So poor I can't even pay attention

Piquant_2

Not only did I buy new painting brushes and paint. I also treated myself to some new knickers - dire need I'm afraid. Very tatty knickers, holes and frayed couldn't peg them on the line in case someone saw them :rotfl:

The weather held off so I could get my gardening work done, a lot of treating roses for black spot. I'm trying an experiment. Half have been done with traditional pesticides and half with a milk and water solution. I shall keep you posted.

Still feeling smug about clearing my filing I actually opened a letter today and filed it straightaway. I give it until tomorrow until the filing basket starts to fill...

Not a lot else to report on, boring life and all that Tomorrow is coffee shop day and Saturday will be taken up with doing the gardening work I couldn't get done on Tuesday. Luckily the back is working again, definitely a type of cramp. Not to be recommended though, very uncomfortable.

brizzledfw

Nice to hear from you. Good news about the new purchases! And well Piq, some items are just essential:rotfl:

Roses..usually use soapy dishwater for aphids but not sure re black spot. Any ideas for a mildew on my Jacobs ladders? (Polemoniums?) Worried it will spread to my tomato plants?

Sorry re the back..ouch

Piquant_2

brizzledfw wrote: »

Nice to hear from you. Good news about the new purchases! And well Piq, some items are just essential:rotfl:

Roses..usually use soapy dishwater for aphids but not sure re black spot. Any ideas for a mildew on my Jacobs ladders? (Polemoniums?) Worried it will spread to my tomato plants?

Sorry re the back..ouch

Morning Mrs B

Mildew is a fungus and it can spread. If your plants are too dry and over-crowded it is the fungus for you! The spores will over winter in the soil so pick up and get rid of any fallen leaves, not the compost bin. Depending on the severity of the attack you can cut off all affected parts of the plant or buy a spray from the garden centre.

To prevent another attack, clear fallen leaves and dig in some well rotted compost or a mulch and water well.

One part milk to two parts water sprayed weekly on roses prone to black spot does work - really! It must be done weekly or it won't work. I think the roses at my Thursday customer are too far gone and only pruning off the branches affected is going to work though

Piquant_2

I'm sleepy this morning and need to get a wiggle on for work. It doesn't seem to be happening though Maybe a second cup of coffee will do the trick

Let's go and put the kettle back on...

brizzledfw

Thanks Piq..very helpful. Bang goes the idea of a nice stocked herbaceous border then...need to separate the b8ggers out...

Have a good day x

twiglet98

Morning Piquant, catching up on a rare few days off. I LOVE the photos of the pots, we breed geckos at work and I'm rather taken with the chickens too... and the purple flower... are they indoor or outdoor pots, and how big are they?

Brilliant that the gardening jobs are taking off, you're truly blessed with an artistic talent and no amount of reading or online information makes up for innate skill. I'm still planning how to make the best of my oak barrels, having stupidly filled them with lavender, herbs and bulbs last autumn, but failed to drill drainage holes and drowned them all over the winter... yep, really really stupid. The garden centres aren't great for sourcing scented plants, the nicotianas and pinks that I'm sure used to smell so wonderful seem to have had the scent bred out of them, or am I just not looking at the right varieties?

I thought of you yesterday - Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 at lunchtime was discussing the failure of JobCentres to ever actually find anyone a job - I remembered your encounter with the JobCentre chap who asked you to help him, and thought what a perfect contribution that would have been to the show!

When I was signed off for a few months during the slash, poison and burn treatment, the JC called me in to say they needed to find me a job. I told them I had been in the same job for 13 years and it was held open for me to return to after treatment. They said, well you're not doing it now you're 'on the sick' so we must find you something else in case you don't go back to it! Banging head against wall, you know the feeling. I don't envy them their jobs at all.

Why does my marmalade cat likes to spread his ample white belly fluff across the dark red sofa throw, but the little black witch-cat prefers to rub hers out on DD's pristine white bed linen? She and her tabby sister have found where the rabbits have burrowed through the pallet compost bins, and bred... Baby rabbits are lovingly delivered to DD's bedroom most evenings, sometimes with the odd shrew, or moths. They haven't caught birds, yet, thank goodness. DD said she does thank them for their offerings but why don't they understand that one rabbit is more than enough?

Raining steadily here and it's chilly too, should have cut the grass yesterday but I did get pea sticks set up. Wish I could grow sweet peas as successfully as the sugar-snaps.

Piq keep putting the photos up, I'd love to see a picture of the Bear's churn. All the best, and a virtual carrot for the Captain when you see him next xxxx

alioops78

G'Day Piq

Sorry to read you suffered from back spasms but thank goodness you've got it sorted. I'm a regular sufferer due to my condition, muscle spasms are one of the joys, but my solution is Diazepam 5mg and Solpadol take both until muscle release or sleep takes over :rotfl:. Should probably try a different approach as I lose days to the spasms sometimes.

Still not had a chance to got to the garden centre and pick up my plant and compost to pot up however I think that there are Aster's in the front garden.

I've taught husbandpet the mantra of OH MY GOD purchases for what isn't needed however knickers are definitely an essential item.

Enjoy your weekend and hopefully the sun comes out for you.

Alioops x

Skint_but_Optimistic

Hi Piq glad to hear the gardening is going well.

Backs are fragile things. I hope it continues to get better

Grand_Benders

:hello: hey diary neighbour!

Im back and catching up on the goings on round here over my missing few months. Sounds like you've had quite the run of good luck, and glad to hear your pots and gardening are going well (torrential rain aside, and Yay :T for kindly neighbours of customers).

I'll need to go back a few more pages for pics of pots and links to eBay later . Can't buy anything as I have less than no money, but excited to see your lovely creativity out there in the world.

I'm just about to set my timer for another wee blast of housework, having finally vacuumed the stair carpet then stopped for a coffee baby steps for the jobs we hate! I really need to get out and cut the grass but it's blowing a gale and I'm hoping it will calm down. Can't put it off much longer; it's giving our farmer neighbour's hay field a run for its money right now!

Right, back to work for me. Ttfn

Piquant_2

brizzledfw wrote: »

Thanks Piq..very helpful. Bang goes the idea of a nice stocked herbaceous border then...need to separate the b8ggers out...

Have a good day x

You can still have a packed herbaceous border, mine is overflowing. You must dig plenty of stuff like leaf mould, homemade compost or rotted horse manure in, that's all. Then perhaps a layer of bark. Job done!