Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Horrible when you don't sleep Farway. Hopefully you'll get the chance for a snooze being a Sunday.

I've found a new set of podcasts on travel - ish. Your Place or Mine with Shaun Keaveney

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0c142b0/episodes/downloads

I've only listened to the Miriam Margalese one so far but it makes a change. Still has 2 presenters and the celebrity which is annoying. Also used to like Sandy Toksvig Excess Baggage. Might not be your thing but I find them easy listening.

Started off lovely summer day and sunshine, clouded over and threatening rain.

I really need to get the grass cut (there comes a point when it's just overgrown rather than pleasingly casual) so I'm hoping not. At least its standing upright where it's been lying down on the ground for ages, a bit like me in reverse. Warmth and rain maybe helped us both.

Love the photo. I tried to do that for the show and tell but I don't have your eye for it.

It's all in the light and trying to make a flower interesting.

Thanks for the link. I must think how I can use it - save it for winter days.

I do have a real tortoishell butterfly or two in the garden today. Another of those things I've been waiting for since I started with nothing

Which reminds me, Lots of Cabbage Whites popping their eggs on my greens yesterday. I must go and wipe them off at some point. I knew it was all looking too good to be true

greenbee

YBE - garden design is almost a start from scratch. My garden was a rectangle edged with shrubs cut as a hedge when I moved in ... and a VAST expanse of patio (which actually makes sense as the garden is north facing, but needs breaking up with pots/lifting paving stones and planting in the holes). I've put in a veg plot at the back and how have an idea of where it's boundaries will be, and I'm slowly working out the rest of it - but need to plan to get some beds dug in the autumn, and also think about which trees need to come out (the obvious sick/ugly ones have been done but I now need to remove the ones that are in the wrong places/wrong size) and also what to plant and where - particularly ornamental trees. So lots to consider - and I'm having a lot of work done on the house at the same time, plus having the two sheds and summerhouse repaired so that they don't decay further and need replacing!

YoungBlueEyes

Too hot here, am mafted It's even too much to sit in the shade and read. Higher temps coming in the next couple of days, they say. *sigh*

Ooh fancy montages now is it? Jeez I need to crack taking a decent photo before I'm completely left behind ha haa! Your crops do so well Farway, I bet if you did more beans they go fine  

Nice to see you back taff, I thought you'd been quiet. I didn't know you'd lost your mum, my condolences. Did yous get everything done in one go?
I'll pm you about the diabetes test that Cissie did cos I daren't say it out loud, even bracketed by the usual caveats and saying it's an interesting story of how we used to do things/social history in our lifetime type of a comment.

2p I starting wondering about diabetes (other ailments are available) when I was falling asleep in front of the telly most nights. I didn't think of it for ages because, well who isn't tired?! But it happens far quicker on the rare occasions I eat a pud hence I asked for a blood test. The vampire took plenty of vials so they must be looking at all sorts. Possibly. My arm is back to normal, so there's that, and I've upset everything else by scattering the remainder of my soil heap about as a top dressing or mulch or whatever. My legs + bum + back are properly aching. Took 'til gone 2130 last night to do it, but it does look better for it. And no visible weeds!   

That sounds like proper grafting gb. Are you moving big trees about or are they only yoofs? I've seen so many garden design ideas where people have lifted a 4square from their patio and put all sorts in, jeez they're good. A firepit, a plungepool, a tree with a bench wrapped round it... take us some pics won't ya  

My contribution to the pics -   

First off, Bee Bum crack (well the stripe made me think it was)

If anyone wants to know the colour of my swish rose, the answer is Handsome - 

My morries gc bit have shut up shop. Can’t find the staff or authorise the hours or something. Thank god me garden’s stuffed and it’s too hot to go buy more plants

Right, gonna watch the Godfather trilogy while himself is baking his pasty self outside. Yes I’ve told him he’s a moron, and other things  

Farway

Fed & watered the back pots, plus “sowed” ten broad bean seeds onto damp kitchen roll

If nothing else, they may give me fresh seeds for 2025

twopenny said:

Horrible when you don't sleep Farway. Hopefully you'll get the chance for a snooze being a Sunday.

At least its standing upright where it's been lying down on the ground for ages, a bit like me in reverse. Warmth and rain maybe helped us both.

Love the photo. I tried to do that for the show and tell but I don't have your eye for it.

It's all in the light and trying to make a flower interesting.

Thanks for the link. I must think how I can use it - save it for winter days.

I do have a real tortoishell butterfly or two in the garden today. Another of those things I've been waiting for since I started with nothing

Which reminds me, Lots of Cabbage Whites popping their eggs on my greens yesterday. I must go and wipe them off at some point. I knew it was all looking too good to be true

Had a chuckle at the reverse grass reference

Cabbage whites, they're just starting to lay eggs on my sacrificial nasturtiums, which is the Cunning Plan

Trying to make image interesting, yep, I was looking at my posh fuchsias and giving it a bit of thought

What I need is, like flower shows, black velvet, and lay them on that. 

