Awful weather - typical Brits talk

YoungBlueEyes

Welcome back Less, did you go somewhere exciting? We do get (nearly) all the topics covered on here eh. I reckon the mods think we're hilarious and brilliant fun altogether, that's why it sometimes takes them a while to strip the nawtiness out of threads - cos they're showing it round the office before they're forced to delete it. Eg the day my brain was firing on all cylinders and I wrote some brilliant things on that supermarket thread. It was days 'til they removed my comments, so QED  

2p does your car want a dem good threshing - a la John Cleese? With one of Dusty's branches perhaps? I'm another one thought your box said Boob 'til I recognised the 'e' for estimated! Your dragonfly looks so peaceful, it's a great pic

Beautiful fuchsias Farway, they've done so well in a short space of time. I do like fuchsias, so intricate and delicate. What's the one in the bottom right pic called? I have that one but I've lost the label it didn't come with a label Have your rats done the decent thing and headed northwards yet?

Ooh hedgehogs wm, that's surely a sign you're doing something right. I've rootled through the tiles and they all have a good straight edge so they'll be perfect for a lot of the ideas I've seen. And if you/your neighbour needs any more soil just ask, I've plenty still sat here and more to come up when I do whatever it is my sitooterie ends up being  

Great bird pic pp, just wants a partridge in a pear tree mocking up into it and it could be the December page in our calendar  

When your neighbour's fence is washing away and his wife is in full waggy-finger mode and he's pulling his hair out by the handful from his pate, you're not to stand there laughing Dusty cos that would be Bad Karma  How's MrsD btw?

Gb it might be stating the obvious but how about an espaliered apple tree for your fence? That should leave plenty of light for the fruit under it. Or how about a clematis or a honeysuckle or something, they like being trained and would quickly spread along a fence?

Alice I don't mind weeding either. Well I mind it before I start but then I get going and it's lovely and gentle and repetitive, meditative as 2p says

OT Raining here earlier and it's rained overnight but not a while lot I don't think. So humid now and the sun's trying to come out. Cooler than yesterday, thank god - 18'c now with a high of 21 to come. The nights are to cool off too, I'll definitely be happier with that.

twopenny

Interesting idea Bluey. Perhaps I'm being too nice to it.

Yes, it did something that might be rain overnight. There's wet patches on the ground but nothing worth considering.

A lot of my gathered plums went manky overnight too. Warm and stuffy. Honest it's never the same 2hrs running!

Will have to cook the rest down, not looking forward to that unless it really cools off.

No car = hours on buses or walking - or getting jobs done. Will it rain or won't it.

A case of toss it up in the air and see what lands. So Gardening is still a - maybe.

LessImpecunious

Thanks for asking YBE - yes, Evesham, very nice, a working trip, but time for long walks along the river, with opportunities for plum scrumping in abandoned orchards (handy, as my plum produced zilch this year ). Ripe blackberries were hanging like bunches of grapes along the river too... we're always surprised there aren't hoards of locals taking advantage of the abundance...

Some decent rain here overnight, brought on no doubt by my decision to water yesterday...

Dustyevsky

When your neighbour's fence is washing away and his wife is in full waggy-finger mode and he's pulling his hair out by the handful from his pate, you're not to stand there laughing Dusty cos that would be Bad Karma  How's MrsD btw?

Mrs Dusty is getting about again, thanks, but she won't be walking far for a while yet. She can drive her car, and she's able to do the watering and visit elderly family members again, which is all good. I think the hens and the weeding are still mine for the rest of the year, though!   I will try to meditate, or enjoy it, like Alice!

That fence is a lesson in how badly the modern preservatives work compared with the old. Erected in 1989 as part of a land purchase, one strainer has stood in the middle of the stream since then, while the post it's attached to in the wet area alongside also shows no sign of rot. All the posts of similar size we put in to define the chicken pen in 2010 rotted away in much drier ground within 12 years. I know the old preservatives weren't environmentally great, but neither is cutting down 3x the trees to do the same job.

That dragonfly picture which didn't cut it, no matter how I tweaked it:

And to make up for that, here's a floribunda (?) rose at the last garden we visited on Saturday. No name, unfortunately.

Dustyevsky

LessImpecunious said:

Thanks for asking YBE - yes, Evesham, very nice, a working trip, but time for long walks along the river, with opportunities for plum scrumping in abandoned orchards (handy, as my plum produced zilch this year ). Ripe blackberries were hanging like bunches of grapes along the river too... we're always surprised there aren't hoards of locals taking advantage of the abundance...

"The Vale of Evesham for plums." I'm sure we learned that in GCE geography. Like "Nottingham for socks lace."  I guess the world's moved on.

