Awful weather - typical Brits talk 3 October 2020 at 5:41PM in Greenfingered MoneySaving 4.6K replies 116.9K views

Black_Cat2

Well it's been downright awful here in Somerset for the last couple of days with non-stop rain!

Just wondering how committed you lovely peeps are... have you been put off by gardening when it's raining?  Are you a shrinking violet or a hardy perennial? 

Just a light hearted thread ☔🌧️

Davesnave

Well, down here in ever-sunny Devon it hasn't been too bad, as we've organised much of the rain to fall at night. I've been out chatting to the sheep, who are all newbies and shorn, but they seem to have their shelter area sussed OK........

Then her outdoors had me moving the small hen coop to pastures new.

I'll admit after that essential outdoor stuff I headed into the polytunnel, where there were hardy geraniums and geums in pots waiting to be de-vine-weeviled. As you'll know, there's nothing 'divine' about vine weevil grubs. I've learned that if you don't change the compost there's no roots left by December! The same applies to many other potted plants, especially primulas and fuchsias. I have an industrial looking microwave from the 1980s to cook the used compost up, grubs and all, and then I re-use it.

The trouble with polytunnels is that they're stretched tight like a drum, so rain is amplified. I have a mains sound system in there to cope with that, but after a couple of hours I'd had enough. The music teacher who lives across the lane probably felt similarly!

Arthog

We live in the E Midlands where it is technically a desert, so between showers I've been dashing out to fill an empty water butt and making sure that every bucket and tub is full of water. A rotten job was digging up potatoes. There's always plenty to do in the greenhouse when it's raining,

Apodemus

Davesnave said:

I have an industrial looking microwave from the 1980s to cook the used compost up, grubs and all, and then I re-use it.

Glad to hear I am not the only one who microwaves compost!

Black_Cat2

Davesnave said:

Well, down here in ever-sunny Devon it hasn't been too bad, as we've organised much of the rain to fall at night. I've been out chatting to the sheep, who are all newbies and shorn, but they seem to have their shelter area sussed OK........

Then her outdoors had me moving the small hen coop to pastures new.

I'll admit after that essential outdoor stuff I headed into the polytunnel, where there were hardy geraniums and geums in pots waiting to be de-vine-weeviled. As you'll know, there's nothing 'divine' about vine weevil grubs. I've learned that if you don't change the compost there's no roots left by December! The same applies to many other potted plants, especially primulas and fuchsias. I have an industrial looking microwave from the 1980s to cook the used compost up, grubs and all, and then I re-use it.

The trouble with polytunnels is that they're stretched tight like a drum, so rain is amplified. I have a mains sound system in there to cope with that, but after a couple of hours I'd had enough. The music teacher who lives across the lane probably felt similarly!

We've heard about the weather witchcraft with you Devoners, send some nice stuff over to us please 😉

Microwaving compost is not something I've ever seen Monty Don do so that's a new one on me! lol

Looking out today as the darkness is lifting and finally looks like the rain has stopped but then *grrr* just seen the forecast and more to come 🙄

Black_Cat2

Arthog said:

We live in the E Midlands where it is technically a desert, so between showers I've been dashing out to fill an empty water butt and making sure that every bucket and tub is full of water. A rotten job was digging up potatoes. There's always plenty to do in the greenhouse when it's raining,

If I could send this rain up to you then I would!   Really frustrating atm.  I suggest we could do a trade, rain for you, potatoes for me wink 😉🥔

Davesnave

Black_Cat2 said:

Davesnave said:

Well, down here in ever-sunny Devon it hasn't been too bad, as we've organised much of the rain to fall at night. I've been out chatting to the sheep, who are all newbies and shorn, but they seem to have their shelter area sussed OK........

Then her outdoors had me moving the small hen coop to pastures new.

I'll admit after that essential outdoor stuff I headed into the polytunnel, where there were hardy geraniums and geums in pots waiting to be de-vine-weeviled. As you'll know, there's nothing 'divine' about vine weevil grubs. I've learned that if you don't change the compost there's no roots left by December! The same applies to many other potted plants, especially primulas and fuchsias. I have an industrial looking microwave from the 1980s to cook the used compost up, grubs and all, and then I re-use it.

