On a wet and miserable November day, my thoughts are on spring and what would I like to be doing then.
With that in mind, are there any things you want to change or do differently next year. Any plans, crazy ideas, tweaks, something you won't do/grow again? 

2022 thread at https://gardenandgossip.org/showthread.php?tid=1289

As you are aware, we normally run a Christmas competition.  This year I have decided Garden and Gossip will support  local families enjoy Christmas lunch. A local charity are looking to sponsor 100 families @£50 ea, although not into religion, I am a member of the local community, so feel it is a good thing to do.

Garden and Gossip will sponsor 3 families this Christmas.

I am sure you won't mind the lack of a competition for this year.

You may remember the suggestion that removing Best before dates from fresh produce would reduce food waste. Today I was given some bagged fruit and veg - some of which say in big writing " No date, helps reduce waste". To my inexpert eye, there seems to be nothing wrong with these things, so why are they giving them away? Shouldn't they be keeping them on the shelf until they're unsaleable - or is it the customer who is blamed for the food waste by chucking them once they reach their Best before date?
Out of interest (maybe) I was given 2 net bags of 4 lemons.
Sainsburys Organic unwaxed £1.50, reduced to 75p, then to 39p then given away "No date helps reduce waste". Origin Spain
Co-op unwaxed £1.75, reduced to 96p, then to 63p, then given away "Best before 3 November". Origin South Africa

The Coop ones are yellower than the Sainsburys which have a greenish tinge but are organic and cheaper. If you need lemons you know where to shop now.

I looked for dates on the other veg I picked up - Waitrose carrots are dated, Sainsburys aren't. They're all in plastic wrappers though. 

We have joint winners in this year's Harvest Festival competition.

In joint first place, we have Small Chilli and Mark Riga, each will receive £20
In third place we have JJB who will receive £10

Well done to our winners and every one else who entered.  Special thanks go to Veggie, who orchestrated this years competition, thank you

If the winners could pm me, I will arrange the prizes.

I've been offered some pumpkins leftover from Halloween - not sure how many yet - may be 1 or 5 or any number in between.
What would you do with them - simple ideas please.

Suggestions wanted for no messing about perennials that will act as ground cover and need minimal weeding.  Something like perennial geraniums or Michaelmas daisies.
Bonus points for long flowering, bee-friendly, non dead-heading, attractive flowers.
I want to fill up odd spaces with undemanding flowers that are easy to grow. Don't mention montbretia or vinca please.

Do we have a winner of the Harvest Festival competition yet?

How exactly has veggie managed so many more posts than everybody else? 
It’s nearly double mine and we joined on the same day! 
Anyone any idea? 
Maybe the lady herself could explain it             

Today I picked up a bag of assorted junk - it was much bigger and heavier than I expected.
In amongst the odds and ends was a tub of money - bank notes and coins. The Notes were Indian Rupees but I could see some UK coins in amongst the rest..
I messaged the donor and asked him if he had intended to put the money in the bag. 
His reply :-
Yeah, they're all foreign and I didn't have the time/energy to sort them. Hopefully they're worth something.

1. How much do you think the UK coins were worth?

2. How many different currencies were there

3. Can you guess what they are?

   




Think that says it all