Apologies for the absence over the summer – I blame a combo of being really busy with managing two gîtes, client’s gardens and trying to do our own extension! Plus I’ve been trying to not spend too much time in front of the screen.
My summer has been pretty difficult in the garden – fungus gnats ripped through the early seedlings and then blight took out all the tomatoes. This will be the first year without enough (or indeed any) sundried and passata for the year. Everything else has just been painfully slow to grow on. Oh well! On the other hand the soft fruit has been epic, especially blackberries. Constant rain in June & July followed by a hot dry August is clearly to their liking.
Off for a long read and catch up, now. Happy gardening!

I have transplanted a blueberry bush that I have for 5 years that has never flowered or fruited. It was in a large patio pot. I have put it in an ericaceous raised bed and guess what happened it has produced flowers.
I would not expect to get fruit at this time of year, has anybody had any experience of a blueberry fruiting in the autumn/winter ?

   

Never grown it before, help?

Well I know NG had a go at this and I think I may too! I hope NG pops in and reads this and can offer advice /pros and cons. 

As some of you know I've been growing lots of dahlias this year and as I've had a huge surplus I started selling them at my gate after several friends requested flowers - it's been reasonably successful and I wondered if selling at our local farmers market as a casual trader may make a difference to just pocket money or a worthwhile thing to do. I'm quite excited by it actually. I've always grown lots, just turning to only flowers wouldn't be too difficult, I've done several floristry courses and several weddings, bouquets etc - I live the arranging bit. Growing flowers suitable for growing may not be so easy - though that may be started on another thread!

Anyway - I need a name first - something quirky, not just scarlets blooms! .....would love it to have worm in there- best I've come up with so far is Bee Happy Blooms, petals and posies?  I need some stickers with my name and telephone/FB pages etc on and to stick my recycled brown paper that I use to wrap.

I've been given one of those 365 day puzzle blocks. The first 11 puzzles are missing as the previous owner gave up on Day 12.

Here's the first puzzle!

How many ways can a three horse race finish, including possible ties?

       

Help needed please.
For the past few years I've been growing in these bottomless "tubs" - first potatoes, then courgettes. This year the courgettes have been rubbish but the unintentional spuds, have been OK!! The soil in the tubs is exhausted and there are weeds growing in and under the tubs that need removal.

I've decided to do away with the grass path between the beds and make one huge bed, emptying all the tubs of soil into it.
I now have a bed measuring 13' x 10', with the 13' sides on the North and South, the 10' ones on the West and East. The bed slopes from North to South, there's a small apricot tree on the North side and the East side is under a big old ash tree.

I want to divide the bed into sections with cardboard "paths" for access but I'm struggling to decide how to divide it and how wide each section should be.
For example, it could be long beds running N/S or E/W. 
Or square yard beds. 
Or 4 triangles with diagonal paths from each corner.
Or Vinny's Fishbones.

What would you do?

Morning All

Does/has anyone grown either of these Italian onions?

Onion Italian Borettan

Onion Red Amposta

If so, how were the results?

Post your mugshot here - if you dare.

Hi, I'm in the north of England, gardening at home by the seaside. I grow a mix of edibles, herbs and ornamentals, especially keen on tomatoes, fragrant flowers and climbers.

I've always been interested in the history of plants and enjoy saving and trying seed from heirloom varieties. Weeds are also grown for my tortoise to eat.

Morning Folks

I need to move the thyme, bay, and rosemary plants to the plot and wondered if people has any advice / experience on...

- When I could/should do this?

- Could I pot them and then plant out later?

- Should I divide or take cuttings?

- Anything else?