Oh dear Nick!  Mint is notoriously rampant and is best grown in a pot to contain the roots.  Having said that, I feel as though I've got barrow loads of raspberry plants as mine are coming up all over the place. 

My raspberries haven't produced much of a crop this year, but they have put on a lot of growth and leaf, so raspberry leaf tea is on the menu here. 

Yesterday I spotted some Goji berry plants reduced to 99p, so I bought 4.  I gave my daughter one and I'll give my eldest son one, but the other two have gone in my border.  I'm not sure how to use the berries (if I get any), but they're supposed to be a super food and it will be fun growing something different.  Talking of which, I have one berry on my cranberry plants, which is OK as they weren't expected to fruit until next year. 

Today, I've lifted the garlic I'd grown in a container and they haven't done quite as well as those I planted in the border, despite being planted in good quality compost and being able to control their water and feed.  Lesson learned!  Next year they're all going in the border!

Our best crop ever this year of the related Japanese wineberries - look like red blackberries, taste like a slightly tart raspberry. They produce very long 'canes' for next years fruit, so ideal for a small garden like ours as I can train them along the fence, they don't seem to mind shade, and the birds don't recognise them as food.

['Berserk' appeals as a description of frantic behaviour in the heat - it comes from 'bare-shirted', the habit of Viking warriors stripping off for battle!]

I'd love to have your raspberry problem, Caz!

THe mint problem we inherited from the former owners - the garden is wonderful and very mature and not overlooked by anyone... but they had no idea about what went where - the mint is in a bed with a wild (English) rose - and both of them keep sprouting up not just in the bed but on the lawn and in the neighbouring rose bed!

Much as I like potatoes with butter and mint, there's no way I can eat that much of it!

I had to lift my garlic 4 weeks ago as it had rust. First time I've erver tried it - just planted the cloves from a garlic bought in tesco... and I now have 13 reasonably good sized bulbs with a good 10-odd cloves in each bulb - all dried now and ready to store. What a great first garlic harvest! I'll definitely be doing that again - and it's good to be using the veg patch over the winter for something too.

Have had the same problem with mint, Nick. The previous owners must have liked it and now it acts like a weed. Smels nice I guess.

Going to put in some garlic cloves in the next week or so and see how that goes.

Pulled up some tatties last night and noticed some white spots on the tubers. Was able to rub the spots off quite easily by hand, but wondered what it was. My veg patch doesn't have great drainage and it had been wet over the last week - mould possibly?

Could be... not been great for spuds - the wet weather came before the flowers had arrived and then onec they had come - which is when you need to have a lot of water - it went dry!

I put my garlic cloves in in about October last year, bowser (and we've got a similarly cool climate to you) once the radishes had been pulled up. Not sure if the mild winter helped. That said, I know you NEED frosts in order for the bulb to "split" and develop as different cloves and not one massive clove.

Was hoping it was just that. My dad's veg patch used to drain very well and I haven't seen the white dots before, so I assumed it was related to the wet weather. My spuds have actually done quite well... well, the few plants that have been dug up so far have produced some decent tubers, but I guess they were planted in what was virgin soil (I think it was forested before the housing development was built) and I went a bit mental with miracle gro and growmore fertiliser....

Hmmm, will maybe delay the planting then! I have read that frosts are good for garlic. We use quite a bit for cooking so it will be worth getting a few cloves in! My dad also used to say that swedes (or neeps as we call them) also taste better after a frost.

Have had the same problem with mint, Nick. The previous owners must have liked it and now it acts like a weed. Smels nice I guess.

Going to put in some garlic cloves in the next week or so and see how that goes.

Pulled up some tatties last night and noticed some white spots on the tubers. Was able to rub the spots off quite easily by hand, but wondered what it was. My veg patch doesn't have great drainage and it had been wet over the last week - mould possibly?

Originally Posted by: bowser 

Could be... not been great for spuds - the wet weather came before the flowers had arrived and then onec they had come - which is when you need to have a lot of water - it went dry!

I put my garlic cloves in in about October last year, bowser (and we've got a similarly cool climate to you) once the radishes had been pulled up. Not sure if the mild winter helped. That said, I know you NEED frosts in order for the bulb to "split" and develop as different cloves and not one massive clove.

