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Lovely blue sky too @Victoria .

Gardeners’ World is gradually changing, the BBC are pivoting away from the one main presenter format to several presenters, this is due to scandals in particular Hugh Edwards, they also want to move away from the pale, male and stale look, a better example of this, is Bargain Hunt when it...

Latest book now out on Amazon. Amazon.co.uk

Agreed. Ive also got a Turbinicarpus horripilus, that I got in the summer, budding up. Looking forward to seeing that one.

Marvellous @Ante1 . He loves it, he looks so content.

@Allex50 , I forgot to say earlier, from your description of your Allotment soil it sounds like clay based. Highly probable as many plots are. Although it has its challenges one advantage of clay is that it's naturally fertile so may not require so many inputs as other soils. That said...

Remembered the last pumpkin that we had stored in the porch. Good thing that I did as some of it was starting to go. So baked some in the oven last night and now in the freezer. Then this morning continued peeling etc and made (even though I say it myself) a fabulous soup that we have just had...

The ditch that run's near here is a brown colour when it rains, may be they would like to come here a do some enforcing

Thank you. I have plastic trays and capillary mating and the plants are all sitting in pots in situ so no problem with your idea but can you tell me the size (or type of bottle) and number of bottles you need for one tray. Thanks.

Am currently reading "Human-ish: How Anthropomorphism Makes Us Smart, Weird and Delusional" by Justin Gregg. Am really enjoying it. Entertaining, informative, and written in a very engaging style! I recommend it.

Normally I would cut them right down to the base pretty much bar a few inches but unfortunately family matters has meant I still haven't had the chance and some are still in flower so think it's best I leave until February this time

If it drains very well the soil is not clay and there can not be a solid concrete base under the lawn. There might be rubble underneath from demolished buildings containing lime mortar. The lime can push the soil ph above 7.5 making the soil too alkaline resulting in your grass not growing well.

That's good to hear. It's better for the plant to remove the dead seed heads soon as the flower has fallen. Then rather than put energy into making seeds, the energy goes into making the tuber bigger, so more flowers next year. If they were in the ground, then you can let them seed and get more...

The bottom of the wood is looking a lot more open now, as most of the plants down there drop their leaves for the winter.Another surprise is a workshop Lupin. I tried to grow some from seed, earlier in the year, one of which survived and went into the railway. Most didn't grow and a few others...

Do not talk to me about Spanish Blue Bells. The previous owner planted them out the front and back and after 5 years of digging (amazing how far down the bulbs push themselves). The odd one keeps appearing like the bamboo they planted.

I just tried it on identify.plantnet.org and it gave me 57% probability Jasminum beesianum, with no other strong candidates.

Yes. If it was a long blade you should then tilt the angle of the blade, handle raised very slightly, on the stone as you go round the curve. On a short blade it doesn't really matter much.