Farway

A bit of wussy dampness, not real rain at all, just “moist”  

Enough to stop wimps like me from going into the garden right now.

My fruit net bags have arrived from Amazon, if moistness stops I'll get on with them this afternoon.

greenbee said:

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?

If going for blackberries, unless you have elephant hide for flesh, get thornless if possible.

IMO, and Mrs Dusty, best for taste is Merton Thornless. 

I've found it very easy to grow, and doesn't go mad., with nice pink blossom in spring, and tasty berries about now.

I'm trying Loganberry next year, related but very different. I used to grow them years ago, but not in recent decades.

Ideal if jam or pie maker, not so clever fresh & raw, can be sharp unless very ripe.

One plus for Loganberries, you can't buy fresh in shops

Or, maybe gooseberries? The large desert type sweet yellow when ripe ones, not the green sour pie bullets.

They will espalier or cordon, spines can be PIA but not too bad

2P, sorry about car, does engine actually “turn over” but not start? 

What you need is a Choke fitting! 

As not doubt Dusty & any other more mature driver will tell you, at least there was something you could fiddle with when the car failed to start. Plus, a helpful back seat driver /passer-by could inform you that “you've flooded it”

YoungBlueEyes said:

Beautiful fuchsias Farway, they've done so well in a short space of time. I do like fuchsias, so intricate and delicate. What's the one in the bottom right pic called? I have that one but I've lost the label it didn't come with a label Have your rats done the decent thing and headed northwards yet?

I'm not sure, the label has faded. Looking through the original label pictures it's either Patio Princess or Snowcap, both from Morries, £1.30

I'll have another peer at the label just to see if I can make it out

Nice rose pic there Dusty, And the dragon fly, shows how hard it is to get one, as rare as white dog poo

LessImpecunious

Dustyevsky said:

LessImpecunious said:

Thanks for asking YBE - yes, Evesham, very nice, a working trip, but time for long walks along the river, with opportunities for plum scrumping in abandoned orchards (handy, as my plum produced zilch this year ). Ripe blackberries were hanging like bunches of grapes along the river too... we're always surprised there aren't hoards of locals taking advantage of the abundance...

"The Vale of Evesham for plums." I'm sure we learned that in GCE geography. Like "Nottingham for socks lace."  I guess the world's moved on.

There are still plums grown commercially in places; the orchard near the river is on a sloping bank now covered with enormous blackberries, harvested only by a few hardy (and money-saving!) local souls we think!

-taff

2P, I used ot ave something for my van called Start you Bustard' [with an a obviouly], you sprayed it into the air intake..Will that work for yours? I'm posting and running, builders still here and tea making duties commence....I have looked at all the photo's, glorious!

twopenny

REally Taff?

I tried looking it up and the forums are hilarious

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/off_belay/ignition_woes-271654

https://www.reddit.com/r/ofcoursethatsathing/comments/a7wlj5/this_is_a_real_product_in_australia_used_for/?rdt=32821

Just had the fuel filter changed and aparantly it hadn't been done in 20yrs! But if that's enough we'll see. If it is I may treat it to an oil change.

To garage, Unexpected invite to beach walk and coffee, walk to hair and round town, back to garage means that I haven't walked so far in 18mts - and at the mo, still standing. We;ll see tomorrow, if I ever wake up.

May have a look at the 'pond' tonight but that's the lot. Sufficient unto the day and all that.

No way am I lugging ladders or mowers.

YoungBlueEyes

Sounds like your car needs a meaningful snarling at 2p, through clenched teeth - oh just bluddy work you bustard. Be good if that works eh!

Ooh Evesham Less, it's nice down there and hurray for free plums Enough to eat, plus jam? Gin? Pies? Crumbles? Chutney?  

I quite like your dragonfly pic Dusty, it's dreamy and ethereal Did the roses smell as good as they look? 

I remember chokes and flooding it comments Farway... so does that mean I'm now mature or that I have to start being mature?  
Snowcap fuchsia, that rings a bell. Mine was also morries when they were kicking out their climbing things, it's doing alright but it's not very big yet. I also bought a loganberry from them and it's not doing well. It's been in Hospital Corner these last few weeks having a little word with itself but I think it's only waiting for it's ticket northwards to come through and it'll be off. Selfish swine. I only bought it cos himself (who has the palette of a 10 year old) says they're his favourite fruit. And they say women are complex :rolleyes: 

Builders still there at that time taff?! Gawd you must be paying them a small fortune! How's it all coming along? 

How you feeling this morning pp? Have you got anybody there to give you a kick in the shins, take your mind off it? That was daddy's answer to just about everything  

OT lovely morning here, sunny and cool and breezy. Lovely. 15'c now, high of 21 to come. That's it, that's all I need. Thanks St Fiacre