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Dock and Ragwort are just two of our native plant species. Native plants support native insects and fungi, which are, in turn, food for other predators and parasites. So nothing is useless, and the chain of species dependencies is endless: nothing stands alone and everything is used. We are part of ...

Although small, they looked ready for picking/eating. Fungal fruitbodies (mushrooms) have a finite life, and will rot and die if not picked.

Have a look at pictures of the Green Hairstreak. Likes places with Bilberry, heathers, etc. Here's a shot I took a couple of years ago: http://donegal-wildlife.blogspot.ie/sea ... Hairstreak

Odsox wrote: I really pity the 90% who have probably never tasted freshly picked Hurst Greenshaft or Douce Provence.

I grew Hurst Greenshaft for the first time this year. Best peas I ever tasted, and very long pods with 9/10 peas in each pod. I like to munch a few when weeding.

I very much like chard and its close relative perpetual spinach (spinach beet). I'm staggered.I accept that when you're really hungry,needs must and all that,but 'like very much' ????? Tastes like old dishcloth to me Still, wouldn't do if we was all the same would it??!! It sells very well in the m...

I very much like chard and its close relative perpetual spinach (spinach beet). The chard leaves you can use like spinach, but the leaves are also large enough to use as wraps for fish or chicken. The stems can be steamed or cooked in other ways like asparagus. The great thing about perpetual spinac...

There is no value in manure other than it is a soil improver. A couple of years ago I decided to check out the comparative benefits of farmyard manure, garden compost and plain soil with regard to courgettes. I dug 6 stations for my 6 plants, filling 2 with compost, 2 with manure and leaving the ot...

I'd look at Psathyrella, Paneolus or maybe Stropharia for those.

Individual rusts are generally specific to particular families of plants, so you shouldn't really worry unless the weed is closely related to any plants you cherish. In other words, pea rust isn't the same as leek rust isn't the same as thistle rust, etc., although many of them can look very similar.

I have 3 pure-bred Barnvelders and 4 hybrid layers. The Barnvelders occasionally make loud honking noises like a goose (when one starts the others join in) but the hybrids are silent apart from the usual "I just laid an egg" noise and the clucking when they're interacting with each other o...

That's definitely Elder. Our flowers opened this week, so elderflower cordial is now under way. Lovely smell.

I suppose it's a matter of balance and judgement. Apart from the legal issues (local bye-laws can cover removal of wildlife, or interference with wildlife), we need to differentiate between removal of a whole plant or just part of a plant. Removing some flowers will generally not interfere with the ...

Certainly not Rosebay Willowherb, nor any of the other Willowherbs (there are many). Those scales on the stem below the leaves (which tell us it isn't a Willowherb) suggest a member of the Lily family, but time will tell.

The importance of using native species is that the issue is about much more than pollen. Yes, bees can get pollen from foreign plants, but we have native moths, butterflies, hoverflies, sawflies, micromoths, gall wasps, flies, leafminers, bugs, solitary bees, fungi, beetles and many other families t...

Courgettes (I have to give them away, they are so productive), Beetroot and chard/spinach would be my best yields. That's in a good year. This year was a disaster apart from the chard and perpetual spinach which are still going strong. (I'd also add eggs: my hens give me on average 4 each per week. ...