I was going through Dropbox looking for some photos and I came across these from my trip to Oz in 2014. They were taken on the Adelaide river in the NT near Darwin.

                   

First of all, for the younger readers I apologise for using imperial measurement as even though I can work in both imperial and metric I THINK in imperial.

.From what I can gather the generally accepted norm in bed size is 4 foot wide and a 2 foot path in between. This is because the average person can reach 2 foot to the centre of the beds for planting so there is no need to walk on the beds. Taller people might manage with wider beds.
The problem with this is that we need to walk along both sides of the bed to plant it up or stretch to the full width (not good for the back)
I reckon I would manage better with 3 foot beds and cut down the path size to 18 inches. 18 inches is enough to walk along and get a wheelbarrow along if necessary. 3 foot beds COULD if need be, be managed from one side cutting down on the walking (and the back injuries)

Just thinking out loud here but even a  row of 2 foot beds with a 1 foot paths would be even more manageable? As potatoes or brassicas could be planted in a single row of this width it makes a bit of sense to me.

If possible I want to get my bed sizes right the first time as I am nearing the end of my life and probably won't have the energy to change them again

Your ideas pleas?

The recipe I followed this week needed fresh Cumin seeds and my culinary ones were 5 years old and, maybe, a little past their flavoursome best. Its time to grow some!
I have some seeds and you can sow it indoors or underglass all year round. 

That'll be tomorrow's sowing.

Anyone grown cumin before?

Hi all,

Long time lurker...

I'm now self-isolating due to proximity - Mrs Balders is about to order me to do vacuuming around the house! My only chance to avoid is to have a series of 'important' gardening related tasks to accomplish.
So - suggestions for websites for seeds, compost, greenhouses, weird gardening gadgets/tools much appreciated.

   

Time for something silly.

What's your pets/OH/your nickname according to this chart?? 

It has been said that you shouldn't plant/build anything in your garden/plot before you have observed it for a year. Not before you've observed the way the sun travels throughout the year, where it rises and sets; where trees and buildings cast shadows, the direction of the prevailing wind, where the frost pockets are, where snow lies the longest, where the rainwater puddles or drains.............and so on.

I'm sure there are few of us who would have the patience to wait a year before doing anything but, at this time of year, when the sun is at its lowest in the sky and there's overnight frost and plenty of rainwater, its worth taking some time to evaluate your plot. 

After many years of living here, I thought I knew my garden but I was wrong.  There is a low point, in the south east corner, where the frost lingers all day. The frost is on the grass but its also on the beetroot and leeks which are the last of the overwintering crops in situ. When I planted them there it was a bright sunny spot, where I also grew beans and peas, but they, of course, are long gone and unaffected by the frost.

The higher, north-east corner is the opposite - its shaded by a couple of ash trees in summer, but, at this time of year, they've lost their leaves and cast no shade. Its quite open and sunny in January.

Solution!! This year, I'll plant the overwintering crops in the north east corner and the courgettes and summer stuff in the south east.

You grow your beans 
We all know how this is done. If we don’t there’s a whole other thread to discuss it   .

you dry your beans 
I may need to start another thread in legumes department for this . I have questions. 

you store your beans 
Jars, other containers, bags? Airtight? Out of the light? 

You’re about to use them in a recipe. Now what do you do? Rehydrate them ? How ?

The only experience I’ve had with dried beans was a 1kg bag of kidney beans. No matter what I did to them they were still like teeth braking bullets! I tried soaking them before cooking, cold water & hot. I tried different lengths of time. Anything from 1 hour to 24 hours. I tried pre cooking. Change timings and temperatures on this method as well.  Nothing worked. They ruined so many meals.  It kinda put me off dried beans. But thanks to Scarlets bean seeds in the circle and her wonderful photos and descriptions of all the different varieties and what you can do with them, I’m willing to give the dried beans another chance. 
Educate me please    .

As usual, I'm looking for the Other Way of growing things!!

1. Conventionally, Potatoes are planted in trenches.
2. As the potatoes show above the soil, they're earthed up.
3. Earthing up is done to stop the potatoes seeing the light and turning green and poisonous.
4. No dig gardeners lay the spuds on the soil and cover with compost/straw. 

My questions - after earthing up, do more spuds grow higher up the stem above the original soil level?
............Or. do the spuds form deeper in the ground?

Why am I asking?
Could you grow spuds in a very shallow bed, say 4" deep on a solid base or in a shallow planter, rather than in a bucket?
Earth them up with cardboard or perforated plastic?

Just asking?

Hi Folks

Probably a stupid question but it's never stopped me before

What's the difference???

Having a different thought re potatoes. 
I'm wondering about trying to force some extra early new potatoes. I have no green house but do have a couple of thoughts. 
Option one - potato grow bag tucked against sunniest south facing house wall I can find, filled with compost. Wrap in a couple of layers of fleece. Water compost well with hot water to get some more warmth in then plant spud in centre of warm compost. Cover top with fleece.

Option two - grow more normally in our detached garage, its not heated but I've never seen any frost in it. Light in garage is mainly from east facing obscured glass garage door and south facing pedestrian door, all are half glazed only. 

The potatoes I have are Nicola and that's all I'm planning on using this year. Anyone any thoughts?