Selfsufficientish.com

not just a seasonal gripe Skip, seems to be more and more of these "events" every year including adopting Halloween from the yanks (NOT All Hallows Evening). We now prefer to only buy one gift per grandchild but give a cash gift to the parents which is much apreciated (drip feed the inheritance?) Mr...

Thought provoking! Who would survive armageddon? Hopeless at any household crafts (with you Odsox) except perhaps basic basketry but I know how to prepare a number of fibres for spinnig and dyeing I can cook in almost any situation from campfire to range and Le Creuset to leaf lined hole in the grou...

Sorry Skip but having horses does make them most important people in the world, just ask them. The Prado (not a typo) Princesses around here have an absolute priority on the road with their huge floats and insist their packaged dog food on legs be given right of way.

Playing devils advocate 1/A weed is a plant whose virtues are yet to be found 2/Humans are a naturally occuring species that is expanding its range; ergo, as a vector for plants, animals and diseases this spread is a naturally occuring and necessary process. 3/ Hmmmmm! can't really argue with that o...

Odsox this raises a discussion (polite word) that has been going on in the "weeds" world for many years and I don't want to start it again here BUT; there are three things that it centres around. 1/ What IS a "weed"? Essentially the concept of a weed is a human construct and doen't exist in nature 2...

Hi I tend towards OS's identification although the pics are a little vague for a couple of points. I went to my records for toxic plants in ornamental horticulture (Australian information so not absolute for that little island off the French coast) 1/ My references note all Berberis species should b...

Horsetails (around 12 spp) are native to the cooler Northern climes and inhabit moist / riparian areas. Yes they are very prolific and extremely hard to eradicate once established - hence our Nationwide "nil-tolerance" approach. I your case PMcG they are in their natural environment. Don't worry GA,...

Probably not GA although it is as situational; I have no doubt you would object to privet popping up in your potatoe patch. For us, there are two main focuses on the invasives front - protection of agriculture and horticulture and protection of our natural environment and these can sometimes clash. ...

If I was a Grinch I would say that I can see at least 5 invasive species that would warrant a visit from the authorities; but since I'm not I won't say anything. (one mans meat....)

detached contact works for assimilating flocks; they can still test dominance through the fence. I would suggest that, as with all flock / herd animals, there will be a fairly constant dominance battle going on, generally mostly bluff, as each tries to climb the social ladder. Roosters tend to minim...

Sorry for my antiodean ignorance, but what is "pop"? Down here the term is usually applied to sweet, bubbly, cheap alcoholic beverages commonly consumed by females in their teens.

First Dwarf beans in on Sunday, more capsicum and corgette plants in (seed failed in heat) First early tomatoes in under cover, all heritage varieties so seed saving a possibility (Grosse lisse, Mortgage lifter and tiny tom). Picked the last 2 OK cabbages, the rest and the cauli's bolting so they wi...

I adopted several last year (Isa Browns), not into an existing flock though. There have been no health problems at all with them and they are very productive (but refuse to brood). I agree with Odsox, they have certainly been dosed with and for everything

Thanks folks - this backs up the info I have found so far.

Wicking beds anyone? With the ongoing very dry conditions (high evaporation rates) I have trouble with raising young plants mainly because I can only get to water them once a day in the evening and sometimes only every second day. I can mulch when they are larger and I could spend up on automatics b...