Calendula

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Landshare Organisation that Hugh F-W promotes: http://www.landshare.net/

Any idea what these plants are?

2 is Lungwort or Pulmonaria.

The daftest thing you've done in your garden

I'm a bit of a 'hack it back and see' gardener and on a few occasions have regretted it. I had a go at a berberis too late one year and missed all the lovely golden flowers the following year - but at least it recovered. I had a varigated 'something' climbing the front of the house which looked so vigorous I thought hacking it back to the main stem wouldn't hurt - now it's just a stump and because I have no idea what it was I can't replace it

Mangetout seedlings: 'pinching' and dying

marshmello - the seeds are proprietary F1s and develop fine. They then (as I said) develop this tough 'pinch' at the base of the stem and start to wilt.

Bob - I think that must be the problem. Even with window and door open the thermometer has been showing over 30 degrees some days and down to near freezing at night. I will sow some more but leave them outside.

Thanks everyone.

Mangetout seedlings: 'pinching' and dying

They are in exacly the same compost as other veg seedlings and they haven't been affected. So unless they are particularly pea-loving slugs, no - I don't think it's that. They don't look bitten.

Comfrey?

If the flowers are blue and pink and it's low growing it could be lungwort or pulmonaria. Do the leaves have pale spots or splodges?

Alternative lawn

Joanne Shackleton wrote (see)

I'm not anti grass by any means, but we have a huge garden with a huge lawn, I'm trying to cut down on the amount of time my husband spends mowing it as he's taken up golf!!!!!!!!!

Hang on a minute. YOU are trying to cut down on the time your HUSBAND has to spend mowing the lawn because HE has taken up golf? Two soutions: do it yourself or tell him HE has to find a solution. He's the one causing the problem!

Mangetout seedlings: 'pinching' and dying

I' an experienced veg grower but haven't encountered this before. I planted some mangetout seeds undercover a couple of weeks ago (I don't plant veg seeds straight into the ground because the slugs would have them practically before they appear) and they quickly produced strong healthy plants. Since then almost all of them have developed a tough 'pinched' area at the point the stem emerges from the compost. They still look healthy but gradually keel over and die because clearly water isn't getting from the roots to the rest of the plant.

They have been kept well watered but have been subject so some fairly extreme diurnal temperature changes in the greenhouse. Could that be the cause? If not, why is this happening?

Pruning a Privet hedge

Im my experience it is impossible to kill privet and it benefits from really hard pruning. Now is probably not the best time to do it (there may be birds nesting) but you certainly won't do it any harm in the long run.

Help with Sweet peas

Im my opinion they would look odd just one plant per pole per pot - is that what you are planning? If your containers are big enough I would create a wigwam of at least three poles and then plant one at the base of each pole - pinching out the top to help it develop more climbing stems.

Mangetout seedlings: 'pinching' and dying

Help needed: robust rain protection