Alan4711

what do you think is the best make of bird food you have bought?

i purchased some ordinary lard from asda as i couldn't find suet  then i simply mixed it with pound shop wild bird  seed into balls  and the birds left the original purchased fat balls  and totaly scoffed the lard ones,it looks like all the birds seem to like them especialy the Starlings they love them But i think i might have a problem in summer as they will probaly melt a bit ,need to get them more solid,How im not sure,and ideas

Alan

What's the weather like in your area?

you would not believe it!!! yesterday as i said and today Bright Sunshine fairly warm ,coffee shop a walk on the beech and up the garden nothing to do there except help put my mates shed back on its feet it went walk aboiut yesterday ,i said  a bit windy ,but today marvelous as Frank said " Spring to it" but a bit earlyier thats all

have a good one Alan

What's the weather like in your area?

Gail force god knows winds ,our shed is well tied down or it would be in the field next to  the allotment, and that's not joking, there's funny looking tall mounds of compost standing all around like dark soily snowmen because there  compost bins are all blowing across the field  again, and another shed roof is looking a bit ominous iv just leaned 2 scaffold planks against it hopefully to stop it blowing over,the allotments  are all now just wet boggy cold sorry looking battle sites, its us against the weather at the moment down here in South Wales and maybe snow on the way  apart from that I'm the only one up here and the only  sounds are  the birds the wind and the kettle whistling and i love it  what do they say onwards and upwards milk and one sugar coming ,a pint tonight  and start clearing the allotment up tommorrow if weathers ok

 cant beat it can you

Parsnips in plugs

High Johnheeng if we grow in toilet inners when do we sow ,weve never had an allotment before and the turnip packet says sow outdoors in the south in March ,so if we do the inners when do we start,or how long do they need to be in the inners before planting out as you can tell were complete beginners with Turnips,the only ones iv ever had came out of the oven roasted in honey so this year we are doing it all ourselves Hopefully that is and do we begin  them in coldframes

Alan

info on Hydrangas please

many thanks just what i needed to know  i,ll follow the advise,   cant help you with sausages though Cottage

Cheers maty,s

Alan

what you find when out walking

when i lived on the outskirts of Melton  Mowbray the local streams and smaller rivers were losing most of there native crayfish to the introduced (illegally) i think they call them  North American Signal crayfish which were killing them,they can grow quite large and have a good nip

Cheers all Alan

info on Hydrangas please

Hi all can anyone advise me with hydranga cuttings,i have many cuttings around 4 to 6 inches (old money) tall  and being wintered on the garage window sill and doing really well ,Now! is it best to plant single cuttings or put 2 or 3 together to get a more solid bushier result, im thinking of growing them in large pots to begin with then maybe as they grow bigger  transplant into the garden, and would it be ok to put the lace head type together with the ordinary for a mixed type shrub or no,anyway any help will be good and do i need to keep them inside or under cover till the frost has gone or are they ok to put out now as i dont want to lose them 

many of em Cheers Alan4711

North facing bank, clay soil

Saw a bank in Wales with 5 different heathers growing in  it, it was  all tastefully mixed in large patches  just  stunning

pond maintenance

jns im not sure its the right time to upset the pond as there maybe lots of sleeping things in the mud at the bottom that the pond will need as the spring comes on,might be a good idea to check with the people who know best ,somebody should be able to put  you right ,come on you pond experts

Cats causing problems

Hi all ,,i have just literally finished working in the front garden ,i have had to chicken wire fence  my back garden £350 to keep the cats out and they have moved into my front garden,as i said I'm very reluctantly  stoning my front garden around about £450 or there abouts when its done, the only part i need to jeyes fluid now is a small raised bed which as i said seems to be OK for now,apart from the actual work involved moving 3 ton of stone i did enjoy the creation of a different type of garden (id rather have my old soil one though) and due to the fact that my partner is extremely upset  and almost in tears with these cats its the only answer i can think of, However  i really think cat owners should instead of making all the excuses they do  about cats being free and cant be trained, should now be held responsible for the misery and cost of there free roaming animals they let lose ( the majority  anyway) on there neighbors, they should be ashamed of themselves and the truth is they know they are a nuisance and the owners are full of what i used to clean up after there muts annoyed with my neighbours you got that rightand we are seriously thinking of moving home,hows that for annoyed,

smilies

Radish

rooting

figs cutting

Goji berry

Pierris

Vaseline

getting annoyed

viola

bums not allowed

cider

Pollytunnels

white strawberries

fig cuttings

sun dried toms