ladygardener2

Birds nesting

It sounds to me like a price worth paying discodave, to have provided a home for those little birds this spring, well done you.

Spring -summer

Don't forget Crocus provide some early nectar as well.

Spring -summer

Quite often sweetwilliam are biannuals. Having said that I'm hoping for some flowers from the ones I sowed and planted out last year.

The Rudbeckia are great, mine lasted right through to the end of January this year. I grew Rustic Dwarf and previously Cheroke Sunset. Another plant that will give long months of colour is the Aquilegia, they can go on for ever and are a great link between spring and summer.

Best tasting early peas

It always has to be Hurst Greenshaft for me. I've tried others but these gave me the sweetest peas I've tasted. They are good heavy croppers too. They were recommended to me by a friend on another forum and I've grown them sometimes with others and sometimes just on their own. From now on it'll be on their own unless something very special comes along.

Allotment Heavy clay heavy mud

You've had lots of good advice here and I can only give my experience. I got my plot a few years ago. Heavy clay, not much previous work done and waist high in weeds. I cut all the weeds down to the soil and covered as much as I could with heavy blue tarpaulin / plastic sheeting from a swedish company well known for selling furniture.... Meter by meter I worked that plot and took out by hand as many of the weeds that I could. It will take time but as has been said, using a rotovater only breaks up the roots, that is supposing you could get it through the mud.

It won't be easy but if you take it bit by bit then you'll get there eventually. There is'nt any point trying to work wet clay. I don't know where you live so don't know if you're likely to get much frost. I'd be inclined to cover what I can, it'll help dry out the clay and the lack of light should help the weeds die down.

As has been said, you'll need to add compost or / and manure to the beds to help make it more suitable for growing but there's still time for you to prepare a few beds for planting this summer. Don't forget that potatoes are good for breaking up the soil too, I grow them most years.  Best of luck.

slug pellets help

sotongeoff wrote (see)

Have read of this-----

http://www.allotment.org.uk/gardening/slugs-snails

and this

http://www.wildlife-web.org.uk/hedgehog/facts/dangers.html

and the trillion discussions on cats in the garden

http://www.gardenersworld.com/search/forum/cats/

Thanks so much for this, I've found it very helpful.

Chris Beardshaw to join Beechgrove Garden

That's great news about Chris Beardshaw joining the show. I've watched it for years and am delighted that this year so many more people will get the chance to see it.

What to sow in January

You could sow sweetpea now, I always sow in the autumn but again anytime now and I've been growing them for years.

Also what about Cornflowers and Calendula, they could be sown now too perhaps.

I do have a covered back yard with perspex as a roof so I can keep everything frost free.

Best blue flowering plant

Lithadora Heavenly Blue is wonderful as is Grace Ward.

Starlings

I've had Starlings every late autumn and winter for the past few years. They love the suet pellets I put out for them and nibble at the fat balls in the feeders too. I love to see them and hear them chattering and whistling. Happily I have a feeder that I use for sunflower hearts in a different part of the garden and it's visited by Chaffinch and Blue Tig. I also have a Robin who arrives while it's still dark around 6am and he/she eats the mealy worms and I think the suet pellets off the table.