Prairie

I totally agree with you, Margarita and earache. Monsanto is only in it for the money and control of the world's food supply. They are the ones who invented agent orange, and tie farmers into using more and more herbicides and pesticides, as the superbugs and superweeds begin to take over. I have watched countless videos of farmers worried about the collapse of their farms due to the vicious cycle they are in with Monsanto. How are we supposed to be okay with food which grows with pesticide which explodes inside those bugs after eating it? If their stuff is so good, why don't they want it labelled? It isn't just Monsanto I am worried about, it is all giant corporations which gain so much power they control many aspects of the food we eat. Cargill controls much of the globalised food production and distribution. They are even bigger than Monsanto. The chief of Nestle is arguing that people should not have a right to clean water. If the ordinary people don't rise up against these multinationals, they will slowly decimate the population. Read and educate yourselves. A good book is 'Eat your heart out' by Felicity Lawrence. She explains why the food business is bad for the planet and your health. Nothing can convince me that GM foods are okay in any shape or form.

I am getting a new kitchen and trying to decide on worktops. I have decided to go with solid wood, but wondering if anyone has had bamboo and if there is any advantage, care or expensive wise over the likes of oak. Thanks.

I was going to ignore this post, but I really can't! It bothers me that you automatically assume that people who live in these areas can afford or are even willing to pay those ridiculous amounts for gardening services. Not everyone who lives in Dore, Millhouses, etc is wealthy. I would hope that anyone trying to charge £30 or £40 per hour for gardening would be laughed out off of the property. If you want a gardener, then find someone who does it because they love it, not because they want to get rich quick. They will be the ones who will respect you and your garden, and not trample your prized plants.

Thanks, cgksheff, I have filled in my survey. I do agree with your concerns but it is the council, after all!! Overall, I think it is good that they are asking for people's opinions, as I have heard that in some councils, people are having to take their rubbish to a collection area.

Shouldn't there be a law stating that when the Council puts weedkiller in a public place, they have to put up signs warning people especially those with children and pets? I have just found out that they have sprayed some kind of 'safe' weedkiller under play apparatus for children in Totley Hall Park. There were no signs warning of this. My dog has been ill, with diarrhoea and vomiting after dropping his ball on those areas and picking it up again. The time the stuff is strongest is before you can see the effects on the plants. The guys from the park said it was probably coincidence, that the stuff was proven safe for children and animals, but I'm not convinced. I was wondering if anyone else has had any incidents such as this. Prairie

If they are in a greenhouse make sure they get plenty of heat. Also, pull off as many leaves as possible to ensure that the tomatoes get as much light as possible. Just leave them on the vine until they ripen or it starts getting cold. You might also try putting a ripe banana near them, as I believe the gasses coming from the banana will have the desired effect. Happy eating! Prairie

I love to harvest young spinach, beet leaves, rocket and watercress along with the lettuce for salad, that is, if they make it into the house! I usually graze as I wander round the garden..... yum. Spring onions are fun to grow, and it is lovely being able to eat the whole thing, instead of having to lose part of the tops from the ones you buy. c Enjoy your harvest! Prairie

I think that if you are expecting to get £20 plus per hour, you will be sadly disappointed. I do gardening for a couple of neighbours and charge them £8 per hour for general tidying, weeding and planting. I know that is a low rate, but I don't mow, trim hedges or do a lot of hard pruning plus, I do it because I enjoy the work, it isn't usually very hard and I want to keep my customers. If you are trying to start a business, then I would start low and as the business grows and you take on more customers, then charge more. I would also say that there seem to be a lot of people taking up gardening work who have no qualifications whatsoever in horticulture. I have an OCN Level Two in horticulture, specialising in organic food and herb growing. You need to be able to identify plants, pests and diseases and really take into consideration what the client wants and not just what you think they want. One of my clients fired her last gardener because he trampled her plants and didn't listen to her requests. I hope this helps. Good luck in your venture. Prairie

