And IME the colour confuses the birds, so they don't get eaten. For another raspberry-type fruit which birds seem to leave alone, try a wineberry (looks like a red blackberry, tastes like a raspberry). You need some space for the fruiting canes - I train mine along the fence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubus_phoenicolasius

But avoid Tayberry, a raspberry-blackberry hybrid, second only to cacti in vicious thorniness.

You're absolutely right about yellow raspberries and birds—great point! I'll look into wineberry. I have plenty of space since I manage more than one allotment.

For your location, I’d highly recommend the Peach Peregrine variety. However, you’ll need to spray in autumn and winter (around mid to late February when the buds start to swell) to prevent leaf curl. In spring, remove any diseased leaves, and you’ll be amazed at the results. I grow excellent peaches here in Kingston, and they always impress people. One year, some of mine reached an incredible 400 grams each! 

I used to have a 0.3Ha (0.75 acre) south-west facing garden when we lived in Kent and could have tried an outdoor peach there. But since retiring to the centre of Chichester I only have a pocket handkerchief of a garden, so the problem is not location but space. But I compensate by volunteering at a local show garden, at West Dean - yesterday I was edging and weeding in the orchard where we have 100+ varieties of apple.

Likewise, I am going to miss my Rhubarb patch from my old home but we do have new Crowns to get in the ground later this week, but that won't be ready for another year or so.

Not too much rain though, as i dont want walking the dog to become a quagmire again...

And only rain during the week please as i'd like sun on the weekend when i'm in the garden...

Oh, and no more frosts as i want to move my Callistemon and Echiums out of the greenhouse now to free up some space.

I don't think thats too much to ask...

I made a detour into their garden centre part and was shocked to see that perhaps 80% of plant stock was dead.

Someone had forgotten to water the pots. What a waste. Poor management too.

Signs of a dying business and declining staff/management commitment.

It sends an awful message to its customers.

A bit of rain would be helpful now...

But yes you can pick up some bargains if you are on the look out. Sadly the BM plants had passed the point of no return.

And the nagging easterly continues after the brief respite the other day.  Otherwise glorious spring weather. 

I've got a biological vine weevil treatment to apply this week on some containers. It should be sent out on Monday.

Neighbours hard at it building some decking. I would have used slabs but whatever. Decking provides a runway for rats and I haven't the heart to tell them right now. Been there done it. They have bird feeders and the lady mentioned that she is always refilling the feeders. Blackbird sitting on nest, bluetits in box - a brilliant time of the year.

Oh and thank you Bolty?- for the night scented stock  reminder. I will be making successive sowings in pots so I can move around and replace as the summer progresses. No nicotiana this year. Too short lived and look scruffy quite fast

Beech are slow here too. Ash in flower, oak buds swelling. It's fresh to cold each morning then the late afternoon arrives with slightly better temps. But not really sitting out weather with the low humidities. 

Grass already showing Jirian dessication in places. We're on loamy gravel here.

I sowed some rock samphire a few weeks back. It's now germinating like cress. One sweet cicely showing but that's always bits and pieces.

No sign of anything else in the trays.

Whether Brians observation that the short wet weather blip materialises or his suggestion it's going to be a longer unsettled spell, apologies if I misread his post, I have no idea, but I think we are due a more unsettled spell. Which IMO would not be a bad thing.

 I've noticed what you say. Today is the first day this spring it's properly raining here IMBY.

https://www.theweatheroutlook.com/twocommunity/Posts/t24305-April-2025-CET-discussion 

And then:

Yes Bert what we remember are the warm sunny days but what caused this April's somewhat lower mean were the relatively cool nights. If you base it in the CET Max instead of the Mean then only 2020 beats it. this year had an average cetmax of 16.8C for the 1st 12 days and 2020 was 17.2C. If you take the sun hours and rain days into account as well (as in Kevin's Summer Index) then I am pretty sure 2024 would  be the winner. I for one cannot recall such a long run of completely cloudless days

From the CET thread. I've noticed what you say. The cooler nights in my case have skewed my perception of this spring feeling cool. I usually get up early so experience the early chill. It’s been like this day after day for several weeks. (until today).

The low humidities enhance this chilling impression. It makes what I call 'good growing weather' limited/non existent this spring so far. And so, apart from the high sunshine amounts, I will remember this spring to date as not being particularly warm but very dry. (till today). I’m hoping May will change my perception and provide some good growing weather that’s pleasant to be out and about in. 

Goldilocks weather of course.

"140 flowering cherries and 30 magnolias. Many thousands of spring bulbs, sweeping lawns and lake. Beautiful naturally landscaped garden with some superb mature trees as well as a fascinating arboretum. One of the best flowering cherry displays in the area."

Find NGS gardens near you:

https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/ 

Incredibly dry weather has made the soil rock hard. I was working on my allotment today, and since my soil is mostly clay, it becomes compacted and nearly impossible to dig, despite putting tons of horse manure on it over the years. Today, I was using a pickaxe to dig up my tomato patch — no need to go to the gym now!

I've found that raspberries and strawberries do much better if they are not allowed to dry out or become waterlogged, especially the former. This year, I'm putting down a 5–10 cm layer of wood chip mulch to keep the weeds down and retain moisture. I got this idea from my neighbour, who has been using this technique very successfully for the past two years.

I kept telling him at the beginning, when he first joined our community, not to do that because I believed it would take nitrogen from the soil. Well, look at me now — I'm doing it too! His soil is also in much better condition, because as the woodchip breaks down, unlike manure, it stays chunkier and makes the soil much lighter and easier to work.

I'm planning to plant out my tomatoes this weekend, but I'm a bit concerned about the forecast. It looks like there could be a cooler spell next week, possibly bringing a northeasterly breeze and nighttime temperatures dropping into single digits. That could be quite damaging for tender young plants that are sensitive to the cold.

Does anyone have any thoughts or advice on this?

Interesting — I always aim to plant around the May Day holidays. But in my experience, there's usually a spell of strong, cold wind at some point during May that gives the plants a good bashing. I've been doing this for over 30 years now, so I suppose I'm a self-professed expert — at least that’s how people know me down at the allotments.

I'm ready for whatever comes though — I reckon I grow nearly 800 kg of tomatoes every year. I give loads away, freeze a fair bit, and tomato salad is a regular at both breakfast and lunch. I also freeze plenty to use later as tomato paste in cooking.

He may have got the idea from Charles Dowding or someone else who follows that method of gardening, great for no dig gardening (or lazy gardening) as you tend to have very few weeds and it helps retain moisture etc. A lot of permaculture growers like this method too. I would love to give it a go, it's just convincing the mister🙂. I see lots of folks having good success, adopting this method. I hope it really works for you too.