Does anyone recognise this?

Just on the off-chance?















It's a very low-growing plant and is sprouting out of a shady bank in our field. I want to put a name to it, but can't think what it might be.

Well, we did *some* planting...

Just flowers though, so far. Night-scented stocks in some window boxes:














We're working out a decent planting place for the vegetables, still - if not more than one, including planting boxes. More on that later, as soon as there's more to tell! Hmm, I want to start harvesting seeds this year too. Anyone else do that? Have tried over the years but been let down by chaotic storage and labelling systems. Must try harder!

Frivolity and a plea

First, some pretty pictures of some stuff we planted earlier:



















My ex-sister-in-law bought me these hyacinths and their pot for Christmas. Beautiful pot, no? I'm really looking forward to the flowers.



















And here's what we've got growing outside the front door:



























Enough frivolity! Here's the plea, for advice from anyone reading who knows more about gardening than I do. Because we want some pretty flowers, yes, but also some food this year.

We're planning to put some potatoes in the field, but it's full of rabbits over there. Anyone know what other crops they don't like, besides potatoes? Because everything else I've ever planted over there has been eaten.

We need to keep rabbit-tempting crops closer to the house really, and are getting some big wooden deep planting boxes for the driveway soon. So we've got all these old seeds, from years ago:















Now please tell me: do seeds need using within a certain time frame? I'm sure I heard someone on Gardeners' Question Time the other day saying they actually improve with age. Some of those packets are 8, 9, 10 years old! What do you think, should I use them? And if so, which should I start off indoors first, before the planters are ready? I'm thinking, peas... courgettes, maybe...

Root crops don't like being moved, right? Or is it that they do..? Sigh, I forget now. Will have to get some gardening books out..