I'm researching compost bins. 

The Green Johanna is classed as a hot bin, which the Council is offering at £50, a very good price,  but having bored myself silly listening to a video about assembly and what can go in it, I can see its quite sturdy but why is it called a hot composter? I can see no extra insulation and it seems just a plastic shell with a base and lid. How does the GJ get to a higher temp than any others? I can purchase a winter jacket (currently out of stock), which makes sense but without that it seems to me that it is just a normal plastic compost bin.

Anybody able to educate me? At the moment I think I'm sticking to what I've got, which is a square plastic black one with an improvised lid - the lid blew off in the recent  gales which prompted this whole process

Another thing, how robust is the winter jacket, I figure if rats can chew through the plastic on my black one, they'll  dine out on the insulating jacket thinking they can smell food inside.

Morning All

Decided to outline my gardening plans for today....

My search for strawberry plants has resulted in me receiving 60 barefoot runners which I shall pot up today. 

Plenty of weeding to be done and a few beds to cover over the plots.

Site inspection to carry out

Feed the allotment cat

But most importantly, sit down in the greenhouse and chill

The winners of the 2021 Harvest Festival are:

£30 1st Prize Winner is Mark Riga
£20 2nd Prize Winner is Small Chilli
£10 3rd Prize Winner is Pyrenees Plot

Congratulations to our winners and thank you to everyone who entered.

If the winners could please pm me and give me their preference in e-vouchers

Very well done

How do you store yours? I an just about o dig up the Dahlia tubers for winter storage and wondered what is the best way to store them. Dry in boxes or slightly damp in soil? 

All suggestions gratefully received.

.......but I wish he was!

Spotted on Facebook https://fb.watch/93GnS-Cz7j/

An idea I saw somewhere!
Setting aside a bed just for growing plants you want to save seed from. For example - a tripod for a couple of beans, a few peas...........that, once planted would not be picked but left to seed. Some squash that would be hand pollinated and bagged - or some flowers. Anything in fact from which you want to save seeds.
Its tempting, when you have a row of plants, to pick them all and forget you want to save some. When you remember, they may be the end of season leftovers that may not be the best ones to grow from next year.
Waddya reckon?

Ok....so what are these really for?

Are they areas to keep pots protected during winter? Is a greenhouse any different?
Are they a solid base , gravel, or earth so you can grow straight into them.

I'm growing ranunculas ( I know I may have told you already ) I don't want them taking up space in my greenhouse, they get damaged by the weather.

Is a coldframe my option? What kind of thing would you make?

We have a road with hawthorns along the edge which have now become trees leaving big gaps. Any ideas on what to fill the gaps with or should we just plant more hawthorn? Has to be able to withstand a bit of wind too. TIA.

This seems appropriate with the climate conference kicking off. 
As well as gardening, we look after 2 gîtes - clean, change and do the laundry between guests - and the owners of one have told us not only to leave both the empty fridge freezers running, but to leave the heating set to 20 degrees,  day and night. They have nobody booked before summer next year. 
Although we need the income,  I personally would rather not work for them. Am I being too sensitive?!

Curious to know whether any of our G&G family, from oop North have eaten Carlin peas/Parched peas on Bonfire Night or any other night! 
From what I've read they were sold by street vendors in paper pokes https://hodmedods.co.uk/blogs/recipes/pa...arlin-peas
I have some Carlin peas from my Hodmedod box in to soak overnight. Any inspiring ideas for what happens to them after cooking?