I found a ladybird in the garden today - she was just sitting on shrubby plant and, after thinking that she shouldn't be out this late, I realised that I had no idea what happened to ladybirds in winter.

The Duckduck told me that they hibernate and how to make them a hotel to overwinter in............so this is my job for tomorrow! I hope she's still there so I can move her into her new home!

http://uksafari.com/spottylodgers.htm

Vertical Veg (Mark Ridsdill Smith) runs a seed swap on FB. 

Has anyone ever joined it  or knows how it operates please? I'm curious how it can work!

From what I can gather, you pay some  money (£6 +) and you're emailed a spreadsheet on which you list the seeds that you have to swap. All these lists are amalgamated and sent to all swappers who choose the seeds they want from the list.  Once the list requests are over, the swapper packs their seeds individually for each requester and sends all the packs to Vertical Veg who shuffles them around and sends them back to the requesters.

My initial thought is what if I only have 10 beans to swap and 20 people want them? Who decides who has the beans and what about the 19 people who won't receive any?

I really can't understand how this swap takes place so, if you know, please tell me.

I'm making a list of the different herb combinations/recipes that I come across to get an idea of the plants that I have that can be used or that I need to grow. If you have any recommended combinations, please add them to this thread. 

First up, from the Twinings Cold infuse teas I've been given:-

Raspberry & Hibiscus + Rosehips, apple pieces, beetroot, Roasted chicory Root.
Mandarin & Rosemary + Stevia leaves (Like this one a lot).
Watermelon, Strawberry & Mint + Hibiscus, Beetroot, Rosehips, orange peel.
Pomegranate and Elderflower + Lemon Balm, Beetroot
Lemon, Lime & Green Mate + White Hibiscus, Stevia Leaves
Watermelon, Apple & Matcha + Green Tea, White Hibiscus, Stevia Leaves.

I "think" that the beetroot may be the colouring in the red teas so I'm not going to lob a slice of beetroot into my cup!
I'm going to start saving orange and lemon peel, drying rosemary & lemon balm, gathering elderflowers and rosehips in season and trying to grow Stevia and Hibiscus...............for a start.

With the price of all forms of energy on the increase, this thread can be used to share any tips you have.

One thing we have started doing is when boiling the kettle. It is not always possible to boil just the amount needed. Any excess, we now put in a flask to keep it hot for later use.

So after I'd planted up all my potatoes from spring for earlies I had a few tubers left over. I kept them to one side thinking I'd find space for them later. I never did find somewhere to squeeze them in so instead when I dug up my first spuds in early July I replenished the soil with some bfb and planted my left over spuds. I harvested some a few days ago as the frosts had got the tops and was impressed with the crop. Not as many useful spuds as first crop but plenty enough, certainly worth doing in the future.

Hey everyone, thank you for having me, I love gardens, I have a dog so of course I have to love them! the smell of flowers walking past them wants me to spend the day sniffing them, I love the colours in summer, aren't they just so beautiful? yes they really are!!!! shaunie

I am not a stranger to the reduced isle but I might try an experiment and only buy reduced food. The two criteria would have to be any meat on its last day would need to be frozen if not consumed, and on the fresh produce on the last date, only buy enough that I could eat that day or the next.

 Its not a financial ploy as I could afford full priced produce but would probably add a bit of interest to my meals. A downside would be that I would have to shop for small ammounts more frequently and my main shopping area is a 1/2 hour drive, so the financial benefits would be minimal.
One other worry I have is that I am depriving another more needy family of a meal, but there is also a likelyhood it could finish up in landfill if no one bought it?

I can't start just yet as my freezer is jam packed with produce so I need to whittle that down a bit before I start.  It also means i might have to be a bit more flexible with my eating habits as at present I have set plan for my one meal a day.  Variety is the spice of life so they say.

Morning All!
I am in the market for a large unheated propagator, something about a metre long, that has a really well fitting lid, ideally fungus gnat proof!
I quite like the look of the Vitopod with an extra side extension – does anyone have one of these or any other recommendations?
My budge could stretch to £75-£100 for something that will really last for many seasons. I have a heat mat to go underneath so definitely don’t need anything heated.

I am toying with the idea of starting an asparagus bed 3.6 × 2.0 mtrs.  I know it takes a couple of years to become established but I have the space.

My questions are

Is it worth it? ... long wait for a short harvest period

What variety is best?  So many to choose from 

Problems with pests?

Any thoughts?

I'm starting anemone bulbs in the greenhouse- nog having much luck to be honest - they are rotting and look like this - gnat larvae
   

I have yellow fly traps - I may have to resort to fly spray