Looking for ideas on making the most of a shady bed over winter.

Its part of the old chicken run - about 10' x 10' and shaded on most sides during the summer; overhung by an oak trees. 
Shed to the west, plum tree to the south, fence to the north and fruit bushes to the east. Perfect for a chicken run but hopeless for growing summer veg - believe me, I've tried. .
However, in  winter, all this changes! The trees lose their leaves and there's a little more overhead light - but the sun has moved around, rises in the south east and sets in the south west -  fewer hours of sunlight. 
BUT the oak leaves won't fall until Oct/Nov and will be back by April.
On the positive side, its fertile soil, well manured and pecked over by various chooks over the years.

If you've stuck with this so far, well done!! Basically, I need suggestions for plants that will grow over winter and be ready by April. Not much to ask, is it? 

I have some ideas but thought I'd ask you too. Great minds and all that. 

I have just planted a grape vine. I had a grapevine in my greenhouse at my other plot which did well but was not seedless.

This Dutch variety is seedless and is supposed to do well in the British climate. I searched my ramshackle greenhouse for any broken panes and noticed a triangular section of glass missing from one of the bottom/centre panes. I dug a hole (after raising a paving flag) and planted the grapevine with a lot of potting compost around it. The vine itself was fed through the gap, and after moving a potted tomato plant I fatened the vine to a cane tied in to a lug on the greenhouse frame. The vine is about 1 metre high and hopefully will put on some growth to get it to the greenhouse eaves. I then have a choice of training it up to the ridge or along to the greenhouse back.

I would like to train it in two strands along the back side of the greenhouse above the potting bench.

No need to comment as I only started the thread because there were no grapevine threads in the fruit section.

It's my birthday today - just saying!

My OH rarely get me presents - he doesn't like going to shops, so everything is bought online. He has a list of things and it's usually bike related as that's what he likes!!!

So today I get this lovingly wrapped up box - hmm, scrumpled up newspaper wrapped box - no waste in this house  and I opened it up to find a sneeboer transplanting trowel. It has a fab blade around the edge which can be sharpened ( I like sharp tools  ) so chuffed with this. 

What would be your surprise present choice.

I have a fairly substantial patch of bracken in one corner of our garden, it's not in the way of anything so I'm not too concerned about getting rid of it but I am wondering if it's useful for anything. I normally just chop it up and compost it but if anyone has any more uses for it I'd love to hear it thanks.

They got a bit burnt by a very late frost here even though covered with fleece. I also planted some rocket. The rocket recovered and their yield is OK for me, about 1.2 to 1.8kg per plant now but the swift never made any more foliage and, digging up the first 4 plants there was just about 1.5kg between them, enough for 4 servings.

Has anyone else ever tried this variety with good results?

What I harvested was a decidedly better potato than rocket but it would have to do far better than that to be worth growing.

I thought some of you might like this cucumber curry recipe that we've been using for the last few years - sour, fragrant, fresh and as hot as you want!

Cucumber Curry - from the internet with apologies to the original unknown creator.

For two people when served with 2 or 3 other dishes.

1 cucumber, cut into 5cm (ish) batons or chunks
½ tbs fenugreek seeds
Walnut sized piece of tamarind, soaked in 5tbs hot water for about 20 minutes and then pressed through a sieve to get about 3 tbs of pulpy tamarind water 
1 fresh green medium hot chilli, or to taste
2 tbs desiccated coconut
½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp ground turmeric
Dried (or fresh) curry leaves, about half a dozen broken up
Veg oil – ½ tbs
Salt to taste

Dry roast the fenugreek until fragrant then blend briefly into a lumpy paste with the coconut, turmeric, fresh chilli & tamarind water.

Heat the oil and fry the mustard seeds until they begin to pop, turn the heat down and add the curry leaves and the paste. Cook gently for two or three minutes before adding the cucumber. Turn the cucumber over in the paste until it is well coated and warmed through – you don’t want to cook the cucumber. You should end up with crunchy cucumber coated in the zingy paste.

Season to taste with salt. Serve warm.

Hello folks, this is in my unlabelled cucurbits bed, any idea what variety please?
 
As a guide of actually size it’s a bit larger than a grapefruit.

   

Which do you prefer - square pots or round ones?
I have too many of both and need to dispose of some - but which ones?

Your choice with reasons to help me decide, please. 

I grow a few toms outdoors and have found, for the first year ever, that birds have taken to pecking at the ripening fruit.  I have a feeling it's a female blackbird, as I've seen it scurrying about under the plants. I hope she's not teaching the skill to any others. One pecked  fruit was in the GH.   I've taken measures to shield the door there but am at a loss what to do about outdoor plants.  Any experience of this anyone?

My poor tomatoes
   

It is growing in the wild but it is so pretty it could be a garden escapee. it's a little larger than Virginian stock.

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