Awful weather - typical Brits talk

-taff

That's an impressive amount of potatoes there PP, quick in the dark with them!

ybe, she died nine years ago, but between one thing and another clearing is a slow job. Me, I'd just order some skips, which is not wha my parents thought was going to hapen, they thought I'd be the one keeping everything...roles have reversed...I had my death cleaning lightbulb and it ain't going away...

Today has mostly been very sunny, garden is in water or die mode, we've been busy getting ri of gravel [ gave it to a friend who needs it for a hole in the car park for where he lives, and moving the last bits out of the way..

It's been a funny old year so far for all veg. the tromboncino are just about starting now so I may get a taste before long.

There are two types of rocket, culitvated one which is blander and wild which is stronger. i love the stuff. I usually just scatter a full packet somewhere and let it do it's thing. Lovely on top of pizza, or in a sandwich or a salad...

forgot the bee on some phacelia

-taff

2P, kist have a nice sit down and a tiple or nice cup of tea, a few biscuits and think happy thoughts...Or get an axe out if that's your letting off steam method

twopenny

phacelia - that's a beautiful name! I feel it should have a meaning, something lovely and tranquil.

Amazing photo of the bee up there with Farways one flying.

Yes the axe method works - trouble is I can't physically walk it off and I've done all the other relaxing stuff. Perhaps I'll hammer up some more trellis tomorrow........trouble is it's not big enough or tough enough.

I had a damsel fly sitting on my left out box of plant food today. It wasn't beautiful but another notch on my gatepost of a garden that wasn't there  

YoungBlueEyes

Ooh Jacob's Ladder pp - that's another new one on me. I could find room for that I'm sure. Love the colour of your hydrangea too  

I want a dog too 2p. Our dreams are so small aren't they? A car that's decent and a dog or two. It's not exactly 'moon on a stick' territory is it....
In real life Handsome was just about the exact shade of my roses but it didn't come out as well on the pic. I've another pic where it's a better colour match, but his bum and legs look a bit ...human... and queer.  

Maybe that's another scheme to keep the pennies rolling in to Rottery Acres - you fetch me your dog or rose and I'll do you a matching rose or dog. God that'd be great if that was real. People probably wouldn't wait the length of time it'd take though, me me me now now NOW. I'm not doing pink dogs 2p, you'll have to grow peachy roses Or orangey/coppery ones if you're having a spaniel. 

Tricky is that taff, balancing what your parent/s want against what you're for doing. Please yourself I'd say. Anyway. Phacelia - I could make room for plenty of them too. The name does sound like it should mean something, or was a minor deity, or something. Your pic should deffo go in our calendar/on the front page of here. The wings are symmetrical and everything  

OT It was far too warm for me yesterday, and gawd that sun was strong. Himself thought it was marvelous and stopped out all day in it. Weirdo.  17' here now with another 10' to come and not a cloud predicted I wonder if the number of people shooting their neighbours goes up in this weather... 

Edit - I was getting a lot of Vanilla nonsense and being slow yesterday too but it seems ok today so far.

Edit2 - Hedgehog Bum is on the front page! And there's a puppy the colour of my roses. Happy Monday everyone

twopenny

Sooo nice to be back on the gardening forum! All this tech/car/busses nonsense is exhausting without actually doing anything

Anyhoo got to sort it this morning - the guy running Table tennis is going to pick me up this afternoon so I can have some fun and chat. How kind is that and he usually gets the bus in from miles away. Gives you a real boost.

I used to have Jacobs Ladder, I love it. Don't think it liked the hot and dry. I got them from Morries before they went annuals and stuff. It makes me think of childhood in Sidmouth where there is a long ladder to the beach called JL. My mother hated it, I loved it.

Interesting skin on Handsomes back end    

Weather sunny and just nice so far. Was hoping to fit in detoxing the paving slabs but I need to walk to two garages so will be laid up to rest for this afternoon. Last car that conked I could walk so it wasn't so bad. Lots of arrangements to be made.

Farway

Sorry to hear about the car 2P, always at the most inconvenient times, and good to hear you have lift sorted to table tennis, sometimes the small things people do make life “better” and brighter.

What a cracking bee pic Taff, what camera did you use?

And phacelia sounds like the name of a posh actress / National Treasure, perhaps pair it with a Dorset village?

Dame Phacelia Milton Abbas

With a pink dog!

Thanks for the rocket updates, folks. 

I've added two packets of 89p seeds to my basket, ready for next time T & M have free P & P

Wasabi rocket, supposed to be window sill & unique flavour, yeah, right

And Wildfire, supposed to be best of the Wild perennial ones

Poppy, great spuds, now I have to grow some for earlies next year. 

Just for a taster, really. I have grown them before, but that was years ago on my allotment, next year will be just a couple of bags / bins.

Only gardening today is put the garden wheelie bin out ready for tomorrow, now I've paid the fee

Plus try to get photo of my hibiscus flowers now the lower ones are opening

Pic today, next door's Allium seed head, has to be theirs 'cos I can't grow them

Slightly, ahem, adjusted , to accentuate the architectural side

ArbitraryRandom

Very fancy farway  

Too hot today for me taking pictures (and nothing exciting to share anyway)... had to go down for a nap at 6 as the heat had just been building all day. Plays havoc with my sleep patterns. But can't complain. It's not like we get a lot of good weather and the plants like it.

