Awful weather - typical Brits talk

LessImpecunious

Back from a long weekend away, welcome back to our absent friend! Never know what fascinating discussions you're going to find on here, favs were white dog poo, and sport setting for bee bums - the mind boggles! Don't know what newcomers to the thread (or the mods) make of it all... BTW we have loads of spuggies - counted c. 30 flying up from our front yard t'other day; and, on topic, seems we've had not very useful rain while away (and continuing today) - veg damp to harvest but two courgettes which I left hoping to be humungous on return have barely grown, forced to try watering them...

pink_poppy

Hope my BOOB comment didn't offend, twopenny. It was a lovely pic of the dragonfly(??) and I'm sure everyone on here appreciates how much effort it takes to get a decent pic, especially for those of us with mobility issues.

Love the hedgehog pics, WM. I miss the wildlife we had in our last garden - hedgehogs, bunnies, pheasants and partridge to name but a few. I took this pic a few years ago and joked at the time that we just needed a turkey to make a 3-bird roast (it was Christmas Day)    


I haven't heard 'spuggies' being used for a while, Less - we use that word for sparrows where I'm from too.

The weather isn't as dire as predicted this afternoon. I've got 3 busy days coming up so I'm hoping the forecast is wrong for those. I'm hoping I'm going to be okay too - I've been feeling sick since Saturday and I have no idea why. Honestly, it's one thing after another - I think I might have to change my name to Mrs Neverwell...

alicef

@Dustyevsky free seeds are the best sort of seeds.

I need to set stringlines to cut the box hedging -  then actually cut the hedging.  I can't believe that I'm thinking that the weeding might be more inticing.

Dustyevsky

pink_poppy said:   I've been feeling sick since Saturday and I have no idea why. Honestly, it's one thing after another - I think I might have to change my name to Mrs Neverwell...

Sorry you're under the weather. It could be FLiRT, but obviously, I can't go there, except to say there's a summer wave identified in places where they test the sewage. What with your BOOBS and your warm pussycat, I was thinking more of a certain Un-PC sitcom from the 70s, or the village pantos, than imagining you as challenged, health-wise! Hope it passes soon.

Our weather stayed cloudy all day, and quite windy, but it felt warm. The National Grid's contractors, who removed parts of some boundary trees last week, left a substantial pile of limbs by the lower fence. I decided to go in with the big van and collect them while the ground remained dry. Firewood is welcome, especially as we've lost our Winter Fuel Allowance , but I wasn't so pleased that half the stash was actually behind the stock fence. Luckily I can still climb it, including the barbed wire, but it seemed they'd left the heaviest bits of tree there, and I could barely heave then over. On the plus side, at least they'd not left any on the neighbour's land or in the streambed. 

Speaking of the stream, currently just damp puddles, did I mention our other neighbour below has put up extra stock fencing and privacy netting to within an inch or two of the stream bed? Honestly, did he think we were going to limbo under there at dead of night?  Did he think at all? It will be 'interesting' when the heavy autumn rains bring all the sticks and leaves tumbling through there! 

greenbee

I hope your neighbour is upstream of you Dusty, and it's not you that suffers from the resulting flooding!

I've identified that I have a couple of trees with fruit on that turns out to be Cornelian cherry. Apparently edible, but I'm not sure whether to give them a try in case I've got the ID wrong! They do LOOK like cherries!

I'm also working on my plans for the veg plot. I have quite a bit of east-facing fence that I'd like to take advantage of. It doesn't get the early morning sun, as there's a wood to the east of the garden with tall trees. Some research suggests apples and sour cherries (the Cornelian's do well there, so I guess that's right). I plan to put rhubarb at the base, but I'd like something a bit taller to either espalier or train along the fence. Not raspberries, as I already have one 3m bed of autumn fruiting rasps, and a 6m bed of early- and mid-summer rasps. Ideas welcomed!

Dustyevsky

greenbee said:

I hope your neighbour is upstream of you Dusty, and it's not you that suffers from the resulting flooding!

No, downstream, but it's a sharp slope and we've nothing to harm there. If the water comes up too far, his fence will go!
How about blackberries in your part shade? 3-4 hours of sunlight and they'll be fine.

greenbee

I really don't miss my stream (I have a ditch now). I do miss the kingfishers and kind of miss the water voles. 

I had thought about blackberries - I have them in the front hedge but they're not very accessible. Maybe @Farway can advise as to the best variety/combination of varieties?

twopenny

Alicef, when I had a big garden I used to like weeding. It was medative and I was making compost from them to feed the plants. It seemed to be the perfect activity in the sun with little effort but productive.

Your comment didn't offend Poppy. Took me a while to work out though

What a gorgeous collection of birds to have on your lawn.

Re the Sport thing, used to have that on my first digital camera. Brilliant. I'm told the ones I have now do but I can't find it. It's good for splashing water and such too. Maybe useful for you later in the year Dusty

On the water thing my pond has almost emptied again. Don't know if it's the heat or what because I couldn't find a leak last time but looks like I have to hoik it out again.

But at the moment it's gone from very hot, sweaty and airless all afternoon and getting ready for a swim to suddenly. Rain is supposed to be coming overnight.  Can only hope as the plants are desperate.

Had my unseasonal broccolli with some Cornish potatoes and local steak followed by raspberry jelly filled with my raspberries. Delicious

Aparantly I'm not the only one to get brocolli out of season. I've met others the same.

And my winter Viburnum is in full bloom and full leaf which is crazy!

Didn't get to the moor for fresh air and relaxation- the car wouldn't start - at all

greenbee

My viburnum is doing the same 2P. And a choisia.

twopenny

It'll be primroses next