Selfsufficientish.com

We don't grow big tomatoes because we've been growing them on our windowsills for the last 2-3 years (the ex-therapy room/ now greenhouse is up and running at last so that might alter next year). The crop, even SW facing, has been very disappointing though. The Bloody Butcher has been the star, but ...

I think we've all got a few of those. I know I've kept some "just in case", and keeping always seems a better option than tossing.

Oh dear, at least you tried.

It's those single use, no possible reuse, plastics such as wrapped your vacuum cleaner that really rile me, not the long term plastic. We've got several of those plastic watering cans, Flo, and at least one of them is nearly as old as our daughter! I try hard to avoid them but have to weigh the envi...

I had it once, as a child, but I can't remember much about it. So presumably it didn't stick in my mind as something revolting. I think my Dad used a very old recipe (?Mrs Beeton) which, if I remember correctly, starts with "first catch your hare", or something to that effect. Anyway, I've had a lit...

Very interesting, I've never heard of them either. It was obviously brought in by the rain. It does look light enough to be picked up by a fairly mild breeze.

Cheeky.

Do your worst you simply cannot kill tomato seeds. Oh crivens, yes! We've had them sprout in places we couldn't imagine. Having said that, we usually leave them - any additional tomato plants always welcome. It's that other nightshade, the spud, that drives me wild sprouting where they're not wante...

Having used it for a season though there should be some living organisms, shouldn't there? I don't know how much it matters. As long as your soil is full of the good stuff I'm sure you can get away with your compost. I'm not sure it would last for ever more. There'll ba a lot less comes out than wen...

Tomatoes and chillies.

I have, however, made several pots of low carb jam from cheap seasonal fruit.

Would overwintering outside kill the blight spores? I'm not very knowledgeable about blight. We've never had it! Not even in sunny Manchester. I think we're too far north here. I'm more concerned about what else you'd kill, microwaving it. All the beneficial bacteria etc wouldn't survive either pres...

Not here it hasn't.

Good stuff. I've been making my own toiletries for years. I find, over the years, they've got simpler. These days I use oil (coconut/olive), aloe vera and essential oils for pretty much everything!

I don't see a problem getting kits, especially if you're new to doing something and want to give it a try. My daughter bought me one a few years back - growing coffee on spent coffee grounds. It was good fun. Unfortunately we haven't had as much success without the kit!

Well, if you can't get out in the garden, winding up the Town Council seems like a fun alternative.

It doesn't sound like you're winding things down Flo, just finding new things to do - better things by the sound of it.