Bought a packet of Johnson’s “Jolly Jester” tagetes - I just love those tall stripy things. 
Anyway, I sowed them, pricked them out,  planted them and looked after them. They’ve just started to flower and they are little dwarf “Naughty Marietta”. 
Bugger - I only grow tall things for cutting! 
To give them their due, Johnson’s have said that they’ll replace them - BUT I’ve not got any lovely stripy jolly jesters this year - and who
knows if the replacement pack will be Jolly Jesters. 
So annoying.
We really are at the mercy of the seed companies - and thankfully, most of the time they get it right. 
Apologies for weird font changes. Dunno what’s going on!

Hi
I’ve just spotted an amazing number of bumble bees (like at least fifty!) buzzing around a small hole in the garden near the sweet peas. All fighting and scrambling to get into the small hole which is the size of a broom handle.
These are really large bumble bees and as soon as I get near the sweet peas they buzz furiously around my head trying to scare me off - they are blooming well succeeding!
Obviously I am thrilled to have these beautiful creatures in the garden, but I am worried about getting stung -plus how am I going to pick the sweet peas?.
I’ve put a wire cage around them to keep Fitzroy (the puss away from them).
The photo doesn’t come near to showing the number of airborne ones. No exaggeration when I say at least fifty!

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This Snail begonia is one of the most amazing plants I've ever seen..................and its mine.
It was a freebie on the local site.
Hoping to split it into several plants, propagate it by leaf cuttings and generally, turn one plant into many. If I succeed I'll give them to Lily's Lettuce to sell for charity. I'm sure she'll be able to sell them.

Do you pinch out/prune yours?

My cucs tend to have their own way in the gh, thereby I end up with a miniature Amazon jungle.  I dont prune avidly. Some say to nip out growing shoots when they hit the roof, some to nip out at 7 leaves (although to be fair I think that's for outside ones).  My usual varieties of Beth Alpha and Konsa  aren't too badly behaved but the Chinese Slangen I've grown this year seems a bit enthusiastic.  Do I tip it, will it then throw out even more side shoots?  What does the forum think?

Just found this this evening, anyone else think it's anything other than the work of a leaf cutter bee? 
Pretty cool if it is, never seen evidence of one before.

   

That caught your eye, didn't it.
I've been wondering whether its more productive to grow fruit and veg in a small space that can be cared for/protected easily  or in a larger space that cannot be.
For example, is it better to grow one small cherry tree that can be netted against birds or several larger ones that can't.
Or a couple of brassicas that you can watch over and net or rows of them that may be predated by birds. 
Would you prefer two decent cabbages or 20 holey ones ? 
A currant bush that is netted from birds or 6 bushes that aren't?

I think you can see where I'm going with this. Is small beautiful?

It’s getting close to seed saving time.
Tell us what you’ve saved. It’ll probably prompt us to do the same. 
I’ve just saved some snakes head fertillary . And started collecting aubrieta seeds.

My non gardening pal's DiL has just moved into a house with a huge garden. They are not gardeners, unless you count hoovering AstroTurf gardening , but DiL has expressed interest in quaking grass. Pal and I are on a mission to either buy a plant or some seeds for DiL today.  I know nothing about quaking grass, is it invasive?

Offers that are so overpriced, they can't be true!!

For example, Sarah Raven is asking £5.95 for 5 onion seedlings. Even if they grow into whopping great onions, they can't be worth £1.20 each - and that assumes they all grow. 

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/onio...hyu-yellow

Nutty idea.
Imagine that you are copywriters for a new gardening magazine/newspaper to be called "Garden & Gossip".
Can you write an article or Letter to the Editor or any content that you think will entertain or amuse the Magazine's readers? Maybe a Quiz or puzzle, a handy tip or anything really - you can even submit some spoof advertising. Photographs are, of course welcome as they fill more space on the pages.

Over to you, let's see what our first edition (and probably the last) will contain.