Today we were helping tidy and sort at my parents house as they are moving soon. We were sorting the garage, and it became apparent that my dad has some duplicate tools in his collection. He has acquired over the years multiples of several things. Today I was lucky enough to be gifted these. They are he thinks my great grand father's on my paternal grandfathers side. 

I reckon some wire wool, a sharpen and some oil and we should be good to go.


   

How many dogs can you see ?

   

We have Rockfit sessions locally on Saturday mornings at the Village Hall. I've checked this out on google and it looks good fun. Haven't seen any blokes doing it but I am going to turn up a week come Saturday (Saturdays not on because of bank holiday) and see if they will let me join in.
If you don't know what Rockfit is just goggle it!

I’ve spent the last 5 days looking after the neighbours dogs & horses.

The horses are currently in our field. Didn’t really have to do anything with them other than take a rug off one of them. Breeze thinks he’s a horse     , he spends ages with them.

         

Some of the dogs
                     

I'm looking for some large (like over 50cm) terracotta or similar preferably unglazed pots for a project and was wondering if anyone knew of anywhere I would likely be able to source them from without spending an absolute fortune.

1. Can you save beans for drying / shelling from any variety? I know they’re some varieties that are best fresh for pods, some for drying the actual beans and some that do both. I ask because I’ve let my DFB pods get to big. 1a. Can I leave them for shelling? 
2. How’s the best way to dry them? I know you’re supposed to leave them on the plant to dry. All they will do is rot, if I leave them on the plant. 
3. Can you use any variety for any recipe? For example if recipe asks for kidney beans can I use Cherokee trail of tears ? I know flavour and probably texture will differ, but does it really make much difference?

OK, opened chrome today and everything is wiped, no bookmarks, no passwords, no nothing. No warning! Enough is enough. I liked chrome 'cos the homepage can be set to a blank background.

So I need a new browser, preferably one with an uncluttered homepage. I've tried edge but can't see a way to remove all the homepage rubbish I don't want.

Any recommendations? what do you all use?

Hello all,

I'm still quietly plotting my new garden, particularly things I can be doing when I (hopefully) move in, as that will probably be October/November.

I do fancy putting in a couple of fruit trees. However, it's not a big garden and they will have to go near the south end of the garden so that they are well away from the house and the garden retaining walls. I think I'll be wanting something on dwarfing rootstock so they don't cast too much shade (though a bit will be good as I think the garden could be too hot in summer) and don't take up too much space.

There are just so many choices and I don't know what to go for! Ideally, I'd like something that will give decent harvests (for a single person, not needing to feed the nation!) within a couple of years as this isn't going to be my forever garden. I'd prefer something that doesn't need too much fussing over, and obviously, taste is very important! I'll probably get a separate fig tree in a container (my previous one died while being babysat by my mother) and rather fancy trying a peach in the greenhouse, but need to do a bit more reading on that.

I'd love to hear your suggestions about the trees you have in the ground or would like to have. I'd love a greengage but couldn't find anyone selling them on sufficiently dwarfing rootstock, so maybe a nice dessert plum? Any good apple recommendations? I'd like a cherry, and don't think a small one would be too much of a hassle to net from the birds, provided I didn't accidentally trap them very often (my Mum stopped netting her fruit bushes for this reason). Dessert cherries and sour cherries both appeal. I don't fancy a pear tree so much, but maybe that's just because I'm used to mealy supermarket pears?

What does the hive mind suggest?

While at allotment yesterday I harvested a single shye of potatoes which were ample for my Sunday dinner.Or so I thought.

They were Desiree, looked fine and were a decent size. To my dismay after peeling them when I cut into them some of the centres were mushy? They weren't discoloured and you wouldn't realise they were mushy until you touched them? I have never had this problem with any spuds before and hope the rest aren't similarly infected.
I haven't googled it yet but just wondered if others had had this problem before?

I have no idea why but fancy growing a Mulberry tree although I have never tasted one.  I have a few questions if I may.

Are they worth it?
Easy to look after?
Diseases?


Ta