Tussiemussie's Inbox

I am so interested in this use for rhubarb leaves that I shall investigate also. perhaps your first attempt was a failure due to some other mitigating factor? Will research, practise, and let you know.

Oh you've got me broody!! I love them. Funny about the pac a mac - One of my rabbits will only come to me when i am wearing my work uniform.

Thanks Tussie, am working on the saturday but will try to get there on sunday. I am only about half an hour away from Ipswich, will let you know how it goes.

Earlier this year I dug a large bed at the end of my garden and sowed wildflower mixes into it but I am aware of the lack of native varities in these mixed wildflower packs. I think saving seed from wildflowers you find nearby is a fantastic idea - have you got tips on how to do it?

I was sure you would be a contender! Good news and congratulations on the little'n Tussiemussie.. I might have a look myself

Thanx, Tussie! Found it and will do as required. I was reading just yesterday Organic gardening Magazine, which is listing crops to sow in july to extend the growing season. Was going to give you the web address but looked at it first, and it does not give the whole article (it wants you to subscribe first). However, I think your blog list covers most things other than salad greens I I have a packet of corn salad still to sow. We did several stir fry stuff this year such as pak choi and mizuna, which we look forward to! Anyway, will get the envelope to you soon, thank you - david.

Hello Tussie, I would love some wild mallow (foxgloves sem to thrive here). Unfortunately, I have never been able to find the private comments tab at all, it does not show up anywhere I have looked. How do I give you my address?

Oh no! if this wasnt the busiest weekend for me I would be there like a shot as I am native to that part of the world and Mum still lives nearby..... I hope someone makes it for the specials

Let it fruit, then cut back about a third of all shoots in late autumn. If it's really congested you could cut out any crossing/damaged shoots in aug/sept. It is quite vigorous - so when you prune aim to let some air thru the middle and allow shoots room to grow and fruit. Make sure it is sheltered from cold winds/frost in spring as it flowers quite early and the pollinators need to get at the flowers!

Good grief - I thought I was being good with sowing my cabbages and sprouts ready for winter!!! Well done - what is cabbage flower of spring? and how big does it get - I'm looking for other ideas for my square foot garden - I've planted some carrots and pots and beans (will the french beans last through the frost or are yours under cover?

Many thanx 4 that tip, Tussie, I should have thought of it as my Internet Provider is the BBC and so I will have that link to hand somewhere. We always take part in the Spring Birdwatch and I have photos of wildlife in our garden which include toads, butterflies and hedgehogs, but i ned to teach the kids more about bes, hoverflies and wasps, etc., as they either run a mile from them or try to kill them!

Now I am turning a shade of emerald green - with envy (ha ha). It seems to me that your home and garden are so much part of that larger environment, and so you reap the rewards. I want to sometime do a nature survey with the kids, beginning in our garden, and extending, so your kind reply has made me remember this and put it on my "to do list".

Here here, Tigrella was the very first type of tomato I ever grew and the flavour was lovely, your pic reminds me of happy days!

Love chives, they taste yummy in scrambled eggs on toast ;-)

Yes, it is great to have an adjoining wildlife strip to help out with the garden. We had a narrow woodland strip at the bottom of the garden we used to have, and it definitely helped in the planning of that garden. Beyond the woodland strip was a largish "field" - really, an area of unused land which had developed itself into a natural wildlife oasis. I always looked forward to taking our dog out there, so I could see the wildflowers, peacock butterflies, moths, toads, etc. Guess what? That land belonged to the Council, they sold it off to a developer and now it has almost 60 houses on it! Now we live in a village on a private, unmade road, and the surrounding environment is, I hope, more stable.

To answer Tussie first - on the map it's actually called a brook. Usually it babbles along but after heavy rain it rises alarmingly quickly and yes, it does flood! We have seen it go right over the lane to our cottage and make the ford in the lane impassable. Last time was Jan 6th when we went wassailing in an orchard down the lane... the water came over my wellies and I had to dance around the apple trees squelching as I went. What an experience - tradition rules in Somerset! We do also know that next door has had flood water inside in the past, not for some years though! No good worrying about it, but we've all got flood barriers ready in case.

joey - our daughter also lives under the flight path to Heathrow. When we visit, we are very aware of the noise, hustle and bustle and can't wait to return to our rural idyll. I feel for you and I will think of you when we are outside watching the stars (another huge benefit of country life - no light pollution!)

