jude5

May In Your Garden

Whatever - will probably be wevolting

Advice from the odlies :)

I think it's really important to pass knowledge on to the next generation. I learned most of what I know about gardening and cooking from my mum who was excellent at both and completely self taught. I'm trying to do the same for my own daughter but I have to catch her in the right mood or I'm accused of lecturing - guess I'm not a 'natural' teacher, still, the knows the names of more plants than her dad - he can't tell the difference between a tulip and a chrysanthemum!

planting out runner beans

Don't be downhearted all you impatient gardeners, It's a good thing to be optomistic. I've been gardening for yonks and still sow things much too early knowing full well that I'll probably have to do it again. But sometimes, just sometimes it pays off, the weather is kind and it makes you feel great! Anyway, the winter is too long and seed sowing fingers get very itchy

Burying seedlings to the true leaves

I believe it should not be done with cucumbers as they will rot, but confess that I haven't tried.

What's the weather like in your area?

North Wales no better I'm told (husband and daughter gone to climbing wall as no chance of even a walk outdoors let alone finding dry rock - apparently only 2 deg. at 9am in Llanberis)

Absolutely atrocious here in Chester - v.wet, v.windy, v.cold.

Still, at least I've sown some more seeds, now where can I put them to keep them warm?

Any advice on hand-push lawnmowers?

I got a Qualcast Panther 380 for £14.50 on ebay for use on the allotment, and though I've only used it a couple of times as yet I am impressed. 

yellow rust on hoolyhocks

My hollyhocks suffered last year too, but this years foliage is coming up ok so far, will have to wait and see I guess.

What's the weather like in your area?

Dry here in Chester, well of course it is, installed guttering to water butts yesterday

fruit bush

Well, not really knowing what type of caterpillar it is, or how many more there may be on the bush (which sort of fruit bush by the way?) it's difficult to say. Obviously it will be feeding on the leaves and possibly the buds.Think you need more of an expert than me

fruit bush

I think there is more than one type of caterpillar that looks twig-like, but I seem to remember from my bug collecting childhood that it could be a brimstone butterfly.