There is a charity called Cinnamon which rehomes or looks after dogs whose owners go into hospital, care homes or can no longer look after them due to illness. I think they are very little known, but I picked up a leaflet of theirs at Crufts a couple of years ago. It is sad to see a dog of that age needing a new home, but it does happen. I hope someone will take it and care for it in its twilight years. It deserves no less than a loving home. Prairie

Well, I have had a problem with not having a green bin, as I have removed most of a thorny hawthorn hedge. I tried to chop it into small pieces so it would go in the bags, managed to fill a green bag with difficulty, only to lift up the bag and find it had no bottom! I have several compost bins which I use for everything else, so it is only the hedge trimmings which would have to go in a bin. I wrote to the council and this is their reply: (by the way, I'm not satisfied with the answer, but there you go, so hope it helps those who were confused!) Thank you for your email, The Green bins were initially introduced as a trial to some areas in Sheffield Unfortunately the decision was made not to roll out the green bins through out Sheffield. Having listened to public feedback, we have made a number of changes to the green sack collection service. These changes mean that residents now receive a scheduled collection of up to 6 sacks every four weeks, and no longer have to contact us to arrange a collection. The changes also mean that residents can now choose to provide their own green sacks or collect them free of charge from one of the many outlets across the city; this would mean that you could perhaps find a more robust green sack for green waste such as hawthorn cuttings. We recognise that as part of these changes, residents are now limited to six sacks per collection rather than twelve. This is because reductions in Local Authority budgets agreed in March mean that the Council cannot afford to collect more than 6 sacks per collection per household. We understand that some residents will produce more garden waste than can fit in 6 green sacks and so we offer discounts on the price of home compost bins, as well as free disposal at HWRCs. Home compost bins provide the most environmentally friendly way of getting rid of garden waste and we encourage residents to home compost wherever possible and only use the green sack service for material cannot easily be composted at home. Prices start at just £12. Extra garden waste can be taken to any of the five Household Waste Recycling Centres located across Sheffield. Thank you for contacting Veolia Environmental Services. If we can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to get in touch. Kind Regards Gillian Sylvester

I talk to my dog as if he were a person when we are out walking. Last week I was chatting away to him, when i looked up and saw a man coming toward me! I know he must have heard me, but perhaps he thought I was talking on my mobile with earpiece..... I don't care. My dog plays hide and seek with me. He runs up ahead and 'hides' behind a tree, with his head sticking out, watching me. Sometimes if I haven't seen where he went, he blends in and doesn't come when I call. I'm sure he's laughing at me when I finally find him! It's great fun.

Seriously, can we not have a decent discussion without being shut down? The whole point of the thread was not caring about celebs' lives.

Why not put this on the Pet forum? There is a sticky for pet related events, so you are likely to get some interest on there as well as here.

It's best to keep them under cover till the risk of frost is past. Normally at least till the end of May. Having said this, it would help to make them stronger plants if you can harden them off by placing them in a sheltered position outside during the day and bringing them in for the nights. This strengthens the stems by exposing them to wind, and gets them used to the brighter light outside, as well as the cooler temps. But you really do have to remember to bring them in each night or you risk losing them to frost. Hope this helps to answer your query.

I agree with most of the above, but would add that the more you try to force her to bond with you, the more you will push her away. She needs to want to be with you, not the other way round. I feel a crate would be good, not to lock her into, but to allow her a den of her own, covered in blankets to muffle sounds and light. She may go in, or not, should be her own choice. My dog goes in his crate at night, but rarely during the day. He just knows that is where he sleeps at night. He is safe, our kitchen is safe! And the cats can use the catflap. You have said what you want from the dog, how about reversing your thinking and work out what she needs from you. You are responsible for giving her what she needs to be healthy and happy. Her job is not to make you happy. If you are still having trouble, then seek the advice of a dog behaviourist.