I love this book by Michael Pollan. Its small, funny and easy to read and makes a lot of sense.
The Food Rules are summarised with 7 simple words:-

Eat Food
Not too much
Mostly Plants.

Sounds simple but when he says "Eat Food" he means food "real food" not highly processed concoctions created by scientists 
Rule 2 stands out to me "Don't eat anything your grandmother wouldn't recognise as food". Imagine she's standing beside you in the supermarket and she picks up a plastic tube of some sort of snack. Would she know what it was? If not, don't buy it!

To save you buying the book, the Rules are summarised at http://regionone.thediocese.net/Customer...drules.pdf 

Tell me which ones you can relate to. I'm going to try a bit harder to follow these from now on.

I have lots of Cauli seeds - never deliberately bought any but they seem to keep appearing as freebies. Don't know why I keep them as I've rarely grown one worth eating. 
Anyway, I was looking at sowing dates and cropping time, some take a lot longer than others. 
I discarded all those that are sown one year to overwinter and crop the following year.  For example, Maystar is sown April - May and harvested Mid-May the following year.  That's just too long for something that will be a failure. 
Then I was tempted by Candid Charm "Very fast to mature" "Harvest 75 days after planting". That sounds speedy!! It omits to tell you how long it will take your little seedling to grow to 6" before you plant them out. 
The ones that have survived the cull are Mayflower (earliest summer cauli); White Step (neat compact), Clapton and Igloo (perfect for mini-vegetables).

My question is - can you recommend a quick maturing cauli that you've had success with, please. I trust you, I don't trust the adverts.

A question for successful bulb fennel growers

I have tried on a couple of occaisions to grow bulb fennel with any real success, mine tend to never reach the bulb stage..

I dont eat a great amount but like it in sea food salads.

Any experts amongst us who can impart their wisdom?.

My Broad Bean "collection" was split into Autumn sowing and Spring sowing varieties but, sorting them last night, I realised that they can be sown every month of the year - if you choose the right variety.

The most versatile are
 Aquadulce  Oct-March
Bunyards Exhibition Oct - May
Luz de Otono Oct - Dec, March - August
Wizard Field bean Feb - Apr, Sept - Oct.

Those 4 cover every month of the year!.............we won't talk about the other 11 varieties I have.

I know that BBs may not be everyone's favourites but I like growing them for their flowers and eating the young bean pods (before the beans form). My current idea is to sow BBs every month, not too many, 10-12, and dot them around the garden for "foraging" through the year. 

BBs for sowing in December are Aquadulce, Bunyard's Exhibition, Luz de Otono and Sutton.

Not sure where to post this question, but as it conserns eating I hope it OK here
Can you use fresh parsley seeds in cooking and can you eat them straight of the plant?

So, I have a pot of 50 odd seeds in a cold propagator in a dark place. Do I move it into the light once the first few seeds have germinated?

   

There are lots of regional names for some items, including these 4. 

Can you tell us the names you use and where you live (not your address as I'm not sending you a card!!)

Lots of you know that I absolutely love Christmas - yes, we can't do what we normally would but I love the whole thing - I'm still excited..

but all my old lights have slowly died. I took all my decs down from the attic and my last two sets have gone.

I ordered some in online - got the warm
Light - as I hate that blue. I put a couple up, the other day and the room was so bright I knew I would have to take them back down. I woke up in the night with a migraine - I've been having them for a few years so didn't think much of it.
Tried again yesterday and ended up sick and dizzy  ...I think it's the lights  now what do I do? I threw my 20 year Old ones in the bin. I did try to fix b them first. Can you get Christmas non LEDs?

What do these letters stand for and what do they have to do with next year?

I O U B L D R

If anyone works it out I'll be amazed but pleased.

Maybe its time to move on from growing tomatoes?

https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/07/rare-plan...-57mOh2zKw