No chance, nothing like that in my house. I'll think of something, no doubt.

Wild Rocket! Has anyone grown or growing it?

I was watching YT, and they reckoned Rocket would be good to sow now, and will self seed.

I've never eaten Rocket, so first is it any good to eat or one of those things, like spinach, raved over but tastes bleugh?

PS, just missed your post YBE, nice how you get the dog & rose in matching shades

And luv the Lamb's lugs

YoungBlueEyes

I like rocket, I often lift it when I see some. It tastes peppery and you only need a few leaves to get the flavour. I tried growing it this year but only because it was a giveaway packet in my magazine, totally unsuccessful but that'll be user error.

They do them in the salad bag section of Aldi/Lidl, they're not dear.  

greenbee

I grow rocket. Love it as an addition to salads. And yes, it will self seed if you let it. 

pink_poppy

Long time no post... I think I've been suffering from post virus or food poisoning malaise or something. Apparently it's a 'thing' this year, according to the BBC website.

Good to see you back, YBE. Have you actually been diagnosed now or still awaiting results?? Handsome coloured roses - how swish    My DH is outside baking himself too - I'm back inside after a bit of impromptu harvesting...

Sooo, has anyone got any tattie recipes?!    


Only kidding... I started pulling the foliage out of the tattie bags because yet another one had flopped over. I wasn't expecting much because I really have neglected them, but...


This was the final tally - I'm pretty chuffed    

Top left are the Saxon Baking potatoes - a bit small, but I probably pulled them up way too early. Top right are the Maris Piper. Bottom left are Kerrs Pink and bottom right are the Roosters (I had two bags of them).

The reason I pulled/harvested all of them (apart from the foliage flopping over) was that there are hunners of weeds growing behind and around the bags and it was impossible to get to them. It was so exciting when I started finding proper size tatties though and the pink Roosters were like finding jewels in the bone dry compost!! Even DH came out to help, which was amazing because he can't stand any form of gardening   I'm going to boil a few of the small Roosters to have a wee taste with dinner tonight. Anyway, I'm now hooked and will be growing some again next year   

Anyway, hope everyone is well. I've been reading, but can't remember everyone's news. I'm guessing Dusty is still on the naughty step   

YoungBlueEyes

Aye me Lamb’s Lugs have gone mental! I meant to Chelsea Chop them but didn’t do it. I’ll look up what to do with it… That and one of my swish roses are v happy, the other swish rose is less so but maybe it just flowers later. 

I’ve no official anything about diabetes. I’ve only got what the optician said (but I got no further info cos I wasn’t for paying for an appointment to discuss), and Cissie’s test. I’ll see what comes back from the bloods. 

Look at your tatties pp Good new tatties don’t need a recipe really. Boil and eat with a bit of good salted butter and maybe a crunch of black pepper. Or I do potato salad sometimes if they’re only diddy. That’s a cracking haul for your first year, bet that’s you growing them every year now 😁

pink_poppy

I'll definitely be growing them again I really didn't expect anything, especially when I was pulling the foliage out of the bags with little pipsqueak tatties attached - I honestly thought that was going to be it    We had a wee taste before dinner, just boiled with some Clover (I don't have any butter at the moment) and very nice they were too.

Hope you get the blood results back soon, even if it is just to confirm Cissie's diagnosis. At least then you can look at how to deal with it, if necessary.

I forgot to post this pic earlier (too excited to tell you about my tatties haha) but I think it's been identified before as a Jacob's Ladder (hydrangea and honeysuckle looking lovely in the background too)...


It's been a lovely day today, warm and sunny, but not too warm.

Ps the site seems to be slow loading for me at the moment and I got the Vanilla message again...

twopenny

What an amazing haul Poppy, I'm really envious and thinking of a plan to dig up even more lawn this autumn.

So much better than shop bought. Remember to keep them at least a day before cooking or they'll go mushy.

You can store them in a tub (bag?) with dry compost overwinter. (Old school preservation) for carrots you store them in sand.

I agree that with butter and pepper just gorgeous.

Farway, Rocket I tried but it didn't come to anything. Not sure what I did wrong.

Taste, the stuff they serve in Italy is tastey. The stuff in the supermarket is bland. I'm guessing it would be good if you can grow it - and if anyone can, you will  

Bluey, I want a dog. Even if it doesn't match my roses. Probably for the best as mine are pink

More watering, mowing and cleaning gutters. Physical probs a tad better but wanted a drive this evening and car won't start. Usually does first time but with one thing and another I'm sulking now. The house and garden look good but I don't

Weather, sunny and quite hot in the sun but cool in the shade.