The trouble with polytunnels is that they're stretched tight like a drum, so rain is amplified. I have a mains sound system in there to cope with that, but after a couple of hours I'd had enough. The music teacher who lives across the lane probably felt similarly!

We've heard about the weather witchcraft with you Devoners, send some nice stuff over to us please 😉

Microwaving compost is not something I've ever seen Monty Don do so that's a new one on me! lol

I didn't say we had 'nice' weather here, but looking at the river cameras, it seems Exmoor had more of the wet stuff than Dartmoor ........and 71% of Exmoor is in Somerset.Our stream here is running, but it's not very full yet, so a lot of what fell stayed in the ground.

Microwaving compost to kill vine weevil grubs is quicker than sterilising to kill weed seeds. It uses energy, but saves on material, so may be carbon-neutral. Monty Don is too smooth-talking and good looking to be taken seriously anyway. I'm more of a Rachel deThame man....but to be honest, at my age, I'm happy with whoever I can take on a long walk behind the shrubbery.

Black_Cat2

Davesnave said:

Black_Cat2 said:

Davesnave said:

Well, down here in ever-sunny Devon it hasn't been too bad, as we've organised much of the rain to fall at night. I've been out chatting to the sheep, who are all newbies and shorn, but they seem to have their shelter area sussed OK........

Then her outdoors had me moving the small hen coop to pastures new.

I'll admit after that essential outdoor stuff I headed into the polytunnel, where there were hardy geraniums and geums in pots waiting to be de-vine-weeviled. As you'll know, there's nothing 'divine' about vine weevil grubs. I've learned that if you don't change the compost there's no roots left by December! The same applies to many other potted plants, especially primulas and fuchsias. I have an industrial looking microwave from the 1980s to cook the used compost up, grubs and all, and then I re-use it.

The trouble with polytunnels is that they're stretched tight like a drum, so rain is amplified. I have a mains sound system in there to cope with that, but after a couple of hours I'd had enough. The music teacher who lives across the lane probably felt similarly!

We've heard about the weather witchcraft with you Devoners, send some nice stuff over to us please 😉

Microwaving compost is not something I've ever seen Monty Don do so that's a new one on me! lol

I didn't say we had 'nice' weather here, but looking at the river cameras, it seems Exmoor had more of the wet stuff than Dartmoor ........and 71% of Exmoor is in Somerset.Our stream here is running, but it's not very full yet, so a lot of what fell stayed in the ground.

Microwaving compost to kill vine weevil grubs is quicker than sterilising to kill weed seeds. It uses energy, but saves on material, so may be carbon-neutral. Monty Don is too smooth-talking and good looking to be taken seriously anyway. I'm more of a Rachel deThame man....but to be honest, at my age, I'm happy with whoever I can take on a long walk behind the shrubbery.

😹😹

Witchcraft was directed more at the rain overnight comment lol 

Let's face it Monty is a gardening god, I could listen to him all day.  Apart from when he annoys me by growing better vegetables than me... 💔

Catsacor

Another Somerset person here @Black_Cat2 yup, rained all day yesterday, all night, and now still pouring down 😏
I have my own elderly, black cat, that would like the warm sun to reappear and is wailing to be let out - but when she goes to the door ..... too wet out there, shakes and flicks her front paw as if she's already wet and turns back around and goes back to bed !

Gardening wise - i'm a fair weather gardener these days so the extent of my gardening is watching or reading it, however, after laying a large area of garden down to 'walk bark' last year i can now be out there without getting muddy, dirty feet.

Tesco man commeth ..... back later....

Davesnave

Catsacor said:

Another Somerset person here......

I've omitted to mention that for over half of my life I worked undercover as Somerset Man.   I also had a couple of gigs as London Child and Youth, but couldn't cope with not seeing farm animals and fields, so used to free ride the Metropolitan Line after work just to re-acquaint myself.

Had a year as a Dorset Child in a two room school, but that was so awful I prefer not to think about it now. Dickensian experience!

Farway

Living in Hampshire I get all the rain Dave waved over, and it's raining right now

These days I'm fair weather only as I've no greenhouse / tunnel to scurry into & my garden is patch sized with mainly perennials & fruit which is ideal for pottering about in on good days

"Good days" includes me & weather