I did everything in reverse and found myself moving from the countryside to the city - in Japan! In the cities and suburbs there you hardly see any wildlife at all, the occasional butterfly bigger and brighter than anything we have here but not the same... I always miss the sound of birds roosting at dusk and the total blackness that comes at night. Now I live in the Heathrow flightpath and make the most of going back to my parents house to catch up on fresh air, green and wildlife.

Thanks Tussiemussie you are absolutely right, I will have a bit more of an explore. Let me know how you get on with the veg.

We love the rural life, too, although badgers come in the garden at night and snuffle around the lawns to find crane fly larvae then in the morning, the grass is quite a mess! I don't really mind. I'd like to watch them but they don't let me know what time they come!! Rabbits sometimes visit us, so do pheasants. The best visitor is the heron which stands like a statue overlooking the stream. Last year, an egret came several times. Haven't seen any foxes in the garden, but they are around. Owls live in the old ash tree, and we get green woodpeckers. We also have a number of grass snakes which make me jump! Slowworms too, but they are smaller. We have bats living in our roof space, and they are lovely to watch at twilight. The farm ducks and ducklings come up the stream but flap away rapidly if the dog is in the garden! Each year a wild mallard nests somewhere along the bank, not in the bit I'm working on. She hides her nest really well. Never a dull moment! We moved from a busyish area to a rural one, and love the contrast! I can breathe here...No exhaust fumes!

Your garden sounds like my own idea of Paradise. We once had a lovely, wildlife-frinedly garden at a previous home, where the butterflies had to flutter across the patio table, we were never short of ladybirds and hedgehogs, and we helped raise families of blue tits in home-made nest boxes. I miss that small garden very much.When we were selling, the buyer asked me to finish off a couple of things, which I did, but within months he had ripped everything out!! I was, and still am, so angry about it.

How long have you been there?

Sounds fantastic! It's great to hear you're gardening in an environmentally friendly way. It's only a small step but I ordered our first ever compost bin last week (only £8 from the council).

Hi Tussiemussie definitely a sidalcea (wild mallow). Very pretty and great to see a true blue sport of this. Enjoy

Hi there, have had a great day and now am feeling exhausted - luckily the trusty pac-a-mac was only used twice in the whole day! I had a chat with the lady who designed the garden and she sent me to http://www.thomasetty.co.uk/vegetables/index.html
which has lots of old varieties and fab adverts for them all too. I got there via gardenorganic.org.uk that actually is looking for 'seed guardians' to look after particularly rare veg. seed. I thought this might be of interest to you? Take a look anyway and keep an eye out for my pics!

Ahhh, actually I am pretty partial to rhubarb myself so I dont blame them!

Hi TussieMussie, great ideas. At Hampton Court today one of the show gardens had used old wooden wine crates as plant pots and were growing vegetables in them. I thought they looked really good, better than the plastic ones we have. I just have to empty a couple of boxes now :o)

Ooo, and I am an avid collector of all the information they give out at these shows, a habit I caught from my Mum who has years worth of planting plans from Chelsea.

Hi there, I dont know the seed company but I am off to Hampton Court tomorrow and I know that there is a garden comparing new and old with more heritage varieties so I will keep an eye out for supplier information for you!

Hi there Tussiemussie, the RHS have an article saying they are harmless and dont need controlling. The link is http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0900/green_shield_bug.asp

Hey there, at Chelsea this year a Courtyard Garden named 'The Old Gate' promoted heritage vegetables.
These are the selection they chose: Dwarf fench bean var. 'Hutterite Soup', Runner Beans var. 'Coal', Beetroot var. 'Cooks Delight', Cabbage var. 'Delaway', Carrots var. 'White Belgium', Peas 'Lancashire Lad', Radishes var. 'Rats tail', Lettuce var. 'Bath Cos', Rhubarb var. 'Victoria'...

I hope that is some help?