Does anyone grow dictamnus fraxinella? AKA gas plant, burning bush, dittany.  I came across it in an old gardening book and I've not heard of it before. It seems like it would be easy to grow, and I see Chiltern have seeds. I'd quite like to give it a go, but if it doesn't look much, or is a thug, or has some other disability, I wouldn't want it.

Apparently, most people wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time. 

For me, this is so true. I always wear the same clothes, whatever the season. Jeans. tee-shirt, sweater sort of thing. In winter, add another layer, in summer take one away.
My wardrobe is 80% full of clothes I never wear, hangovers from when I worked and had to look respectable - or when I was slimmer or fatter. The same with shoes - most of them will be too high, too narrow, too tight for my feet that have now spread into crocs and boots.  So why do I keep them?  Because I can't beat to throw anything away, maybe?

I have a plan. Next year I'm going "shopping" in my wardrobe. Find something "new" to wear each week . If it feels right, it can go back in the wardrobe, if it doesn't, its recycled/repurposed.

I could apply the 20/80 theory to seeds too. Probably 20% of my seeds are sown every year, the other 80% go back in the box for another time - maybe. Its time to let some more seeds run free in the garden.

Hands up, what % of your clothes do you wear.........and seeds do you grow?

I have a load of this - do you think it can be used to keep the frost/weather off the flowers? I've used it in the past for covering brassicas and then stopping the birds eating my blackcurrants.

Just wondering if I use this as covering it may stop some of the wind/frost damage - I am going to get some plastic to make a tunnel but thought I could  use this to good use too.

Just in case anyone has missed it, I finally have a garden of my own! After several years container gardening and 16 months of windowsill gardening (plus a brief foray into growing in the ground in a very rubbly rented back garden in summer 2020), I have a garden that is mine to dig (or more likely not dig), plant, and put to work however I see fit. It's very exciting, and I hope to document my progress here. 

Unfortunately, as much as I would just like to now spend all my time in the garden, I'm a bit limited right now by a number of factors:

1) It's very cold!
2) My gardening things haven't moved in with me yet so I don't have my gardening gloves or my own tools just yet
3) There's a whole house that also needs lots of attention (and that's the bit that will fall down in expensive ways!)
4) I broke my finger
5) It's dark when I get home from work, unless I'm on nights
6) If I'm on nights, I'm not doing much except sleep during the day!
7) I have a post-graduate exam coming up

Still, I've spent some time pottering around and generally admiring the garden, and musing about what to do next.

I think I have around 95 square metres of usable space at the back, including the greenhouse and an area for compost. The back of the house faces south, but the garden has a gentle slope towards the house so may not catch quite as much sun as a flat south-facing garden. It has three tiers: there's a concreted/paved patio area right by the house. That's pretty small. Then there's a flat lawned area with a border. It's protected from the wind on all four sides as it's surrounded by the house, a fence, a retaining wall, and the garage but it may also be a bit shaded at the far end by the retaining wall. The retaining wall has a steep slope and is currently being used as a rockery, though it's become rather overgrown with grass as it wouldn't have been safe for my elderly vendor to climb up and down. The top tier is the longest and is the part with the gentle slope towards the house. It's mostly lawn, but there's a path down the middle, ornamental borders either side, a shed, a greenhouse, two gravel-filled raised beds, and a rather wild area behind the greenhouse and shed.

There's also a very damp detached garage that needs lots of work, is being invaded by ivy, and has rotting/broken windows. However, I have hopes that it may one day make a very nice potting shed.

My vendor has moved to a retirement flat without a garden, so very kindly left me lots of gardening equipment and containers. More on these later!

Pictures hopefully to follow shortly.

Following in from Veggie's festive funny about the older generation, of which I proudly count myself, I wondered how much of the youngster's 'speak' we truly understand, and not just the rude ones

I mentioned finding out what 'swipe right' meant and I recently saw a headline mentioning 'woke' and hadn't got a clue what it meant.  It seems that it means to be aware of social/racial prejudices or injustices. 
New one to me.

Anybody else got some newfangled words or phrases that we wrinklies might not understand?

Another project  I have water pipe..and I'm hoping to make a low tunnel to cover some some Spring flowers. Hoping to give them a little protection from the weather and keep the frost off them. 

I need plastic to cover. I would like it to last. 
Anyone made one? Where did you buy the cover for it

Urban allotments could be as productive as traditional farms while using fewer pesticides, new research has found.
https://wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk/news...szp1CWKtcY

"The growers harvested on average one kg of insect-pollinated fruit and vegetables, such as tomatoes, beans, strawberries, and apples per square metre.

Researchers calculated that the average harvest at an allotment would be worth £550, based on the cost of organic produce at the supermarket. They also worked out that £310 of this produce was insect-pollinated, highlighting the importance of insects and biodiversity in growing food."

One kg per square metre?  How many lettuces weigh a kg? I suppose they weighed everything they harvested and divided it by the square metres of the allotment. Does this include paths, compost heaps, sheds or is it just growing space.

What do you think your output is? Apples, tomatoes, beans are good heavy croppers but I'd struggle to grow a kg/sq.m over the whole garden. Wouldn't want to actually.

Has anyone got a tried and tested way to get rid of onion fly, and has anyone tried a flame gun on their soil to see if it kills off the fly?

Thought I’d start a thread so we can share all the delightful ( and the I’ll never use that ) gifts we’ve had for Christmas.
Must admit, I’m doing very well already this Christmas     .
I’ve had a beautiful David Austin rose, quite a large cheque and yesterday Bob came home with a raised bed a friend made for me .

         

2.4m if you were wondering