"Which" have published an article about hidden microplastics in teabags. 

https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/is-...__20251019

Naively, perhaps, I'd assumed that where the packet says the teabags are compostable, that was the end to the problem. I was wrong! The microplastics are leeching into our cuppas from the sealant used to form the teabag. .....and that's before they reach the compost bin.  Its a bit scary really. 

I'd heard that teabags were best avoided and have been using more looseleaf tea, but I thought it might be because of the additional manufacturing processes/resources  required to bag up the tealeaves.

From today, I'm going to stop using teabags. Since I have so many "free" ones, I'll empty the teabags into the pot so that the "teabag" doesn't come into contact with heat. Hope this will help me avoid the microplastics but still enable me to use the (bagless) tea. 

Ideally, I would be making herb tea using plants from the garden, but, being surrounded by FREE teabags, I've been tempted away from growing my Own Tea Garden. Maybe, next year's project?

A thread to highlight special events in the night sky - eclipses, comets, special moons.

Tonight, we welcome the Harvest or Hunter Moon - a supermoon. 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/c059dyvvjj7o

Now I know this is not a Challenge that most/all of you will join me in. However, it would be remiss of me not to share it with you.

As you know, I try to keep my daily food spend to £1 a day but I don't have a way to be accurate about it - so, in October, I'm going to give myself £31 to spend on food. If I go to the shop, I'll keep the till receipt and add up what I've spent on MY food - not anyone else's, like the dog.

Anything that I eat from stock (cupboard/freezer) is FREE. I'm hoping that this will free up some cupboard & freezer space  and make me use more homegrown fruit & veg. 
I'll probably need to buy butter & yogurt out of my £31 which will mean a visit to the shop, and, when I do, I'll try not to be led astray unless I can "afford" it. 
Its a bit like returning to the Covid lockdown days, when we were unable to go shopping and lived on whatever we had in the cupboard. I'm going to try it again, without the fear of running out of toilet rolls.

Not a joke - its really happening. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1wgeq702dyo
Don't think I'm ready to convert my little pond into a rice paddy yet, though

I spotted this iris ( slightly slugged )     

The delphinium is flowering beautifully since i dug up the voluntary potato.     

You got anything that probably shouldn’t be flowering now, but is?

Happy birthday SC. Have  lovely day.

OK gang, I need some advice or recommentdations?

I have 200 onion sets to plant imminently. I will fork over the beds I am planting them in but favour 'tickling' over the suface of the pepared beds and adding dried farmyard manure which is easy to handle, befoe planting sets.

I don't want chicken based manure but prefer cow poo based manure. I used to use 6X (which is still an option) but just wondered whether you lot had good results with any propriety brand? Either a 40 litre o 50 litre would do, prefeably with free postage. I have Amason Prime which can usually fullfill my request, but the choice is enormous!

Share your favourite photos of your crops or of your garden, in 2025. 

No Prizes, just a lot of Likes. 

Hope you have a lovely day.      .

I’ll be icing a chocolate & Guinness cake and a coffee & walnut cake this morning which do you want a slice of ? 

It might not look very pretty after posting    .