Florence

I have been growing Serrano chillies since the early summer, now that it is getting cold out, I have moved two of the strongest plants indoors.

They have about 7-12 chillies growing on each, still quite small (approx 2") and a few flowers still..

I have heard these are fine to grown indoors due to them self-pollinating.

The only problem is the last few months I have noticed tiny black flies that seems to be living on the soil.. as soon as I spotted them I googled some advice, and put lots of pebble stones down on the soil so the soil is now completely covered.

It's been a good 3-4 months now and they are still living there... I have sprayed the plants and pebbles with fairy liquid water, but they still are there.

I am still new to gardening and although I have successfully grown many fruits and veg over the last 3 summers, this is my first time growing chillies.

What can I do to eradicate these little flies? Are they harmful to the plant and chillies? I don't want them to lay eggs etc in the soil - but the pebbles don't seem to stop them from living there.

Any help would be much appreciated - I can attach photos of the flies/plants if needed.

I have been getting Brazilian waxes for the past year and have recently been noticed the very sensitive skin around that area isn't reacting very well to the wax.

The last 2 times I have had it done (6 weeks between each) I have noticed that the day after I have what feels/looks like a blister from the wax on what I 'think' is called the perineum (the gap between the vulva and anus).

It normally heals and is smooth within 2-3 days.. which is normally when I am able to have sex. But what happens then is where there was a blister I have noticed I have skin tags? At first I was worried they could be an infection, as they look like tiny warts - but they are completely painless and look a bit like skin tags people get in their armpits?

It has been about 4 weeks since I had them last and they have now disappeared. Is this normal? Could this be from the heat of the wax? Could it also be from where the sensitive skin was stretched?

Any advice would be great - if this continues I will seek medical help of course.

At the beginning of the year I started seeing this guy. He was extremely romantic, nice, caring.

After a while he got distant.. started to only invite me over late at night. (He is 30 - I am 23)

I felt so lucky to be with him, well he made me feel like I was, that I did the insecure girl thing and just did what he said.. If he said come over at 11pm I would get in my car and go just so that I could spend time with him.. while for him it was an easy ---.

We decided to set up a t-shirt business together, as I have a degree in fashion and am able to make my own clothes. Turns out it is really successful and selling lots. So we then had this excuse to meet up, not purely for sex anymore, it was also to do business.

We split profits 50/50 but I make, buy fabric, and send the made products to him to sell on. I was fine with this as I saw the fact that I got to go and stay at his at weekends my 'reward' if you like.

During the past 7 months whenever he has asked me to do things, whether it be lend him money, pay for his things, come over and cook dinner, buy shopping when I come over and most recently I agreed one drunken night to have a threesome with his best friend (which was fine, and not at all awkward so I have no regrets). However, I started to hate how he made me feel - I thought pleasing him would gain me respect from him but it did the opposite.

Now two weeks ago, we arranged to have a movie night and sort out some business.. he last minute said I could come over but he didn't want me to stay over as lately he feels like I have feelings for him. He said he no longer wants to sleep with me and we should just stay as friends.

It really angered me.. not just because he was saying he no longer wanted to sleep with me, but more how much he has the control and I constantly say yes and do as I'm told. Also, what friendship?? It was not a friendship. I was his friend... he was not mine. It was a really destructive relationship - for me. So I thought enough.

I told him I was done with it all, I hate feeling used by him, I hate that everything is in his hands and although I do not want to be with him as he treats me so crap, I do have this weird thing that just gets me about him. It's like I get stuck in him. In some ways, feeding my mind with good memories to justify still seeing him.

He took it ok - but one thing he kept saying was can we keep the business. I said no at first, and then after lots of begging, I agreed we can talk but purely about business only.

It has been a week so far and although profits are coming in I still feel sad. I hate that when I get a text from him regarding orders it makes my stomach nervous. I almost long for him to want me again like when we first met. Yet, I remember how horrible he treats me and then get upset.

I don't know if I should carry on with this business purely for the money and ignore my feelings. Or tell him I can't carry on because it's torturous to keep contact with him. Which I wouldn't tell him in such words.

I also noticed although we de-friended each other on facebook about 5 months ago as I couldn't stand being his F-buddy while reading him flirt with girls on there, but the week he told me he no longer wanted to have me stay over he blocked me on facebook - I want to ask him why, as we are not friends on there and all I can see is his profile photo and name and nothing else.

But maybe this is his way of having a dig - expecting me to ask that and then have something to say about it???

My head is really confused right now - I just can't help but feel this was such an unhealthy 'friendship' that is it just as unhealthy business relationship? Should I keep a relationship with someone who is clearly all about mind games.. and who blocks me on facebook?

Any thoughts, opinions, advice would be so much appreciated right now. So thank you.

