Suzy, Welcome to the WS forum. I have seen some posts from the UK before. There are some WSers out there too. You are absolutely right. WS is fun. It is the best way, the easiest and the cheapest way to fight winter doldrum and to garden in winter. Also, there is no need to keep transporting seedlings back and forth to protect them from frost. Check out the FAQ above then keep on reading the posts here. We love newcomers .....old timers too. :-)

Mara, errrr yes, I did take a 'few' more pics, lol, so I'll do a separate post. Jeff, I've just been reading up on these monsters and it would seem they are a real pest in S Africa and there has been a programme of introducing several types of insects to try and rid them out of the area. We saw lots of them in the humid forest areas along one stretch of the coast which was very protected (Natures Valley) reaching way up above the canopy of the surrounding trees. They were also in higher regions with just their own tree for company and in complete isolation from anything else. Unfortunately, I have no pics of these as it's difficult when travelling with non-planty people if you get my drift? Seems they prefer to grow this way, maybe for extra support? I was astounded when I found out what they were. Gill UK

GardenNerd - I certainly do get seeds posted out to me. I am about to try a few (fragrant) exotics that I got off eBay (you know, the kind that take months and months to germinate and have to be taken in and out of the fridge and kept at ridiculously constant temperatures for certain periods of time, etc. Will let you know how I fare with THOSE!). The nurseries out here do have a great range of things, don´t get me wrong, it´s just that they provide very little in the way of information and when you are a novice, like me, it´s a little daunting. That´s why I love gardenweb! Thanks for your help - I´ll ask my UK contacts to keep an eye out for (fresh!) bulbs in B&Q. I see I am "teaching my grandmother to suck eggs" with the four o´clocks suggestion. They were a revelation to me as I had never in even heard of them. But then, as a newbie, quite a lot of this gardening lark is a revelation... Happy gardening Almeria

+1 Julian. Foxes will do pretty much whatever they want to, regardless of any scent or deterrent. They know full well they're capable hunters, so don't worry too much about other canines or felines. Motion activated lights might work, but prepare to be annoyed if you set them sensitive enough to pick up a fox. That will also catch rabbits, passing cats (who really won't care that much), and strong winds. Eventually the animals get used to it, realize that nothing bad happens, and start to ignore it. Motion activated sprinklers will deter the cat, and probably the fox. Since the event is unpleasant, it should continue to work. Liquid Fence, or a similar product as I'm sure there's one in the UK, tends to deter rabbits and other herbivores, but carnivores are more likely to ignore it or use it as scent cover. For problems with rabbits (I have them most years), I use a spray-on homemade solution directly on the plants they eat. It works beautifully and is completely non-toxic to animals, people, insects, plants, and aquatic life. It just tastes terrible to rabbits. If the turf is intact, put it back down and water it well, keep it damp for about two weeks to give it time to re-root, and then back off on the watering. Grass is really much more resilient than we give it credit for being.