MrPP spotted this male blackcap picking the blackfly from the broad beans this morning. It then came out into the open for a preen and to pose for some photos!
   

A good reason to not use pesticides

Has anyone had any luck sowing Tarragon seeds?

Been trying for years but anything that germinates soon decides to die. I know French Tarragon seeds aren't viable, but Russian is supposed to be

Any tips?

I have amassed loads of cardboard which I planned to cover my paths with then add wood chippings. Because of time limitations I won't be able to take delivery of a load of wood chippings and do as I first thought...........not for now anyway as I have other commitments.

I know from various experiments with paths in the past that the wind plays a big part in what you can and can't do. I once laid carpet paths and even though it was pegged down, it still landed in next doors allotment.

My latest idea is to lay the cardboard anyway and put sand on it to hold it down until I get the time to do a better job with wood chippings. Sand is fairly cheap to buy and should hold cardboard down and help to drown out weeds?

Or should I just store the cardboard in the shed and keep on hoe-ing the weeds on the paths. I have a lot of narrow paths so am wondering whether hoe-ing is feasible once weeds start into full growth?

The wide damp proof course I originally anticipated isn't really satisfactory and would work out quite expensive to do all paths.  will use what I have , but buy no more.

Share those magical moments when you pick your first of this season's crop - strawberries, tomatoes, peas........and so forth. 
Feel free to show off.

unfortunately not my tree!!! But I want it....I was too late to the party last year to get some crab apple trees. I want 3 to make a statement across the back of my garden but ideally to be able to use for jams, jellies and also aid in pollination for my other apple trees? 

I spotted a dark leaf one a few years back and I think it may be Harry Baker? But this I spotted this week when I popped to my local food market.
I want it
Any ideas? Could it be Harry Baker? The flowers looked too deep?
   
       

Lablab/Dolichos/Hyacinth beans have the most amazing seeds...flat black with a white edge..........and I have a few.. 
Has anyone grown them - or eaten them? 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lablab

https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/sites/w...Lablab.pdf

    Anyone any ideas what this is please?
Two popped up in the pot where last year’s cucumbers were.

Have had very poor germination with my commercial clary seed. However have noticed loads of self sown seedlings in the patch of garden where I had clary last year. Have put quite a few of these in multipacks ready for planting out later. BUT, now I’m not sure if they are clary seedlings, the leaves look a bit rounded. What do you think? And if not clary, what weed could it be?
The garden ones are on the left and the commercial ones are on the right 
Thanks.

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In the shallot thread we were talking about making mistakes,  but that they weren't really mistakes but just a learning process.

How about owning up to these 'learning processes' for a bit of self flagellation and letting everyone learn with you.

My prime one this year was sowing broad beans in the autumn in root trainers in November but keeping them in the gh come spring.  They became very leggy and when planted out folded over and were really unhappy in the cold nights.  Another lesson learned is don't put the pot of gh peas smack dab in the middle of the gh border - they've taken root through the pot and will shortly be in the way.

Unfortunately I don't seem to learn too well from my mistakes because by next spring I will have forgotten.

Anyone growing a Korean fir?
Bob photographed one in a garden he was working at yesterday.

   

Think I might have to add this to my grow list.