[New shoot]

I was going to ask you how you found the angel hair jam & if it was worth a bash? I think I need to get on & use them in the next month or so

Its more of a conserve than a traditional jam, but I loved it.  The melon strands keep some texture but soak up the sweet syrup.  It is traditionally eaten in little pastries, but that was a bit too sweet and rich for me.  I put it on my homemade sourdough bread for a luxury breakfast now and then.

I can't believe you still have them from 2017    Note to self - don't be so greedy this year and then you would have supplies for jam for longer   

[New shoot]

I'll never give up though! Gardening/growing is almost a necessity - I dream of ways to make things grow, love the results, ponder the failures and wish I was better - which is life I suppose...

.. and so say all of us Mr G    Half the fun is in the pondering and planning.  If it was the same every year, where would be the challenge.  I guess that is our downfall and why we see a seed catalogue and green carrots are suddenly the most exciting thing ever     

[Growster...]

It's a good time of year to have a discussion like this!

Fingers are really beginning to itch, and with some fabulous warm days in a month normally associated with snow and grime, it's not surprising that any sign of growth is so welcome.

And it's a month of 'lists' as I've got a small day-op tomorrow, which will mean I can't hold anything like a fork for a month, so my list has been: -

1) Take down to reasonable level a Pyracantha hedge.
2) Visit casualty with eighty-five stab wounds.
3) Try and 'munch' the Pyracantha in a shredder.
4) Revisit casualty with four-hundred stab wounds and terminal earache.
5) Prune Wistaria.
6) Try and alleviate muscle problems from heavy ladder.
7) Pick ladder up and try to place against wall - repeat eight times.
Revisit casualty with hurt shoulder.
9) Ask neighbour nicely not to talk to me when I'm 560 ft up a ladder.
10) Visit police station to explain why neighbour has secateurs embedded in head.
11) Rake up Wistaria prunings and sections of neighbour's shoulder-blade.
12) Mow grass outside 'The Turrets'.
13) Remove fag packets and sandwich wrappings from mower blades.
14) Remove fist from moron's face - the sort which chucks rubbish out of car while driving with a mobile in one hand.
15) Pour a relaxing beer and chat with Mrs Growster while the wounds heal...

...And that was just in the last few days...

As for 'New veg, old problems', well...

(comment moderated)!

[Growster...]

ps...

I don't know why No 8 became some sort of grinning idiot, I don't use these items, preferring just one which I was taught by the lovely Lisa in a certain London office in 2004...

(It's alright, Mrs Growster knows, and we were going to ask her to Daught's wedding as she is an amazing disco-jockeyess)!

;0)

[rowlandwells]

after reading this topic I though this makes good sensible reading to me many true facts by so many its nice to see some actually singing my music and  mobile phones I don't have one don't need one and  I'm still driving an 18 year old skoda


I'm trying to achieve being able to grow everything on the allotments that tastes good and  looks good for the table and we all have  our favourite seed supplier and as a gardener you know you will have your ups and your downs but that's gardening  folks

anyway what's cucamelom how do you grow it/? how do you cook it? and how do you eat it?
 

[New shoot]

anyway what's cucamelom how do you grow it/? how do you cook it? and how do you eat it?
 

It looks like a watermelon for pixies - it is about cherry tomato sized, but melon shaped.  It tastes like a cucumber, but has that crisp texture of one like Crystal Apple, rather than the traditional green type.

It grows as a climber and looks really spindly and feeble at first.  Then it suddenly takes off and will take over the greenhouse given half a chance.  Children find them fun and if they like mini cucumbers, they will eat them by the handful. 

They fell into the troublesome triffid category and were not different enough from mini cucumbers I can grow outside on the plot, for me to be battling with them daily in the greenhouse.  What does a girl do with bowls of them, when everyone has eaten enough thank you and even the chickens run and hide 

[Potterer]

Re what is a Cucamelon and how do you grow it. In my case you sow it, get piddly spindly plants which decide to die. You then read what everyone else says about it and decide its not worth trying it again!