From investigating paranormal activity, to hosting debates on BBC1's The Heaven and Earth Show, Simon Biagi's TV career certainly hasn't been boring! Known for being GMTV's first weatherman, Simon's presented weather from a bathtub of milk...

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The answer to my gardening quiz is...

Thank you to all of you for your guesses at my unusual plant!

I have had another flowers pike appear and this is now opening and keeping the first one company that has been in bloom for three weeks. 

For those of you who have wondered what it is I can reveal all: It is Amacrinum Howardii so Jooly was closest with a Crinum but just a little to far of the mark. 

Thanks for entering!

Simon X

Last chance to play my guessing game!

This is your last chance saloon to name my plant. The prize for anyone who names it correctly will be the chance to come into QVC in the spring and see the Mr Richard Jackson in full flight during one of his shows. I’ll give you a guided tour of the studios and I’ll put together a little goody bag of gardening delights!

But what is the plant? Look up ‘yer books and I’ll take Latin names or common ones (if there is one). If there are no correct entries I’ll post the answer on Monday morning.

Good luck!

Simon x

More photos of my mystery flower - guess and win a prize!

Now it seems that the flower hadn’t opened enough for anyone to have any idea what this plant is so I have a few more pictures as the flower head begins to bloom. 

Remember this is happening now and the flowers normally come out around October time, but what is it?

Some other clues: 

It’s a hardy perennial and seems to like a warm sunny position. Mine's in a big pot.  

It didn’t flower for a few years as I don’t think it likes being disturbed (I know how it feels). 

It's been frost-hardy, as long as it doesn’t get too cold.

It has interesting, palm-like foliage, and produces 2-3 stems, each bearing more than a dozen large funnel-shaped fragrant flowers.

So can you put a name to it? As an added incentive, the first person to identify my plant will receive a little gardening Christmas present from me (don’t know what yet as I have yet to rummage through the Jackson’s drawers!!)

Good luck!

Simon x

Have a guess in my gardening pop quiz

Ok all you gardening buffs out there, here’s a pop quiz for you!

In a pot at the back of my house, I have had some bulbs which I planted over four years ago. They have never flowered and this year I was giving up on them, even though I've been treating them with some of Richard Jackson's Flower Power, when suddenly a flower stem pops up. 

Now, this is a current blog and the flower has appeared at the very end of October and is likely to be at its best in November. The leaves pretty much stay green all year round, albeit they get a bit damaged with a heavy frost. The flowers are fragrant and come from a stem that's a bit like an Amaryllis. But does anyone know what these flowers are?!

So, if you have on your Percy Thrower hats, ahem, I mean your Richard Jackson hats, identify my plant. I’ll post some more pictures as it develops to give you some more clues but you have to put a name to it.
 
Now don’t ask Richard Jackson himself, or your bar bill will go through the roof! I wonder if Titchmarsh is cheaper!!?

Simon x

Is it that time of the year already?

I can’t believe that the clocks go back this weekend (at least I think it's back in the autumn and forward in the spring)! I always thought it was the last weekend in October but I guess I will be fiddling with the video, cooker, car and alarm clocks a bit earlier this year and I have to say I'm looking forward to it being a bit lighter when we wake up in the morning. But where did all this come from and why do we do it? 

I have this idea somewhere in my mind that it's to do with our close (historically) links to farming. One of the reasons we haven’t changed the situation is pressure from farmers (dare I say, being a Scot, mostly in Scotland!). Does anyone know the real reason why we go through this every year and why not everyone does? I know they change the clocks in Norway, France and other European countries, but do they do it in USA or Australia? I feel so ignorant (especially having travelled so much) but I would be grateful if anyone has some expert help!

Ahh well. I just have to get all the instruction booklets out so I can find out how to change those blasted clocks (it’s the central heating that gets me every time). By the way, my wife leaves her car clock alone, on the basis that is right for half the year! Doh!!

Simon X

Biagi’s Bramble Jelly!

Well it’s finally made! Delicious, sweet, fresh and very juicy Bramble Jelly! There's nothing like the smell of bubbling jam or jelly with wild fruit to bring back childhood memories.

We made a lot more than last year and it’s surprising how much fruit you need to make a small amount of jelly. It’s like liquid gold but worth every minute spent plucking the berries from the hedgerows. 


Here’s the recipe:

Which came first the chicken or the egg?

If you've been following my blogs, you'll remember that we got some chickens in the summer. We rescued five girls (hybrids) from a big flock and since then got four pure breds (a light Sussex, two barnvelders and a French Maran). The girls have all settled in now and have got over their pecking order squabbles, but now they have gone a bit weird.

I understand that towards the end of the summer they go through a moult during which time they replace a lot of their feathers and stop laying so many eggs. 

The thing is we are still getting a few eggs but some of them are… well to say the least a bit funny (see picture)!  Maybe I should rub in some Gatineau night cream or some Decleor Aromessence!

The question is: has the moult made them lay funny eggs or has the delivery of such a dinosaur-like monster made then start to moult? It brings tears to my eyes just to look at!
   
   

Ahh, the whiff of autumn is in the air!

I know that our weather has been lovely the last week or so, but the leaves have definitely started to fall. My conkers are huge and thankfully the growth of my lawn has slowed.

Although I couldn't possibly be accused of being a tight Scot, I like to avoid having the central heating on until we get into October and this year I have managed without too much protestation from Mrs Biagi and the kids. You know the drill: “It’s cold tonight/this morning, lets put the heating on!” Reply: “Go and put another jumper on!”

Mind you, we gave it a quick trial run as I fitted some new radiator thermostats and by heck it was toasty yesterday afternoon as I tested to see if it worked - I had to turn it up past 24°C. Still, six new ones fitted in a couple of hours and only one scene akin to the little Dutch boy at the dam; I was quite pleased with myself.

The bountiful hedgerow harvest this year leads me to believe that we’re in for a cold winter this year, anyone else making predictions? Do I need to rush out and by a 4x4 so I can make it to work?

By the way homework schedules and karate/rugby fixtures (my son’s not mine, I hasten to add) have delayed the production of a giant vat of Bramble Jelly being cooked up. Recipe and pictures next week. 

Well I’m off to find my sweater to see if I can push my luck and reduce my fuel bills.

Simon X

How to make 'Simon's Surprise'

As the hedge rows are full of particularly beautiful food at the moment, I thought I would share one of my favourite recipes with you, which uses up cooking apples and brambles (blackberries for all you southerners!). 

It’s a bit of a combination of some of Delia’s recipes and my own and it not only tastes great (at least my son thinks so - see pics) but for those of you trying to stay off wheat, it makes a perfect ‘pie’.

The Bibster’s birthday card competition

The Bibster and I had fun on her regular Tuesday afternoon Paper Crafting show, as we had the winners of her competition to make a birthday card for her. The brief was to make a card that incorporated all her favourite things, you know, chocolate, pink, jewellery etc. 

It was great to have Sam and Andrea, the winners, with their friends, and in Sam’s case her Mum, crafting with us during the show. They were all very nervous about being on telly but hopefully it wasn’t too bad (actually I think Andrea rather warmed to the idea and joined in quite a bit once we got going!). 

Dawn's birthday is, of course, in March (the 19th if I remember correctly) but it has taken a while to get round to bring everyone in. The girls loved all the tips from Dawn, Paula and JJ and if you would like some tips yourself join Dawn every night this week at 6pm for crafting techniques. 

Plus, if you'd like to meet her in person, she’s at the International Craft and Hobby Fair at the SECC in Glasgow from 22nd - 25th October.

Phew, her schedule makes me tired just to think about!

Simon X