Hi all,

We got a fruit cage for Christmas (my phone keeps correcting this to cake...) and I'm wondering if it would be ok to grow peas or something up the black netting where they won't shade any of the fruit out.

Any other annual veg or flowers you'd suggest growing up the netting or potentially up string/support attached to the metal frame? Or will I regret getting things tangled in the netting? The cage is just over two metres tall, metal frame with meeting, it has a door.

Thanks!

PS hope this is an appropriate section!

They're lots of advice on saving seed  by isolating plants or seed heads but I can't find much about what happens if you ignore this and let nature take its course.

For example, last year I sowed a lot of old radish seeds together, just to give them a chance. Lots grew and they're flowering. There'll be red ones and white ones, round ones and long ones, summer and winter ones............but, in my view, all radishes taste the same. I don't think I've sown any F1 radish so any seed that is produced will be random radish. Does this matter? I don't think so. 
What about other veg? Beetroot are mostly red although there are yellow, white and stripey ones. I don't like white or stripey beetroot and only grow red or yellow ones. Maybe I'd end up with orange ones. Nice.

I leave kale and other brassicas to flower and, undoubtedly, they've crossed - but, if I only want a plant that provides green leaves for a meal does it matter? 

If anyone knows of information on the "risks" of letting same species plants cross pollinate, please point me to it. I really need to know whether a cross-pollinated seed is likely to produce something inedible, toxic, not worth the effort........

https://www.lidl.co.uk/biodiversity

Ask at LIDL for a free packet of flower seeds on Friday, 20th May.

Can’t believe this! 
Yet another offer from T&M that I’m actually pleased with - what is going on!!!
Nurserymans’ Choice of 48 bedding plants, a packet of incredibloom and 5 pkts of seed. Just pay postage. 
(I don’t work for them honest!!!)
Double Petunias, bedding begonias, single petunias, , lobelia, bacopa, nicotiana, rudbeckia and impatiebs.

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https://thebigplasticcount.com/

Have you seen this? Starts tomorrow.
The idea is that a household counts every bit of plastic that they dispose of, whether by recycling or binning, and the results will be sent to the government, supermarkets etc askng them to do something about reducing the plastic.

Happy 2nd Birthday Garden & Gossip 

Special thanks to the Boss for setting the Forum up and keeping it running

Thank you all for keeping me sane for the last 2 years - you're all great company and source of advice with plenty of laughs along the way.

I like making plate pies (usually corned beef, onion and potato)

The bottom of the pie never looks 'cooked' to me? I usually cook for 30 minutes at 200c in a fan oven. I have tried cooking longer to hopefully cook the bottom but finish up burning the top.
It also seems to depend on what pastry I use? puff pastry giving a better result than shortcrust pastry?

To all you pastry officianado's what is your secret for curing the soggy bottom syndrome?

Just wondering which seeds you have finished sowing for the year and put away for 2023 (if any left).

I've finished sowing tomatoes and courgettes (27 plants should be enough ).

   

I grew a few chard and perpetual spinach plants in the GH over winter and they are massive - took over the GH.  The photo was taken about a month ago when I'd started clearing the chard on the right. You can see some in the bucket!!
 If you harvest the tops of the plants (the young tender bits)  the plant produces side shoots. Nothing odd about that, you may say.  When these side shoots touch the ground, they root, a bit like strawberry runners. Result  - more plants when you sever the cord. No wonder it was a jungle of chard. 
I've put some of these unrooted sideshoots into water and, when they root, I'll plant them in the garden. I've already transplanted some chard that was bolting to add to the self seeded clumps around the garden.
 Plants for free

Just seen this - Whitworth's discounted short date jam sugar - down from £2  to 75p. May be worth stocking up if you're jamming soon. 

https://whitworths-sugar.co.uk/products/jam