I've been having the same on my cabbages as I think 2p above? but I'm a little paranoid about mistaking cabbage white for lady bug or lacewing so I've been waiting for them to actually hatch ( and then I feel stupidly guilty about squishing them...) 

Pulled out most of my pea plants, filled a freezer bag which I think works out at about a kilo... some had started to self dry, so maybe I should have separated those ones out, but it's likely I'll use them in a winter casserole in the slow cooker or something so should be fine. While I was clearing them out I could get at the far side of my courgettes and between the two plants found another six (thankfully 'normal size' rather than giants). 

Runners have a decent number of pods starting but nothing harvestable yet. Next weekend I think I need to pull out the rest of the broad beans, and I'm hoping that the first of my balcony reds and tumbling yellows will be ripening. 

They're not perfect, but really glad I got these beds in, makes everything more manageable  

-taff

That is a very funny pic of handsome ybe, and yes, it looks weird but kudos getting a dog to match the roses or the roses to match the dog And the sun was far too warm for me today too, and when I get too hot, I get angry so I've pretty much been angry all day. Not like me, so I need a shower to cool down now after a day of builders and now half the house is missing, there's dirt everywhere and I am wondering, was a bigger kitchen really worth it? Answer, definitely yes. Stop whining! [me that is]

2P, I sympathise with your car problems. 

Farway, your bean idea is a good one but I am deifnitely doing rocket again in a bit, the dying beans are coming out and rocket will take their place. I sowed some in October before and it lasted well into December. Nice alium pic, kaleidoscpically [ is that a word?] but I think you're upposed to chop the heads off before they set seed to keep the bulb flowering..The camera for the bee was just my phone, 4 x magnification,the bee was momentarily obligingly still..altough the phacelia was covered in them so I'm definitely growing that next year.

I have noticed this year the bees are on their favourites, so the comfrey, the teasel, the ragwort and the borage...Not much of anything else has had a sniff...'m going old school next year if the garden has recovered by then. I'm trying out some coastal hog fennel at the moment but it keeps getting eaten...And I have a couple of weird ones for next year to sow in the autumn..Dystaenia takesimana - perennial Korean celery and Ligusticum scoticum - Scots lovage, bought from Incredible Vegetables [ all perennials]

Arb, someone said about growing nasturtiums for cabbage butterfly sacrifice, so I've left any that make it that far...

so fingers crossed for a good day for you all tomorrow!

YoungBlueEyes

Table Tennis Man sounds like a decent sort 2p, especially coming out of his way for you. Did you get all your arrangements arranged? 

Isn't that a beautiful seed head Farway, I like the background colour and the exploding nature of it "Dame Phacelia Milton Abbas" - is that not her with the hair out of Wallace + Gromit I can see her with a pink dog too.

Sounds like your garden money was well spent Arb, you do seem happier with it now You're sure getting a good haul from it. 

How long will your builders be in taff? I'd say a bigger kitchen is worth it (well I would, my kitchen is so diddy I struggled to find a washing machine small enough to fit the hole!) You sound like a foody so you'll definitely get god use of it. Picture it done, then the mess and noise will seem worth it  

I'm glad yous agree that Handsome's bum is a bit freaky, himself didn't :rolleyes: 

Too warm here and I'm not sleeping, so a short post this morning. The heat makes me ersey and fractious. Roll on Autumn! Our overnight temps are Cissie's day temps, they're back in their big coats and fleeces and Cissie has the electric blanket on her bed again You'd hardly think it'll be August on Thursday. Marginally cooler today than yesterday though, 17'c now with a high of 24' to come. They say. 

twopenny

Lovely morning, bit hot last night but it cools in the evening so all windows and doors open to let the heat out,

" I'll use them in a winter casserole in the slow cooker or something so should be fine." Arb, the sound of a true gardener

Taff I've not heard of that plant or a few you mentioned. I must look them up. We have fennel growing on the coast here. Is there a difference between Coastal Fennel and garden Fennel?

Farway, Interesting picture but I love the seed head so clear and highlighted. I got excited about Adobe when I had it and the turn a photo into a painting - but decided a painting was better

I must get around to drawing again but these days seems an endless round of trying to find and use gadgets.

Bluey, shame you don't like the heat but having a preference for cold is ideal in this country.

I love the heat though it's harder to tollerate these days. At least you know it won't last - unlike the rain.

No idea what is going to happen today. I have dentist at 2pm which splits the day, maybe the car will work, probably too hot to do the badger run and I've had enough of washing all and sundry.

So it's very much wait and see - I could hunt again for my secateurs. Bright orange handles, they have a place where they are not. The Hidcote lavender has collapsed from the middle out but it's the one that throws up new shoots from the bottom stem so fingers crossed.

Now where are those darn secateurs! Or should I just buy new ones as they were getting old.