I have just planted a grape vine. I had a grapevine in my greenhouse at my other plot which did well but was not seedless.

This Dutch variety is seedless and is supposed to do well in the British climate. I searched my ramshackle greenhouse for any broken panes and noticed a triangular section of glass missing from one of the bottom/centre panes. I dug a hole (after raising a paving flag) and planted the grapevine with a lot of potting compost around it. The vine itself was fed through the gap, and after moving a potted tomato plant I fatened the vine to a cane tied in to a lug on the greenhouse frame. The vine is about 1 metre high and hopefully will put on some growth to get it to the greenhouse eaves. I then have a choice of training it up to the ridge or along to the greenhouse back.

I would like to train it in two strands along the back side of the greenhouse above the potting bench.

No need to comment as I only started the thread because there were no grapevine threads in the fruit section.

It's my birthday today - just saying!

My OH rarely get me presents - he doesn't like going to shops, so everything is bought online. He has a list of things and it's usually bike related as that's what he likes!!!

So today I get this lovingly wrapped up box - hmm, scrumpled up newspaper wrapped box - no waste in this house  and I opened it up to find a sneeboer transplanting trowel. It has a fab blade around the edge which can be sharpened ( I like sharp tools  ) so chuffed with this. 

What would be your surprise present choice.

I have a fairly substantial patch of bracken in one corner of our garden, it's not in the way of anything so I'm not too concerned about getting rid of it but I am wondering if it's useful for anything. I normally just chop it up and compost it but if anyone has any more uses for it I'd love to hear it thanks.

They got a bit burnt by a very late frost here even though covered with fleece. I also planted some rocket. The rocket recovered and their yield is OK for me, about 1.2 to 1.8kg per plant now but the swift never made any more foliage and, digging up the first 4 plants there was just about 1.5kg between them, enough for 4 servings.

Has anyone else ever tried this variety with good results?

What I harvested was a decidedly better potato than rocket but it would have to do far better than that to be worth growing.

I thought some of you might like this cucumber curry recipe that we've been using for the last few years - sour, fragrant, fresh and as hot as you want!

Cucumber Curry - from the internet with apologies to the original unknown creator.

For two people when served with 2 or 3 other dishes.

1 cucumber, cut into 5cm (ish) batons or chunks
½ tbs fenugreek seeds
Walnut sized piece of tamarind, soaked in 5tbs hot water for about 20 minutes and then pressed through a sieve to get about 3 tbs of pulpy tamarind water 
1 fresh green medium hot chilli, or to taste
2 tbs desiccated coconut
½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp ground turmeric
Dried (or fresh) curry leaves, about half a dozen broken up
Veg oil – ½ tbs
Salt to taste

Dry roast the fenugreek until fragrant then blend briefly into a lumpy paste with the coconut, turmeric, fresh chilli & tamarind water.

Heat the oil and fry the mustard seeds until they begin to pop, turn the heat down and add the curry leaves and the paste. Cook gently for two or three minutes before adding the cucumber. Turn the cucumber over in the paste until it is well coated and warmed through – you don’t want to cook the cucumber. You should end up with crunchy cucumber coated in the zingy paste.

Season to taste with salt. Serve warm.

Hello folks, this is in my unlabelled cucurbits bed, any idea what variety please?
 
As a guide of actually size it’s a bit larger than a grapefruit.

   

Which do you prefer - square pots or round ones?
I have too many of both and need to dispose of some - but which ones?

Your choice with reasons to help me decide, please. 

I grow a few toms outdoors and have found, for the first year ever, that birds have taken to pecking at the ripening fruit.  I have a feeling it's a female blackbird, as I've seen it scurrying about under the plants. I hope she's not teaching the skill to any others. One pecked  fruit was in the GH.   I've taken measures to shield the door there but am at a loss what to do about outdoor plants.  Any experience of this anyone?

My poor tomatoes
   

It is growing in the wild but it is so pretty it could be a garden escapee. it's a little larger than Virginian stock.

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I follow a few YouTube gardeners for inspiration and knowledge. One of the ones I like is Mark from Self Sufficient Me. He's just completed a three week trial of subsisting solely on food he has produced himself (other than coffee beans, oils, salt, and some condiments). He has a good-sized property and - in addition to loads of raised beds and fruit trees/bushes - has quite a few chickens, ducks and quail that are kept for both meat and eggs. However, it is Winter there (Australia), so they were getting fewer eggs than at other times of year and didn't want to eat any of their birds outside of breeding season. He and his wife ended up with serious protein cravings!

This all got me to thinking about how we can increase our homegrown protein stocks. I'm hoping to get to a point where I'm growing a large proportion of my fruit and veg (as opposed to now, where the things I grow are more of a tasty supplement to what I buy). I'd also like to have some poultry once I have my own garden, but just for eggs as I'm a vegetarian. I'll still be buying proteins in the form of dairy, nutritional yeast, pulses, nuts and seeds. However, it would be really nice to be able to grow a decent amount of protein in my own garden too and I wondered if anyone had any good thoughts about the best crops to maximise high protein garden crops. 

So far, I have been thinking about:

1. Peas and beans - some for eating fresh, some for freezing, and lots to dry. I've only eaten homegrown ones fresh before. Anyone have any favourite options for drying?
   
2. Seeds - I've thought about sunflowers, pumpkin/other squash seeds, and poppy seeds. What other edible seeds can we produce in our gardens?
   
3. Seeds as grains - for example, quinoa and amaranth which are both supposed to be relatively easy to grow (though in significant quantities?) Are there any others?
   
4. Nuts - chestnut and walnut trees are huge, but hazelnuts/cobnuts would go well in a hedgerow. Anyone have experience with growing nut-trees?
   
5. Underground things - I'm thinking peanuts and tiger nuts. Can peanuts be grown in the UK? Has anyone managed to grow tiger nuts in decent quantities?
   
6. Fungi - definitely something I want to try when I have a longer-term garden. Has anyone had good success with inoculating wood mulch or using dowels?
   
7. Other high protein fruit and veg. As a vegetarian, I have often seen lists of these, but you often have to eat a ridiculous quantity to get a decent amount of protein. Anyone have any favourites?