On the back of receiving 10 plants this week. ....

What supports do you use for yours?

I've a couple of Montana - they are group 1 and don't need cutting back and are pretty much thugs.

I've also got some Viticellas - group 3. Fast growing and are generally chopped right back in Spring and flower on all new growth.

Every year my golden Acer gets a great crop of leaves but then it looks like the start falling apart and getting ragged. Any ideas why ?, I have only just started feeding it with grow more fertiliser.

Photo below

   

Shamelessly stolen from Plants of Distinction..............

JUST SCATTER & SOW

I've never grown turnips - not sure I've ever eaten one, definitely never cooked with one.  I'm aware the can go into stews but what else can you do with a turnip?  I have so many freebie pkts of turnip seed, maybe you lot can convince me to grow some.

Would it be useful to have a thread with a list of commonly used acronyms made on here as a reference tool for users? Maybe we could all throw a list together and then someone compile it in to an easy to view alphabetical list?

I seem to have completely lost the ability to make meringue    . Instead of lovely soft peaks that hold their shape. I make meringue puddle     . I’ve tried everything older eggs, fresh eggs, adding sugar a little at a time, adding it all at once ( I know you’re not supposed to), adding it just after soft peaks form, adding it when it’s only just started to go white ( again I know you’re not supposed to). I’ve tried electric whisk, hand whisk. Everything I’m making it in is clean. I’m sure I’m not over whisking it ( less than 10/15 seconds between sugar additions) but the out come always proves I’ve done something wrong, I’m guessing it’s always over whisking, but I don’t know how or why. 
I used to be able to make it   . 

What am I doing wrong? Advice please.

Not really a  herb I know but if Mods want to shift this post, feel free.

I am a great believer in the power of Turmeric. After taking Turmeric capsules for a fortnight the advantages started to kick in and my Osteoarthritis became bearable. I was told by the Doctor to put up with the knee pain and take Ibruproven until the pain became too bad then he would put me in for a knee replacement.
After taking Tumeric twice a day for the last three months or so I can walk my dog twice a day and visit the allotment every day relatively pain free. I no longer take Ibruproven or pain relieving medication which has to be good for my stomach.The pain before hand, especially at night was unbearable and affected my sleep.
Turmeric has lots of benefits which a quick google will inform you of.
I asked my Pharmacist about it and she agreed that usually it took a couple of weeks to get into your system, and if it worked for me to stick with it.
I wouldn't care, I don't even like the taste of it in cooking but take tasteless capsules.

All I am saying is that it has given me my mobility back

You can't get much more of a bargain than this.

I utilise cardboard a lot on the plot as a mulch. My local Aldi has a large  'craft' box by the door of flattened cardboard boxes with a notice 'Take what you need'
I am doing them a favour by getting rid of it for them and they are doing me a favour by letting me have it.

Each time I do a shop I pile a load of cardboard on top of my food trolley on the way out.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. During the recent drought conditions my soil under the cardboard was lovely and damp and stuff grew better there than on the uncovered part of the plot.

Who's interested in saving and swapping seeds later this year? 
Depending on the level of interest, we could have a circle for:

Tomatoes
Chillies,
Flowers
Veg
All in/everything and anything

Please add your names and tell us which ones you'd like to be part of - and we'll take it from there.

I'm fascinated by plant names, both Latin and English; what they mean and why.

For example, who is Shirley who has a tomato  and a Poppy named after her?

Its not as it seems!
Shirley poppies were bred by Rev Wilks, the Vicar of the parish of Shirley from a stray found in his garden in 1880. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_poppy

.............but did the Shirley tomato also have its origins in the parish?
I don't know ............yet!

If you know any stories behind the names, please share them.