For the past few months we've been distancing ourselves from others by 2 metres/6 feet in old money.  Its an "exclusion zone" that nobody else should enter.
What if it were an "inclusion zone" and within that zone there should be something edible or useful growing?

I've been testing it out, standing in random places around the garden and imagining this circle in which I am the centre.  The area vaguely known as "lawn" was the most difficult - I had to move towards the edges to be within reach of an apple tree or raspberries. I'll work on correcting that because I don't like to be beaten by my own rules.

Try it, I'll be interested in your results. 

This needs to be in the what made you happy thread & wildlife photos thread. So it can have it’s very own little corner here. 
I’ve not seen one of these beautiful moths for over 10 years. So I was delighted to spot one feeding on my Buddleia This afternoon. 

Even happier that I got a half descent photo of it.

   

    Plenty of blackberries around at the moment - picking some every day for breakfast.
These are in the wild hedge in the garden so I don't have to fend off any other pickers.
For most of the year I call these brambles and curse them because they're so scratchy - now I call them blackberries and welcome them.

           

Very pretty, worth growing in a pot/hanging basket in the flower garden - but I won't grow them in the veg garden again as they take the space of a normal Runner and, so far, don't seem to be very productive. The Beans are normal size - not dwarf ones.

       

I never uproot bean plants when they reach the end of the days - not just because they're supposed to have nitrogen nodules or summat on the roots but because they may regrow. 

This is a Gigantes bean and its 4 years old!! Every year it puts up new growth in spring and latches onto whatever it can find. I helped it with a cane this year and its now scrambling into an apricot tree.

I've also had success with Firestorm RBs and Broad beans. 
Worth a try!

    Today I saw a Scarce Swallowtail butterfly. Never seen one before although I have seen Swallowtails. This is not a picture of the one I actually saw as it was moving too fast.

My Hunter CFBs have yellowing and dying leaves.  The newer growth at the top of the support is green.  Also another variety is doing the same, although not so drastically.  They have been watered regularly  and fed haphazardly.  Is this a natural progression or am I missing a trick.  Other CFB are OK with no yellow leaves.

Introduction - Hello.

There are 2 sorts of Fennel - the Annual bulb fennel and the Perennial "herb fennel.
This question is mostly about the annual one.

I've never managed to grow any Bulb Fennel - always seem to miss the optimum sowing date which appears to be July - first 2 weeks in August - in other words, NOW!! - although some of the seed packets give earlier dates which apparently, can lead to bolting.

Fennel di Firenze seems to be a popular giveaway on magazine covers - I have 4 unopened packets, only one in sow-by date - so he's the lucky bunny who's going to find his way into some modules today (doesn't like transplanting but I'm hopeless at sowing direct). The old seeds will be scattered randomly, in hope. 

I'm also going to start some Herb Fennel, the perennial one, green and bronze, to keep Florence company. 

Anyone growing Fennel bulbs this year?

                   

First there was an unlovely shrub here until someone gave me a pre-formed pond - so I dug up the shrub and enlarged the hole for the pond. The frogs came and everyone was happy until the pond sprang a leak. Out came the pond and the hole was levelled and filled with pebbles and a bird bath. Then the bird bath cracked and all that remained was the base, buried by pebbles. 

Seemed a pity to waste this area so added a post in each corner, some cross pieces surplus from a GH frame and some netting. Had to lower one corner as it was too close to the rotary line and my washing kept catching on it. Also netted on 3 sides only, as it would be daft to stop myself getting in there. 

I sowed lots of different mangetout peas in whatever pots and troughs I could find and put them in position . The seedlings didn't survive long as they were either eaten or dug up. This time I started the peas in modules in the GH and planted them out inside plastic bottles from the vinegar that was used to spray the front garden weeds. As you see, the peas grew unmolested and I'll definitely do this next time. 

The flowers are beautiful in various shades of white, pink, mauve and purple and the peas are yellow, purple and green - maybe some mottled ones too if I'm lucky!

 The moral of this story is - it doesn't matter how small the space is, you can always find room for a pot of peas. 

These are pretty common and love the teasles, as do we