Next year I plan to try out one chilli.  Never grown them before, don't use them much but there is such enthusiasm from those that do grow them, I'm keen to give it a try. 

So which variety should I go for, I want a low to medium heat and easy to grow.  The freebie seeds with the mag included 'cayenne' which calls itself medium heat, would they  be a good place to start?  Especially as they are free

Its a long story, pull up a chair!
We moved to this house nearly 40 years ago. It had a normal sized back garden backing onto an old orchard that was used for grazing horses.  I always wanted that orchard even though the trees were in need of care, falling over, top heavy, unpruned for decades and chewed by horses - but all I could do was watch, as the trees fell and the brambles grew and the horses pushed the falling trees over.
25 years ago  (1995) we both had the chance of voluntary redundancy with pensions paid early. After much thought (about 10 minutes) we decided to stop working for others, pay off the mortgage with our redundancy payouts and live more frugally on a much lower income.(not that we did!).
I'd always wanted to keep chickens, my OH wanted bees, so we decided to ask the landowner if he would rent us a bit of the orchard so that we could fulfil our dreams. To our surprise he agreed to a 12 month lease to a bit of land behind our garden with the proviso that he could redeem it at any time. This doubled the size of the garden, gave us a few old fruit trees and along came the chickens and 4 hives. 
For 10 years we tended that land, surreptitiously planting a few more fruit trees and hoping that the owner wouldn't notice and object. 

Then, in 2005 everything changed. My OH was diagnosed with cancer and we were given an option to buy the orchard and another piece of land beyond it. I knew I had to buy it so, whilst I cared for my OH I was also negotiating the land purchase. I lost my OH a few weeks before I bought the land. This isn't a sob story, and I'm not looking for sympathy - its a long time ago now.  The point of telling you this is that, suddenly, my garden had tripled in size and I was the only one around to care for it.

As you can imagine, I couldn't and a lot of it was reclaimed by nature. Freed from the horses's mouths and hooves , the wild flowers returned, including the "ugly" daffodils that grew here many years before.
The hedgerow was full of birds, saplings sprouted, the brambles threatened world domination and it was a struggle to reach the end of the garden.

Now, 15 years later, with the help of a lot of friends and some tree surgeons, its becoming my sort of garden. It'll never be neat and tidy, no straight rows  and many people wouldn't even see a garden, just a wilderness. My neighbours' have lawns and grow grass, I grow food for humans and wildlife and a lot of contentment. I wouldn't swap with them, ever!

The End.

Photos to follow.

Yes this thread is just another excuse to show off    .
Let’s see your beautiful blooms 

Lupin

   

Iris

   

I was mowing some grass today (couldn't really call it a lawn any more - 30 years of moles) and I was followed by a robin. As I progressed it would jump down and be finding things to eat. No Idea what it was finding but has anyone else had this happen? Not sure how mowing was uncovering stuff for it. He(?) has followed me lots of times when i dsturb the soil e.g. planting out beans or anything but never when mowing before.

I have Charlottes which in my opinion are the bees knees of tatties especially, when got out of MFB, steamed, rolled in butter and sprinkled in pepper. 

However, I’ve forgotten when they are mature enough to eat?

Garden shrubs - fancy a new one? Some of mine that are looking fab this year.

End May/June flowering

Black Sambuca- I love this elder at the moment and is also fab for cordial.

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**$Alert this will be boring for most ****

This is my garden diary in photos - something for me to look back on to see in the non growing months what is growing where and when the plants were in flower- I often dig up stuff accidentally! Hopefully this will remind me what worked and didn't, what I can improve on, add to or change. But also a reminder on what flowers I liked that can be started from seed and when to sow them. 

Rambling rose. Just flowers once in June. Definitely needs some old stems removed. Currently have a Viticella Clematis - Abundance - growing through it that should flower in July. I would like more verbena popping up..should take more cuttings.

The geranium underneath I love - grows like a weed - flowers for ever but its getting very dry and droppy at the moment.

City of York Rose - I love open roses and this rambler is a beauty. Currently also has a purple clematis - The president ( group 2) growing through it. Not sure why the rose hasn't got that many buds on it this year compared to last? 

Orlaya and cornflowers! I love these two together and fill a large spot. For next season I would like to try both a autumn and spring sowing for the Orlaya so I can rip the ones that start to look past their best and replace with a fresh plant.

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I'm absolutely rubbish at growing geraniums,  busy lizzy or begonias so I usually buy some in.  Being a bit tight fisted I look for bargains in mini plugs and bring them on in the gh.  Year after year I've gone against my better judgement and bought from T&M or VM each time ending up in an argument over late delivery,  poor  quality,  etc.  Yes they replace and yes they refund, but it's getting beyond a joke.   My question is, next year, where can I get reasonably priced mini plug bedding plants that are reliable.  I've said to myself I will not use T&M again.

            Pretty, bright yellow flower. Don't remember sowing it. Its in 2 places in the garden. 

 I'm sure I know what it is but can't remember!!

Help!!!

Hi all.

I don't usually grow cucumbers but thought I would try some indoors and some outdoors this year. I have five Konsa cucumber plants from seed purchased at Lidl.

I have lost the packet and was wondering do I need to take the male flowers off this variety, or do I just let them get on with it?
Two will be planted in  MFB's in the greenhouse and three planted outdoors.