Originally Posted by: NickR 

Was hoping it was just that. My dad's veg patch used to drain very well and I haven't seen the white dots before, so I assumed it was related to the wet weather. My spuds have actually done quite well... well, the few plants that have been dug up so far have produced some decent tubers, but I guess they were planted in what was virgin soil (I think it was forested before the housing development was built) and I went a bit mental with miracle gro and growmore fertiliser....

Hmmm, will maybe delay the planting then! I have read that frosts are good for garlic. We use quite a bit for cooking so it will be worth getting a few cloves in! My dad also used to say that swedes (or neeps as we call them) also taste better after a frost.

Originally Posted by: bowser 

makes a change to Learn frost is good for something. I intend someday to plant loads of. Veg like my good old nan and gramps use too. Good.reads the more the merrier .

Picked the apples from the patio pots today..All 6 of them.Not a good year at all.They went into an apple sultanna pie that has already been devoured...

Weeds are misplaced plants and flowers...Turn it into a mini meadow ..Then cut Once a year after seeds have dropped...

I'd definitely leave the planting of garlic until October.  Nick, the ones I planted in the container got rust as well, maybe that's why they didn't do as well as those in the border, but I'll definintely be planting them in the border again and I've saved some of my current crop to plant out.  My son planted some he'd bought from a supermarket and they did better than those I'd bought specially for planting at a premium cost.

I've figured out why my raspberries have produced little fruit and plenty of green.  I pruned them in Spring, as you would the Autumn fruiting varieties that fruit on current year's growth.  But mine are a Summer fruiting variety that produce fruit on previous year's canes, which should be pruned in Autumn!  Another lesson learnt! 

I took some softwood cuttings today from a 'Rock Rose' shrub, has anybody had any success with this method for this type of plant? Interesting plant, whilst I was researching it I'd noticed that the new growth is very sticky and apparently in the Med. where it originates goats are encouraged to forage amongst them and this residue collects on their coats which is then harvested and used in the manufacture of incense. 

Edit: Down here we plant garlic out in November.

Shall be plenty of dandelions in lawns next year..The seed is blowing around and pitching everywhere...

Talking of lawns does anybody know of any online retailer that has Autumn 'weed & feed' at sensible prices? Mine need some attention as nothing has been done to any of them for years according to the neighbours. Dandelions aren't too much of a problem but I have masses of those long legged stalky yellow flowers not dissimilar to dandelions. 

I seem to have moved into a parallel universe where it is Spring - I have cowslips flowering and the Quince tree has come into blossom. I suspect the latter is due to stress as it's looked unhappy all summer.

I'm pretty much a novice at growing vegetables, but my daughter has a fair sized plot that I've been helping her with over the weekend and she now has some space that she'd like to fill.  Can anyone recommend any veg to sow or plant now, for winter or spring harvest?

Lettuce and carrots can still be grown outside before frosts. I've just gone and ordered some seed catalogues from three companies as I want to grow some stuff in the greenhouse over the winter Caz. I also have three large raised beds which need filling with something over the coming winter. The soil here is totally didfferent to what I've been used to as it is a very light sandy loam and I think it's going to be more windy here. 

Thanks guys!  She'll be putting garlic in from next month and so will I as it cropped really well this year.  Her brussels and broccoli did nothing last year, though I suspect she put them in at the wrong time, so I think she should give them another try and she has the space.

Lettuce and carrots sound good and it looks like we're in for some fine weather for a while, so they should get off to a good start and I suppose she can use cloches, or make a cold frame to protect them for longer.  I've read that beans and peas can be sown from next month too for an early crop next year, but the shoots can be eaten in salads, so that might be worth a try as well.

Grant, one thing I do know, carrots like sandy soil, so they should do well with your soil type.  I'm not too bad when it comes to knowing things like that, what I have to learn about is sowing and harvesting times, so we can have crops all year round.  If anyone has any other ideas, please share them.

Well, here goes.  Up to Gemma's with my gloves and wellies! 

Broad Bean AQADULCE..Garlic..Fennel..Sorrel..Lovage..Peas and pea shoots.Sugarsnap Peas..Onions,Shallots,Spring onionons,Welsh onions..Winter Lettuce,Lambs Lettuce..Spinach.. Rocket..Spring Cabbage..Winter Purslane...New Potatoes For CHRISTMAS PLANT NOW.....

Just for starters....