Daydream thread... without the rose-tinted specs

choille

I didn't know owt about a butterfly survey, but don't have many this year.

My buddlijas are almost over.

Davesnave

Great butterfly photos, maggie. They put mine to shame!

On our Buddleia 'Dartmoor' today, besides the usual Whites, Peacocks, Tortoiseshells and Red Admirals, we had a Silver Washed Fritillary and a Painted Lady.

August is the time when we really notice the insect build-up. It's heartening to see so many honey bees compared with last year.

The birds seem to have done well in 2014 too. Good numbers of swallows and house martins are wheeling overhead now, when at the start of the summer there were relatively few.

We even have a couple of bats, cleaning up the midges etc near our back door.....Another animal I'd almost given up on.....:T

Davesnave

Met the electricians this afternoon. Two young guys, keen professional and well-established locally, so they don't advertise.They seemed overjoyed that DW had colour-keyed plans and that I'd clear the attics of insulation and 'stuff.'

When I asked naively if they knew any plumbers to do the heating, they actually asked, "Do you mean plumber, or heating engineer?" :T

Anyway, they came up with one of those for us. We mentioned another and they were very tactful, saying, "He's a good plumber!"

I think they will be OK.

Rummer

:wave: Hello, I am back

Been on a wee holiday and since I got back have been crazy busy so sorry for not keeping up

Lovely cats and kittens, we have two at the moment and I adore them.

The kitchen looked great what a difference! Also loved the pics of the patio area, it is amazing what planting can do for a space.

Dave what a close shave about the roof!

Our garden has gone wild in the warm wet weather and the hedge has got completely unruly :eek: I did ask for advice before but could you point me in the direction of a decent hedge cutter. Something that will cut a lot of hedge. Also recommendations for a strimmer would be good too.

I figure that at £60 a pop (which I know is great value) for the gardener that I would rather use that money to get our own equipment and get it in hand!

Davesnave

Rummer wrote: »

:wave: Hello, I am back

Been on a wee holiday and since I got back have been crazy busy so sorry for not keeping up


Our garden has gone wild in the warm wet weather and the hedge has got completely unruly :eek: I did ask for advice before but could you point me in the direction of a decent hedge cutter. Something that will cut a lot of hedge. Also recommendations for a strummer would be good too.

I was wondering where you were! Hope the sun shone and you all had a relaxing, family time.

My electric hedge cutter is no good, as the teeth are too close together, but Pete's Mum's is a super little machine. It's a Bosch, but not all Bosch have the same capacity.

This one looks something like its size:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B1RBFSW

They make larger ones, but those might be overkill if it's a normal hedge.

As for a 'strummer' I presume you mean an electric one, not a petrol machine like I use. I can't remember what the electrics are like now, but mine was always needing the cord adjusted when I used one.

choille

Welcome back Rummer - shame we didn't meet up.

Screw Fix seem very reasonable for garden stuff at the mo - I always read the reviews on items.

Just wasted 1 1/2 hours on customer support ebay - In the Phillipines after realsing some thing amiss on my account. I was transferred all over Asia - what a waste of a Friday evening. I'm fuming.

ukmaggie45

Davesnave wrote: »

Great butterfly photos, maggie. They put mine to shame!

On our Buddleia 'Dartmoor' today, besides the usual Whites, Peacocks, Tortoiseshells and Red Admirals, we had a Silver Washed Fritillary and a Painted Lady.
<snip>

OH says that your photos of hummingbird hawkmoth are brill, so you're not allowed to say your photos put to shame.

We looked at the silver washed fritillary on our butterfly chart, is it silver washed because of its underwing? Doubt we'll see one down here (up here?). I did see a painted lady earlier this week, but didn't have camera handy, and didn't see one for my butterfly count... Live in hopes will see it again. Love them take me back a few years to when we had a glut of them in the summer, and every time you walked across caravan patio you were surrounded by a cloud of them.

Rummer

Choille I was disappointed that we couldn't meet however I am planning on being up a few times a year and next time I will be better organised for a visit.

Dave Thank you for the recommendations. In the distant past you also recommended a light weight pair of manual hedge trimmers, could you point me in their direction again please

alfie_1

rained all evening and has done the garden the power of good. breezy today, 21d, sunny ive spent all morning trying to remember something i know iv forgotten.... bluddy annoying when half the brain saying "dont forget" and other half saying "dont forget WHAT ?".... i sort of remember then its gone :eek: i keep getting side tracked which doesnt help...:o lopped the lower branches off tulip tree and that has taken the drag off the bigger ones so....hey presto, i can see the end of the garden :j nobody believes me when i say im not keeping a kitten/s ?? :rotfl: hope you all have a good weekend.... dont get too blitzed CTC :D

lostinrates

Not even Splodge????? But Splodge seemed to own you in that picture!!!!