Each year I seem to forget just how much space it takes when growing squash. I have 8 uchiki kuri plants and 6 butternuts and I'm going to struggling to squeeze them all in. I grow some together with sweetcorn in a bed and that works well, not tried the 3 sisters yet as that sounds a bit messy?. I also grow some in compost bins (full of horse muck) and let them trail over the sides so I know they can cope with trailing but I know some people grow them upwards. I probably have room in one of the CFB beds to give this a shot and while I doubt a bamboo structure is going to be strong enough I may try 1 uchiki this way for a challenge.
Anyone tried growing them upwards?

I just posted about hardening off  basket tomatoes, but I would like to grow some outside, so looking for recommendations of varieties, the ones I have had success with were Ferline F1 (sold out) , Mountain Magic F1 far too expensive, as you can see both are F1s but I would prefer if possible, ones that I can take seeds from, so no F1s

When trying to give my Peony a bit of support I accidentally broke off a 'branch' at the base.   Will this take as a cutting do you think?  I know that I can give it a go but wondered if anyone had any knowledge to impart.

Was planning for the next few days, do people think it's warm enough?

I want to keep track of progress in my new garden and thought a thread here might be the best way. So, here's some pictures to start with.

Here's the view of the garden from the back porch. That privet hedge is about 6 feet wide in places and will need some rejuvenation work.

   

The view from the lounge doors. Again, the hedge is taking over the ornamentals planted in front of it.

   

Looking back towards the house from the middle of the garden. A good view of the missing panes in the greenhouse, too.

   

Looking down from the middle of the garden. That shed there needs some, ahem, attention. Also some of those trees are going to have to go too.

   

The apple trees at the bottom of the garden. Not sure about the biggest one, it's too big to reach any of the fruit (if it has any). I'll make a decision in the winter.

   

Plenty to do!

Pulled up 2 Purple Sprouting Broccoli (PSB) and a cabbage stump today and, in my usual way, couldn't bear to throw it in the compost, so.............
1.  I cut off the top of the plants where the sprouting shoots had been.
2. Cut the stalks into two parts - one with roots, the other with the leafy bit.
3. Cleared a space in the middle of some montbretia (to distract the chooks from finding the PSB)
4. Dug holes and planted the roots and the base of the leafy bits. 
5. Walked away and left them to do whatever they wish.

Its something similar to how I propagate the perennial kale - but I use side shoots jabbed in the soil. There were no side shoots on the PSB. Believe me, I looked!!

Some years ago I joined the  Bumblebee Conservation Trust and they sent me a wallchart of Bumblebees something like this one https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/bu...ies-guide/

There are 24 species of UK bumblebee  - comprising 11 bumble bees, 5 carder bees and 6 cuckoo bees.  
7 bumblebees and 1 Carder bee  are likely to be seen in gardens -  as are the 6 Cuckoo bees.

Cuckoo bees aren't very nice as they attack bumblebees - they don't have pollen baskets on their hind legs and have darker wings. 

I'm on a mission to learn to identify and spot these Bumblebees - - the common ones 
It may take a while as I only know them as white tailed, red tailed and ginger tails - and big ones and little ones.
Didn't even know there was such a thing as a Cuckoo bee until tonight. 

Any bumblebee experts here?

All bar 5 of my runner beans have come up without a growing tip or leaves? Just a stump....anyone had this before?

I have just nuked some compost in the microwave to ensure there are no hidden bugs. I first noticed this a week ago but everything else sown in the same compost is fine.

Any clues?

I recently joined a FB Reduce/recycle etc website for my postcode area. There's a sister group for Gardening items. 
Anything that's offered will be within a couple of miles from home - so not far to collect stuff.
Its amazing what people give away - so far I've had a hardly used Halogen Oven, brand new keyboard and mouse, 2 bags of Alpaca Wool! and today, a Dyson Animal cleaner (needs new hose - about £7 on the bay). 
I've offered a GTech Cordless sweeper (that was my Mum's) - 8 requests so far and a bag of Hair accessories my neighbour gave me that I'll never use.
Unwanted books go in a box outside the gate for any passers-by to take.

Who else finds joy in other people's junk?

Many happies Mamzie