here too with just enough of a breeze to dry all my washing! Last night I put the sprinkler on the vegetable beds for almost an hour because everything is so so dry and all the plant...

I have kept a weather station and recorded the rainfall, max and min temperatures every day for almost 40 years, Westi, but all in pen and paper, not electronically. From my gut feelings, rather than looking at all the figures, I think years have 'evened out' more in our location - summers less hot,...

Thank you, OH! I wondered when you would get round to it ....... Actually, it has been rather pleasant the last two days, even 'up here' (as Geoff says). The temperatures outside got to 20C today and in the greenhouse with the door and all flaps open, even up to 35C. The tomatoes are starting their ...

The compost in the bag (I assume you are using the collars inside growbags) is probably a bit denser in one part than the other, Colin. I have used these water collars for year and find them very useful, but I also punch a few holes into the side of the growbag, about half an inch up the side, so th...