We have 3 eating apple trees; Katy, James Grieve and Jonagold. All 3 trees are looking really healthy and, between them, we have eating apples from mid August till Christmas with plenty to give away. The Jonagold is the late apple of the 3 and I just picked the remaining apples before the blackbirds, fieldfares etc. finish them off. All three have had superb flavour this year, don't know if it was the heat and sunshine. The Jonagold are almost like eating sugar lumps and are decidedly morish but most have to be peeled because the skin looks so ropey.
Would anyone know if this is just the variety, or because it is quite a late variety or any other reason and if there is a way to preveint the blemishes.
There have been a lack of grubs in them this year also.

Pictured is some of the Jonagold.

   

Whilst stopped at traffic lights today, I spotted a gull (looked like a small Herring Gull) on  the grass roundabout. It was treading the grass with its big webbed  feet, doing a little dance, then probing the grass and fallen leaves with its beak. After the second dance, the gull pulled up a huge earthworm - which didn't live for long afterwards. 
Having eaten the worm, the gull went back to stamping and shuffling. 
Unfortunately, the lights changed then and I had to drive away. 

Never seen this before - fascinating technique.

I have a big clump of parsley in the GH - grown from a supermarket YS plant.

How do you use parsley - apart from parsley sauce and as a decorative sprig beside some fish?
Forgot Tabbouleh - probably because I haven't made it for years. https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/tradit...leh-salad/
Ideas please before it goes yellow/sets seed.

I've been browsing seeds as you do at this time of the year, or if you're Veggie any time of year

Anyone grown Tortarello or it might be called Amenian cucumber?

Just wondering how many varieties of each veg do you grow - for example - 6 different tomatoes, 3 sorts of courgettes etc..........and why?

Its the perfect weather for a big bowl of soup. Please share your Soup ideas with us.

I make enough for several days at a time,  eat it fresh for 2 or 3 days and freeze the rest.  My recipe doesn't exist - just a selection of whatever is lying around is bunged in the pressure cooker. It always taste OK, whatever is in it. 

My soup of the week is Pumpkin, Carrot, fresh ginger and Baked beans.

Having spent the afternoon with a Veg box supplier, it started me thinking about how I would fill my own veg box from the garden. 
According to a list I found somewhere, in November and December, I should be able to harvest:-
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage (summer)
Carrots
Cauli (winter)
Chard
Kale
Lettuce
Parsnip
Radish
Spinach
Swede
Turnip

I'd have to buy in sprouts, cabbage, cauli, parsnip, swede and turnip - but I could add as substitutes, leeks, Chinese leaves, landcress, tomatoes and mangetout.

What would be in your Veg box?

A Wilko shopper has revealed how she filled her trolley after spotting a 5p bargain in her local store. The woman grabbed hundreds of discounted seed packets, some of which had been £1 each before the huge reduction.
 She bought a whopping 533 packets, which came to £26 .65 . 
She wrote: "533 packets of seeds for £26 .65! 

5 pence a packet reduced at Wilko."

Could this have been Veggie?

I've been given a root of japanese anemones either white or pinkish and quite tall.

Are they thugs and run rampant? I understand they prefer partial shade. I'll have to be mindful of where I plonk it.

How do you stop aphids in winter?
They are one of the main reasons I don’t grow in the polytunnels or bring things into the house. 
But this year I’m trying to start a few things early. My Cosmos that I’ve sown at completely the wrong time of year is actually doing very well. It’s about to flower. But I’ve just evicted it from the tunnel as it’s covered in aphids. Can’t see the little green sh**s on any of the seedlings, at the moment.
I use ladybirds to control them if I have a problem in summer but they won’t survive in winter and they should be hibernating anyway. 
So how do I control them in winter on young delicate plants?