This photo won photo of the year here in Ireland, the photographers spent 56 days photographing starlings they had seen numerous shapes and finally seen this one and entered it in the competition.

 Just had to share it. 

   

I have a massive outbreak of these pests amongst my seedlings this year, despite keeping the compost frighteningly dry and only watering from below. 
Given that each female can lay 200 eggs I'm wondering if I should try and repot as many as possible to try and limit the damage?
I also have some pyrethrum based insecticide (for cat fleas etc) which I'm contemplating diluting and using as a drench or spray. Although organic, I'm not happy about doing that, but at the moment all chillies,  peppers  & aubergines are infested.
Nightmare 
Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

So do any of you ladies suffer from veins bursting in the fingers? Sorry gentlemen I don’t mean to be sexist but apparently you don’t suffer from it. But if you do please contribute.

It’s damned uncomfortable when it happened.

    .     

Not the clearest photos in the world, sorry. But you get the idea. It’s more obvious when it starts before it bursts. It’s to painfully to photograph then. You’ll just have to use your imagination   
Just wondering if I’m the only weirdo here 

The past 2 years when I have grown cucumber they have been in pots and  placed in the back right hand corner of the greenhouse, the greenhouse runs north - south, so that position is slightly shaded but having altered my benches I can no longer grow them there, so would there be any problems if I grow them in the same bed as the tomatoes, this bed is on the left hand (West) side of the greenhouse and full sun, when it's out, growing outside is not an option.

Hi Folks

After some advice as to went to pot these on / plant them out.

Two rows on the left are crow garlic, two rows on the right are welsh onions (finally!!, 5th attempt albeit with new seeds). They were sown 3rd Feb.

   

I follow this guy on youtube and like his trials. This is a review of 54 tomato varieties he grew last year in his polytunnel in Ireland. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khnl-zs_Zoo

   

Another little game for you to play. 
Don't give the answers until you've guessed them all and we've all have a chance to try it. 
I should add that I don't have the answers to them all so will need some help with a few.

if anyone grows Golden Acre cabbage and wants to try the red version, I have an over stock of these.

Let me know if you are tempted

As an aficionado of the Welsh Cake, I’m going to share my recipe with you lovely people. 

9oz Self Raising Flour
4oz Salted Butter (no margarine, bleugh!)
4oz Sultanas
4oz Caster Sugar (plus extra for dusting)
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
Splash of milk if needed.

The recipe is simple, the method however I have honed over many thousand cakes!!! 

First in a bowl soak the fruit in boiling water (this ensures moist not dry cakes for at least a week, but they won’t last that long) and a splash of orange juice if you have some. Then put a large flat frying pan which is thoroughly cleaned, (I have an egg pan only eggs and Welsh cakes may enter!!) you don’t want it smelling of yesterday sausages or spag Bol, bleugh!!! Sorry, put the pan on the hob on its lowest setting, this is an art to find. My sweet spot is just above 1, on my ceramic rangemaster, you’ll have to play with your own cookers.!

Then sieve the flour into a large bowl, cut the butter into cubes and rub together until fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and mixed spice, then stir to evenly distribute. Sieve the plump fruit and leave to drain for a minute or two. Add the fruit, stir, then add the egg, stirring with a knife it’s easier than a spoon and bring together to just form a dough, don’t overwork it. If you find the mix too dry at this point add a tiny splash of milk. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about a centimetre thick. You should get 18-20 cakes from this mix. Cut into circles about 7-8 cm in diameter. (I’ve not measured my cutter sorry!!) and place on a tray separated. Don’t worry if you cut through a sultana pull it out if loose. 
Put 4-5 cakes in the heated pan, at this temperature it should take about 5-6 minutes to cook the cakes on each side. They should roughly double in thickness and be a golden brown colour. Any quicker and they won’t cook in the centre and any hotter and they will burn before cooked. You will have to play with your hob to find the sweet spot.

Leave to cool slightly on a grill, normally until you are ready to turn the next batch of 4-5 cakes. Dust with sugar both sides and place in a kitchen towel lined box with the lid loosely placed on top, I have a plastic one which holds 6 cakes a layer 3x2. Continue until all cakes are baked. Place another sheet of kitchen towel on top of the box and seal the lid after about 15 minutes. This allows the cakes to continue to steam a little but, don’t worry they will reabsorb their own moisture. 

You can eat them hot but, personally I prefer them the following day when they are light as a feather and not in the slightest way dry.

Follow this recipe and I can guarantee you will have WI winning welsh cakes.  

Having spotted blossom on one of the peach trees, I've done a quick look at the other fruit trees and bushes for signs of life.

Green leaf buds on:-
Blackcurrant 
Jostaberry
Quince tree 
Raspberries 

No sign of life on :-
Apples
Pears
Plums
Medlar

Do you want to add your progress here?