Hi,

I have one raspberry plant growing, it got to about 30 cms tall and produced it's first fruits which were picked off and delicious. It is now over 80cms tall and has stopped producing fruit? Just big green leaves and seems to be growing very fast...

Again, with the strawberries, I have about 8 strawberry plants growing in a vegetable patch, they all had some delicious fruits which were picked as soon as they were ripe, however, they now are just producing runners and no new fruit... is this normal???

The raspberry plant is just in the garden with no net.. but the strawberry plant is covered with a net to stop birds getting at them and cats using it as a litter tray. I also have one strawberry plant in a garden pot, which had a handful of fruit.. but now nothing, but it does have a runner growing into the pot next to it.

Why have they all stopped growing fruit? What can I do to get them to fruit again????

Thanks for any answers.

Hi,

I am new to gardening and last summer grew some french beans and courgettes that were great.

This year I am growing some cucumbers aswell, on the packet all it says is to grow the seeds indoors until big enough to handle outside.

I have a big veg patch planter in the garden where my other veg are growing. What I need to know is, now that the cucumber seedlings that are growing indoors have reached about 3 inches tall, do I need to support them as I do with my french beans, or so I let them trail along like I do with my courgettes??

I know that if the cucumbers were growing in a green house they would have support, but if they are growing outdoors do you let them grow freely along the ground??

Any help would be much appreciated.

Many thanks.

I have just started gardening for the first time and am currently growing Basil, Courgettes, Royal Chantenay Red Carrots, French Beans and mixed leaves salad.

My salad, red carrots and basil are growing perfectly and the salad is now ready to harvest.

I just have a few questions regarding my courgettes and french beans...

I have 7 french bean plants growing up againt 6ft bamboo structures, they are almost 6ft high now but seem to keep on steadily growing, what should I do when they reach the top of the bamboo? Do i leave them? Or cut them?

Also are there any tips to keep them healthy, they are just starting to grow tiny flowers, and they all seem very healthy and growing well?

I also have 3 Black Beauty Courgette plants growing in my garden, one of which has grown extremely big and fast and looks very healthy and thriving in the glorious sun London currently has. The other two are a little smaller but still look fine. I have noticed on the largest plant that there are tiny black insects living inside one of the buds that are growing. I can't tell if they are flies or ants. I know that ants can be good farmers and can be left when on veg, but if they are indeed flies... how can I naturally get rid of them? Again are there any tips anyone can give with growing courgettes?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Which is portrayed through clothing/costume...

For example, the French Revolution was a clear divide ascetically though fashion.

Another is Victorian London, but what other times was there a clear divide?

I would guess working class and middle class were the main people affected, and their children were evacuated, but what happened to the higher class/rich?

I can only ever find small bulb outdoor lights, animal and flower shapes..

I am trying to find the outdoor lights that are often found in restaurants and pubs..

Any ideas would be great.

I often see plants with a plastic water bottle cut in half placed on top of them. Why is this?

I have also seen them placed on fences..?

Does anyone have any tips/recipes for salads with broccoli in?

The salads I have had with it, seem to be raw and crunchy but when I try to make a salad with broccoli in myself, it just tastes very bitter and very crunchy.

Is it best to steam it for a bit (not cook) and then let it cool in a salad?

Thanks.

What is best to do about using my blackberry abroad.. I can live without receiving emails and facebook notifications. Can these be turned off while I am there?

I do however want to use my Blackberry Messenger while in Greece. Will this cost a lot more to use there?

And is there anything else I should know about when using a Blackberry in another country?

Thanks for any advice.

Or normal exercises that can improve circulation on your legs/bum/thighs?

I already have a 4 year old rescue cat who has a lovely nature, she does however get into fights with cats living nearby. We are thinking of getting a bengal-mix kitten from a friend at 10 weeks, but wonder how she will get on with a kitten living in the house too?

At home are cat is very friendly and affectionate and is probably used to having the whole big house to herself. Will a gradual introduction be a good idea (I've read feeding the cats one each side of the door, so that they get used to each others scents is a good idea)?

Any advice would be great. Thanks.

I need to upgrade to 1gb ram, and was sold an off-the-shelf 1gb which is not compatible with my xp computer..

The only place I can find it is Maplin but they have a 2 week delivery and I need this asap. Does anyone know anywhere that sells this ram?

Any help would be great.

Thanks.

It turns out the Nvidia card I have now doesn't have enough MB.

What is a good card to replace it with that I know will work well with the Sims 3 on XP?

I've been told Tescos, Asdas and M&S sell cookie dough (raw, not the powder packs) in their chilled dairy sections..

yet all of the above shops have never heard of it before.

Does anyone know where this illusive treat can be found??

Obviously there is no cure for clearer skin, but what is most effective out of Medicines (creams, pills etc..) or Homeopathy?

It seems that natural medicines might work better, but do stubborn spots need stronger chemicals from man-made medicines?