I've grown quite a lot of fruit this year but not eaten so much.

In order of harvesting.

Strawberries: very few mainly eaten by squirrels
Raspberries: again very few:  squirrels, autumn ones look like I could get a crop as they are too busy with their nuts at the moment.
cherries: again the odd one:   squirrels.
Plums: none :   wood pigeons
red/black currants and gooseberries quite good crops
nectarines in poly tunnel: good crop quite a bit of insect damage but at least 50% was good. I do like a cake baked with nectarine in it. will hopefully be having a lot this winter.
apples all looking good. Picking katy last 2 weeks and excellent quality. still 50+ on the tree.
pears: one tree the wood pigeons missed has a dozen or so on, 4 other trees with none.
greengage (wild green plums, bit bigger than damsons and don't have so many grubs in) big crop this year to make up for the missing plums - good to eat fresh/jam/pies/puddings. I think they are tastier than plums.

What's yours?

Today we were helping tidy and sort at my parents house as they are moving soon. We were sorting the garage, and it became apparent that my dad has some duplicate tools in his collection. He has acquired over the years multiples of several things. Today I was lucky enough to be gifted these. They are he thinks my great grand father's on my paternal grandfathers side. 

I reckon some wire wool, a sharpen and some oil and we should be good to go.


   

How many dogs can you see ?

   

We have Rockfit sessions locally on Saturday mornings at the Village Hall. I've checked this out on google and it looks good fun. Haven't seen any blokes doing it but I am going to turn up a week come Saturday (Saturdays not on because of bank holiday) and see if they will let me join in.
If you don't know what Rockfit is just goggle it!

I’ve spent the last 5 days looking after the neighbours dogs & horses.

The horses are currently in our field. Didn’t really have to do anything with them other than take a rug off one of them. Breeze thinks he’s a horse     , he spends ages with them.

         

Some of the dogs
                     

I'm looking for some large (like over 50cm) terracotta or similar preferably unglazed pots for a project and was wondering if anyone knew of anywhere I would likely be able to source them from without spending an absolute fortune.

1. Can you save beans for drying / shelling from any variety? I know they’re some varieties that are best fresh for pods, some for drying the actual beans and some that do both. I ask because I’ve let my DFB pods get to big. 1a. Can I leave them for shelling? 
2. How’s the best way to dry them? I know you’re supposed to leave them on the plant to dry. All they will do is rot, if I leave them on the plant. 
3. Can you use any variety for any recipe? For example if recipe asks for kidney beans can I use Cherokee trail of tears ? I know flavour and probably texture will differ, but does it really make much difference?

OK, opened chrome today and everything is wiped, no bookmarks, no passwords, no nothing. No warning! Enough is enough. I liked chrome 'cos the homepage can be set to a blank background.

So I need a new browser, preferably one with an uncluttered homepage. I've tried edge but can't see a way to remove all the homepage rubbish I don't want.

Any recommendations? what do you all use?

Hello all,

I'm still quietly plotting my new garden, particularly things I can be doing when I (hopefully) move in, as that will probably be October/November.

I do fancy putting in a couple of fruit trees. However, it's not a big garden and they will have to go near the south end of the garden so that they are well away from the house and the garden retaining walls. I think I'll be wanting something on dwarfing rootstock so they don't cast too much shade (though a bit will be good as I think the garden could be too hot in summer) and don't take up too much space.

There are just so many choices and I don't know what to go for! Ideally, I'd like something that will give decent harvests (for a single person, not needing to feed the nation!) within a couple of years as this isn't going to be my forever garden. I'd prefer something that doesn't need too much fussing over, and obviously, taste is very important! I'll probably get a separate fig tree in a container (my previous one died while being babysat by my mother) and rather fancy trying a peach in the greenhouse, but need to do a bit more reading on that.

I'd love to hear your suggestions about the trees you have in the ground or would like to have. I'd love a greengage but couldn't find anyone selling them on sufficiently dwarfing rootstock, so maybe a nice dessert plum? Any good apple recommendations? I'd like a cherry, and don't think a small one would be too much of a hassle to net from the birds, provided I didn't accidentally trap them very often (my Mum stopped netting her fruit bushes for this reason). Dessert cherries and sour cherries both appeal. I don't fancy a pear tree so much, but maybe that's just because I'm used to mealy supermarket pears?

What does the hive mind suggest?