Hi folks

Would you agree with the comment below?

You hang onions initially to let any remaining nutrients in the leaves drain back into the onions. That increases the time they can be stored. (So many people this year have dried theirs on wire mesh with the leaves hanging down below the onions, which allows nothing to drain into the bulbs and weakens the bulb.)

Then, when all the green has gone from the leaves, either plaiting them together or tying them to string to hang in a cool dry place will allow them to be stored for the longest time.

Anyone have any ideas??

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I thought it was an astilbe, but it’s much “coarser” and not at all feathery like an astilbe.
Very heavy honey fragrance.

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Has anyone noticed a trend (mainly on FB) of offering regular subscription boxes for all sorts of stuff. Sign up for a half price first box and you find yourself trapped into receiving all manner of overpriced items.
I first spotted them during last year's lockdown, when people couldn't shop easily so companies jumped in to supply the need; a need that they think is still relevant today.

There are several versions of growing veg boxes - some with a few packets of seed, some pots and a block of coir compost - and a similar one with plug plants, pots and compost. The seeds are very basic - radish, cress and lettuce level. Very expensive compared to buying the items yourself.

Today, I saw The Pond Box! Every 2 months they send you some fish food!

There's the Book Subscription - receive 4 random books (that didn't sell well initially) every couple of months.

Then there's the soap/toothpaste/deodorant/beauty stuff. I just want to try one - not sign my life away. How do they know how much deodorant I use when I've no idea how long a stick lasts.
Think I saw a Treats box - some chocolate, biscuits and probably a "Cheer up" card.

Anyway, I'm not envious that I didn't spot a hole in the market, because I've signed up to my own Subscription Box - and its FREE.
Every month, I'll choose a random book from the bookshelf and read it and every week I'll pick a random packet of seeds and sow them. I'm going to save a fortune. 

If you spot any other subscription boxes that I can save money on (by not buying) please let me know.

Personally I don’t grow in raised beds. However a couple of my friends do. The beds were filled with bought compost from the garden center. The first year all went well but the following year things didn’t grow well. I think that the compost lacks enough nutrients for healthy plants.  What is the best way to rectify this ? The work would be done over winter.

Thanks, look forward to suggestions.

Was sat on a train reading this article https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/article...mark-steel

People probably thought me mad when I read the paragraph on Northampton

Still a few days left to take part. It’s a great excuse to just sit in the garden for 15 minutes     . 

https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/

Hopefully I’ll have time to do another one tomorrow.

Recently I have received phone calls from people who I think are Chinese, as soon as I hear them speak I hang up and block the number, but would like to know if there is something else I can do and also wondering why I am suddenly getting these calls and if others are have experienced the same

my sunflowers are growing really tall but the leaves seem to be attack by something. I have checked the leaves and bed and can’t find any sign of slugs or caterpillars, there are no sign of eggs or anything on the leaves, even one of the flower heads seem to have been attacked as well.
The other leaves are ok and in pretty good condition

               

Any suggestions ?

At the moment I am sitting looking out at the garden, and I see clematis, roses, lilies dahlias, fuchsias, petunias, rudbeckias, nasturtiums, chrysanthemum, crocosmia, (5 diffrent patches of it, when I thought I had removed it all last year) sweetpeas, marigolds, hostas along with several other flowering and foliage plants and I am thinking that I get a lot of pleasure growing, working and looking at them, so I am now thinking of doing away with my raised vegetable beds and any veg that I want I can grow in containers, to change everything wouldn't be too difficult, as the 3x2 slabs that make up 2 of the beds can be used to protect the boundary fences and the timber which make up other 2 can be used as edging, but I will give it a bit of thought rather than starting right now, anyway I have peas, beans, potatoes, onions, cabbage and cauliflower along with several different salad veg growing at the moment, usually when I think of something I go for it, possibly the reason why I don't have that many mature plants and bushes in the garden, well apart from some of the clematis and a honeysuckle a rowan tree a dwarf pine along with a Ginkgo Baloba tree, if I go for this I suppose it will be my permanent garden, as OH keeps telling me to slow down, also I could get assistance from the grandchildren, which sort of sways my to doing it, as it would give them some experience plus ofcourse like Veggie I am not getting any younger