Author Archives: james

No dig diary, 20th January 2026

Posted on January 20, 2026 by james

This made me happy today. A pleasant change from all the crap that’s going on in my life right now 🙁 Sown on 11th/12th January, so these have only taken eight or nine days to germinate and get their heads … Continue reading →

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Peter piper picked a peck of purple peppers

Posted on January 20, 2026 by james

Just like these ones (photographed with a few jalapenos and with a sweet pepper) 🙂 I think they look gorgeous and are very appealing in salads for example, but seeds seem very awkward to find. Real Seeds, where I buy … Continue reading →

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A new cork pinboard

Posted on January 20, 2026 by james

Made from, err, corks. Obviously it was quite a tough job acquiring all the corks to start with. I’d not recommend it without having put in years of practice first, though you can cheat by just buying the bags of … Continue reading →

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Cheap polytunnel problems

Posted on January 20, 2026 by james

I posted ages ago about the issues with the cheap polytunnels available from the South American river place (amongst others). Here are a few more that affected me. First the uprights either side of the door come in multiple pieces, … Continue reading →

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No buts, it’s got to be butter

Posted on January 20, 2026 by james

Obviously there’s some concern about ultra-processed food at the moment which would include margarine and similar products, so out of interest I thought I’d have a go at making butter myself, particularly as someone else I knew had managed to … Continue reading →

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Almost as handy as mole grips

Posted on January 20, 2026 by james

Again, not sure how often they’ll get used, but at least I have them and can clean them up so they don’t deteriorate any further.

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The orange man-baby strikes again

Posted on January 20, 2026 by james

From a Marco Rubio press release eight months ago about the UK’s handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius: Following a comprehensive interagency review, the Trump Administration determined that this agreement secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the … Continue reading →

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Foggiest day of Winter so far

Posted on January 19, 2026 by james

Almost the entire world disappeared. These days I’m not sure that isn’t a good thing, mind. Oddly however, it was still possible to make out blue sky above us. I think we must have been right at the top of … Continue reading →

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A beast of a cabbage

Posted on January 19, 2026 by james

Yes, that is grammes.

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Well pickle my jalapenos!

Posted on January 19, 2026 by james

And call me Susan, if you must.

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