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150 years. It feeds on the fruits, using its stylet mouthparts to suck out the juices, in autumn moving to the berries of yew, which also grows profusely on the chalk downs.However, during the 1990s Gonocerus was found, first, at Bookham Common

and peppers as there are so many varieties to choose from. My favourite sweet red pepper (or capsicum) last year was 'Bell Boy', which had large green fruits that ripened to red. They were delicious in stir-fries and Thai curries - our family favourites

outside had produced four or five fruits. Now this I had to try.Unfortunately their melons were trial varieties, and until the trial comes to an end in a couple of years we won't know whether any of these will be introduced to the gardening public

to the girlie in me with its two-tone red and white flowers. These beans may not fruit (I s'pose that's the right term - it doesn't sound quite right for beans somehow?) as well as other varieties with their exhibition names of 'Enorma' and 'Best of All

of allowing un-ripened fruits to enjoy the ethylene gas given off by the over-ripe banana really does work!)Now I know I'm lucky to have my good-looking, super greenhouse, but the point is, that any greenhouse will help us to enjoy the luxury of tomatoes

small critters come to warm themselves. And what's this? The compost bin has started to leak fruit flies; the perfect snack for a hungry spider.

with the stuff, every shrub and fruit bush mulched with a thick layer, and still the overflowing buckets continued to come!I'm a keen home composter - who isn't these days - but I do still resort to buying in mushroom compost from time to time. If I lived near a

The weather has been pretty grotty lately, and I've had to grab every possible opportunity to get out in the garden. I don't think I've ever been so far behind with sowing and planting fruit and vegetable crops. This time last year my courgettes

see several places where I imagined gangly arms had been thrust through to pilfer our fruit. Humph. Oh well. I re-pegged the nets, did a bit of disgruntled tidying and left.The next week we were back. A glorious day, birds singing, clouds puffing

the fruits...one happy gardener!One thing this season has taught me is that prevention really is better than cure, and this is a prime example. Delay control until later in the year and the damage is done, but hang up those pheromone traps early and you can