No, I'm not talking about going smoking hiding from the adults

We have a big barn, and behind it has a flat area that is stony as all hell, and then a few trees and a slope, and that is perfect for my tunnels. It's sheltered from the wind, at least a little, and the ground is much less stony. It's also protected by trees.

The tunnels are normal, round, 3 meters by 6. We will use breeze blocks to build a base to lift them up a bit, and take down the tree that is bang in the middle of where we want the tunnels. The barn is facing east to west, and this spot is on the north side of the barn, but gets plenty of sun in the spring/summer/autumn.

How would you place them?

https://youtube.com/shorts/9LOTK83Ww3Y?s...LwaQvq9aH3

Share your pleasure at picking your first tomato, strawberry or whatever of the year with us. 
Previous year's threads at https://gardenandgossip.org/showthread.p...d+my+first

We've all seen the misleading articles about growing carrots from carrot tops and all (well most) of us know that a carrot top will not grow a new, edible root. However, the top will grow leaves which are edible, if you like that sort of thing. Carrot top pesto, maybe?

What comes after the leaves?............Flowers.
And what comes after the Flowers................Seeds.

My cunning plan is to plant all the carrot tops that come my way (including the 5kg bag I was given today) and let them flower and, hopefully set seed. I'll leave them to self seed and grow a self-perpetuating carrot bed.
The bonus is hoverflies like carrot flowers.

Step 1, put my 4 carrot tops in a little water until the leaves emerge.
Step 2. Find an out of the way spot that can be a permanent carrot bed. 

I'm going to try this with any other root veg that I acquire - beetroot, parsnips etc. Nothing ventured...........

Do radish cross pollinate with earth other or anything else? 

Sown the last of mine today. Realised I have absolutely no idea if they cross. Would like to save some. Especially as I always let them go to seed . Because the seed pod are the best bit.

I always save some seeds from my french beans (climbing & dwarf) because I didn’t think they cross. I’ve just been reading the beans & herbs website. https://www.beansandherbs.co.uk/unusual-...bean-seed/
 That says climbing beans should be planted 10m apart to prevent crossing. I’ve never done this. They have always grown next to each other in the same bed. 
Have I been growing weird mutant beans for the last few years? The beans look the same as what I planted originally. I wouldn’t have saved them if they’d looked different.

Seeds that are past their prime. How long do you give them to germinate? Obviously the answer could get quite scientific. Depending on the variety and how past their prime. Not to mention the little matter of region, location, weather, compost, propagator, window cill, tunnel/greenhoue, cold frame. Apart from all those very possible & real variables. What’s your ballpark time scale?

I wanted to have another  look at Vinnie's  You Tube video of his plot to show P. Search as I may, I can't find it. Can anyone help?

Hoverflies don't get much publicity as beneficial insects unlike bees but they adore aphids, so that must be a good thing! 
I came across this advice on how to attract hoverflies to the garden:-

"Attract adults by planting appropriate flower-rich habitats, but they will only remain if suitable densities of aphid prey are available. Hoverflies feed on the flowers of annual arable plants (such as cornflower, chickweed, knotweeds and shepherd’s purse) and hedgerow plants (wild carrot, cow parsley, hogweed and white campion). In addition, flower strips can be established specifically for hoverflies in and around fields containing coriander, buckwheat, phacelia or alyssum." 
https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/id...ield-crops

I have lots of coriander seeds which I won't be growing (as I don't like it) and I'm sure I have phacelia and alyssum too. So my plan is to mix them up and sow a "flower strip" near the veg patch. There's cow parsley & hogweed already, though I'd happily get rid of the hogweed! Sorry hoverflies.

More info at https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/hoverflies

It’s pancake day     . 

I’m going very traditional with sugar and lemon. Bob will have added rabbit sh** (raisins   ) on his.

What you having on yours ?

Some people use the 40 Days of Lent to give up things that they enjoy - like chocolate or wine. 
Lent  starts on March 5th and ends on Thursday April 17th this year.

Are any of you giving anything up? 

I'm going to work on my Seed hoarding.  I plan to release 40 out of date packets of seed into the wilderness. One packet or type of seed every day until April 17th.