This is a journal devoted to gardening. While I'm based in Headingley, Leeds and many of the links reflect this I'm interested in plants and gardens worldwide. I have to confess that I'm more of a plantaholic than a gardener in that I'll put the opportunity to grow an unknown plant before the overall look  of the garden but over the years I'm getting the balance better, I hope. If you wish to say something outside any of the posts just attatch it to this introduction

About this plant
Growing Banana plants
Above is a warning as to what what  can happen if you get too enthusiastic about plants :-). As a guide the garage behind it ia about 71/2 ft. high. It's a  Ensete Ventricosum that 5 years ago was a seed brought back by a friend on holiday in the Canaries . It's not hardy so has to come inside each winter :-(
All the best and hope to hear from you

Right now for myself it has to be the Blubell - they're just so evocative of spring in England and Bluebell woods are a joy to behold
In Leeds GoldenAcre park is a good example
 

Recently there's been much talk  of Spanish Bluebells doing to the English Bluebell what grey squirrels have done to red.
Both types make great garden plants and are very easy to grow . The following link gives descriptions of both and explains the problem

I felt it might be an idea to keep a photo journal of the garden and allotment over time and thought I'd try this as a start
I'll need to edit the picture a bit more.
WARNING - Lots of pics ( and a few are of my flea ridden little friends taking up valuable space in the garden :-) )

Here is a list of plant sales for May (that I know of)
Sat 17th - Spring plant sale 10.30 - 12 noon. West Park United Reformed Church, Spen Lane
                  Caring For Life Plant Sales Day 10 - 3.30p.m. Crag House Farm, Smithy Lane, Cookridge.
Sun 18th - Bring and Buy Plant Sale - 11am onwards, Hollin Lane Allotments
Sat  24th - Paxton Horticultural Society 9 - 12noon, Paxton Hall, 186 Kirkstall Lane

This my first year with an allotment - as you can see its been a bit neglected over the years (left click on the pictures to get a bigger view)





I've covered most of it with sheeting for this year after clearing the worst and am just concentrating on a few beds
which are mostly spuds and onions. The permanant beds have asparagus, globe artichokes and cardoons which 
I have to say of the latter 2 that they must be amongst the easiest things to raise from seed.
To anyone thinking of getting an allotment I'd say go ahead - don't be put off by the length of the waitng list - many 
people drop out and you get to the top faster than you'd think. I'ts a pleasurable thing to do, you can meet some nice people and you get good food, what's not to like? If you live in the Leeds area theres a link to allotments in Leeds on the sidebar

I have an old paeonie that is in a gloomy part of the garden - it never exactly thrives but just struggles on. I believe it would do better with more sun but AFAIK they don't like to be disturbed - has anyone any tips on how to do a successful move - or indeed is it a bad idea in the first place?

I have a Victoria Plum sapling that has become infested with red spider mite - can anyone give any advice on how to eradicate the beasties - preferably by less toxic methods than wholesale use of insecticide

At the moment it might look as if though the only place I can think of is Fountains Abbey,not so I just haven't got around to filling out the links yet - any one got any suggestions as to places within and around 20 miles or so of Leeds that they'd recommend either as gardens or pleasant bits of countryside?

There are thousands available but how many do you actually use?
Personally I use the RHS plant guides, a pruning guide,  mchoy -"guide to perfect pruning" - and an old readers digest "food from your garden"
like crazy but anything else  rarely gets looked at though I do think the Hessayon 'expert' series are very good.