Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

Seems to be an on/off day here, with showers and occasional gusty winds....or that could just be the 'swish' chard talking! We grow a lot here, because it's healthy stuff, it's easy, and the hens eat it too, so there's no waste.

The week ahead looks fairly benign, but not Indian summer territory, so we should be more productive, especially with all visitors gone. We've a container arriving soon, so a base for that will need to be created. It can't sit on soil, and it ought to be level, so we might need some sleepers. At least they'll have a second life in the garden somewhere, later on.

I'll try to take some new pictures this week, Although you folk were discussing Borage some time ago, our white ones have only recently come into flower, so this one's current:

You're quite right to warn that 'unusual' additions to the diet need to be done gently, Farway. I've chomped on the odd day lily without notable side effects, but didn't find it particularly yummy. I think a petal or two chopped-up for colour in a salad would be the sort of use envisaged...or there's Calendula.

Farway

twopenny said:

Have a relaxing day Taff. We seem to be told to 'do something' all the time and never to relax, enjoy doing nothing. I'm going to be sewing (perhaps) and watching gardening progs as I bet there's kids progs & sport on telly and then plan to read and drink tea while I can. A weeks time and everything starts up again here and I'll be racing around.

The best garden is one where you can sit and read the paper over coffee, take your lunch and a glass of wine/beer. It's not something people congratulate you on unless it's on here

You know the montbretia, bog standard, ordinary that's so derided? I saw two huge clumps about 4ft wide in a long grassy hillock and it was stunning. Not the first plant that's come in for stick I've seen grown en masse where it's looked magnificent

Watching gardening progs was just what I did yesterday with wet day

YT has loads, and of course once the algorithm clocks you like them, it just feeds more to you.

 Have to agree about gardens, the best is the one that suits you, but in true gardening we seem to never really get to the final stage where we can sit back & think, "My work here is done". 

Because just as you sit down you spot something requiring dead heading.

The en masse of ordinary plants can be wonderful, not just montbretia, there is a stretch of A34, just north of Newbury, with bog-standard gorse on both sides, brilliant at the right time of year in sunshine

And of course, massed bluebells are a joy in spring

twopenny

Wonderful photo Dusty! I didn't know you could get white. The two flowers together in a G&T would be lovely.

Here's some massed flowers while I'm downloading photos.

twopenny

Or how about one of these for your garden Bluey?

https://www.facebook.com/upliftnews/videos/giraffe-has-surprise-birth-at-zoo/334605302668390/?rdid=HDcmDXlVBe59WvVE

YoungBlueEyes

Forgive me posting without catching up. I’ve either just discovered something very simple and brilliant, or I’ve happened on something yous all do and no-one ever mentions. 

I’m sick of watering stuff for it to just run away wherever gravity takes it so I’ve just done this - 

I wanted to feed and water stuff so I started with my plum tree (it’s been through enough, poor soul). I banked up soil in a ring round it, sprinkled a paw full of FBB in the ring, then gently watered it in. Stops the run-off so it can all sink down into the roots. I’m working my way round the garden now, doing all trees and roses  

twopenny

Now I've seen dips dug but if it can be done that's a good temporary idea. I may try that around my tomatoes. Also where sinking flower pots takes heat and dry down to the roots as well as water this won't.

Thanks for the tip.

Oh and is that can a slug trap - or your secret stash   

Farway

Dustyevsky said:

You're quite right to warn that 'unusual' additions to the diet need to be done gently, Farway. I've chomped on the odd day lily without notable side effects, but didn't find it particularly yummy. I think a petal or two chopped-up for colour in a salad would be the sort of use envisaged...or there's Calendula.

I'm going to take my advice, just noticed one of my fuchsias has produced big fat seed pods, I “know” the pods are edible, but may not be palatable. Anyway, once they begin to look a bit more juicy, I dive in and sample a couple.

Picked more beans, 800g this time, enough for a couple of big meals, with more to come.

Nice gorsey hills there 2P.

YBE, good tip with the mound, fingers crossed we get better weather & your garden becomes a late bloomer

I found these on my grass when I went out bean picking, I've had garden shoes, and gauntlets before, but this is a first.

I expect some wee bairn is crying its eyes out about lost fluffy toys

No young ones near me to have lobbed them over

Foxes are the culprits, I suppose, like dogs, they like to play with things, and I think there are cubs around this time of year as well

Can I call them foxgloves?

YoungBlueEyes

Aww those teddies are kinda sad, but funny too. Foxgloves ha haa! What happened the rest of the Fred Dinage story btw…? 

Beautiful gorse + heather pic 2p, that’s another I’d have as a screensaver thing  

I’ve never see white borage before, I could stick plenty of that. I like borage in general mind, and montbretia. And drifts of snowdrops  

Speaking of edibles - George was tentatively eating Hot Lips last week on BG, tasted quite nice iirr. 

Pintrest hasn’t got me any nearer to my ideal garden. Well it has, it’s shown me hundreds of gardens I’d absolutely love to have *sigh*. 

The Oracle suddenly remembered she had a bag of windfall apples for us *ahem* and the wall and steps get her approval. “Very unusual -long pause - not weird at all”.  

pink_poppy

Beautiful gorse and heather pic, twopenny. We used to live near to the moors, but I don't remember seeing gorse, only lots and lots of purple heather.

That sounds like a back-handed compliment from Oracle, YBE.

How sweet that you found some teddies in your garden, Farway.

View from my bedroom window this afternoon, but maybe a tiny glimpse of some brighter weather to come in the distance?? I'll believe it when I see it...

YoungBlueEyes

Back-handed compliments are her speciality pp, she amuses me but himself takes it to heart :rolleyes:  I like your rainy window, did your bit of brightness stretch out into anything useful? You've a better week coming Cissie says, well, drier anyway. "He gives us plenty but He doesn't give us it all" she said last night. You heard it here first  

Quite a nice morning out there, it's been sunny and a bit damp but that's lifting already. Cloudy today, possibly, 15' now and a high of 21' to come. I need to find himself a job to get him out of the house so I can whip through the Domestic Nonsense and have a soak in the bath this aft, then get sat out with my book in the lovely evening they've promised we're getting