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For us, this year is the 51st year of growing them in the same place.

Nah, that was happening before King Alfred's time, way longer than 250 yrs ago!

It needs a good prune, I'd remove perhaps half the branches coming from the base, any crossing branches and any obviously dead growth. I wonder if it could be a red currant rather than a black currant.

One thing I would do if I was planning my garden anew is to put a paved path all around the outside, wide enough to stand a stepladder on or push a wheelbarrow. It provides safe access to the back of the borders for weeding and to hedges and fences for trimming. You think it is going to take up...

I'm giving up with vegetables this year too, they're too much work for me now. I'm going to grow cut flowers in my raised bed where I used to grow vegies, but I may put a few onion sets in between them

So just had a look what tomato seeds I have.1x Gardeners Delight 2x Red Cherry (free with Gardener’s World Magazine)** 2x Roma 1x Alicante** 1x Red Cherry 1x Hildares* 1x Marmande (opened)*Expired 2024 **Expired 2025

Thank you for the replies, really appreciate the insights and advice

Heathers with one iris

To me it sounds right that they need light to germinate. In the wild, they drop seed on the soil surface which germinates, so I think Google is probably right. A friend had permission from the council to create a wildflower bed in the fields where I walk my dog. He removed the brambles nettles...

I use pencil, then at the end of season I collect all the labels. The ones that didn't break from the light get washed (using sponge and soap), then I use eraser to clean whatever written.

The last one for now, was on the Thorny olive tree that the bird table and hanging feeder are on. It's another variegated leaf plant. It's quite early in the year to be trying this, but I've got nothing to loose.As you have probably noticed from all the bird photos recently, they have become...

Salvia greggii 'Blue Note' is another possibility - I have both this and Royal Bumble, and Blue Note would be my choice here - it's more compact and lower growing, remaining at knee height. The flowers are a beautiful blue and it also regularly puts out little offshoots which root themselves....

I’d be surprised if Beth Chatto’s gardeners use slug pellets or insecticides . Birds tend to be vocal here in the morning and out looking for worms mainly early morning and at dusk. Sound for me also includes wind through the trees and swishing through dried grasses in winter.