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Bit late replying, but I found that after kids i'd get a weepy month, followed by an angry month, and so on. It really was cyclical! I now take 1000mg Evening Primrose oil and 50mg selenium, seems to have levelled it out to a few days beforehand being grumpy. Which I can live with. Most people will ...

Just to say I decided against elderflower champagne with my pink elderflowers and went for wine instead, and it's looking pretty good thus far, bubbling away nicely with a beautiful pink colour. Blogged here.
http://fenlandwittering.blogspot.co.uk/ ... ll-of.html

dandelion wine (though you've missed the time now, but for next year!). Virtually free, and tasty. Plus, you get to have yellow hands for a day.

I was wondering if you could use the flowers from the pink ornamental Elderflowers? I have two massive pink flowered ones in my garden, but they don't really smell. I'm assuming the scent is necessary? I was just thinking they'd make an awfully pretty looking champagne. I also sneakily tasted my dan...

My husband is a sufferer, he has tablets when he has a flare up, but otherwise, controls it through diet. You have to find out what triggers you, it can vary from person to person, but my OH avoids oily fish, spinach, and cider, they all give him flare ups within days. It's said to be food high in p...

I'd love a trike or bike option, but the roads here are LETHAL: no cycle lanes and lots and lots of heavy farm machinery. Just not worth the risk. I like the idea of a pre-1972 car though1 I hadn't thought of that! Wish we had enough land for a pony though, even if we can't park it! Just found out t...

It's crazy. Xmas day is so mild we still have bumble bees and I saw a Cabbage white yesterday! There are still leatherjackets and my hens haven't stopped laying yet. It's weird! We only moved to the Fens 3 years ago and I thought the first mild winter was a fluke, but it seems to be a theme. Mind yo...

Fenland. It's very mild here at the mo, I've still got flowering plants. Nothing seems to be dying! And that includes the pests......

I live in rural Fenland and have no car Mon-Fri, when husband has it for his work. Me (and the kids) walk 4 miles to school and back every day, on playgroup days I do it 4 or even 6 times! I've always had the buses to rely on. I could get to the nearest market town and stock up on veg and so on, and...

http://www.hdc.org.uk/herbs/page.asp?id=3

Found it! Sage Leafhopper. Very little can be done to combat it. Grr.

Right, i've been out there with a fine tooth comb, and even set the hens on the plant. They gave a good scratch round the base and found nothing. Lifting up leaves reveals no cocoons or anything, and no slugs or snails nearby. BUT: when lifting some leaves some VERY small pale green fly like insects...

Over the past 3 days my sage has pretty much been eaten to stalks! the leaves are stripped eiether side of the centreal stalk. I can't see any critters at all! Any idea what rampant insect could be doing this in December? I have had it pretty mild, some of my herbs are still oout and about. The one ...

I have 4 hybrids, in a 250 foot garden. They wreck it. Really. Eat everything. So, from end of March until end of August, they live in a run and get the weeds. Otherwise, they range and eat the pests and prepare the ground for next year. I do mean they eat everything: they'll peck all new growth and...

So it's not just mine! It was tipping it down this evening, and the kids were pajamaed up ready and the chooks were defiantly scratching around for worms, drenched, lingering near the coop. I just had to do the kids first, and now i've just been down to them and they're in and locked up. They're not...

I'm asking because mine tend to go in at around 7.30, which is quite dark already! And also when the kids are going to bed. Is this normal, or are they just brave and foolhardy? I have shone a torch in at night just in case there is anything that might be biting but can't see anything. I thought the...